# Awake (New NBC Show)



## sigma1914

This looks really intriguing.


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## Steve

Thanks for posting, sigma! Definitely worth a look. According to this, it may be used as a mid-season replacement.


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## photostudent

British actor Jason Isaacs was really great doing the ****** Bulger based character in Brotherhood and looks good in this. However I really don't see anything original here. Will give it a try though.


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## RobertE

Looks interesting, I'll be giving it a shot. I do fear though, that it will be a bit too deep for our current attention spans.


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## hilmar2k

Seems like the kind of show that I would like, only to then have it cancelled. Best shows on TV keep getting cancelled (Chicago Code, for example). 

Looks really interesting and I will definitely check it out.


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## TulsaOK

Sounded good until I got to the Alyssa Milano part. I think I'll pass. Too much history.


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## spartanstew

Looks very cool.


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## James Long

Too cerebral for NBC. I can't see it make it much beyond the pilot. 8-10 shows with the last ones in a throw away timeslot?

It reminds me of other failed NBC series.


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## oldschoolecw

Thanks for the heads-up on this show, it looks like a winner but where talking about NBC here, so I am going to have to pass on a show that looks great because NBC has killed too many other shows that have had great potential over the past few years. 

And after FOX killing off The Chicago Code this season, I'm done with investing my time in great programming only for it to be cancelled. 

My new theme going forward with new shows from Network TV is wait and see, then if it makes it, get it via NetFlix or Amazon VOD.


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## RunnerFL

oldschoolecw said:


> Thanks for the heads-up on this show, it looks like a winner but where talking about NBC here, so I am going to have to pass on a show that looks great because NBC has killed too many other shows that have had great potential over the past few years.
> 
> And after FOX killing off The Chicago Code this season, I'm done with investing my time in great programming only for it to be cancelled.
> 
> My new theme going forward with new shows from Network TV is wait and see, then if it makes it, get it via NetFlix or Amazon VOD.


You could at least record it, like I will, and wait to see if it is cancelled or not. That's what I've been doing with new shows for the past few years. I'll record it but not start watching unless it's a "big hit", real hit not claimed a hit by the network it's on, or it's gone a whole season and gets a second season.

Yes, I did break my rules on "The Event" and got burnt but curiosity got the best of me. :lol:


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## TBoneit

oldschoolecw said:


> Thanks for the heads-up on this show, it looks like a winner but where talking about NBC here, so I am going to have to pass on a show that looks great because NBC has killed too many other shows that have had great potential over the past few years.
> 
> And after FOX killing off The Chicago Code this season, I'm done with investing my time in great programming only for it to be cancelled.
> 
> My new theme going forward with new shows from Network TV is wait and see, then if it makes it, get it via NetFlix or Amazon VOD.


I don't get the whole investing my time thing?

"I'm done with investing my time in great programming only for it to be cancelled."
Since all shows end up being cancelled sooner or later you never watch great programming? You settle for Mediocre programming so you won't care when it gets cancelled? 

I watch a show, if the episode is good I watch it, if that episode is bad I skip it.

I started watching leverage last summer, it had been running for a while. That didn't bother me as each episode is complete. Later when it had ended its new episode runs I found the older ones and watched them. If I hadn't found them I'd of watched something else, no biggie.

Same with the Closer, I started watching it last year and when it ended the current run I found the rest and watched them.

Every show will end sooner or later, I either enjoy them or don't enjoy based on content not how long they'll be around.

I started watching the one where the Jet crashes on an Island the first year, it went weird so I stopped watching it.

The only thing I do not watch is Cliffhangers at seasons end. I record them and then when the first episode of the new season is safely recorded then I watch them in order.


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## James Long

RunnerFL said:


> Yes, I did break my rules on "The Event" and got burnt but curiosity got the best of me. :lol:


If the show is interesting I'll watch anyways ... but the disappointment of having new favorites go away adds up.



TBoneit said:


> I don't get the whole investing my time thing?
> 
> "I'm done with investing my time in great programming only for it to be cancelled."


Very few wrap up nicely ... the shows just dump the viewers. I don't like being dumped.

Think of these new drama shows as novels. The first chapter catches your attention and introduces most characters. Then as you work your way through the book you find out things you didn't know about the characters and deeper revelations about the plot. The story arc continues toward the end of the book and comes to a nice conclusion.

Now look at a cancelled show as an incomplete novel. You have read the first few chapters and are really interested in the story and the characters then you lose the book ... and there is NO WHERE that you can go to find the end of the story. No resolve.

A sitcom being cancelled doesn't have that problem ... 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Outsourced, S#!t My Dad Says, Scrubs, My Name Is Earl ... shows that could be popular but you can miss an episode without missing much. They are not quite at the level of no character/plot development where you could play the episodes in any order you want - but if they make more fine, if they don't fine. There is no end to the novel on those shows.

A cancelled show with a good run gets to wrap. Medium was cancelled, restarted on a new network and finally ended. A complete novel. Pushing Daisies modified their final shows to try to wrap up the plot and ended with a brief "if we were allowed to finish the story here is where we were going with it" segment as a wrap.

But far too many shows are pulled with no ending. The network simply rips the last chapters out of the book and the viewers are abandoned. After a long lead in of hype that _*this*_ will be the best show ever and getting you interested you're abandoned.

And that is the investment that can be too much. Who wants to read half a novel?


