The third, and possibly final, season of In Treatment ends on a somber and ambiguous note. Leaving Adele's office, Paul steps outside, looks around, and then walks through a sea of people, unsure of how to proceed. Does he continue his practice, even with his recent failures? While Paul usually gets a win here and there with his patients, Paul really hasn't succeeded this season. Sunil was tricking him from the beginning, Jesse remains incredibly rude and obnoxious--so I guess Frances is the only patient who's helped in the slightest.
Frances
With Patricia dying, Frances has the hard choice of deciding what to do with the respirator. Again, she's boxed in the corner with Izzy sure to make a big deal after the decision is made. Nonetheless, Paul tries to make her feel like she is good enough for Patricia and that she can make the right decision. At the end of the episode, we don't know what Frances will do, but at least she's not outright resentful of Paul.
Sunil
So Sunil is just a normal person who used Paul to get deported? He doesn't have serious mental issues? In one respect, it's kind of cool that Sunil turned out to be a mastermind, guiding everyone's actions so he could go back to India. In another respect, it's made the previous six episodes rather pointless in terms of what we learned about Sunil since we don't know what is or isn't the truth. The end result is that the only thing we can take away from Sunil's sessions is how Paul reacts. To me, that's not enough.
Jesse
To say that Paul didn't help Jesse would be untrue. Without therapy, Roberto probably wouldn't have reached out to Jesse as he is now. But to say that Jesse has truly changed is stretching it. At the beginning of the sessions, Jesse was out of control and by the end of the sessions, he's still the cursing kid with no manners or respect for Paul. He regularly insults people, and now, following his father's lead, blames his problems on his mother, which only spells further disaster.
Adele
Paul's sessions with Adele have revealed him to be an overall trainwreck. He substitutes people to avoid real issues, crosses professional boundaries, and after realizing that his patients, like Sunil, may have all been lying to been, contemplates not doing therapy anymore. Adele, true to form, doesn't show her hand, asking questions here and there, but never gets forceful. Once again, Paul tells her that he thinks she should be with him, but that won't happen. And there's nothing Paul can do but walk away. Three seasons of Paul treating patients, and there he stands, largely a failure.
Score: 8.9/10
Showing posts with label In Treatment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label In Treatment. Show all posts
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Review - In Treatment Season 3 Episode 23/24 Jesse/Adele Week 6
Jesse
Jesse didn't have much going on this week. It's his birthday, but the episode rehashes what we already know: Jesse is floundering with a sense of who he is, never fitting in with his adopted parents or his sexuality. The result is that he says and does anything and comes off very, very rude.
Adele
From Adele's perspective, Paul must be a weird person. He came into the sessions openly looking down on her because of her age and inexperience, and now he tells her a creepy fantasy about how they help each other with their patients. But part of that seems to appeal to Adele, as she doesn't completely shut him down or turn him away. Instead, she lets him speak his mind, even encouraging him to reveal more. Then she reveals that she's pregnant, but doesn't say more. What's going on?
Score: 8.8/10
Jesse didn't have much going on this week. It's his birthday, but the episode rehashes what we already know: Jesse is floundering with a sense of who he is, never fitting in with his adopted parents or his sexuality. The result is that he says and does anything and comes off very, very rude.
Adele
From Adele's perspective, Paul must be a weird person. He came into the sessions openly looking down on her because of her age and inexperience, and now he tells her a creepy fantasy about how they help each other with their patients. But part of that seems to appeal to Adele, as she doesn't completely shut him down or turn him away. Instead, she lets him speak his mind, even encouraging him to reveal more. Then she reveals that she's pregnant, but doesn't say more. What's going on?
Score: 8.8/10
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Review - In Treatment Season 3 Episode 21/22 Sunil/Frances Week 6
Sunil
Sunil's tale took a pretty dark turn this week as we see not only him using dangerous rhetoric, but also acting upon certain impulses. While he may have simply been trying to get past Julia, he did hurt her--enough to require three stitches--and then express the desire to bash her with the cricket bat. What's more, Paul implies that Sunil may have had a greater hand in Malini's death than previously admitted. It's scary for Paul that Julia is ending Sunil's sessions, which means Sunil will be out of Paul's hands, despite Paul knowing what Sunil is capable of.
