Em Terapia

The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, and Rome ending, left a gaping hole in the heart of HBO for me.

I was ready to drop my subscription when I realized that Gabriel Byrne was going to be a key player in the new series, In Treatment.

WOW! I'm so glad I stuck it out...Gabriel Byrne...I first admired him years ago when he played in a robust movie called "Into The West" which I now own on DVD. He is one damn fine actor in a tour de force of a show that he can easily sink his teeth into.

Diane Wiest as the therapist's therapist is noteworthy as well!

The plot is addictive...I quickly became committed to the weekly patients, some of whom I really hate. The script is detailed, intense and very well written. The simple sets and the subtle camera action during emotional moments, serves well to keep one purely focused on the drama. And man what drama! Even though it has no comedy, In Treatment is almost destined to be another big hit for HBO.

Some one suggested Robin Williams should have had the part of the psychoanalyst...what? I hope that was a joke.

I was ready to be seduced by a new HBO series and here it was. Perfect timing coincided with perfect writing and acting had made an immediate fan out of me before the end of week 1. We follow week-by-week the therapy sessions of four individuals (which includes watching Paul Weston, the therapist go through his own therapy) and one couple. For anyone who has ever been in therapy there is an automatic connection to the whole process as we see it unfold with different characters and being able to relate to pieces of all of them.

The acting is incredible though this show belongs to Gabriel Byrne and Diane Wiest. I'm having my own erotic transference to Dr. Weston but am I relating to him as an actor or a therapist? That's how wonderful he is in this role.

"In Treatment" is what "Tell Me You Love Me" tried to be but didn't quite hit the mark. Promise you, after 2 sessions, you will be hooked.

I just watched the very first episode and after it was over I just sat there, silent, amazed at what I had just seen. It's dialog and character driven. It's simple and yet complicated. Gabriel Byrne seems to be the perfect choice for the therapist character. He's an actor who says a lot with his face and his eyes. Frankly, I can't wait to see what happens with these people.

Very engaging first episode. It drew me in with just two people sitting in a room talking. There really aren't many things out there that can do that. Definitely give it a chance, especially if you enjoy most things HBO.

I think it should be understood, that therapy is not always the cliff-hanger that these episodes are. But, if you made a show that was truly realistic to what occurs in therapy, no one would watch it. So I feel the writers/producers of "In Treatment" made the smart move in focusing on the aspects of therapy (psychoanalysis, to be precise) that are most riveting; these tend to be issues of transference and counter-transference. The Friday supervisions/treatments that Paul receives provide vital clues to keep an eye out for in the subsequent sessions that he has in the following week. In the most recent episode (2-5-08), Paul is seen to be projecting onto Alex his own feelings towards his marriage by telling alex that he's probably known these marital concerns were at a "boiling point" for some time. This is a small example of the attention to detail that the writers/producers have paid to the realities of therapy; and if they did this without a psych consult, all the more credit to them.

Lets not forget that this is a television show. It can't be a perfect portrayal of the reality of the therapeutic environment. Lets ALSO remember that therapists are not perfect people. They can be idiots who foolishly leave medicine in their office bathroom cabinets; they can project their own issues into a session; and they can clog their toilets up, resulting in an argument with a client over boundaries (Laura, week2). Paul is being portrayed as an adept psychoanalyst with issues of self-worth that were probably never thoroughly analyzed during his training. When the narcissistic thrill of being a gifted therapist wears off, everything starts to make its way to the surface.

Kudos to HBO on a well-done series.

I nearly judged this one by its first episode, which I think pointed the series in the wrong direction. This show is a cleverly constructed concept that feels quite like it belongs on the stage. Gabriel Byrne uses his greatest talent - subtly of style - and performs exceptionally in the long pauses and lingering shots. Its addictive. Come 'Thursday' night you may feel cynical, but after 'Friday's' episode you just have to know what transpires the next week. In an age where we are all obsessed with over-analysing everything, this is a show that will appeal to many people with its everyday issues and obvious psychology that we are so keen to recognise in others, but not ourselves - a fact blatantly realised when the tables are turned and the therapist effectively goes to therapy.