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## oldschoolecw

RunnerFL said:


> You could at least record it, like I will, and wait to see if it is cancelled or not. That's what I've been doing with new shows for the past few years. I'll record it but not start watching unless it's a "big hit", real hit not claimed a hit by the network it's on, or it's gone a whole season and gets a second season.
> 
> Yes, I did break my rules on "The Event" and got burnt but curiosity got the best of me. :lol:


I can only record 2 things at once and lots of times their both filled, I have never recorded a whole season of anything without watching it. I will have to make space on my DVR and try your idea


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## oldschoolecw

James Long said:


> If the show is interesting I'll watch anyways ... but the disappointment of having new favorites go away adds up.
> 
> Very few wrap up nicely ... the shows just dump the viewers. I don't like being dumped.
> 
> Think of these new drama shows as novels. The first chapter catches your attention and introduces most characters. Then as you work your way through the book you find out things you didn't know about the characters and deeper revelations about the plot. The story arc continues toward the end of the book and comes to a nice conclusion.
> 
> Now look at a cancelled show as an incomplete novel. You have read the first few chapters and are really interested in the story and the characters then you lose the book ... and there is NO WHERE that you can go to find the end of the story. No resolve.
> 
> A sitcom being cancelled doesn't have that problem ... 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Outsourced, S#!t My Dad Says, Scrubs, My Name Is Earl ... shows that could be popular but you can miss an episode without missing much. They are not quite at the level of no character/plot development where you could play the episodes in any order you want - but if they make more fine, if they don't fine. There is no end to the novel on those shows.
> 
> A cancelled show with a good run gets to wrap. Medium was cancelled, restarted on a new network and finally ended. A complete novel. Pushing Daisies modified their final shows to try to wrap up the plot and ended with a brief "if we were allowed to finish the story here is where we were going with it" segment as a wrap.
> 
> But far too many shows are pulled with no ending. The network simply rips the last chapters out of the book and the viewers are abandoned. After a long lead in of hype that _*this*_ will be the best show ever and getting you interested you're abandoned.
> 
> And that is the investment that can be too much. Who wants to read half a novel?


Thanks for wording it brilliantly like that, you typed what I should have, and you have also felt the mind numbness of great TV stories ending with out conclusion.


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## RunnerFL

oldschoolecw said:


> I can only record 2 things at once and lots of times their both filled, I have never recorded a whole season of anything without watching it. I will have to make space on my DVR and try your idea


heh, yeah I tend to forget others may not have as many DVRs as I have or as much recording space. I can record 12 things at once and the smallest drive I have in any DVR is 1TB with most being 2TB. 

Yes, it is an addiction and not something I try to flaunt. :lol:


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## oldschoolecw

RunnerFL said:


> heh, yeah I tend to forget others may not have as many DVRs as I have or as much recording space. I can record 12 things at once and the smallest drive I have in any DVR is 1TB with most being 2TB.
> 
> Yes, it is an addiction and not something I try to flaunt. :lol:


Wow, I think I have DVR envy :lol:


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## armophob

I will watch the pilot. But I about fell asleep during the trailer.

When?


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## James Long

Series Premiere Mar 1 Thursdays 10/9c ...

They have the first full episode available on the web.
http://www.nbc.com/awake/


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## Nick

I'm in.

I watched the trailer and, tho' I usually don't care for flashbacks, I am optimistic about the chances of success for "Awake". There is only so much tv I can watch, but this looks like a solid hit. I will not deny myself the pleasure of a good, interesting series just because of the _possibility_ of premature cancellation.

Carrying this thread's prevailing logic to the extreme, no one would ever watch any new show and _all_ new shows would fail. In politics, they say every vote counts. It's the same in tv ratings -- every viewer counts (at least according to Nielsen). With over 200 channels, plus IPTV sucking at the eyes of viewers, combined with the notorious infidelity of network programming executives, it's extremely tough for any new show to succeed, no matter how great its potential.

For those who withhold support of a new show out of concern (fear) of being abandoned mid-series, take a chance and just start watching. Don't leave it up to others to decide what you are, or _are_ not going to watch.

Be a lion, not a lemming! "_Watch_ it and they will come." :sure:


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## rrdirectsr

Just watched the Pilot last night and really enjoyed it. May be a good series.


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## James Long

I watched the Pilot and don't expect the series to last. I don't see where the plot can go.

Ratings:At 10:00 p.m., the series premiere of Awake pulled in a 1.9 among adults 18-49 and 6.247 million viewers. It topped the hour in the demo, but it was up against repeats of The Mentalist and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
source​I believe the hype led to a good rating ... people tuning in to see what it was all about (similar to The Event - which scored a 3.6 for the pilot). But The Event never hit that pilot rating again and Awake is staring out much lower.

The big issue of the show is the split life and the reality of the issue. Which life is real or is there some interdimentional travel between two true realities? The problem with that big issue being the root of the show is that it limits the audience. I can't see more that the most devoted fans paying attention to every clue trying to figure out what the real reality is - and for the rest of the audience it can be an annoyance.

If they get away from the big issue and concentrate on the police work with clues in one life solving crimes in another life it might draw a bigger audience (there are a lot of cop shows where the lead cop has special powers or insights that help them solve crimes). But that would also make it more formulaic. The confusion between fellow officers playing different roles in each life makes me feel like I'm flipping channels between two movies.

In the end I don't expect it to last. There are supposed to be 13 episodes but I wonder if all of them will air.

I have come up with an idea for the final scene of the series finale ...


Spoiler



Michael is shown in a hospital bed in a coma with his wife and child next to him. Both realities are revealed to have been a dream.


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## Supramom2000

In some ways, it is similar to Life on Mars. While the U.S. version did not fare well, the BBC version was fantastic! My husband and I really liked it and couldn't wait to figure out if he was dreaming in a coma state, or really in another dimension.

I loved the pilot (I watched in on VOD) and hope it does well.


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## James Long

Supramom2000 said:


> In some ways, it is similar to Life on Mars. While the U.S. version did not fare well, the BBC version was fantastic! My husband and I really liked it and couldn't wait to figure out if he was dreaming in a coma state, or really in another dimension.
> 
> I loved the pilot (I watched in on VOD) and hope it does well.


Life on Mars was better. We only had one timeline to deal with for most of the show. I didn't watch the British version but I liked the US version happy ending better that the British version I've read about.


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## spartanstew

You're right that it probably won't last, but the wife and I really liked it.


