This review contains spoilers. After two very solid and interesting weeks of Awake, Ricky’s Tacos unfortunately pulls the show back a few paces. Like the first few weeks, things are exactly the same for Britten at the end of the episode as they were at its start, and we’re left wondering, what was the point of spending the hour in his dual worlds? The truth is, however intriguing Awake‘s central conceit is, there’s no excuse for treading water. It’s early days, so forgiveness is easy, but superior shows (Lost for example) lost their fanbase for less. A more pleasing aspect of the episode is his and Hanna’s continuing intent of moving to Portland. It’s been teased that this is moment when things will change. Will the realities crumble? Will he discover which is a dream? It doesn’t really matter, as the mystery has countless promising ways to go. The dynamic and structure of the show will alter in some significant way, and I, for one, can’t wait to see how. Both feature family members betraying those closest to them, one a father whose repeated molestation of his daughter caused her pregnancy and suicide, the other a brother who took his sibling’s identity after accidently murdering him. Both are pretty grim, but the latter at least introduces the notion of Pentimento. We can assume that this concept, where artists paint over old work to create something new, has a deeper meaning than the suspect’s tiger/devil tattoo. It’s a neat revelation, and asks whether revisiting an old case is simply Michael’s attempt at changing his present. But the highlight of Ricky’s Tacos lies in its title. At the beginning of the episode, Britten visits a fast food joint and hears a warning through the speaker. It warns him not to move to Portland, as he hasn’t yet solved the Westfield case. Though suggested to be a hallucination, like last week’s rogue penguin, Michael takes notice and revisits the old Westfield warehouse. We know it’s connected to the crash, and we know he’s being watched by Carl (seen previously on the park bench) and Captain Harper. They’re just dropping crumbs, with the real story naturally being saved for the season one finale. Read our review of last week’s episode, That’s Not My Penguin, here. Follow Den of Geek on Twitter right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
