Cool News
Are The Critics Crazy About HBO’s New Five-Days-A-Week Drama IN TREATMENT??
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
A nightly half-hour drama from screenwriter-director Rodrigo Garcia (“Nine Lives,” “Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her”), adapted from a hit Israeli series, “In Treatment” depicts the professional life of a psychotherapist working out of his home office.
On Mondays, Dr. Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne) sees Laura (Melissa George), who is growing restless with her boyfriend and hot for doctor.
On Tuesdays, he sees Alex (Blair Underwood), a military man traumatized by a recent deployment.
On Wednesdays, he sees Sophie (Mia Wasikowska), a teen gymnast suspected of being self-destructive.
On Thursdays, he sees Jake (Josh Charles) and Amy (Embeth Davidtz), a couple contemplating an abortion.
On Fridays, Paul sees his own therapist, Gina (Dianne Wiest).
The reviews are all over the place:
Entertainment Weekly gives it a “B-plus” and says:
… It all makes for lots of great soapy intrigue, and Byrne makes you believe he can solve everyone's problems. Except his own.
TV Guide says:
… only a glutton for punishment would consider In Treatment appointment TV. … tediously claustrophobic though sometimes searing … The acting is impeccable, but I often nodded off before Paul declares time's up. The exception is on Fridays, when the unhappy doc unloads on his own therapist (Dianne Wiest), or in any scene involving Paul's clashes with his bitter, neglected wife (the awesome Michelle Forbes). In these moments, the show can be shattering. …
USA Today gives it two stars (out of four) and says:
… the static, talky episodes themselves feel like tiny, amateurishly written, one-act plays. …
The New York Times says:
… hypnotic, mostly because it withholds information as intelligently as it reveals it. … The half-hour episodes are addictive, and few viewers are likely to be satisfied with just one session at a time. …
The Los Angeles Times says:
… Cleverly conceived, it boasts a star-studded cast (Gabriel Byrne, Dianne Wiest, Blair Underwood) who achieve, at times, theatrical transcendence. … If you've ever been in therapy, thought about going into therapy, known anyone in therapy or just really like Gabriel Byrne and/or Dianne Wiest (and I think I have covered the vast majority of Americans here), "In Treatment" is television as controlled substance -- highly addictive. … And the best part of "In Treatment" is that if, for some reason, you really can't stand one of the patients or the stories, you can just skip that night. Though I wouldn't recommend it. Even without a strike, television like this doesn't come along every day.
The Chicago Tribune says:
… if you like shrink-oriented, smartly written TV, "In Treatment" (Monday-Friday, 8:30 p.m., HBO) just might get you through the next few weeks with your sanity intact. …
The Washington Post says:
… the talent behind the cameras is smart enough to bring it all off with plausibility. Viewers who only want to watch one or two nights a week would do well to choose Mondays and Fridays, but then Underwood's character may hold the key to Weston's own undoing on Tuesdays. … It isn't high literature nor even perhaps high television, but "In Treatment" does have a welcome, and occasionally riveting, pulpy streak, perhaps inevitable with its promise of peeks behind doors that usually remain closed. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
… The writing is forced and thin, some of the acting stagey, most of the characters unlikable and - the show-killer quality that HBO execs apparently failed to see - profoundly boring. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… not enjoyable unless you like your lead character insufferable or you like to watch mom and dad fight. … There's nothing entertaining about "In Treatment," but it's not designed to amuse. It's a character drama created to provoke thought, and for viewers seeking a challenge, "In Treatment" will be a fascinating affair. …
The Boston Herald says:
Your HMO does not cover boredom. Keep that in mind if you decide to check in … tries to be both captivating TV and a realistic depiction of therapy. It fails spectacularly at both because the two are inherently at odds. TV thrives on linear narratives, arcs, breakthroughs and climaxes; therapy is long, exhausting and just as often one step forward and two miles backward. …
The Boston Globe says:
… If you've been wondering about the art of series-TV writing, and how potent and resonant it truly can be, you need look no further than HBO's extraordinary new "In Treatment." …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… possesses bracing writing and direction … hits the ground with heavy doses of bathos, titillation and melodrama but somehow doesn't come across as gratuitous or manipulative. The opening episodes are instead uniquely engrossing, stripping out the bells and whistles to showcase dialogue that packs an oft-wrenching wallop. …
Variety says:
… Beyond the off-Broadway sensibility, the dialogue often sounds stilted, and you can feel the various writers pulling the strings. Similarly, the patients are almost uniformly too bizarre to be particularly relatable, indicating they were either unnecessarily exaggerated for effect or something was (literally) lost in translation. Only the bickering Jake and Amy approach a recognizable level of humanity, and even they succumb to their share of false-ringing notes. …
9:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. HBO.
-
+ Expand All
-
It could be good.
-
I'll check it out for sure, but a quick peak at IMDB shows something like 40 episodes of this show in Season (8 weeks, 5 days a week). That's a hell of a commitment by HBO (and a whole lot of work for Gabriel Byrne).
-
I think it will be worthy of viewing.