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## phrelin

It's basically a crime procedural where "they" work on two crimes at the same time while the lead character struggles with some unique personal problems. It's well done. My wife and I liked it.

Chance of survival? Not much.

This spring it would have been a ratings grabber for NBC on Tuesday at 10:00 against ABC's "Body of Proof" and CBS' "Unforgettable." Instead they've put it up against CBS' "The Mentalist" and ABC's new show "Scandal" with no lead in. In its first outing against two reruns it got about the same pathetic ratings as the premier of "Prime Suspect" got against the season premiers of "The Mentalist" and "Grey's Anatomy."

But we'll record and watch it.


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## longrider

I enjoyed it which does mean it probably wont be renewed  I did notice in the previews for the next episode that Laura Innes (Sophia from The Event) will be guest starring. To be in another show this quickly it will be hard for me to think of her as somebody other than Sophia


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## TBlazer07

This show will end just like LOST (just a LOT sooner). *He* really is the one who died in the accident and everything he imagined each time he woke up was from watching too much TV in heaven.

I predicted the ending to Lost after the 2nd or 3rd show. My wife said "no way." It was just too obvious. :lol:


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## timf

TBlazer07 said:


> This show will end just like LOST (just a LOT sooner). *He* really is the one who died in the accident and everything he imagined each time he woke up was from watching too much TV in heaven.


Either this, or he is in a coma and dreaming both "awake" states. The only obvious explanation to the story is that neither is a reality, and with this in mind I can't see how this turns into an ongoing storyline that keeps viewers coming back. At least with LOST there were lots of mysteries that kept you guessing throughout the show even though the eventual outcome was what everyone expected.


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## longrider

timf said:


> Either this, or he is in a coma and dreaming both "awake" states. The only obvious explanation to the story is that neither is a reality, and with this in mind I can't see how this turns into an ongoing storyline that keeps viewers coming back. At least with LOST there were lots of mysteries that kept you guessing throughout the show even though the eventual outcome was what everyone expected.


According to sources that is not the case:



> So which one is real and which is a dream? (And before you say you've figured it out -- that ever-popular theory that he himself is dead, a ghost or in a coma -- I've been promised that those are not options.) As the audience, do we even want to know?


Story here


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## phrelin

longrider said:


> I did notice in the previews for the next episode that Laura Innes (Sophia from The Event) will be guest starring. To be in another show this quickly it will be hard for me to think of her as somebody other than Sophia


You mean Dr. Kerry Weaver from 249 episodes of "ER". I never really got used to her in the 21 episodes of "The Event".


longrider said:


> According to sources that is not the case:
> 
> 
> 
> So which one is real and which is a dream? (And before you say you've figured it out -- that ever-popular theory that he himself is dead, a ghost or in a coma -- I've been promised that those are not options.) As the audience, do we even want to know?
> 
> 
> 
> Story here
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. I was beginning to worry that the show runners actually would be that unoriginal.


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## James Long

longrider said:


> According to sources that is not the case:
> 
> 
> 
> So which one is real and which is a dream? (And before you say you've figured it out -- that ever-popular theory that he himself is dead, a ghost or in a coma -- I've been promised that those are not options.) As the audience, do we even want to know?
> 
> 
> 
> Story here
Click to expand...

Well they eliminated my spoiler protected guess ... but let's look at the quote: "*As the audience, do we even want to know?*"

That would be the major difference in how the show plays out. If it is filled with clues and misdirection about which reality is real it will play to an audience that wants to know. If it ignores the reality issue and just uses the cross over clues as a special power then those who want to know might be disappointed.

But the raw thought of "do we even want to know" makes me wonder if it is worth trying to figure it out or if an easier to watch show would be a better choice. We'll find out if it can keep the audience next week. I'll only call it a surviving show if it increases viewership from week two and beyond.


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## longrider

phrelin said:


> You mean Dr. Kerry Weaver from 249 episodes of "ER". I never really got used to her in the 21 episodes of "The Event"


I admit that 249 episodes beats out 21 episodes but I only watched ER in the very beginning so I connect her to Sophia. Obviously you have the same issue I do, just 1 series earlier


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## longrider

James Long said:


> Well they eliminated my spoiler protected guess ...


I apologize if you took that as a spoiler, I didnt even think that as it was not from watching an episode but came from public discussion of the show by the people involved


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## Earl Bonovich

I think TV Shows need to take a new approach.

In the pilot, they need to show us the ENDING of the series...
And then in episode 2, they start of... Several years earlier......

That way we will always have closure if the show ends early.


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## James Long

longrider said:


> I apologize if you took that as a spoiler, I didnt even think that as it was not from watching an episode but came from public discussion of the show by the people involved


No problem. It wasn't a real spoiler, I just protected it as such when I posted the speculation so people who didn't want to read it didn't have to.


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## James Long

The promo for this week's episode refers to the show as "the story of one man in two dreams".
Laura Innes in the clip is practically ripped from The Event.


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## Church AV Guy

James Long said:


> The promo for this week's episode refers to the show as "the story of one man in two dreams".
> Laura Innes in the clip is practically ripped from The Event.


At this point, I wonder if the producers and writers have decided which is the dream, and which is real, or is the both, or neither? If they haven't made a decision yet, and CLUES we get are meaningless.


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## ThomasM

hilmar2k said:


> Seems like the kind of show that I would like, only to then have it cancelled. Best shows on TV keep getting cancelled (Chicago Code, for example).
> 
> Looks really interesting and I will definitely check it out.


YES! And we never did get to see if that crooked alderman went down on Chicago Code.

Back in the day, you could watch a new show and at least be guaranteed that you weren't wasting your time when it got canceled after a half-dozen episodes. But not today!


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## phrelin

I wake up some Thursday mornings and it has been canceled. Other Thursday mornings I wake up and wishing it had been canceled so I wouldn't fear wasting all that time.


