Saturday, March 01, 2008

HBO's In Treatment: The sub-blog. I Can't Take It Anymore


I finish what I start. Oy. I thought it was over, I thought yesterday's episode was the last. What more is there to say? Paul has hit a patient, couple from hell are divorcing, his wife has broken off her affair, they are now in therapy with Gina (mentor, supervisor, therapist and couple's therapist) where Paul has announced his feelings for Laura. Sophie has done cartwheels on the couch and overdosed on Paul's pills. She's cursed at her mother. Alex made espresso and became as aggressive as one could imagine a patient or anyone else being-- prompting the attack and the famed espresso being thrown on him by his shrink. There was the miscarriage on the couch. Is there more to say? "It's chaotic, disrespectful, and unproductive." That's what Paul said about Jake and Amy's couples' therapy and that about describes all the rest of the sessions.
I thought it was over.

So the judge came for coffee yesterday, curlers carefully in place, Tex barking up a storm. She handed me The New York Times-- "here, they have your show in it."

I link you here to "He Listens. He Cares. He Isn't Real," an article about the dreamy Dr. Weston. Dreamy? Annoying. I got to the last line and realized the show goes on until March 29th. Oy!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

More like McCreepy. As someone who has seen both sides, he is not only unethical, he lacks the interpersonal skills to develop a therapeutic relationship with any of these people. His "own stuff" is oozing out all the time and he completely lacks the neutrality he needs as a therapist. Leaves me wondering "whose therapy is this?"

Anonymous said...

I would love to see the inside of your fridge. Just to check and see if there are any cottage cheese containers with a little left that went bad three weeks ago that nobody got around to eating before the expiry date,to ask if you really truly always have to finish what you start.

Roy said...

Dreamy? This is a synonym for Darling, as in Doctors Dippy, Darling, and Dangerous... the 3 psychiatrist archetypes of Irv Schneider. See the Show Notes from Podcast #35: Shrinks on Film for details.

Anonymous said...

Roy seems to have our entire podcast table of contents memorized.....kind of amazing.

Sarebear said...

Nah, It's just written on the underside of the floorboard he disappears under from time to time. I wonder if he sees any soot sprites down there, ala My Neighbor, Totoro . . . .

Anonymous said...

Oh, he just wants to make people go and listen to the podcast. What a crossmarketer.

Anonymous said...

Maybe they should rename the show:
"In Malpractice"

Anonymous said...

Or how about--In..sufferable.

Midwife with a Knife said...

I'm sort of home sick today, and between bouts of napping, I watched a little more of "In Treatment", and I think that HBO completely missed the mark. I think they were going for shrink who wasn't perfect, who seemed a bit human. You know, flawed and troubled enough to be loveable. What they ended up with was kind of a jerk. I was watching the episode where Laura talks about her (rather sad) sexual encounter with Alex, and I could just see the envy and anger oozing out of Paul's every pore.

I don't think you're obligated to finish the sub-blog. But if you feel like you are, you could just do it once a week or something.... but I guess then, you'd still have to watch the show.

The one way that this show really troubles me a bit is that if I were a patient who didn't know any better (i.e. no experience with psychotherapy, no idea what it is, and who was intimidated by the whole prospect) and psychotherapy were recommended to me, this show might make me more wary about seeking psychotherapy, if that makes any sense. Not that TV is reality, or anything close, but still... it can sink into people's heads and become part of what they think of when they think of therapy.

After all, HBO's "OZ" has become what I think of when I think of prison (and keeps me constantly horrified for Clink).

Roy said...

"Oh, he just wants to make people go and listen to the podcast. What a crossmarketer."

You've got my number, anon. Always trying to provide value-added content.

Sara, I had to check into the Totoro reference. I have not found any susu-atari, but will keep an eye out for them

As for recalling past podcasts... re-listening to and producing the podcasts and writing the Show Notes really helps burn the references into my head. I usually don't recall which podcast it was, but a quick search of relevant terms finds the right one.

kurlman said...

Thank goodness for the podcasts...I've been having a mild "In Treatment" discontinuation syndrome. studying for the Board Recert exam that I take next week has gotten me behind in my TV viewing. Does anyone actual fail this exam??? At $2000 a pop and at risk of a paycut least I fail, I decided to crack a few books.

Anonymous said...

Paul paws Laura but he won't "betray" her. Where is yoru rotten cheese and milk and stuff Dinah? I wanna eat something really to go along with this stuff.Fast forwarded thru the whole week. Watched it all in less than 15 minutes. Tried to skip to the good parts. There weren't any.

Anonymous said...

realy bad is what i wanted to say. rotten eggs.got any?

Anonymous said...

I really enjoy reading a psychiatrist's impression of the series. I have been following the series and am really shocked! All the patients seem so hostile toward the doctor. In real life, do you see this type of anger when people try to get help and work through problems? I just think it is so weird. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I thought last night's (Alex) was pretty good. The shark doesn't jump in every episode...or does it?

I enjoy your blog and coverage of the HBO series.

cd64

Sarebear said...

Thanks for checking that out, Roy. I just might have spied one the other day, as perhaps a knit pattern for one may have inadvertently crept out of my printer . . . . Guess I should dust my printer area more often!

Thanks for that link, Jace, I'll haveta check it out.

Anonymous said...

What are you all, 13? Geez, I haven't heard this kind of negativity since Junior Hi. Maybe this says more about YOU than the show. If you don't have the time to devote 30 min. nightly, then just watch all the shows on the weekend straight through. Or better yet, if you don't like it, DON"T WATCH! Clowns

Unknown said...

In Treatment revolves around the practice of a psychiatrist named Paul.(Gabriel Byrne) The premise of In Treatment is for 30 minutes each weekday we get a behind the scenes look at how Paul deals with his patients and their life issues. Each patient of Paul’s takes up one weekly session with the exception of Friday, when Paul goes to see a shrink of his own. The setting is almost always in Paul’s office, with him sitting in his chair and his patients on the
couch.


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