The plot
The characters form the heart of the story
Shelly is a therapist who lives a sad, lonely life. Her husband John spends increased time away from home. She resents her adult son Dave because he lives at home and spends most days in his room getting high as he plays video games, he’s disrespectful to his mom, and has zero motivation to launch. Shelly feels trapped, although she has trapped herself. She lives two lives, one where she has no idea what she’s doing or how to handle life, and another in which she appears to be a high-functioning woman who follows the rules of society, though she is always concerned with what others may think.
She puts on her false face when away from home and acts how she believes people “should.” She has a rigid box of what is expected of people and is quick to judge those who do not live within this box. Shelly holds quite tightly to her religious beliefs, often quoting scripture. She lacks the ability to question anything regarding her beliefs. Shelly also happens to be a therapist. A sign in her shared waiting room reads, “Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?” — Charles Bukowski. Shelly has no idea what this means.
Luke and Becca are a healthy couple in counseling with Shelly and have an adopted son, James, who was placed with them at birth. They met his biological mother who, when asked, suggested they name the baby James after his biological father who was in an intensive treatment center at the time. Luke and Becca are recovering Catholics, determined to raise their son differently than they were (in many aspects; not only religion). They believe in something, maybe God, the Divine, the universe, an inner knowing—nothing defined but something. They are in counseling because a friend suggested they give it a try to help them grow together as a couple. Shelly tells Becca and Luke things they "should" be doing differently; things Shelly thinks she "should" be doing yet does not. She convinces them that their adult son must leave home. They have clipped his wings. He has failed to launch and will not function well in society.
Luke and Becca eventually tell James that their therapist Shelly said that he needs to leave, find a job, and live on his own. He’s confused and asks, “Who the hell is Shelly?” James is fairly well adjusted and resilient": this is not what he had planned at this point in his life. He lets go of that attachment and knows he will be fine. His parents give him money to set him up with whatever he needs to begin living on his own and offer to help in whatever way they can. There is no anger or resentment. He leaves on good terms, confused, yet fine. He takes some time sitting by the water as he reflects. It occurs to him what he will do. We see him drive by a car dealership that is hiring. He sits at a desk; it appears he’s being interviewed. Next, we see him drive off in a sweet car as he pops on his sunglasses, cranks the music, and says, “Fuck Shelly.”
James pulls out an envelope. It’s the address of his biological father, Jimmy. Jimmy lives in the middle of nowhere and has a modest, yet well-kept, rustic home surrounded by many acres. James pulls up to Jimmy’s home, he jumps right into it, saying he is sure Jimmy is his biological father. Jimmy is quirky and has a Zen persona. He’s calm, confused, yet accepting. He hugs James, chuckles, and says, “I wish I had known this before therapy this morning.” James looks at him with disgust as he asks, “Shelly?” They look at each other with puzzled expressions.
Jimmy has his own journey and unfolding story—growing up, addiction, recovery, religion, spirituality, therapy, meditation—inspired by Rainn Wilson’s wisdom, experiences, and journey to help others and offer hope. Jimmy has seen rock bottom and has worked hard to become who he is today. He has a wife and children who will also have much to share. At some point, James will also connect with his biological mother.
Other characters include Carol and Jack, who see Shelly as their marriage therapist. In public, they are seen as a vivacious and connected couple, in therapy, they are horrible. Carol obnoxiously has non-stop complaints. She emotionally beats Jack down; he has truly little say or care. Carol does not trust him and consistently accuses him of “screwing his co-worker Anna.” Their over-the-top dysfunction, and ultimate divorce, will often be on display. Carol will begin a twisted quest to catch Anna and Jack together. They will bring a twisted sort of humor to the story.
Waking Up aims to reduce the stigma of therapy and display competent therapists
Shelly and her husband John are also in couple’s therapy with a competent, compassionate professional, Nina. Nina is always willing to learn more. Unlike Shelly, most therapists provide comfortable, safe spaces for the brave journey of healing.
For Shelly and John, troubles began when they argued about topics and books that should be banned at Dave’s school, along with teachers presenting lessons about sex beyond heterosexuality and—as Shelly put it—grooming children. Also, students are learning more details about slavery and other topics that need to be left in the past. Shelly says, “Kids are being taught that we should be ashamed of being white.”
John begins to explore the deconstruction and reconstruction of their religion. Their sessions are on repeat, and John feels stuck. Shelly will not attend individual therapy, complaining that all the therapists she has seen haven’t known what they’re doing. She thinks John needs to change and doesn’t know who he is anymore. He’s like one of those woke people she hears about. She will not broach the topic of divorce because they made vows to God. She quotes scripture regarding God hating divorce.
Eventually, Shelly and John agree to have space away from each other. Shelly agrees to move out, convinced this will help John finally see how difficult it is to manage their home, son, and life without her. In her mind, he will miss her, beg her to come home, and all will be well. Quite the opposite happens. We see John taking care of their place and connecting more with Dave. There is more light inside their home.
Dave starts going to therapy to explore gender identity
Dave goes to a doctor who points out that he scored highly on an assessment regarding depression and begins taking medication. He and his dad spend more time together. He asks his dad to help him find a therapist. He needs to explore his gender identity. Ultimately, Dave lets her dad know that she identifies as female and wants to learn more about transitioning. Previously, Dave was too afraid to live as herself. She couldn’t talk with her mom and was scared to talk about it at all. Her dad is unconditionally loving and supportive. Her dad has no idea what any of this means yet offers to be there in whatever ways Dave needs. Dave eventually changes her name to Eva—most of the same letters, yet different.