Frances
The episode begins oddly, focusing on Adele instead of Paul, as we see her slowly get up in the morning to call Paul, almost like she's curiously flirting with him. In Treatment rarely teases future episodes, but I'm certainly interested in what happens tonight.
It's hard not to feel bad for Frances. Her whole life, she's been unable to really be there for people, and suffered both internally, her inability to memorize lines, and externally, her daughter drifting away. However, when Tricia tells her she's dying, she jumps on the chance, tending to her sister and even quitting the play. And yet, she still can't get some good faith thrown in her way, her daughter convinced she is a narcissist.
Score: 9.3/10
Sunil's tale took a pretty dark turn this week as we see not only him using dangerous rhetoric, but also acting upon certain impulses. While he may have simply been trying to get past Julia, he did hurt her--enough to require three stitches--and then express the desire to bash her with the cricket bat. What's more, Paul implies that Sunil may have had a greater hand in Malini's death than previously admitted. It's scary for Paul that Julia is ending Sunil's sessions, which means Sunil will be out of Paul's hands, despite Paul knowing what Sunil is capable of.
Frances
The episode begins oddly, focusing on Adele instead of Paul, as we see her slowly get up in the morning to call Paul, almost like she's curiously flirting with him. In Treatment rarely teases future episodes, but I'm certainly interested in what happens tonight.
It's hard not to feel bad for Frances. Her whole life, she's been unable to really be there for people, and suffered both internally, her inability to memorize lines, and externally, her daughter drifting away. However, when Tricia tells her she's dying, she jumps on the chance, tending to her sister and even quitting the play. And yet, she still can't get some good faith thrown in her way, her daughter convinced she is a narcissist.
Score: 9.3/10
Friday, November 26, 2010
Review - In Treatment Season 3 Episode 17/18/19/20 Week Five
Sunil
As each week goes by, we see Sunil's displeasure manifest itself in more and more disturbing fashion with his dream last week and his dream this week about yanking his son's arm off in order to defend the children against an unknown woman, possibly Malini or Julia. Paul doesn't know what to do. Sunil seems reasonable at times, talking about how different American culture is, without sounding too crazy, but then he lapses into talking about Julia with violent terms. Without knowing exactly what's going on inside Sunil's head, Paul doesn't want fully commit to the idea that Sunil may become violent, but the possibility exists.
Frances
Despite opening the letter and learning that she doesn't have to gene, Frances is still stuck, unable to move on and even talk to her sister. There is an underlying issue about her sister and Frances's inability to cope with her sister, regardless of medical condition.
Jesse
Jesse is the most polarizing figure this season. He's infuriating 90% of the time, an utter train wreck who just spews out wretched lines. We're supposed to dislike him, but also consider what makes him the way he is. When he finally crumbles at the end of the episode, you can't help but feel bad for the kid who purposely makes his life miserable by sabotaging everything.
Adele
While Paul sessions are about him and we learn a lot about him, what I'm really interested in is Adele. We know Paul's far too interested in her, but how does she feel about the situation. Is her distance purely professional or is she making a concerted effort to keep him away? At the same time, she exposes Paul as a guy who never takes the initiative whether it is in relationship or work.
Score: 9.0/10
As each week goes by, we see Sunil's displeasure manifest itself in more and more disturbing fashion with his dream last week and his dream this week about yanking his son's arm off in order to defend the children against an unknown woman, possibly Malini or Julia. Paul doesn't know what to do. Sunil seems reasonable at times, talking about how different American culture is, without sounding too crazy, but then he lapses into talking about Julia with violent terms. Without knowing exactly what's going on inside Sunil's head, Paul doesn't want fully commit to the idea that Sunil may become violent, but the possibility exists.