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## longrider

Something I just noticed a couple weeks ago (maybe its been there, I dont keep old episodes so cant go back and check) Each reality is filmed with a different color tint. One has a bluish tint while the other has a slight red tint. The only place I have seen that before was on Charlie Jade.



Spoiler



Also, this was the first time I have seen a major event have a different outcome in the two realities. This does create more possibilities in the story


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## James Long

longrider said:


> Something I just noticed a couple weeks ago (maybe its been there, I dont keep old episodes so cant go back and check) Each reality is filmed with a different color tint. One has a bluish tint while the other has a slight red tint. The only place I have seen that before was on Charlie Jade.


That would be nice. I sometimes get lost on what reality we're in.

Spoilers one has not seen this week's show:


> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Also, this was the first time I have seen a major event have a different outcome in the two realities. This does create more possibilities in the story





Spoiler



I expected the move to be a major difference between the two timelines. If the "my son is dead" timeline is the real dream the addition of a grandchild to keep him from moving to Oregon would help in keeping the second reality running without a lot of facts from Oregon. The real timeline move to Oregon can be made relying on memories to sustain the existence in the other city. But moving the dream to another city would be harder to sustain.


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## Supramom2000

I thought the "event" he was talking about was the football game!


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## James Long

Supramom2000 said:


> I thought the "event" he was talking about was the football game!


I though The Event was an alien return to Earth ... but that is a different show.

While the show previews (and guide summary) made it obvious that the football game would play differently there is a much more important event difference between the two realities ... on the same scale of the "who lived/who died" question that splits the show into two.

The game isn't that important ... and every week different people die in each reality. The worlds are already fairly separate. But most of the differences do not carry on from week to week other than the status of the detective's own family.


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## phrelin

IMHO last week's show confirmed what I was fearing - that this is a very well done, imaginative show that nobody's watching. Episode 39 might have been truly great television.

And yes, they do use a warm tint for one timeline and a cool tint for the other.


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## Laxguy

I didn't get into this show, and wonder if it's now too late. IMBD has synopsi (?)(synopsis's?)for just the first three eps.... does that mean anything? 

There is a list of titles of shows extending several weeks forward from now (to total 13 for the season), so does that mean they're in the can?


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## phrelin

Episodes 6 through 8 are available for viewing at NBC's web site (click on video). I'm sure NBC will air all 13.


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## Church AV Guy

I don't think that's what he was asking. He was wondering if all thirteen have been filmed and completed (in the can as it were), and are just waiting to be aired.


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## phrelin

According to everything I can find, NBC ordered 13. Next week's episode is #10 and every indication is that the final three will be shown. The show's star Jason Isaacs is in two movies being filmed right now plus the BSkyB channel has acquired distribution rights for Great Britain, so I think the 13 episodes are complete.


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## Laxguy

It makes sense that they are all done. What prompted my question was seeing all future eps titled, wondering if that was necessarily an indication that they were committed to, if not finished.


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## Church AV Guy

Laxguy said:


> It makes sense that they are all done. What prompted my question was seeing all future eps titled, wondering if that was necessarily an indication that they were committed to, if not finished.


Sometimes I see the names of future episodes from sources like TV.com and EPGUIDES change over time. In this case, I think the episodes have been completed, so the titles are finalized.


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## RasputinAXP

And that's all she wrote, folks.


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## The Merg

Dang it!

I thought this show was terrific. Does anyone know who actually makes Awake? Maybe it might find a different home?

- Merg


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## RunnerFL

Well there's another one I can delete without watching an episode...

The networks sure are leaving me with nothing to watch this summer. That's now 5 shows I've deleted without watching.


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## Church AV Guy

> Well there's another one I can delete without watching an episode...


Even though it was cancelled early, it has been a good ride so far, so I would recommend you watch it anyway. It all depends on the finale of course, but so far, the show has been worth the time, unlike some others.


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## RunnerFL

Church AV Guy said:


> Even though it was cancelled early, it has been a good ride so far, so I would recommend you watch it anyway. It all depends on the finale of course, but so far, the show has been worth the time, unlike some others.


Like I said in another thread, why? Why invest time in something you know is going to end sooner than it should have and probably leaves a lot of loose ends?


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## James Long

RunnerFL said:


> Like I said in another thread, why? Why invest time in something you know is going to end sooner than it should have and probably leaves a lot of loose ends?


If the season/series finale wraps nicely it may be worth the watch.

People watch mini-series and other series that are not intended to go on for many years. There are shows I wish they made more of, but I was glad to be along for the ride for what little time we had together.


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## RunnerFL

James Long said:


> If the season/series finale wraps nicely it may be worth the watch.


If, but being this close to the season finally I'm not holding my breath.

For those of you chastising me, more so in the other thread, for just deleting cancelled shows that I haven't watched I'll, just this one time, not delete Awake and wait until you guys say if it wrapped up nicely or not. If it doesn't, it's gone. If it does I'll take everyone's word for it and watch. Happy now?


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## The Merg

RunnerFL said:


> If, but being this close to the season finally I'm not holding my breath.
> 
> For those of you chastising me, more so in the other thread, for just deleting cancelled shows that I haven't watched I'll, just this one time, not delete Awake and wait until you guys say if it wrapped up nicely or not. If it doesn't, it's gone. If it does I'll take everyone's word for it and watch. Happy now?


Just curious... For a show to be worth it, does it have to wrap up every loose end?

- Merg


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## Holydoc

The Merg said:


> Just curious... For a show to be worth it, does it have to wrap up every loose end?
> 
> - Merg


I don't think RunnerFL is saying that a show has to wrap up every loose end. I think, like me, if he starts watching a series with an overarching plot, he would like that plot to be concluded. In my case if the plot is left unsolved or even worse, in a cliffhanger, then the entire series feels very unfulfilling and a waste.

So RunnerFL is just looking for a conclusion (ie., wrap-up) of the main plotline.


