Monday, November 29, 2010

In Treatment: Sunil, Week 6


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

 Julia comes in first. She was injured when Sunil pushed her and she says that he is worse. Treatment is not helping and she is no longer going to pay for it. Her husband will need to prescribe stronger medications for his father (or perhaps the houseplant).

Sunil continues to evade the questions. He sings in Bengali for Paul, a farewell song. When he says words in Bengali, Paul cuts him off, rather rudely, and tells him to speak English. Sunil asks Paul to keep an old cricket bat he's found; he might be tempted to use it to murder or maim or do something bad to Julia.

Paul is rather worked up during this session and he implores Julia to allow Sunil to continue in treatment. He further implores Sunil to keep coming. He offers to see Sunil
pro bono, or to meet him outside the office for tea.

This episode requires that the viewer suspend disbelief in the realities of psychiatric treatment. It's a world with no psychiatrists, no hospitals, no rationale use of medications, no duty to prevent harm, and no sense that violence can come from a illness that one can't be talked out of. There is faith that treatment will ultimately lead to betterment, even when things are getting worse and the characters may not live through the day.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

In season 3, we are seeing Paul unwind. His professional and ethical boundaries are again being breached and his judgment is clouded. Even before the teaser for next week's ep, we know something terrible will become of his decision to defer action until his next session with Sunil.

Anonymous said...

One of the main problems with Season 3 - I don't care about these characters. They are not lovable or kind hearted. I guess the big question with Sunil, why is Paul so blind to his danger? Yes we now know he does call Julia to warn of his violence, but only after being prompted from Adel. I am so annoyed with this season.