tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post6974809613822053706..comments2024-03-28T18:01:28.997-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: In Treatment: Week six in reviewAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-57592007789161443472009-05-25T22:25:26.447-04:002009-05-25T22:25:26.447-04:00Please wait for the week 7 post to go up before di...Please wait for the week 7 post to go up before discussing week 7 episodes.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35669698515812831742009-05-25T22:12:59.811-04:002009-05-25T22:12:59.811-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-64707193457535796482009-05-20T17:12:49.664-04:002009-05-20T17:12:49.664-04:00This is the only show I watch on television. It is...This is the only show I watch on television. It is AWESOME! I pray there will be a season 3,4,5,& 6!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-46192664760822152002009-05-20T10:04:26.375-04:002009-05-20T10:04:26.375-04:00I find it interesting (and a tribute to the show a...I find it interesting (and a tribute to the show and the quality of the discourse about it here) that two smart viewers (Susan and Anon 7:22) argue about my better/worse list in different ways.<br /><br />I'm beginning to think Paul is right, and that being happy might just be more important than self-knowledge.<br /><br />Walter is this season's Alex, and my sense is that without Paul he probably wouldn't have dropped the ball on the crisis by going to Darfur in search of Natalie, and thus would have lived to fight another day as CEO. <br /><br />And as for April, I think she was playing a game, and if Paul had been a dullard like the other Pratt shrink, she would have just given up and checked herself into the hospital with many of her self-delusions intact. <br /><br />These characters may be hobbling on (emotional) crutches, but Paul (and I) worry that he's taking away their crutches but not teaching them to walk. <br /><br />I might actually buy it that Mia might be better off, but I can see a real possibility that she falls back into her old patterns, and her newfound insights just make her more aware of what she's doing, and more mad at herself. <br /><br />And Kathy, I'm with you. Both Luke and Bess need to be smacked upside the head. Oliver (who is from Baltimore BTW) really is of a piece with the lost boys from The Wire. Despite having two parents present, he seems as emotionally neglected as Randy or Dukie.<br /><br />And thank again, Allan for giving us a place to talk about all this. At least I'll have this season of Breaking Bad to catch up on when In Treatment is over.Anonymous 1:04noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-84952868269745804102009-05-20T07:51:27.237-04:002009-05-20T07:51:27.237-04:00Gabriel Byrne is brilliant in this show - this is ...Gabriel Byrne is brilliant in this show - this is the defining role of his career, I think. Has anyone heard if he's interested in returning for another season?acoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13590696345059577606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2673929417866523092009-05-20T03:31:20.519-04:002009-05-20T03:31:20.519-04:00Why can't something like this air 5 nights a week ...<I>Why can't something like this air 5 nights a week on a network, as opposed to 5 nights of Leno?</I>Well, for one thing, the commercial breaks would ruin the tone and pacing.<br /><br />Considering that there hasn't been a season 3 of Be'Tipul yet, I'm curious about the possibility of having a season of In Treatment that originated in America. I don't want anyone to mess with a good thing, but I'm still curious.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-47422365185510533802009-05-20T00:12:31.356-04:002009-05-20T00:12:31.356-04:00I don't want to repeat what has already been said,...I don't want to repeat what has already been said, but John Mahoney was really amazing this week. I think if he can get in the same category as Glynn Turman did, he can get the Emmy. <br /><br />Everyone really is amazing in this show and while I always liked Gabriel Byrne, I am just so glad that he decided to do this show so that I can watch how excellent he is in every episode. <br /><br />Why can't something like this air 5 nights a week on a network, as opposed to 5 nights of Leno?Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11317568565085893849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-8853394521110593222009-05-19T19:22:09.904-04:002009-05-19T19:22:09.904-04:00I don't agree at all with the April - Worse catego...I don't agree at all with the April - Worse categorization. <br /><br />Yeah, maybe she's mentally at a worse place but at least she's out of her denial. If she had not seen Paul she would have been dead by now. <br /><br />Mia and Walter are obviously making breakthroughs. And Oliver? <br /><br />What the fuck can Paul do, really?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-43499958208972895132009-05-19T16:20:00.000-04:002009-05-19T16:20:00.000-04:00I was really happy Paul let Bess and Luke have it....<I>I was really happy Paul let Bess and Luke have it. They don't listen to Oliver at all,</I>Paul has a problem by crossing the doctor/patient boundary so often, but as with the time he took April to chemo, I didn't mind when crossed the border and unloaded on Bess and Luke. They both need to grow up.<br /><br />I noticed the wave machine came back into play in Oliver's session. Little did the poor kid know when he was playing with the tossing waves that he would soon be sailing stormy seas because of his selfish parents. <br /><br />And to echo others, John Mahoney was brilliant, as was Dianne Wiest and of course, Gabriel Byrne. I wonder how much therapy Gina needs after putting up with Paul's petulance each week?deznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2707320727859336562009-05-19T15:53:00.000-04:002009-05-19T15:53:00.000-04:00This is the second time in a row I had to pause th...This is the second time in a row I had to pause the video player and leave the room to breath a little (last week during April's session this week during Oliver's).