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## RunnerFL

The Merg said:


> Just curious... For a show to be worth it, does it have to wrap up every loose end?
> 
> - Merg


Not every, no. If that were the case the LOST finale would have been the worst ever. :lol:

I just don't want something where they expected a 2nd season so they had some big explosion at the end and you had to tune in for season 2 to find out who lived and who died. That kind of thing. Or something like the crappy ending we were given to Alcatraz, The Event, Reunion, etc...

And I'm not against shows with only one season either. Take for instance Happy Town from a couple of years ago, that was great.


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## RunnerFL

Holydoc said:


> I don't think RunnerFL is saying that a show has to wrap up every loose end. I think, like me, if he starts watching a series with an overarching plot, he would like that plot to be concluded. In my case if the plot is left unsolved or even worse, in a cliffhanger, then the entire series feels very unfulfilling and a waste.
> 
> So RunnerFL is just looking for a conclusion (ie., wrap-up) of the main plotline.


Exactly


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## oldschoolecw

Holydoc said:


> I don't think RunnerFL is saying that a show has to wrap up every loose end. I think, like me, if he starts watching a series with an overarching plot, he would like that plot to be concluded. In my case if the plot is left unsolved or even worse, in a cliffhanger, then the entire series feels very unfulfilling and a waste.
> 
> So RunnerFL is just looking for a conclusion (ie., wrap-up) of the main plotline.





RunnerFL said:


> Not every, no. If that were the case the LOST finale would have been the worst ever. :lol:
> 
> I just don't want something where they expected a 2nd season so they had some big explosion at the end and you had to tune in for season 2 to find out who lived and who died. That kind of thing. Or something like the crappy ending we were given to Alcatraz, The Event, Reunion, etc...
> 
> And I'm not against shows with only one season either. Take for instance Happy Town from a couple of years ago, that was great.


Totally agree, and when Chicago Code was canceled last year and Jericho a few years ago without any closure I have to say, it has turned me off from getting involved with any new drama's. The way I look at it is, if it does make it as a series, I will most likely be able to stream it from NetFlix or another company.


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## RunnerFL

oldschoolecw said:


> Totally agree, and when Chicago Code was canceled last year and Jericho a few years ago without any closure I have to say, it has turned me off from getting involved with any new drama's.


The one that started it all for me was Reunion. Once that fiasco happened I started recording new shows but not watching them until they either started making a huge buzz or got renewed for a 2nd season.

I still get burned from time to time, like with Alcatraz and Terra Nova, but it doesn't happen that often. Mostly just with Sci-Fi shows because I'm addicted to those and can't seem to wait to watch them. lol


----------



## longrider

Well, they did wrap it up but that finale was strange.



Spoiler



It was obviously a forced ending when it became all a dream after the producers emphasized that it was not


----------



## yosoyellobo

longrider said:


> Well, they did wrap it up but that finale was strange.
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> It was obviously a forced ending when it became all a dream after the producers emphasized that it was not


I had stop watching but decided to watch the final. I have a feeling that if the show had been renew, next fall the first episode would had Britten waking up to a new reality and starting over again.


----------



## TBlazer07

longrider said:


> Well, they did wrap it up but that finale was strange.
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> It was obviously a forced ending when it became all a dream after the producers emphasized that it was not


 One of the worst "finales" I've seen. Quite obviously rushed into production when they found out it was canceled. It was great until the last 60 seconds or so. A real "cop out" (no pun intended). Almost as dumb as the Lost finale.


----------



## Steve

TBlazer07 said:


> One of the worst "finales" I've seen. Quite obviously rushed into production when they found out it was canceled. It was great until the last 60 seconds or so. A real "cop out" (no pun intended). Almost as dumb as the Lost finale.


No worse than the rushed finale of _Life on Mars_ a couple of seasons ago, IMHO.

Just my .02, but I enjoyed _Awake_, even the way it ended.


----------



## RunnerFL

TBlazer07 said:


> One of the worst "finales" I've seen. Quite obviously rushed into production when they found out it was canceled. It was great until the last 60 seconds or so. A real "cop out" (no pun intended). Almost as dumb as the Lost finale.


Hmmm, maybe I should just delete it then. I watched a couple episodes yesterday and only felt "meh" about them.

Then again I loved the LOST finale so clearly we have different tastes. :lol:


----------



## RunnerFL

Steve said:


> No worse than the rushed finale of _Life on Mars_ a couple of seasons ago, IMHO.


I thought Life On Mars had one of the absolute best finales that there has ever been. It was right up there with Newhart and St. Elsewhere.



Steve said:


> Just my .02, but I enjoyed _Awake_, even the way it ended.


I'll blame you if the ending sucks then. :lol:


----------



## TBlazer07

Steve said:


> No worse than the rushed finale of _Life on Mars_ a couple of seasons ago, IMHO.
> 
> Just my .02, but I enjoyed _Awake_, even the way it ended.


 Yea, forgot about L.O.M. The frustration quickly wears off and becomes forgotten. :lol:


----------



## TBlazer07

RunnerFL said:


> Hmmm, maybe I should just delete it then. I watched a couple episodes yesterday and only felt "meh" about them.
> 
> Then again I loved the LOST finale so clearly we have different tastes. :lol:


 The series was great up until the last 60 seconds.  I pegged LOST's eventual ending on it's second show.


----------



## Steve

TBlazer07 said:


> The series was great up until the last 60 seconds. :mad


We agree there. The last 2 episodes generally had us on the edge of our seats. The last minute did nothing to diminish that for us.


----------



## TBlazer07

Steve said:


> We agree there. The last 2 episodes generally had us on the edge of our seats. The last minute did nothing to diminish that for us.


The last minute was a cop-out, plain and simple. They had to end it fast because they were canceled, didn't want to make a big production deal over it and did what they did. It was one of 2 soooooo very obvious choices. They copied what was attempted many years ago and was then one of the greatest finales in TV history.

Trivia Question: Remember what I'm referring to? (Don't answer because I don't want to kill it for others.)