Frances
Despite opening the letter and learning that she doesn't have to gene, Frances is still stuck, unable to move on and even talk to her sister. There is an underlying issue about her sister and Frances's inability to cope with her sister, regardless of medical condition.
Jesse
Jesse is the most polarizing figure this season. He's infuriating 90% of the time, an utter train wreck who just spews out wretched lines. We're supposed to dislike him, but also consider what makes him the way he is. When he finally crumbles at the end of the episode, you can't help but feel bad for the kid who purposely makes his life miserable by sabotaging everything.
Adele
While Paul sessions are about him and we learn a lot about him, what I'm really interested in is Adele. We know Paul's far too interested in her, but how does she feel about the situation. Is her distance purely professional or is she making a concerted effort to keep him away? At the same time, she exposes Paul as a guy who never takes the initiative whether it is in relationship or work.
Score: 9.0/10
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Review - In Treatment Season 3 Episode 13-16 Week Four
Sunil
While a couple of the patients have their problems semi-transparent at this point, Sunil remains a total mystery, not for a lacking of trying though.With Sunil's revelation that Malini killed herself soon after she broke things off, it opened yet another avenue to go down. Correspondingly, Sunil's disturbing dream about a goat or dog is rather frightening, not to mention to continuing irrational fixation on Julia.
Frances
Paul is finally breaking down Frances's walls and gets to tell him much more than she previously did. Frances opens up and tells a story about how her mother was in the hospital and Frances couldn't be there and was unable to say goodbye. Paul tries to convince Frances that her disappointment is self-generated, but she doesn't seem entirely convinced.
Jesse
Maybe this is a teenager problem, but Jesse overreacts to everything. When he came in, he bashed his parents all the time. But after revealing that his birth mother contacted him, it swings the other way. His father seems to care about him again, helping him study, while his mother has detached herself from the world. Jesse says how great his parents are and pushes his birth parents away, seeing that his father cares about him and that his mother was deeply hurt by his birth parents contacting him.
Adele
Adele states that Paul's numerous external problems are actually excuses unto which Paul uses to keep him bottled up. Paul admits held himself back with Wendy, but then admits that it's because he was thinking of Adele. After the debacle with Laura, you'd think Paul would've learned his lesson, but Adele seems to be the only one who understands him.
Score: 9.2/10
While a couple of the patients have their problems semi-transparent at this point, Sunil remains a total mystery, not for a lacking of trying though.With Sunil's revelation that Malini killed herself soon after she broke things off, it opened yet another avenue to go down. Correspondingly, Sunil's disturbing dream about a goat or dog is rather frightening, not to mention to continuing irrational fixation on Julia.
Frances
Paul is finally breaking down Frances's walls and gets to tell him much more than she previously did. Frances opens up and tells a story about how her mother was in the hospital and Frances couldn't be there and was unable to say goodbye. Paul tries to convince Frances that her disappointment is self-generated, but she doesn't seem entirely convinced.
Jesse
Maybe this is a teenager problem, but Jesse overreacts to everything. When he came in, he bashed his parents all the time. But after revealing that his birth mother contacted him, it swings the other way. His father seems to care about him again, helping him study, while his mother has detached herself from the world. Jesse says how great his parents are and pushes his birth parents away, seeing that his father cares about him and that his mother was deeply hurt by his birth parents contacting him.
Adele
Adele states that Paul's numerous external problems are actually excuses unto which Paul uses to keep him bottled up. Paul admits held himself back with Wendy, but then admits that it's because he was thinking of Adele. After the debacle with Laura, you'd think Paul would've learned his lesson, but Adele seems to be the only one who understands him.
