Talk about the third episode of
"In Treatment," featuring our female gymnast, Sophie. Also, since additional episodes are out there, and some critics have been less than circumspect about plot details for episodes down the road, I'm going to ask that you discuss this episode, and only this episode (plus comparisons to the previous two episodes with Laura and Alex).
I liked this episode quite a bit, but the actress that played Sophie reminded me of Natasha Melnick (aka Cindy Sanders from Freaks and Geeks) quite a bit. In fact, at first I thought it was her until I realized that this role was probably a little young for her current self. Anyone else see the resemblance?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I thought it was a nice touch that, in the two shots where the clock was visible, it read 4:35. I have found both Sophie and Alex to be improvements on Laura (no offense, Melissa George) and I can hardly contain my excitement for tomorrow's episode.
I thought this was an excellent episode, and fits nicely into the sort of "arc" that the week has seemed to have so far, as this is the new height of difficulty/frustration for Paul (and the viewers).
ReplyDeleteSophie was very believably her age -- so that's good writing -- but there was also some wonderful set up for the next time she's seen. One of the strengths in both this episode and the Alex episode is the questions that are left at the end of the session -- there's so much new ground to tackle. Maybe they're more interesting right now because they're supposed to be more mysterious, since they're both new clients to Paul, too?
I'm very curious to see how Week 2 goes.
I love how this show seems to let us viewers discover each character bit by bit, by putting the pieces together, just like a show like "Lost" lets us discover its mythology this way. It's the same thing, essentially; we're thrown in the middle of a situation and then figuring out what's going on with this person, working backwards. I've caught myself speculating about the origins of a certain aspect of his/her character, especially during the Alex and Sophie episodes. Loving it so far.
ReplyDeleteOh, and can't wait for the Diane Wiest episodes. I have a few ideas regarding what Paul thinks of his patients, and I'm curious to see if he's going to confirm them or not. Or perhaps even lie about stuff. It's all very intriguing.
I've watched the first week of this show OnDemand, and I have to admit that I like it quite a bit. Its very character driven, and those are my favorite kind of dramas. Its seems very similar to Tell Me You Love Me, however, but that is not an issue. My only real reservation with the show is if I'm willing to devote 2 and a half hours each week to watch it.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by each new character, but I feel as though I'm learning more about Paul than any of them. Every episode reveals more about him. It was good to see him with someone so young, to see the way he led her to reveal more about herself -- through his choice of words (you could almost see him thinking about what to say next), his allowing her to explore his office, but most of all through his silence, those moments when he didn't say a thing -- either because he didn't quite know what to say (so chose to 'first, do no harm') and other times because he was waiting for her to lead the way.
ReplyDeleteI thought the episode was quite good, the writing and acting seemed right on the mark.
I believed Sophie as a character in a way I didn't quite believe Laura and Alex. I don't mean that I believed the things she said to Paul; she, like Laura and Alex, are not truthful with Paul or with themselves. I mean that she got to me -- she wasn't just a character in a TV show. She was real to me. I thought about her today and worried about her.
This show brings up many, many troubling questions.
A friend who'd had a bad time a situation at her job said to me recently 'Why do people lie?' and I've thought about that question so much. We all do it, often by omission. America is a nation of liars, people reinventing themselves over and over. It's one of the reasons people came here -- to start over. Why would you lie to your therapist? Because you're already lying to yourself and that's a lot of the reason you're in trouble in the first place?
This was the best episode so far, and the young actress was excellent (and looks very much like Cindy Sanders).
ReplyDeleteI think the half-naked (all-naked?) mermaid makes it too obvious where the story's going with the coach (I haven't seen future episodes, but I think it's broadcast clearly enough). I was hoping it wasn't going to be that dark (I was already wondering about the protocol of the doctor being in a room alone with this young girl, whether he was putting himself at risk), but it seems that it's going to be.
It was also nice to get some details about the Doc's home life.
Plus you could tell Paul was thinking the same thing, especially with his line of questioning "is it that he loves you, or that he understands you?".
ReplyDeleteYeah, so far the pilot was probably the weakest.
I still haven't had time to watch this show but I just found out all the episodes are free in iTunes. So now they are all on my iPod and I hope to catch up sometime soon. Just thought I'd pass this tip along.
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