----------



## longrider

Very interesting discussion with Kyle Killen, the creator of Awake:

(Warning: Spoilers in link)
http://www.tv.com/news/awake-q-and-a-creator-kyle-killen-explains-the-finale-and-more-28770/


----------



## James Long

Life on Mars ended appropriately. It was not intended to run forever ... and the US ending was better than the UK ending.

Awake ... if it were not for the early statements saying it would not end that way I'd have zero problem with it. It was not the ending I predicted. I was wondering how the premise would work more than one season anyways and they ended up turning it into a season long mono-series. A one season show that could have been a movie - but being a TV show gave them more time to work on the detail.

The show ended. It wrapped up. Not everyone will like the ending but it was explained.


----------



## RunnerFL

Ok, so I just finished watching Awake. Meh... Wasn't bad, wasn't groundbreaking.

And I can say I had it figured out from episode 2. I want to say episode 1 but I'll be safe and say 2. I won't spoil it for those who haven't finished it so all I will say is we had visual hints all along.

It's a good thing they didn't go for season 2. I don't see how they could have carried it out much longer.


----------



## Steve

RunnerFL said:


> Ok, so I just finished watching Awake. Meh... Wasn't bad, wasn't groundbreaking.


Glad you didn't hate it, or I would have felt bad recommending it.  We just accepted his reality and viewed the show as more of a weekly police procedural with an interesting back story about the cause of the accident. Ya the "what's going on" question had to be answered, but it was really secondary for us.


----------



## The Merg

"RunnerFL" said:


> Ok, so I just finished watching Awake. Meh... Wasn't bad, wasn't groundbreaking.
> 
> And I can say I had it figured out from episode 2. I want to say episode 1 but I'll be safe and say 2. I won't spoil it for those who haven't finished it so all I will say is we had visual hints all along.
> 
> It's a good thing they didn't go for season 2. I don't see how they could have carried it out much longer.


Not quite sure if you can say you figured it out when the creator of of the show has stated that how it ended is not really how it is. The second season would have shown that.

- Merg


----------



## RunnerFL

Steve said:


> Glad you didn't hate it, or I would have felt bad recommending it.  We just accepted his reality and viewed the show as more of a weekly police procedural with an interesting back story about the cause of the accident. Ya the "what's going on" question had to be answered, but it was really secondary for us.


Oh I definitely didn't hate it. I just wouldn't have called it "Must see" and not really something I would have discussed around the water cooler had I been watching it when it was airing.


----------



## RunnerFL

The Merg said:


> Not quite sure if you can say you figured it out when the creator of of the show has stated that how it ended is not really how it is. The second season would have shown that.
> 
> - Merg


When you've watched as many "thriller" movies, or as I call them "Mind F..." movies, as I have you see signs.



Spoiler



The two "sides" colors were off. The side where Rex was "alive" was too blue/green and the side where his wife was a live was too sepia. That made it pretty obvious to me that neither were reality.


----------



## The Merg

RunnerFL said:


> When you've watched as many "thriller" movies, or as I call them "Mind F..." movies, as I have you see signs.
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> The two "sides" colors were off. The side where Rex was "alive" was too blue/green and the side where his wife was a live was too sepia. That made it pretty obvious to me that neither were reality.





Spoiler



That was only done to allow you to differentiate between the two sides while watching so that you knew which reality you were in.



That was also pointed out by the creator in his final interview about the show.

- Merg


----------



## RunnerFL

The Merg said:


> That was also pointed out by the creator in his final interview about the show.
> 
> - Merg


Sorry, not buying that... He's probably just saying that now to make NBC feel bad for not renewing the show.



Spoiler



The rubber band color would have been enough to let us know what side he was on. He also had different partners on each side, that would have been enough as well. We wouldn't have needed a different overall shade for each side to know the difference. The shade was definitely telling us neither were reality, just like in the movie Vanilla Sky.

A few minutes into the first episode my thought was, because of the colors, that the reality was that he was the one that died. Into the second episode I figured my first thought was too obvious and it had to be that he was dreaming and neither were reality.


----------



## The Merg

Well, we'll agree to disagree then... 

- Merg


----------



## RunnerFL

The Merg said:


> Well, we'll agree to disagree then...
> 
> - Merg


If it makes you feel better...



Spoiler



I thought he'd wake up in the hospital, not at home.


----------



## TBoneit

RunnerFL said:


> Ok, so I just finished watching Awake. Meh... Wasn't bad, wasn't groundbreaking.
> 
> And I can say I had it figured out from episode 2. I want to say episode 1 but I'll be safe and say 2. I won't spoil it for those who haven't finished it so all I will say is we had visual hints all along.
> 
> It's a good thing they didn't go for season 2. I don't see how they could have carried it out much longer.


So were you satisfied with the ending? I remember you were worried about watching the show if they left it hanging.

Cheers


----------



## RunnerFL

TBoneit said:


> So were you satisfied with the ending? I remember you were worried about watching the show if they left it hanging.
> 
> Cheers


Yes, it's safe to say I was satisfied. I would have liked more of a challenge figuring it out though. :lol:


----------



## The Merg

RunnerFL said:


> Yes, it's safe to say I was satisfied. I would have liked more of a challenge figuring it out though. :lol:


Just curious... Did you read the article with he interview with the creator? I think next season would have made it very interesting...

- Merg


----------



## RunnerFL

The Merg said:


> Just curious... Did you read the article with he interview with the creator? I think next season would have made it very interesting...
> 
> - Merg


No I didn't.


----------



## James Long

RunnerFL said:


> No I didn't.


You need to. Also the article earlier in the season where it was specifically said that the ending that may have seemed obvious when performed was not the truth.

If I have anything negative to say about the show it is that ... the "I called it" scenario that was apparently portrayed at the end on the show was rebuked by the creator. I should be able to understand a show and get the message from the content shown on screen. I shouldn't have to be told via another channel what it all means.