Score: 9.2/10
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Review - In Treatment Season 3 Week 3 Episode 9 Sunil / 10 Frances / 11 Jesse / 12 Adele
Three weeks into the new sessions and Sunil is definitely my favorite. He can be irrational and weird at times, but he has these spurts of energy that are both illuminating for Paul and fun to watch. Paul makes some big inroads and I'm looking forward to Julia's return. He catches onto Sunil's details of Julia, his discussion of his other woman before Kamala, and puts the pieces together: Sunil doesn't want the tight constraints of India, and moreover, sees himself inside of Arun, becoming jealous when Julia leaves for dinner with an author.
Frances's despair at the end of the episode, the possibly of failing in front of a crowd, comes down to a problem that stems from childhood. She believes her mother preferred her sister and now that her daughter prefers her sister, she's having problems with acting, knowing that she deliberately prevented her sister from pursuing an acting career.
We got a much deeper look at Jesse this week with his mother Marissa showing up. It seems like Jesse's cynicism stems from when he was rebuked years ago. But still, he's annoying as heck. The problem with Jesse is that not only is he an unlikable character, he is also one of only two characters. About half the episode is him being a prick, and personally, I don't like to fume about someone for half an episode. Jesse is so ridiculously out of control all the time and has that angry look on his face that it's hard not to want Paul to just tear Jesse apart.
Paul's visits to Adele, which began only as a way to get a prescription, are becoming more and more necessary each week. Max sees that Paul is researching Parkinson's and Paul lies to protect him. But Max has to learn eventually, and now Paul is in a very difficult position. Adele draws the connection between Paul taking care of his parents and Max taking care of Paul. In that instance, I took a look at Paul, seeing his graying hair, and thought to myself, "Wow, he is getting old."
Score: 9.0/10
Frances's despair at the end of the episode, the possibly of failing in front of a crowd, comes down to a problem that stems from childhood. She believes her mother preferred her sister and now that her daughter prefers her sister, she's having problems with acting, knowing that she deliberately prevented her sister from pursuing an acting career.
We got a much deeper look at Jesse this week with his mother Marissa showing up. It seems like Jesse's cynicism stems from when he was rebuked years ago. But still, he's annoying as heck. The problem with Jesse is that not only is he an unlikable character, he is also one of only two characters. About half the episode is him being a prick, and personally, I don't like to fume about someone for half an episode. Jesse is so ridiculously out of control all the time and has that angry look on his face that it's hard not to want Paul to just tear Jesse apart.
Paul's visits to Adele, which began only as a way to get a prescription, are becoming more and more necessary each week. Max sees that Paul is researching Parkinson's and Paul lies to protect him. But Max has to learn eventually, and now Paul is in a very difficult position. Adele draws the connection between Paul taking care of his parents and Max taking care of Paul. In that instance, I took a look at Paul, seeing his graying hair, and thought to myself, "Wow, he is getting old."
Score: 9.0/10
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Review - In Treatment Season 3 Episode 7 Jesse: Week 2 / 8 Adele: Week 2
I wasn't entirely sure what to think about Jesse last week. Jesse is my least favorite of the new patients. He's got issues, stemming from being adopted not knowing his place in the world, and probably isn't like that on the inside, but he's outwardly brash and overall an obnoxious brat. I can't override my gut instinct that I hate this guy. Every character, including Paul, has dislikable elements, but also likable features. With Jesse, however, all he does is berate Paul and even his attempts at humor intentionally poke fun at Paul. I'm trying to remember the previous teenage patients and whether they were this rude, and if my memory is right, they at least tried not to be pests, right?
Out of the new characters, Adele ranks near the top along with Sunil. To be fair to the other characters, she's actually intended to be likable. With the positions reversed, Paul comes off abrasive and rude while Adele sits back and allows Paul to snipe at her. Their second session revolves around Paul's inability to escape from his father and Gina. It's striking that Paul takes such a hard stance against Gina, though it's understandable if Gina was indeed writing about him.
Score: 8.7/10
Out of the new characters, Adele ranks near the top along with Sunil. To be fair to the other characters, she's actually intended to be likable. With the positions reversed, Paul comes off abrasive and rude while Adele sits back and allows Paul to snipe at her. Their second session revolves around Paul's inability to escape from his father and Gina. It's striking that Paul takes such a hard stance against Gina, though it's understandable if Gina was indeed writing about him.
