By Jamie Ruby
Awake, which premieres tomorrow on NBC, stars Jason Isaacs as Detective Britten as he struggles with living two lives, not knowing which is real. Britten has been involved in a car accident, and in one reality his son Rex (Dylan Minnette) is alive, but his wife Hannah (Laura Allen) has died. In the other, his wife survived, but they lost their son. Britten has no idea when he is awake and when he is dreaming, and doesn't want to know. He refuses to live in only one reality and accept that someone he loves is gone. Whether Britten's mind is fractured by the emotional distress, or whether perhaps something completely different is going on, is not told to the audience.
It's hard to categorize a series that is so many things. The series to me had a slight science fiction vibe, yet it's not really sci-fi – anything can happen in your dreams. The show is somewhat hard to classify because it's outside the box – it's procedural – you can watch only one episode and understand what is going on. Each episode has a case (or two) which at least for the most part will be resolved. Yet the show definitely has an overall story arc that gets more complex as the story moves beyond the pilot. As much as it is drama, I do think science fiction fans like myself will enjoy it as I have. It is definitely a unique story and there's nothing like it on television, or has been in the past.
Awake, which premieres tomorrow on NBC, stars Jason Isaacs as Detective Britten as he struggles with living two lives, not knowing which is real. Britten has been involved in a car accident, and in one reality his son Rex (Dylan Minnette) is alive, but his wife Hannah (Laura Allen) has died. In the other, his wife survived, but they lost their son. Britten has no idea when he is awake and when he is dreaming, and doesn't want to know. He refuses to live in only one reality and accept that someone he loves is gone. Whether Britten's mind is fractured by the emotional distress, or whether perhaps something completely different is going on, is not told to the audience.It's hard to categorize a series that is so many things. The series to me had a slight science fiction vibe, yet it's not really sci-fi – anything can happen in your dreams. The show is somewhat hard to classify because it's outside the box – it's procedural – you can watch only one episode and understand what is going on. Each episode has a case (or two) which at least for the most part will be resolved. Yet the show definitely has an overall story arc that gets more complex as the story moves beyond the pilot. As much as it is drama, I do think science fiction fans like myself will enjoy it as I have. It is definitely a unique story and there's nothing like it on television, or has been in the past.
"18 Miles Out" is yet another episode containing a surprising amount of action and suspense, along with quite a few zombies. I find it hard to complain, given that the genre elements were the main reason I started watching. I do enjoy good drama, and so I've had to learn to appreciate "The Walking Dead" for what it has become. A certain amount of drama is necessary in virtually every genre. But on a more superficial level, I started watching "The Walking Dead" because I wanted to see people experiencing the suspense, dread, and horror of a zombie outbreak. So far, the second half of the season seems to be offering a good deal more of that than the first. So it's fair to say that it's aligning more closely with my core tastes as a consumer of entertainment.
Many people may know of Jason Isaacs because of his portrayal of the villain Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. The British actor, however, has a long list of credits to his name. He has appeared on film in other hit movies such as Dragonheart, Armageddon, The Patriot, Black Hawk Down, and last year's Abduction. He has also appeared on the small screen in starring roles such as The State Within, Brotherhood, and more recently, Case Histories.
A much better A-story than the previous episode compliments the very strong, continuing trend of great character stories. A formula has definitely emerged, but it's a fun formula, and this time around the "Lost Girl" writers use it to touch on an aspect of the show that has, until now, been taken for granted.
Things come to a head with Nora and the twins, while Aidan faces down dissention in the Boston vampire ranks and Sally learns the identity of her dark stalker. Sure enough, it’s the mid-point of the season, and that means it’s definitely time for the supernatural chickens to come home to roost.
Syfy Powerful Mondays continue to get better and better with each episode that airs of their newly acquired series Lost Girl. The network has already picked a date, April 16th, to air season two of the series.
I suppose it was inevitable that “Grimm” turn to that most tired of genre clichés, the “alien” gladiator games. How many genre shows have had an episode based on this premise, early in the series’ run? I think back to “Babylon 5”, an otherwise top-flight show, and how “T.K.O.” was one of its worst episodes in its entire run. Few series ever make it palatable, and “Grimm” is certainly no exception.
It’s come to my attention that there are those who feel that this season of “Spartacus” has been too slow, too boring, and generally lacking in the kind of well-oiled mechanics that made “Blood and Sand” and “Gods of the Arena” so addictive. I believe that this episode stands as a statement to those critics, as half a season’s plot threads come crashing down, along with most of the arena in Capua.
It’s amazing when a show can sustain a mystery for nearly four seasons, only to provide a resolution that is not only logical but deceptively simple. I can’t say that the origins/nature of the Observers is particularly shocking, since it was one of the many theories that has been tossed around since the beginning, but I love how it fits so perfectly with what we have seen.