The big answer I saw in the finale was I can dream. I'll add spoiler block to the explanation:


Spoiler



In previous episodes he acted as if everything was real. He did not dream. I go to sleep here I wake up there. The shrinks believed that they were real and the "other reality" was a dream. Michael did not.

The final realization was that he COULD dream. Perhaps some of the times he "woke up" in the other reality were just a dream - but there were times where he honestly changed reality and both "realities" were real.

Without a second season we probably won't know if the final scene shown was a dream in one of the two realities or the beginning of a third reality. It certainly would be Michael's preferred reality - which in my mind would make it more likely to be a dream.



If you were in a car accident and lost your wife or son you would have to be pretty sick to have as your dream that the other one died. "I wish you were dead" is not a good dream. The best dream is that nobody died.


----------



## dsw2112

James Long said:


> ...If I have anything negative to say about the show it is that ... the "I called it" scenario that was apparently portrayed at the end on the show was rebuked by the creator. I should be able to understand a show and get the message from the content shown on screen. *I shouldn't have to be told via another channel what it all means*....


I enjoyed the show, but everyone I knew (including myself) took the ending to mean that he was dreaming the entire time. While the creator thought he clearly dismissed this possibility; I didn't consider any other option until I read the article in this thread. I can see that side now, but don't believe it was evident in the episode itself.


----------



## The Merg

"dsw2112" said:


> I enjoyed the show, but everyone I knew (including myself) took the ending to mean that he was dreaming the entire time. While the creator thought he clearly dismissed this possibility; I didn't consider any other option until I read the article in this thread. I can see that side now, but don't believe it was evident in the episode itself.


I think that it would have been evident if there had been a second season. It was definitely a good cliff-hanger that would keep you talking until the next season.

- Merg


----------



## RunnerFL

Sorry guys, I'm still not buying it. The outcome was VERY obvious to me the whole time.


----------



## James Long

RunnerFL said:


> Sorry guys, I'm still not buying it. The outcome was VERY obvious to me the whole time.


I made the same guess early in the season and was shot down by "out of channel" interviews with the writers.

Considering we were both confused by what was actually put on our screens and had to be told via the Internet the meaning of what we saw perhaps the show was not as well written as it should have been.

At the end of the last scene of the season Michael closed his eyes. What happened next was to be season two. The impression left from the scene before he closed his eyes is where the audience was misled into an ending that was predictable (with variations) from early in the season. What really happened remains a story untold.


----------



## RunnerFL

James Long said:


> I made the same guess early in the season and was shot down by "out of channel" interviews with the writers.


You can't always believe what you read. 



James Long said:


> Considering we were both confused by what was actually put on our screens and had to be told via the Internet the meaning of what we saw perhaps the show was not as well written as it should have been.


I wasn't confused and didn't have to be told anything via the Internet.



James Long said:


> The impression left from the scene before he closed his eyes is where the audience was misled into an ending that was predictable (with variations) from early in the season. What really happened remains a story untold.


I wasn't misled at all. Again, I had it figured out from episode 2.


----------



## James Long

RunnerFL said:


> I wasn't misled at all. Again, I had it figured out from episode 2.


Sorry, you are wrong. You misinterpreted the entire show. I guess it was a waste of time to watch the season if you ended up with a different outcome of the show than the writers intended.


----------



## RunnerFL

James Long said:


> Sorry, you are wrong. You misinterpreted the entire show. I guess it was a waste of time to watch the season if you ended up with a different outcome of the show than the writers intended.


No, I wasn't wrong. My guess from episode 2 on was correct. It's how the show ended, period.


----------



## James Long

Alrighty then ...
Cognitive Dissonance

Carl Edwards won the Sprint Cup last year (not Tony Stewart). At least, that was the way I saw it.

(Yes, I understand the scoring system and know Tony won ... but I also read the official word on the ending of Awake and know it wasn't the way I saw it at first either.)


----------



## RunnerFL

James Long said:


> Alrighty then ...
> Carl Edwards won the Sprint Cup last year (not Tony Stewart). At least, that was the way I saw it.
> 
> Cognitive Dissonance


I think you have fantasy confused with reality. Either that or you watched a different show called "Awake".

The show ended the way it ended, not the way you and the creator are now claiming it should have. Seems to me like you both have a case of sour grapes, 2 cases if you're both Carl Edwards fans.


----------



## James Long

It is nice to have the creator on my side.


----------



## RunnerFL

James Long said:


> It is nice to have the creator on my side.


In fantasy land...

The show ended how it ended, you can't claim it ended another way just because someone else says it might have.


----------



## James Long

RunnerFL said:


> In fantasy land...


The show was a work of fiction ... but at least I'm in the same land as the creator. 



> The show ended how it ended, you can't claim it ended another way just because someone else says it might have.


Not even the creator?

Here is a simple test: Please look at the following string of characters -Tqbfjotld.​
Who would be the best person to tell you what that string of characters stands for, a person who read the characters or the person who wrote the characters?

My money is on the person who wrote the characters.


----------



## Laxguy

James Long said:


> Here is a simple test: Please look at the following string of characters -Tqbfjotld.​


Terry Quant babbled for John's old .... and I can't make out the rest.... how's my divinity?? :nono2:

RFL: Accede gracefully!


----------



## James Long

The question was not what those characters mean but who would be the best to say what they meant.


----------



## TBoneit

In my opinion you are both equally right and equally wrong.

Since the show ended when it ended in that reality it was a dream. If it had got to season two then what the creators wanted to do would have been the truth.

Cheers


----------



## RunnerFL

James Long said:


> The show was a work of fiction ... but at least I'm in the same land as the creator.


Whoop de doo... Doesn't make either of you any better than anyone else.



James Long said:


> Not even the creator?


No not even the creator. How insane are you? Did you watch the show? It DID NOT end the way you claim it did or should have. It ended the way I predicted it would, not the way you wanted it to.