Score: 8.7/10
Monday, November 1, 2010
Review - In Treatment Season 3 Episode 5 Sunil: Week 2 / 6 Frances: Week 2
Yeah, I know I said in my last review that I would watch and review In Treatment in a batch on Saturday, but there's not much going on on this particular Monday and not much on Tuesday, for that matter, so I'll get to them quickly.
Because In Treatment is a show that slowly builds, there's honestly not much to say about the second week. We were introduced to the characters last week and that was cool, but in the second week, it's not fresh anymore and the real revelations are all coming further in the season.
Sunil's picture is becoming clearer, and we get a good idea where it's going, although he doesn't say anything we couldn't have inferred last week. In America, he doesn't know where he fits in, and what he sees every day doesn't exactly fit with his experiences in Calcutta. The rigid societal structure in India, which put him in an arranged marriage, goes contrary to to what he sees, Arun and Julia openly displaying affection before marriage and their various practices.
Frances, like Sunil, is floating around without a firm grasp on her life. In her case, her husband has left her, her daughter has left her, and in light of her sister having cancer, she even wonders whether she'll get closer to her daughter if her sister dies. At the center of everything is her relationship with her daughter who tangentially relates to everyone else, and the first point of contention is that her daughter will have sex with a junior soon.
Score: 8.8/10
Because In Treatment is a show that slowly builds, there's honestly not much to say about the second week. We were introduced to the characters last week and that was cool, but in the second week, it's not fresh anymore and the real revelations are all coming further in the season.
Sunil's picture is becoming clearer, and we get a good idea where it's going, although he doesn't say anything we couldn't have inferred last week. In America, he doesn't know where he fits in, and what he sees every day doesn't exactly fit with his experiences in Calcutta. The rigid societal structure in India, which put him in an arranged marriage, goes contrary to to what he sees, Arun and Julia openly displaying affection before marriage and their various practices.
Frances, like Sunil, is floating around without a firm grasp on her life. In her case, her husband has left her, her daughter has left her, and in light of her sister having cancer, she even wonders whether she'll get closer to her daughter if her sister dies. At the center of everything is her relationship with her daughter who tangentially relates to everyone else, and the first point of contention is that her daughter will have sex with a junior soon.
Score: 8.8/10
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Review - In Treatment Season 3 Episode 3 Jesse: Week One / 2 Adele: Week One
I tried to see if I could review In Treatment on the same night it airs, but I couldn't find any time. I did watch the episodes on Wednesday, though, so I'll review it now while it's still fresh in my mind. I'll definitely be watching and reviewing the show on Saturday next week.
The third and final patient is Jesse, a gay teenager who is a little spastic in his constant mood switches. What's more, he may be delving in a world he's not yet ready for.
There's a degree of uneasiness between Paul and Adele, his new therapist. All Paul wants is his sleeping pills, but Adele wants to dig further into his mind. Paul gets his prescription in the end and leaves, but following the format of the show, he'll be back next week.
Score: 9.0/10
The third and final patient is Jesse, a gay teenager who is a little spastic in his constant mood switches. What's more, he may be delving in a world he's not yet ready for.
There's a degree of uneasiness between Paul and Adele, his new therapist. All Paul wants is his sleeping pills, but Adele wants to dig further into his mind. Paul gets his prescription in the end and leaves, but following the format of the show, he'll be back next week.
Score: 9.0/10
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Review - In Treatment Season 3 Episode 1 Sunil: Week One / 2 Frances: Week One
In Treatment is a show that could work on radio. It's about 90% talking, and the visual cues only add to the ongoing discussion. On a medium like television which is heavily reliant of what viewers look at, it's odd that In Treatment would be such an enthralling show. The way the entire season plays out is nothing short of remarkable. Each year, Paul meets the patient and the layers are slowly uncovered, all while Paul deals with his own problems on the side. In the end everything comes together to a conclusion for all characters.
