Who’s watching In Treatment? Now in week five, HBO’s five irresistible half-hours per week are increasing in roiling emotions and intensity. This week: star Gabriel Byrne’s father has died! He had to cancel a week’s-worth of sessions with his patients, and, boy, are they steamed and even more neurotic!
On Sunday, soon after we saw Byrne’s Dr. Paul Weston going through some of his recently-deceased father’s possessions and strapping on Dad’s old watch. Then it was time for him to adjust his grieving features and put on the mask of impartial-therapist to deal with the onslaught.
First up: Mia — Hope Davis doing her usual extraordinary job of making a panicked but arrogant professional (her character’s a lawyer) both poignant and just sympathetic enough to keep you from throwing a shoe at the screen. More news: Mia’s pregnant! From what she calls with typical self-loathing, her “sex spree without using protection.” This single woman is hoping the father is “guitar-boy and not the middle-aged cop.” Sheesh: one feels for the this fetus already.
Then: April — Allison Pill is building an unprecedented character-study as a 23 year-old woman coping with recently-diagnosed cancer as well as crushing family responsibilities. Having finally agreed to chemotherapy, April, thus far a tough cookie, showed her most vulnerable side. I was surprised at Paul’s interpretation of April’s abrupt revelation that she has a best friend, Leah, which is that April chooses friends who’ll remain fiercely loyal to her. He’s making a connection — between April’s own fierceness and the characters of those around her — that was a theraputic leap I wasn’t prepared for. What did you think of that?
Be sure to watch the next three Monday episodes; you’ll really want to see Paul’s own session with his therapist, Gina (all hail Dianne Wiest), to see how he’s coping with his own grief.
Are you watching In Treatment? What do you think of the season so far? Do you watch the episodes as HBO reruns them, all in a row? Let me know; thanks.
I love this show. I feel like I am in therapy when I watch. The actors are simply amazing. I think Mia might be my favorite.
Another excellent season of “In Treatment.” I feel blessed to rotate between the 3 best shows on television: this one, Big Love, and Mad Men. Great acting and great stories! I hope to see A LOT of Emmy nominations in the fall for the actors on In Treatment, especially Gabriel Byrne, Allison Pill, Dianne Wiest, and Hope Davis. As for the question when do I watch? As soon as the episodes air. I don’t have the patience to wait for reruns!
This show is AMAZING..I just started watching season 1 a few weeks ago and am currently all caught up (yes that makes me sad.. i had exams to avoid!) Anywho, at first I didn’t really sink into the season 2 characters as much, but last week’s episodes were all quite stunning.. The end of April’s session KILLED me, and the look on Oliver’s face as he admitted he was starving just tore my heart out.. Mia I could do without, especially since Paul admits he could like someone like her, crossing fingers for a NON-RELATIONSHIP there..
It takes a while to get into the new patients, but it’s definitely worth it. (If you’ve never seen the show, consider these spoilers.)
On the one hand you feel for April, but you wish that she would take better care of herself and stop worrying about being a burden to others.
Oliver breaks my heart. Poor kid is more mature than his constantly squabbling parents that you reall feel for this kid. I really want to knock their heads and tell them to grow up for a change.
I’m not sure how I feel about Walter yet. He should make amends with his daughter in Rwanda and let her live her life.
I already find Mia annoying. She blames Paul for her empty life, but seeing how she is, she comes across as an immature brat. She’s not ready to be parent now, much less when she first got pregnant. How she became a lawyer is beyond me because she is such a walking train wreck. I hate to say this, but I hope she miscarries. She’s not fit to be a parent.
best show since west wing
This is the BEST drama I’ve ever seen on TV. Gabriel Byrne is phenomenal and the writing is brilliant!
I love this show so much it’s beyond words. The acting is over the top amazing. Paul blows me away. I love how many ways we’re engaged as an audience. It’s so easy to see how complicated the therapist-client relationship becomes when you have someone like Paul in the chair across from you. I cannot get enough of this show!
I love this show so much it’s beyond words. The acting is over the top amazing. Paul blows me away. I love how many ways we’re engaged as an audience. It’s so easy to see how complicated the therapist-client relationship becomes when you have someone like Paul in the chair across from you. I cannot get enough of this show!
Can we please get a TV Watch worthy of this great show?!
Clearly best show on TV. Amazing is that fact that, so far, 2nd season is better than 1st. Not enough time or space here to describe what this show is doing right. Gabriel Byrne is brilliant.
Yes I’m watching every Sunday and Monday as HBO Canada broadcasts each juicy episode.
This is the best show on television right now. Emmy voters: please give Gabriel Byrne his due this year! The scene at his father’s bedside should seal the deal! Excellent beyond words!
I was a late bloomer to this superb show. I caught all of Season 1 when HBO reran it each week over the last few months leading up to the Season 2 premiere. The acting and story; everything about this show rocks. Last night…when April tried to sit up and but cringed in pain and broke down–wow…moves me beyond words. So many actors on the show to single out for Emmys…I watch the shows when they first premiere; can’t wait to watch when they re-run them…fave by a sliver would have to be Gina sessions though–Gabriel and Dianne’s back and forth; their facial reactions; LOVE IT. This show is up there w/ “Friday Night Lights”, “Mad Men”, and “Lost” as far as the ‘best on TV now’ goes.
FABULOUS show! These episodes keep getting better & better. Please give the Emmy to Gabriel Byrne this year!
Love this show. In a way prefer last season better, while the stories were not as intense or interesting and they took longer to develop (which I preferred) they seemed more real, more representative (with the exception of Laura) of what therapy is really about. Still, love this show.
I love the show. If I need to get a therapist’s help I would love to have Paul’s help. April is right you can see his character in his eyes. Mia is the best one. I hate her and I can id with her. Keep up the good work HBO writers, producers and cast.