<br /><br />I have never reacted like this watching drama tv. Or cinema. Never.<br /><br />And I thought last year's In Treatment was extraordinary tv.<br /><br />I really dunno what else to say, I just hope there will br more seasons, even if I am not surethis kind of quality can be achieved again.<br /><br />They should create a special OSCAR category for the whole cast..The Bgthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07745110872360429848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-55803339495225513302009-05-19T15:26:00.000-04:002009-05-19T15:26:00.000-04:00Wow times 5! For the episodes themselves and also ...Wow times 5! For the episodes themselves and also for your great synopses, Alan.<br />It is not surprising that the penultimate week would be filled with angst and more angst. What is surprising is that all this angst led to such incredible story-telling and acting. These patients are nowhere near ready to fly on their own, and yet soon those stories will be told and the season will be done. I think you are right about the nature of Season 2: no pretty bows, no funeral wreaths, no sighs of relief. Last year, I argued that Gabriel Byrne should return to In Treatment because the series had left us all hanging; well, that goes DOUBLE for this year (I should wait for the last week, I know, but I feel it in my bones).<br />The mirroring these patients have provided for the character of Paul has been so well written and so well designed. I feel the writers more than I did last year and I like that.<br />Thanks, Alan, for your observations and your analysis and especially for your insights about the behind-the-scenes work, with Warren Leight etc. That is really invaluable!<br />Can't wait for next week and the end. I don't want next week to come and I hate the idea of IT Season 2 ending. Uh oh. I think I am in conflict. ;-)<br />One last thing: Gabriel Byrne and Dianne Wiest rock BIG TIME!!!<br />PS. I posted this over at the nj.com version of this article, too.Stellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10112192620531833304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-6695113280082233692009-05-19T15:01:00.000-04:002009-05-19T15:01:00.000-04:00Yikes! It's not just that they're typos -- it's th...Yikes! It's not just that they're typos -- it's that the typos are so fraught with meaning.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-63189307167624433542009-05-19T14:47:00.000-04:002009-05-19T14:47:00.000-04:00Another typo, under "Gina":
You wrote: "You come ...Another typo, under "Gina":<br /><br />You wrote: "You come in her and you spout the same old bulls--t!" -Gina"<br /><br />Perhaps you should change "her" to "here...."<br /><br />Ahem...Marjoriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13323661411548419175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-51414982250762752982009-05-19T14:20:00.000-04:002009-05-19T14:20:00.000-04:00I'm with you all - Wow. This was an incredibl...I'm with you all - Wow. This was an incredible week. Each half hour left me wiped out and exhilarated at the same time. Amazing, incredible stories. Even my least-favorite session (Oliver) had me riveted. <br /><br />Anon 1:04AM, I have to disagree on some of your "better/worse" assessments. I think Oliver and April fall into the worse category. Oliver's situation has definitely gotten worse, and April hasn't learned at all that she can lean on the people who love her, she's just turned to Paul instead. But I think both Mia and Walter have made breakthroughs that can really help them towards getting better. Mia is starting to see her family situation in a whole new light - and it's pretty clear that her relationships with both parents are partially responsible for the issues she has today - and Walter is starting to see how much he's kept inside his whole life, from when he had to grow up incredibly fast at age 6. Maybe seeing these things will let both of them move on and find some happiness.<br /><br />This is an incredible show. I didn't watch season 1 and now and then I regret that (when the Alex storyline comes up, mostly), but I don't feel I'm missing anything.<br /><br />Thanks, Alan, for the interview with Warren Leight. It was really illuminating to see how the writers and actor work together to craft not just the character, but the movement of the plot. I also really enjoyed the article in last Sunday's NY Times Arts & Leisure section about Sarah Treem and Allison Pill and how they've grown really close and how they've worked together to create April.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02239086941985919886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-50713366416811018042009-05-19T12:50:00.000-04:002009-05-19T12:50:00.000-04:00Thanks for sharing the behind-the-scenes stuff wit...Thanks for sharing the behind-the-scenes stuff with us for the Walter story. Really interesting stuff, and I respect this show now even more than I did before.Oaktown Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00811331454878606058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35588449352027750932009-05-19T11:46:00.000-04:002009-05-19T11:46:00.000-04:00What was this, Emmy reel week or something? John ...What was this, Emmy reel week or something? John Mahoney was spectacular. So were Pill, Byrne and Weist. <br /><br />A couple random thoughts about the plot:<br /><br />I was so happy Paul started to challenge Mia about her father. I've been waiting for that shell to be cracked, and I was watching the "clock" with this being week 6 and all, thinking they had better get to it soon. <br /><br />I was really happy Paul let Bess and Luke have it. They don't listen to Oliver at all, and I loved how Paul expressed the depth of rage (outrage, really) that they would only brush off if it were coming from Oliver. Poor Oliver.