Tuesday, November 23, 2010

In Treatment: Jesse, Week 5


Week 1: Sunil - Frances - Jesse - Adele
Week 2: Sunil - Frances - Jesse/Adele
Week 3: Sunil - Frances - Jesse - Adele
Week 4: Sunil - Frances - Jesse - Adele
Week 5: Sunil - Frances - Jesse - Adele
Week 6: Sunil - Frances - Jesse

High drama here on HBO. And Paul chases yet another patient out of his office.

Paul is making pancakes for dinner with his son, Max, and trying all-too-hard to connect with the quiet pre-teen. A knock at the door and it's patient Jesse, in distress. He needs an emergency session and Paul leaves Max to go to Jesse.

Jesse went to see his birth parents. He showed up early and there were kids in the yard. He left and returned at the appointed time, stoned. The kids were gone, without a trace, and one was in a wheelchair. Maybe the birth parents had searched for Jesse because they want his organs for the sick kid. Oh, and they asked Jesse to leave, perhaps because he asked them for money.

Paul confronts Jesse with his habit of testing people and using their failure as proof that Jesse is no good. It's a pattern, he's done it tonight by showing up at Paul's apartment. Injured, Jesse runs out with Paul yelling at him not to leave. We call this therapy? Paul follows Jesse and they sit on the steps more calmly. Until, the smoke detector goes off and Paul has to choose between Jesse and saving his son from the burning building (or rather, the burning pancakes). Everyone here needs a hug.

So what about the boundaries of the home office? And why doesn't Paul recognize that his timing sucks: when someone is in a state of distress, they need a little empathy, warmth, and kindness, not an interpretation of all their faults as a human being. I'd kind of like to take his batteries out about now.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

That therapist's poor boundaries drive me nuts!

Imagine how his patients feel...

Anonymous said...

I agree. This episode was so unrealistic on so many levels. I can't imagine any therapist letting a client enter his home office @ 10:30 p.m. --- maybe an empathic 60 second reply and we'll talk more tomorrow. But once he agreed, why push him. When someone is bleeding, sometimes all you need is a bandaide and reassurance that all will be okay soon.

Alison Cummins said...

Another review of In Treatment!

http://aethelreadtheunread.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/in-treatment-a-review/

This one thinking the Jesse story arc is actually realistic.