Utterly brilliant. As far as I’m concerned, this was Awake’s first true GREAT episode. Not only was it a thrilling hour of television, it was a compelling and intriguing one that brought forth a number of fantastic developments that will undoubtedly propel the show forward into exciting avenues.
First off, the appearance of a schizophrenic introduced a whole new layer of intrigue as the similarities between him and Britten presented us with a captivating foundation for the episode. The editing in the opening sequence effectively conveyed this as well as our favorite therapists drawing these conclusions. It was just fascinating to watch Britten’s world crumble around him as he struggled to maintain both elaborate realities. In addition, the whole hostage situation scenario created quite a bit of tension and thrills and I find such finale-like events much more exciting than the usual cases of the week (which honestly bore me to tears). The final twist revealing that Lee was never in the building and a fabrication of Britten’s mind was an excellent and thought-provoking cliffhanger to end the episode on.
Speaking of Britten, he’s really evolved into a fantastic protagonist particularly in the way he handled the psychopath. I loved the fact that he chose to fabricate a lie about the dead sister instead of revealing the truth because he knew it would yield a better result. Even the scenes he had with Rex and the new girlfriend were excellent as it’s nice to know the writers don’t intend to forget to develop Michael’s family life.
And how can I not mention that bizarre penguin? It was such a hilarious touch that infused some much-needed comedy into an otherwise dark episode.
I pray with all my heart that Awake gets renewed for a second season. This show (much like Nikita) is a quality production that deserves the opportunity to show us everything it has to offer. All in all, a stunning hour and the strongest since the pilot. Bravo.
Nad Rating
A+