2008, Could Be Hard To Watch, DO NOT MISS, Drama, TV Series

In Treatment (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Get inside psychoanalyst Paul Weston’s (Gabriel Byrne, in a Golden Globe-winning
role) head with this original series from HBO. After dealing with his patients’
traumas and issues, Weston caps off his week with a visit to therapist Dr. Gina
Toll (Dianne Wiest) to unload his own problems. Weston’s diverse patients include
an anesthesiologist (Melissa George) in a relationship crisis, a Navy pilot (Blair
Underwood) and a conflicted couple (Josh Charles and Embeth Davidtz).

We are hooked again on another TV Series. Season 1 of In Treatment” consists of 9 discs from NetFlix. When you open one of these discs you see photos of several people. Each person (or persons) is an episode. That person is in session with the psychiatrist. Each “talking heads” session is really involving.

Some warnings:

  • Each disc treats the same patients and then the psychiatrist visits his own psychiatrist. So from disc to disc you watch the progress in each case. But they all are interrelated
  • The very first session of disc 1 could be a turnoff. Laura, the attractive young anesthesiologist, describes explicitly a tawdry sexual encounter. I hope they did not begin the series with this episode just to attract an audience. Don’t let this session keep you from the other sessions. Moreover that patient is very important in the series.

In all cases the acting is superlative. The characters for the first season are:

Paul
Gabriel Byrne is the psychiatrist.
Laura
Besides being beautiful, Melissa George is an extraordinarily difficult patient. She is intelligent, seductive, and manipulative in the extreme.
Alex
Blair Underwood is the black fighter pilot. He has appeared in “Dirty Sexy Money” and “Law and Order SVU”.
Sophie
Mia Wasikowska is just plain brillant as a young gymnast.
Jake and Amy
Amy is played by Embeth Davidtz. She appeard in “Grey’s Anatomy”
Jake is played by Josh Charles. He has appeared in “Law and Order SVU”. This is one fighting couple and how!
Gina
Dianne Wiest plays Paul’s psychiatrist. Hers may well be the most familar face. She was a regular on “Law and Order” for many episodes.

Of all the TV series that Kathy and I have watched, this one so far is the most compelling and addictive adult presentation we have seen.

2 thoughts on “In Treatment (2008)”

  2. We have just finished watching Disc 1 and are very intrigued. Yes, Episode 1 was a bit “alarming,” but we had been forewarned. Now we are looking forward to Disc 2.
    Dianne Wiest has also played in Woody Allen movies, as well as in just plain “Law and Order”–the best of the whole lot, I think.

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