James Long said:


> Here is a simple test: Please look at the following string of characters -Tqbfjotld.​
> Who would be the best person to tell you what that string of characters stands for, a person who read the characters or the person who wrote the characters?
> 
> My money is on the person who wrote the characters.


You can't say something stands for 1 thing and then show a second thing. That's like showing someone a ham sandwich and trying to convince them it's chicken salad.

Sorry, you'll never convince me that the show ended in a different way. I saw what I saw and I had predicted what I'd see from episode 2, live with it. What you and the creator share is something called "Hindsight".

hind·sight   [hahynd-sahyt] 
noun
recognition of the realities, possibilities, or requirements of a situation, event, decision etc., *after* its occurrence.


----------



## RunnerFL

TBoneit said:


> In my opinion you are both equally right and equally wrong.
> 
> Since the show ended when it ended in that reality it was a dream. If it had got to season two then what the creators wanted to do would have been the truth.
> 
> Cheers


"if" = Fantasy Land

"if" never happened

"if" never will happen

"if" could have been dreamed up (yes, pun intended) long after they had already filmed the final scene of the show and then the creator could claim he meant something different. This is called "Hindsight".


----------



## James Long

RunnerFL said:


> Sorry, you'll never convince me that the show ended in a different way.


That much is obvious.

It is not 'hindsight" when the creator clearly said in interviews early in the season that your view of the ending was wrong. 

Alrighty then ...


----------



## RunnerFL

James Long said:


> That much is obvious.
> 
> It is not 'hindsight" when the creator clearly said in interviews early in the season that your view of the ending was wrong.
> 
> Alrighty then ...


He couldn't possibly have known what my view was at that time... It's hindsight now that he had to change it because his show got cancelled. Sour grapes I say...


----------



## James Long

The creator doesn't know your view now ... he doesn't even know you exist. What he knew when the rest of us were watching early episodes as they aired was that there was a common misconception on fan sites and other people, people actually watching the show, not you, were making an incorrect guess. And when the season ended other people who were watching the show, not you, were responded to in an interview. Nothing he said was about you.

How can anything he said be in hindsight of your views when you failed to view the show at all until after he made the comments?


----------



## RunnerFL

James Long said:


> What he knew when the rest of us were watching early episodes as they aired was that there was a common misconception on fan sites and other people, people actually watching the show, not you, were making an incorrect guess.


Yes, but those people's guesses turned out to be right didn't they?? That is what is referred to as a "Red Herring". The creator tried to misguide you just like the LOST creators tried to misguide viewers as well when the "purgatory" theory first came out. I'm sorry you fell for his red herring but that's no reason to sit here and flame me.



James Long said:


> How can anything he said be in hindsight of your views when you failed to view the show at all until after he made the comments?


The definition of hindsight was posted previously, please refer to that. I did not say what he said was in hindsight to my view. What he said was in hindsight to how the show ended. Clearly he thought of another way to end it after it was already over and tried to pass off his new "idea" as his original intent. I'm not buying that.

Maybe you should watch the finale again so you can see how the show actually ended!

Now, I'm done... I suggest you move on as well because clearly you're just arguing for the sake of arguing because I've already told you that you won't win this one.


----------



## Laxguy

RunnerFL said:


> Now, I'm done... I suggest you move on as well because clearly you're just arguing for the sake of arguing because I've already told you that you won't win this one.


Hmmmmmm.

Of course, I've never done that! :nono:


----------



## RunnerFL

Laxguy said:


> Hmmmmmm.
> 
> Of course, I've never done that! :nono:


Is today opposite day? You do it all the time. You even did it earlier today and realized you were wrong...


----------



## Laxguy

RunnerFL said:


> Is today opposite day? You do it all the time. You even did it earlier today and realized you were wrong...


Do not PM me with insults. Keep it out in the open if you have to reply to my posts. It would be fine if you didn't, especially when you don't get the intent, which was ironic; now doubly so.

Oh, yes, I can and do admit when I've made a mistake.


----------



## RunnerFL

Laxguy said:


> Do not PM me with insults. Keep it out in the open if you have to reply to my posts. It would be fine if you didn't, especially when you don't get the intent, which was ironic; now doubly so.


There was no insult, just a simple question, but it's nice of you to lie and say there was.



Laxguy said:


> Oh, yes, I can and do admit when I've made a mistake.


I'm still waiting for your apology on that one in the thread I'm referring to. You're jumping on me like you did was uncalled for, like it is in this thread as well, and deserves an apology.

Clearly you have something personal against me. You can either take it private or put me on ignore, your choice.


----------



## James Long

First of all ... take it to PM. This is a thread about the former NBC Show "Awake".

Second ... If you feel that you are right just because those who oppose your viewpoint do not waste their time rebuking you yet again and detailing yet again feel free to live in that world of denial.

The statements of the creator of the show written early in the show's run have been presented as clearly as possible. If he does not know how his own show ended then certainly no one in this thread knows how it ended.

One may not like the ending the creator picked, one may not understand the ending, one may think the creator did a bad job of putting the ending he picked on screen. But when someone asks a show creator how the show ended that answer is the final word.


----------



## RunnerFL

James Long said:


> One may not like the ending the creator picked, one may not understand the ending, one may think the creator did a bad job of putting the ending he picked on screen. But when someone asks a show creator how the show ended that answer is the final word.


I'm fine with the ending because I predicted it correctly. The creators comments were not on how the show ended. They were on how he WANTED it to end. There's a difference.


----------



## James Long

Alrighty then ... revisionist.


----------



## The Merg

RunnerFL said:


> I'm fine with the ending because I predicted it correctly. The creators comments were not on how the show ended. They were on how he WANTED it to end. There's a difference.


I think the point is that the show ended that way because it was canceled. The creator had thought out where he wanted to go with it into Season 2. So, yes, it ended how you predicted it, but for all purposes, the prediction was wrong as that is not how the show was intended to have ended.

- Merg


----------

