Scripted series · NBC
Awake
Two dreams. One reality.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Jason Isaacs
Michael Britten
13 eps
Wilmer Valderrama
Detective Efrem Vega
13 eps
Steve Harris
Detective Isaiah 'Bird' Freeman
13 eps
Dylan Minnette
Rex Britten
13 eps
Laura Allen
Hannah Britten
13 eps
Michaela McManus
Tara
13 eps
Cherry Jones
Dr. Judith Evans
13 eps
BD Wong
Dr. John Lee
13 eps
Eddie Matos
Cameron Fuller
1 eps
Chris Brochu
Chris Chapman
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Awake actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Awake reads strongest on Bingeability, Character Depth and World Building.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
Michael lives in two separate realities after a car accident. In one reality, his wife Hannah survives the accident; in the other reality, his son Rex survives. Michael does not know which reality is "real", and uses the wristbands to differentiate the two. He sees two therapists: Dr. Jonathan Lee in the "red reality" and Dr. Judith Evans in the "green reality". At work, Michael's erratic behavior triggers clashes with his team; they do not know about Michael's uncanny ability to solve crimes using details from both realities.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E01
Pilot
When Detective Michael Britten regains consciousness following his family's car accident, he is told that his wife Hannah perished, but that his teen son, Rex, has survived. As he tries to put the pieces of his life back together he awakens again in a world in which his wife is very much alive, but his son Rex died in the accident. In order to keep both of his loved ones alive he begins living two dueling realities. Trying to regain some normalcy Michael turns to his work solving crimes in both worlds with the help of two different partners, Detective Isaiah "Bird" Freeman and Detective Efrem Vega. He begins to solve impossible cases by using his dueling realities to gain unique perspectives and link clues that cross over from world to world. Helping Michael to navigate his new existence are his bureau assigned therapists Dr. Evans and Dr. Lee..
S01E03
Guilty
Rex is kidnapped by an escaped convict Michael arrested 10 years ago; an investigation in Michael's other reality gets in the way of an event honoring his deceased son; clues from both realities lead to Michael's sanity being questioned.
- Written by Howard Gordon, Evan Katz
S01E08
Nightswimming
Detective Britten helps reunite and prepare a couple for a new life in the witness protection program; an introduction between Detective Vega and Britten's longtime informant doesn't go smoothly.
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Howard GordonProducer
Writing
- Noelle ValdiviaWriter
- Howard GordonWriter
- David GrazianoWriter
- Evan KatzWriter
- Lisa ZwerlingWriter
Direction
- Milan CheylovDirector
- Scott WinantDirector
- Laura InnesDirector
- Nick GomezDirector
- Adam DavidsonDirector
- Aaron LipstadtDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Google Play MoviesBuy
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
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Continue the epic fantasy journey with another world worth getting lost in.
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Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
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A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
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Take the questions with you: this one rewards the same attention.
Never stop watching
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