TV Review: In Treatment
HBO's New Psychiatrist Series Is as Gripping as Any Thriller
HBO's new series In Treatment proves that TV that centers on emotional conflict can be as compelling as one that centers on murder and suspense.
HBO's new drama In Treatment is based on an almost identical-in-concept Israeli series. It attempts to find out whether a TV schedule chock full of plot-heavy blink-and-you’re-lost thrillers and procedurals, has room for a show that hinges almost entirely on characters.
Starring Gabriel Byrne as a psychiatrist, In Treatment airs five nights a week, a different patient each night with Byrne seeing his own counselor and colleague (Dianne Wiest) on Fridays. This ostensible "gimmick" is only one of many tricks up the show’s sleeve.
A Different Show in Many Ways
Unlike many series, especially single-camera dramas, In Treatment's action is restricted to a single locale. Each episode plays out nearly in real time and entirely in Byrne's office. On Fridays, this collection of episodic chamber plays moves over to Wiest's office.
The confinement of the series is its greatest strength, creating a claustrophobic intensity that compels one to expect, even crave, an emotional explosion. It is a credit to the writers in adapting the show from its Israeli source, that they adhered to the slowly boiling tone, never letting it boil over completely. Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia keeps the camera movement to a minimum, preserving the tension.
The only real problem with the series is that, so far, the emotional arcs seem to be repeating themselves. With few exceptions, the patients are all there to get straightforward advice, they expect to be faced with just a few appointments, and they all end up having deeper issues that need to be addressed. Of course, the show mirrors real-life psychiatric treatment in that aspect, but reality doesn't always make for compelling drama. The repetitive nature of the patients is a bit grating in the first week.
The Doctor on the Couch
Fridays are by far the most compelling of the episodes, when Byrne finally gets a chance to assume the patient's role and vent, allowing us to see how much he, as a doctor, must restrain himself. In these episodes the emotional catharsis we have been craving is realized as his psychological coil unwinds. The strength of his character gives way to fragility, revealing an emotionally confused individual just as fractured as his patients.
Whereas the repetition among the cases mirrored life but lessened the drama, on Fridays the opposite is true. It may be more dramatic but it seems anathema to the character of a psychiatrist that after years of training and experience he could still be so lacking in self-awareness.
That said, the Friday episodes are still fascinating. Like a conclusion to an essay, they both summarize the events of the past week while shedding new light on them. Seeing Byrne as a patient himself, as opposed to the demeanor of all-knowing doctor which he assumes in the other episodes, calls his actions into question. For example, are his responses to George altruistic? Can he be trusted with a beautiful woman half his age constantly throwing herself at him? Will his crumbling marriage deteriorate further as a result? It is a testament to the disciplined nature of the writing that a show that deals entirely in emotional relationships can convey as much tension as one that relies on mortal terror to hold its audience’s attention.
