History Series / Awake2012

* LifeIsButADream: The entire conflict of the series. Britten is living two lives. Which one is real and which one is a dream?

A high-concept [[CopShow cop drama]] premiering on February of 2012 in which Police Det. Michael Britten, played by Jason Isaacs, lives a double life in two separate realities after being in a car accident with his wife and son. In one reality, his wife Hannah (played by [[Series/TheFortyFourHundred Laura Allen]]) survived the accident, but their son Rex (played by Dylan Minnette) did not. When he falls asleep, he goes into the second reality, where the exact opposite happened; Hannah died, but Rex did not. The show follows Britten going about his life in each reality, mourning for his wife, son, and ''both'', in the two realities, as well as seeing two separate psychiatrists who have contrary opinions on the significance and psychological benefits of the "subconscious alternate reality" that he's created for himself.

'''Tropes found in Series/{{Awake}}:'''

* YouShouldHaveDiedInstead: Rex confesses to Tara, his tennis coach, that he wishes he still had his mother instead of his father.

->''Is this the real life?\\
Is this just fantasy?\\
Caught in a landslide\\
No escape from reality?''
--> Music/{{Queen}}, "Bohemian Rhapsody"

* [[{{SchroedingersGun}} Schrödinger's Reality:]] Even though Britten's life should have been exactly the same until it split at the accident, it isn't: Events before the accident that occured outside Britten's perception range may vary depending on the plot. [[spoiler:Like Kate in "Kate is Enough" who had lived a drastically different life because of a decision her mother did or didn't take years ago. Also, whether or not Emma, Rex's girlfriend is pregnant varies - in the world where Rex lives, she miscarries. In the world where he dies, she doesn't. In both, she got pregnant just before the accident.]]

* WrongfullyAccused: John Cooper was framed by Michael's ex-partner and busts out of jail (in the green reality) to prove his innocence.

-->''Is this the real life?\\

---> Music/{{Queen}}, "Bohemian Rhapsody"

** To MarkKermode, Simon Mayo, and listeners of their show. The following line from episode 4, "Kate Is Enough" was put in by Jason Isaacs after he was dared to put the words "teapot" and/or "ukulele" into his series on Kermode & Mayo's show on December 23rd (2012). Presumably as a result of his being [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Memes/Radio constantly greeted on their show]]...

* TermsOfEndangerment: The Gemini Killer in "Oregon" refers to the FBI detective whose been following his case for years by her first name.

** In "Say Hello To My Little Friend" Britten suddenly finds himself [[spoiler: unable to move into Green reality, and again experiencing hallucinations. This is so jarring that is causes his usually calm demeanor to fall apart in short order.]]

* ShoutOut: To MarkKermode, Simon Mayo, and listeners of their show. The following line from episode 4, "Kate Is Enough" was put in by Jason Isaacs after he was dared to put the words "teapot" and/or "ukulele" into his series on Kermode & Mayo's show on December 23rd (2012). Presumably as a result of his being [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Memes/Radio constantly greeted on their show]]...
-->'''Britten''': He's not going to be playing the ''ukulele'' in heaven.
** In the red-reality end of "Slack Water", Emma has been watching a marathon of ''TheXFiles'' on cable while the Brittens were out.

* VillainousBSOD: [[spoiler: Harper]] is working to keep things under control frantically yet efficently. Then what [[spoiler: she's]] done catches up with [[spoiler: her]], and she breaks down. [[{{Determinator}} Briefly.]]

* VillainousBSOD: [[spoiler: Harper]] is working to keep things under control frantically yet effiecently. Then what [[spoiler: she's]] done catches up with [[spoiler: her]], and she breaks down. [[{{Determinator}} Briefly.]]

Despite exceptionally positive critical reviews, the series had poor ratings, and was cancelled after 13 episodes. Interviews like [[http://www.tv.com/news/awake-q-and-a-creator-kyle-killen-explains-the-finale-and-more-28770/ this]] offer additional wrap up and insight as to the series had it gone on.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Detective Britten is [[Film/HarryPotter Lucius Malfoy]] and Lieutenant Vega is [[That70sShow Fez]].