The third season of In Treatment, premiering well over a year since the end of the second season, starts with a clean slate. With the Israeli series BeTipul gone as a guidebook, everything is new. There's no Gina, no leftover patient stuff from previous season.
The first patient we meet is Sunil, a transplant from Calcutta who moved in with his son, Arun,and daughter-in-law, Julia. Recently, he's been a shut-in, refusing to eat and be normal in general. As Paul talks with the three of them, rarely getting a response from Sunil, we get a some kind of idea where things are going. Arun adapts to what Julia wants, not the other way around, and Sunil, who is forlorn over the death of his wife and displacement from homeland, is resentful towards her.
While we get a pretty good idea of where Sunil's story is going, the second patient, Frances, is more of a mystery. She's the sister of one of Paul's former patients and does no reciprocate anything Paul inquires about. Clearly there's something wrong with her. But at the same time, her suggestion that her sister's cancer being related to their mother's cancer is the jumping point for one of Paul's development. After the session, he tries to get in contact with a neurologist, knowing his father died of Parkinson's disease.
Score: 8.9/10
The third season of In Treatment, premiering well over a year since the end of the second season, starts with a clean slate. With the Israeli series BeTipul gone as a guidebook, everything is new. There's no Gina, no leftover patient stuff from previous season.
The first patient we meet is Sunil, a transplant from Calcutta who moved in with his son, Arun,and daughter-in-law, Julia. Recently, he's been a shut-in, refusing to eat and be normal in general. As Paul talks with the three of them, rarely getting a response from Sunil, we get a some kind of idea where things are going. Arun adapts to what Julia wants, not the other way around, and Sunil, who is forlorn over the death of his wife and displacement from homeland, is resentful towards her.
While we get a pretty good idea of where Sunil's story is going, the second patient, Frances, is more of a mystery. She's the sister of one of Paul's former patients and does no reciprocate anything Paul inquires about. Clearly there's something wrong with her. But at the same time, her suggestion that her sister's cancer being related to their mother's cancer is the jumping point for one of Paul's development. After the session, he tries to get in contact with a neurologist, knowing his father died of Parkinson's disease.
Score: 8.9/10
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Preview of Week 10/24/10 - 10/30/10
In Treatment - HBO, Monday/Tuesday, October 25/26, 9:00pm ET
This is the first time In Treatment will not follow the Israeli series BeTipul. Hopefully the show can continue be as good as it was. As for reviewing In Treatment, I already have 9 shows to watch on Monday and 6 shows on Tuesday, which is too much to handle along with 2 episodes of In Treatment. My plan is too watch all the week's episodes in bulk on Sunday and then review them.
Glee - Fox, Tuesday, October 26, 8:00pm ET
I don't like pure tribute Glee episodes, but this week is the Rocky Horror Picture Show episode.
Friday Night Lights - DirecTV 101, Tuesday, October 27, 9:00pm ET
The most consistently emotional show returns for its final season. I'm kind of worried where the fifth season goes, seeing as the fourth season had very questionable storyline choices (more so than in previous seasons) and a few important characters won't be coming back which is disappointing.
This is the first time In Treatment will not follow the Israeli series BeTipul. Hopefully the show can continue be as good as it was. As for reviewing In Treatment, I already have 9 shows to watch on Monday and 6 shows on Tuesday, which is too much to handle along with 2 episodes of In Treatment. My plan is too watch all the week's episodes in bulk on Sunday and then review them.
Glee - Fox, Tuesday, October 26, 8:00pm ET
I don't like pure tribute Glee episodes, but this week is the Rocky Horror Picture Show episode.
Friday Night Lights - DirecTV 101, Tuesday, October 27, 9:00pm ET
The most consistently emotional show returns for its final season. I'm kind of worried where the fifth season goes, seeing as the fourth season had very questionable storyline choices (more so than in previous seasons) and a few important characters won't be coming back which is disappointing.
