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NBC's Most Unfair Cancelation? This Near Perfect Sci-Fi Drama with The OA Star

NBC's Most Unfair Cancelation? This Near Perfect Sci-Fi Drama with The OA Star
Image credit: Netflix, NBC

It is yet another project with Jason Isaacs that was undeservedly canceled.

The television industry has always been a fiercely competitive environment, and in an era of content overload, it has become absolutely ruthless: any show that fails to deliver the ratings expected of it is easily canceled, regardless of the long-term plans of its showrunners.

One such victim was Awake, a thrilling sci-fi mystery starring The OA 's Jason Isaacs that aired on NBC in 2012.

What is Awake About?

Awake was a project with one of the most intriguing premises of its time: an ordinary police detective Michael Britten gets into a car accident with his family – wife Hannah and son Rex. After the accident, Michael's son survives. However, the next morning the main character wakes up and finds out that his wife survived the accident, and it was his son who died.

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Detective Britten finds himself in two parallel universes, in each of which only one member of his family survived. A new day in Michael's life begins with either Hannah, who is expecting a new child, or Rex, who is trying to come to terms with the loss of his mother.

In order not to get confused in the realities, Detective Britten wears bracelets of different colors. In each of these worlds, he searches for clues that can shed light on the circumstances of the accident and answer the main question – what really happened to him.

Awake Was an Intriguing Detective Story Masterfully Mixed with Sci-Fi

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The Awake scenario plays on a fascinating field: human consciousness. We have two realities and one man. Each parallel reality has its own symbols and numerous clues. Moreover, each episode is three investigations in one: Michael tries to understand his own mind and conducts an independent investigation in each of the realities, usually connected to a parallel one.

The show asks a lot of questions. If one of the realities is a dream, how can he tell? Who does he have to lose again? Hannah, grieving for her son, or Rex, outraged by the loss of his mother? How do you deal with your life on two fronts at once, and doesn't that mean that both realities are an illusion, and there's a third one somewhere?

Awake Just Aired at The Wrong Time

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Critics were almost unanimous in their praise for the writers and cast of Awake. Some predicted an Emmy for Jason Isaacs for his role as Michael. Why wasn't there a breakthrough or at least the second season?

The finale of Awake was released at the same time with the finales of such hits as The Mentalist and Scandal. Later critics would note that Awake aired at a rather inconvenient time, on Thursdays, and against the leaders of the season.

Either way, the ambitious show was canceled, but if you're a fan of intricate detective stories with a sci-fi twist, Awake's one season still deserves your attention.

Where to Stream Awake?

Awake Season 1 is available to watch on Prime Video.