A high-concept [[CopShow cop drama]] premiering on February of 2012 in which Police Det. Michael Britten, played by Jason Isaacs, lives a double life in two separate realities after being in a car accident with his wife and son. In one reality, his wife Hannah (played by [[{{The 4400}} Laura Allen]]) survived the accident, but their son Rex (played by Dylan Minnette) did not. When he falls asleep, he goes into the second reality, where the exact opposite happened; Hannah died, but Rex did not. The show follows Britten going about his life in each reality, mourning for his wife, son, and ''both'', in the two realities, as well as seeing two separate psychiatrists who have contrary opinions on the significance and psychological benefits of the "subconscious alternate reality" that he's created for himself.

- Music/{{Queen}}, "Bohemian Rhapsody"

* ColourCodedForYourConvenience/ColorMotif: The "wife is alive" is the "red" reality and filmed primarily in warmer tones (yellowish incandescent light on the walls of the house, for example), while the "son is alive" is the "green" reality and uses cooler tones (ambient diffuse natural light inside the house). Also done in-universe as Britten uses red and green rubber bands to remind himself of which reality he's in at the moment. This is played in with in a scene where Britten loses track of his bracelet and the color tones become ambiguous. When he realizes which reality he's in, the next scene change is back to warm tones. And in the season/series finale when [[spoiler: he arrives in a third reality where both Rex and Hannah are alive, it's white lighting and they're wearing mostly neutral outfits.]] Also in the finale [[spoiler: when he speaks to himself, the red world is in an orange prison jumpsuit, while the green world version is in his typical blue suit.]]

* [[DownerEnding Downer Ending]]/[[BittersweetEnding Bittersweet Ending]]/[[HappyEnding Happy Ending]]: [[spoiler:All three! The red reality ends with a DownerEnding; Britten's probably going to be in prison for the rest of his life and the criminal who caused his son's death got away with it. The green reality has more of a BittersweetEnding, in which he catches the criminal but has to stop believing in the red reality to make it happen. He then ends up in a third reality which seems to him to be a HappyEnding, but viewers could see it as one of the others.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Detective Britten is [[HarryPotter Lucius Malfoy]] and Lieutenant Vega is [[That70sShow Fez]].

** The end of the season seems to indicate that [[spoiler: in addition to both realities, Michael is capable of experiencing actual dreams which appear to be real.]] However, the WordOFGod is that the theory that [[spoiler: both realities are dreams]]is wrong, as noted in the interview linked to above.

Despite exceptionally positive critical review, the series was cancelled. Interviews like [[http://www.tv.com/news/awake-q-and-a-creator-kyle-killen-explains-the-finale-and-more-28770/ this]] offer additional wrap up and insight as to the series had it gone on.

* ColourCodedForYourConvenience:The "wife is alive" is the "red" reality and filmed primarily in warmer tones (yellowish incandescent light on the walls of the house, for example), while the "son is alive" is the "green" reality and uses cooler tones (ambient diffuse natural light inside the house). Also done in-universe as Britten uses red and green rubber bands to remind himself of which reality he's in at the moment. This is played in with in a scene where Britten loses track of his bracelet and the color tones become ambiguous. When he realizes which reality he's in, the next scene change is back to warm tones.
** And in the season/series finale when [[spoiler: he arrives in a third reality where both Rex and Hannah are alive, it's white lighting and they're wearing mostly neutral outfits.]]
** Also in the finale [[spoiler: when he speaks to himself, the red world is in an orange prison jumpsuit, while the green world version is in his typical blue suit.]]

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Bird, in the red reality.]]

To escape from reality?''

** The end of the season seems to indicate that [[spoiler: in addition to both realities, Michael is capable of experiencing actual dreams which appear to be real.]] However, the series creator has Jossed the theory that [[spoiler: both realities are dreams]] in the interview linked to above.