So HBO has announced that it’s not renewing In Treatment…in its current form. This is sad news for those of us who’ve grown to love our hushed but emotionally electrifying sessions with Gabriel Byrne’s Dr. Paul Weston.
But HBO is also saying this: “We are in continued conversations with the executive producers to find another way to continue telling these rich stories.”
With that in mind, here are some suggestions.
• New therapists and patients Byrne’s Paul could join a group practice (the man is always looking for companionship anyway, right?) and thus provide a logical new structure to the series: following one therapist with one patient. I open the floor to nominations for potential Treatment-givers. My short list for new therapists or patients would include:
–Henry Ian Cusick (The man who played Desmond Hume from Lost would make a fine sounding board for patients.)
–Martin Sheen (I’d nix his son [see below], but Martin as either a therapist or a patient? Could be great.)
–Seth Gillian (As cop Ellis Carver on The Wire, Gillian had a stillness about him that as a therapist he might find useful.)
– John Noble (Why not? The Fringe star a great actor who could probably find time in his shooting schedule to film a batch of sessions at once.)
–Paget Brewster (Newly freed from Criminal Minds, she’s a fine dramatic actress — as she proved on Showtime’s Huff — with a flair for humor.)
–Brian Batt (You know him as Sal from Mad Men, but wouldn’t it be interesting to see him as an utterly different sort of character, either patient or therapist?)
–Gugu Mbatha-Raw (She costarred as the wife/spy in the short-lived Undercovers; let’s see what she’d do with a role in a more contemplative show like this.)
–Stephen Fry (The British actor, writer, comedian, and champion Tweeter would be excellent in either capacity, therapist or patient.)
• Sign Gabriel Byrne for a limited number of episodes immediately It’s understandable that the guy would be exhausted by now: Filming those half-hour sessions, the bulk of whose verbiage and reactions fall to Byrne, must have a high burn-out factor. Nonetheless, Byrne is the darkly brooding soul of In Treatment, and he must come back to anchor the series — for continuity and quality — but perhaps showing him with only one patient per season.
• New format Much as hardcore fans loved the original four patients-five night structure of the show, it was confusing or off-putting to many more casual viewers. Here’s my suggestion: a weekly, hour-long In Treatment, with two half-hour sessions, with two casts alternating weeks (similar to what Law & Order: Criminal Intent did). Thus you’d have four therapists, four patients, and happiness among lovers of dramatic psychotherapy.
• No stunt casting The quickest way to turn off In Treatment fans would be to salt in a few controversial or overexposed personalities whom TV executives who think they have a sense of both humor and ratings savvy might be tempted to use. Thus, no invitations to Charlie Sheen, Betty White, or, oh, I don’t know, Sarah Palin, please.
What do you think? Who would you cast as a therapist? A patient? Which of the show’s previous patients would you like to see return? (Mia Wasikowska’s gymnast? Dane DeHann’s gay teen? Melissa George’s obsessed-with-Paul neurotic?)
Let me know, below; thanks.
Twitter: @kentucker
For more: HBO cancels ‘In Treatment’ ‘as previously formatted’
I think a more limited series basis would work better for the show. Like they should do something like 3 weeks (fifteen episodes) with two or three patients, maybe like two, three times during the year. Keep Paul as the only therapist and keep the stunt casting, as it’s really nice to see some of these actors get a chance to do something out of the ordinary.
Great suggestions. I’d watch your version, Ken. Byrne has to stay, though. And I’d add once a week half hour between the therapists (not necessarily all of them) in the office or seen with their friends, family, etc. Knowing the the therapists as people (somewhat) is important.
I am actually glad to see this show take a hike. It was self centered and boring with a group of people who really needed to be told to straighten up and stop whinging…..
Gabe has to stay. I would love to see Sophie return. A group practice once a week would give Paul what he wants and add interesting patients.
It would be interesting to see Melissa George return as Laura. Her sessions with Paul made the show. Season 1 was the best.
I’d like to see Sophie, Laura, Mia, Jesse, Kate, and/or Gina again. All great characters. Obviously Paul is a must. I would fine with once a week. This is just such a well crafted drama that I don’t want to lose it. It’s not on the visibility level of True Blood or Curb. I realize no one watches it or really even talks about it, but I love it.
I agree Bryne has to stay. It might be nice to bring on another therapist. It would add some tension i.e. you think this and I think that. I think the real problem with this season was that the patient stories just weren’t interesting enough. I think the writers need to do better.
I’m sad to hear they aren’t bringing it back in its current format. Makes me wonder if there’s really any chance of it coming back at all.
-They must keep Gabriel Byrnes as Paul. He is the heart of In Treatment and would anchor the new format to the old series.
-Shift focus to the patients and their life outside of therapy
-Common thread is they meet w/ Paul once a week.
-1 hour format
-More of Paul’s personal life.
Wait…then this is no longer In Treatment. It’s The Sopranos. I give up.
Why would anyone want to see Jesse again? He was one of the most annoying characters on television. I thought the session with Sunil was by far one of the best, and it kept building into something ominous. This is a great show, quiet and intellectual. Since it isn’t a reality show and the characters don’t break into song, it is, like so many great shows before it, doomed.
I think the series should be retooled by starting with all of Paul’s patients going to his funeral because he killed himself because he was so bad at his job.
That said, I like the idea of a clinic, or even a rehab center. Why not have Paul do a stint at a rehab center for famous people (or they don’t have to be famous). There is a lot of drama that can be mined form that situation.
Whatever the change, keep Gabriel Byrne. He’s got the magic.Maybe not day in day out sessions, maybe not fixed days for each patient. Just don’t leave us without the show.
I’d love to see Marcia Gay Harden, Richard Dreyfuss, Allison Janney (someone PLEASE save her from “Mr. Sunshine”) as therapists, and Audra McDonald, Marlee Matlin, and Kyle Chandler as patients.
Ken – Great ideas! Please give these recommendations to Dan Futterman and his wife Anya Epstein IMMEDIATELY! SAVE IN TREATMENT! (Okay – my votes are for the characters of Sophie (of course), Laura, April and, yes, Adelle (I think she was a great challenge to Paul!).
How about Jensen Ackles?
Yes.
I wanted to hate this show, but its one of my favorites. Its so different though and not in a commercially pleasing way that every time you watch it, you would think you are watching its last episode. Kinda hated Debra Winger last year, but they can’t all be gold. I would rather see it stand alone as the brief gem it was than to be contrived into something more commercially acceptable.