<br /><br />Paul and Gina - Bravo. Standing O.<br /><br />I don't know if it's the acting, the writing or both, but I am really far more invested in these patients this season, which is why I'm so worried about next week being the last. <br /><br />I read an interview with Byrne at the start of the season where he said it's physically and emotionally exhausting for him to do this series. I hope there's a season 3, but if there's not, I hope we get a little bit of closure for Paul next week.LAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-59095807169904391812009-05-19T11:28:00.000-04:002009-05-19T11:28:00.000-04:00This show is a classic. I agree with all that's be...This show is a classic. I agree with all that's been said here. Every episode was written, directed and acted beautifully. This has got to be the role that defines Gabriel Byrne. I am very anxious for another season.acoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13590696345059577606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-29016415302373419862009-05-19T10:09:00.000-04:002009-05-19T10:09:00.000-04:00Ai yi yi, I need a session with Paul to get over l...Ai yi yi, I need a session with Paul to get over last night. I watched all 5 in a row On Demand. Every episode was tremendous but Oliver's episode had me apoplectic with rage. I know I'm supposed to see his parents as flawed people (as we all are) who are dealing with their own issues but all I could think of was punching them repeatedly in their respective heads. <br /><br />That scene where the two of them agree to this horrible plan and the look on Paul's face as they so quickly decided to uproot their deeply troubled and damaged child from everything he knows, so as not to inconvenience themselves, that was really difficult to watch. <br /><br />Every child's worst fear is that their parent doesn't love them or doesn't love them enough and in Oliver's case, it's true. How does a kid his age process that: yes, he's right to feel the way he does. His parents see him as a burden and really would rather not have him around. Horrifying. <br /><br />This was John Mahoney's week, I loved the scene of Paul calling him out on his bullshit and Walter's entire persona changed, he just deflated.Thanks so much for the sharing that behind the scnes insight, the moment when he grabbed Paul's leg was heart-breaking. <br /><br />I can't believe there is only one more week.kathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-44922152466535254852009-05-19T09:54:00.000-04:002009-05-19T09:54:00.000-04:00This week's episode made me appreciate Hope Davis ...This week's episode made me appreciate Hope Davis and her ability to play the small moments. Mia is probably the patient with the least to work with in terms of big breakthrough moments. At least so far.<br /><br />Makes me think Melissa George could have maybe done more with Laura.(optional)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35377832888669361832009-05-19T09:51:00.000-04:002009-05-19T09:51:00.000-04:00Great Freudian typo, Alan
Great catch, Fuzzy.
And...Great Freudian typo, Alan<br />Great catch, Fuzzy.<br /><br />And speaking of The Wire, couldn't you see the remarkable Aaron Shaw as part of the Michael/Randy/Duquan/Namond crew of Season 4? (In some alternate universe, of course.)<br /><br />Maybe there's a part for him in David Simon's new joint? <br /><br />Oh, and did any Wireheads notice that Michael Kostroff (the great, awful Maury Levy) has a recurring role on Sonny With a Chance (the Demi Lovato Hannah Montana ripoff) on Disney? Guess the bills must be paid. <br /><br />If Paul moved back to Maryland, maybe Maury Levy could come in for a few soul-cleansing sessions?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-13418067357692114112009-05-19T09:15:00.000-04:002009-05-19T09:15:00.000-04:00Um... yeah. Bad typo. Fixed.Um... yeah. Bad typo. Fixed.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-30800469098100999232009-05-19T09:07:00.000-04:002009-05-19T09:07:00.000-04:00Surely you meant to say it's ethically unkosher fo...Surely you meant to say it's <I>ethically</I> unkosher for Oliver to live with Paul?fuzzydunlopnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-25354410351321608752009-05-19T08:08:00.000-04:002009-05-19T08:08:00.000-04:00From Jan:
What a powerful week of episodes! I can...From Jan:<br /><br />What a powerful week of episodes! I can't believe next week is the last one. John Mahoney was outstanding, but every one of the actors was just terrific. And poor Oliver. All of them have such incredible facial expressions--just the littlest gesture indicates what's going on inside--even that little half smile that Paul gives Gina at the end.<br /><br />BTW--for Turtle Scholar: I noticed in the last week of episodes (didn't get around to watching it right away because of the concentration it takes) that Gina suggests that Paul is using his anger for protection--like a shell. I just thought it was worth noting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76035500314638386642009-05-19T05:39:00.000-04:002009-05-19T05:39:00.000-04:00this has easily become one of my favorite shows......this has easily become one of my favorite shows...pretty much all the actors are terrific...the writing...and especially gabriel byrne...its hard to carry a show like this<br /><br />I hope they do 10 seasons...my hbo subscription probably depends on itMike Fnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-20024661334299625962009-05-19T03:38:00.000-04:002009-05-19T03:38:00.000-04:00I can't remember another show that offered such a ...I can't remember another show that offered such a wealth of killer performances week after week. It's not just great drama, it's practically an acting clinic.SRnoreply@blogger.com