Shelly moves into a rental. She is confused and feels alone. She goes to confession and accepts her penance. As a good Christian, she is doing what she "should" be doing. Nobody needs to know about their separation or her struggles. She is great at faking it. After some time, somebody whom she respects recommends she attend a women’s retreat that is” life-changing.” Shelly prays about it, takes her time, and eventually signs up to go.
The Retreat
Shelly attends a 30-day spiritual retreat
The retreat includes numerous females and several leaders. Although not Buddhist, the retreat is rooted in Buddhist principles and other Eastern spiritual practices. (I would also love to incorporate Indigenous culture and wisdom, in addition to many other spiritual teachings.) On the retreat, there are walks, quiet reflection/meditation times, yoga, art, group support talks, etc. The women have quite a bit of unstructured time which they tend to spend mostly together sharing their histories, therapy experiences, and beliefs.
The retreat will have women of various backgrounds, identities, privileges, races, ethnicities, spiritual experiences, openness, and journeys.
Shelly is the most closed-minded and uses scripture to support what “should” be happening. She uses this to judge those who don’t fit into this acceptable box. She wears her therapist hat often, analyzing others, and suggesting input. She initially keeps her own troubles to herself. Again, nobody needs to know. Over time, she opens up about her life and lets the others in.
J.J is a female with a dirty/dark sense of humor in recovery. When asked what she’s recovering from, she says, “You name it, I’m recovering from it.” She has a higher power as her source of strength to remain sober; she also has a "lower power", her cruel family. She refuses to lose her sobriety to this lower power when they disrupt her life with their ongoing abuse and toxicity. Quiet and beautiful, there is something magnetic about her. We eventually learn she is part of the LGBTQ+ community. She chooses to keep this to herself in new settings until she feels safe with the others—no embarrassment or shame, just her own boundaries and protection.
Ginger—plus-sized body positive, loud, and hilarious—has the most to share. She has bright red hair and a thick Southern accent. She has been married to Tony since 2015. After some time, Ginger refers to Tony as “she.” Shelly chuckles and corrects Ginger that she meant to say “he.” Ginger laughs and says, “Oh, don’t get me started on pronouns.” She goes on to say she’s quite sure Toni is “she” because Toni is her wife. Ginger is always open and doesn’t mind questions. She is happy to spend her emotional labor helping people see other possible perspectives and open their minds. She finds it fulfilling…her purpose. She “gives this selflessly and asks nothing in return” (12th Step). She wants to use all that she has been through on her journey to hopefully help others discover who they truly are, as well as their own unique personal beliefs. She encourages people to question everything, not blindly follow her, or anyone else for that matter.
Ginger’s parents named her Dorothy. In her teens, kids called her “Ginger” because she was a redhead, so she decided to own the name proudly. It is hard to hurt a kid with a name that doesn’t hurt anymore. She still checks in on “little Dorothy” at times and takes actions of care for her in ways she needed growing up, especially during the time period when she was coming out to her parents. Her mother handled it horribly, shaming and shunning her daughter.
Harriet—everyone calls her Hit—is older, wise, comforting, very go-with-the flow. She comments that she wishes Ginger were her daughter. She says, “My daughter to this day apologizes for not being the lesbian daughter I always dreamed of having. I would have given Ginger and little Dorothy all the love and support they deserved.” Ginger looks at Hit appreciatively. She says an exceptionally long drawn out “Doooor-aah theee” how her mom says it. One of the other women laughs saying that sounds like a bitchy constipated Auntie Em.
J.J. shares a conversation she once had with her sponsor that she wished she’d known all that she has learned in life so much earlier rather than learning it all the hard way. It has been such a long and painful journey of self-exploration, growth, and change. She had regretted the past. Her sponsor reminded her of The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy didn’t just click her heels right after that house landed because she needed to discover everything that she did along the way. She needed to have hope and faith in something. She needed to gain more wisdom, love, and courage. She needed Toto’s instincts to indicate who not to trust. It all needed to happen the way it did.
While Shelly begins to experience shifts throughout the retreat, when she initially hears from Eva regarding her therapy and desire to transition, Shelly falls apart. She makes it all about her: “What will people think? How can you do this to me?” She blames the school system and behaves in the same way that Ginger’s mom terribly and selfishly handled Ginger coming out. Unlike Ginger’s mom, Shelly slowly but eventually adapts and supports Eva. Very slowly.
Shelly stays in contact with the women and turns to them for questions and support. Although Eva has not done anything wrong, Shelly remembers the parable of the prodigal son and is reminded to be there and love unconditionally, just like the dad in the parable, just like Eva’s dad is, just like God is, just like every parent who unconditionally loves their kids—with open arms.
The Setting/Tone
Set in a vibrant city where diverse cultures and beliefs converge, "Waking Up" explores the complexities of life through humor, respect, and deep introspection. The tone balances comedy with depth, creating narratives that are entertaining, deep and thought-provoking.
The Characters
The series centers around four main characters, each on a personal journey that challenges their beliefs, identities, and relationships, intersecting at pivotal moments to offer insights into life's profound questions.
Target Audience
"Waking Up" targets a diverse and forward-thinking audience that seeks depth and authenticity in storytelling. This story resonates with individuals who value open-mindedness, curiosity, and content that challenges the status quo.
Be part of Waking Up!
Waking Up is more than a Book or a TV show; it's a vehicle for change, a platform for voices that yearn to be heard, and a testament to the power of media to foster empathy and understanding.
We are eager to engage in meaningful conversations and explore the potential pathways for Waking Up together.