"Awake," an ambitious new show debuting tonight at 10 on NBC, might be the strongest drama the network has offered in the past couple of years.

It stars Jason Isaacs as Michael Britten, a homicide detective who in the aftermath of a fatal car accident, lives in alternate realities in which either his wife or his son did not survive the crash. It's up to the viewer to decide -- along with Britten -- which reality is real and which is a dream.

Tonight's pilot episode opens with the horrifying, slow-motion car crash and fast forwards to Britten and his wife (Laura Allen) at the funeral for their son (Dylan Minette). In this world, Britten goes to his job, works his homicide cases, sees his shrink, and comes home to his grief-striken wife. The next morning he awakens and his son is alive, but his wife is not. He repeats a similar version of his other life (different homicide case, different partner, different shrink), only this time he has his son.

The pattern repeats each morning.

Who would think Jack -- violent, dark, angry -- would become a messenger for the makings of a true lasting peace?

In those last hours, Jack did wrong things for the right reasons. But be clear: this wasn't really about revenge for Renee's murder. It was about President Taylor's betrayal. Jack was a patriot, after all. He loved his country more than any woman. Remember, at the beginning of the season, he was finally happy. He had forgiven himself for his sins. But he turned his back on that to help America. Again.

Can President Logan ever be killed?!