-
...honestly I don't know if I can be arsed to try and keep up with that, and just how many weeks is the series set to run? Anyone know? I mean I am curious about it, but might just wait until the season is over before I check it out.
-
...that hauptman has already answered my question. Thanks pal. But 40 episodes, that's a big commitment from me time wise, dunno, still very much on the fence on this one, though like I say, I am curious.
-
It's ballsy, but how can they seriously expect many viewers to come back each and every night? And if I miss a night, I'll feel like I've blown the whole thing and quit watching. So I choose to quit watching before it starts. Sad, really...
-
Byrne would say "There is no Keyser Soze!" and Kevin would retort "And like that, he's gone." Etcetera....
-
until you find out that all his patients are just one of his 5 different personalities. Yep, probably gonna happen.
-
I'm on the boring side myself, I tried watching the Israeli original and couldn't stop myself from channel surfing as far away as I could. But people seem to like it here.
-
After the Wire is done. It's bye, bye, HBO.
-
if so, wow.
-
That decides it. I'll watch it now. I have no idea why he's virtually gotten no work since Sports Nights. He's incredibly talented.
-
And one for Flight of the Conchords too!
-
Should have snapped up HUFF.
There is good Israeli tv? -
Why is there no mention of the AMC show Breaking Bad? It's quite possibly the most ingenious show since The Sopranos, whose style is mimicked quite well. If you don't know it's about a man who discovers he has cancer but instead of some religious reawakening, say, he becomes a criminal. It's immoral, edgy, hilarious and unforgettable. Bryan Cranston absolutely rules. Thank you.
-
with Melissa George.
-
So this is what I'm paying for now, is it? This and that other pos about yuppies arguing and fucking. Who watches that, anyway? God I miss the glory days of Al Swearengen and Lucius Vorenus. HBO, you'd better shape up and quick. What can redeem you now is The Dark Tower as a muti-season epic. Otherwise, I'll switch you for Showtime.
-
... hit the COAXIAL link at the top and scroll down to 01/20. I agree w/ you. Like the show.
-
I need my weekly dose of prosthetic balls-I mean...
-
(of course, he was the patient here) Verna: What're you chewin' over? // Tom Reagan: Dream I had once. I was walkin' in the woods, I don't know why. Wind came up and blew me hat off. // Verna: And you chased it, right? You ran and ran, finally caught up to it and you picked it up. But it wasn't a hat anymore and it changed into something else, something wonderful. // Tom Reagan: Nah, it stayed a hat and no, I didn't chase it. Nothing more foolish than a man chasin' his hat.
-
Brilliant.
-
the Soprano's was successful chiefly because of the therapist angle? Why else would they keep making shows in and around therapist offices?
-
Jan 28, 2008 3:14:28 PM CST
for some reason, my "on Demand" feature has eps 1,3 and 5 up
by charlie murphy
on movie central in canada. watched 1 and 3, and will watch 5 in a few minutes. the episodes are just okay, one with melissa george as a confused woman who is thinking about breaking up with her boyfriend, the other with some teenage girl who may or may not have purposely caused an accident. but even though the episodes are merely "okay", i still can't help but marvel at the fact that this is actually a daily, ongoing show... byrne is quite good in the episodes i saw. the show's on at 11:30 here, though, so there's no way i'm staying up that late to watch this live, so i'll probably only catch the odd episode on demand... but damn, 40 episodes over 8 weeks? christ, that's amazing.
-
Watch Breaking Bad on AMC. It's the best new show since...well, since Mad Men, also on AMC.
In Treatment sounds just as boring as Tell Me You Love Me. HBO has gone in the dumper. After The Wire ends in a few weeks, that's it for HBO. -
...that is, the idea of a nightly drama (I couldn't care less about other peoples 'issues'). Too bad HBO drove me off by canceling all their good stuff first. I would have checked it out. And it's too much to download a nightly ep so I guess I'll never see it.
-
Come on guys, we need to talk about LOST for a few days here before the premiere airs!! As far as this show goes, I'll stick with Tell Me..
-
I can't spend every night of the week watching a half-hour session of someone else in therapy; even if it is well-written, it's by definition bound to be boring. Yeah, HBO needs to get back on track. Saw one episode of Tell Me You Love Me and it looked like shit. The husband was pissed after his wife admitted she faked orgasms. Wow, profoundly original plot there.
-
and if you read my above post, it's mostlt just okay, and probably this will be just too much for viewers to handle. but if you're going to catch the odd episode, make it the thursday and friday episodes. friday, especially.
-
Dan from Journeyman and Gaius Baltar from Galactica. On Fridays he can see his therapist KITT.
-
...Ingmar Bergman would have made.
If it's anything like Scenes From A Marriage, it'll be fascinating for the first half and then degenerate into endless monologues and emotional breakdowns. -
Ever seen a good performance from this guy? No me neither.
-
That girl is all kinds of hot. She's been stuck in my head ever since her role on "Alias".
All in all, an interesting first episode. I'm curious to see how the other sessions will play out. How many episodes is the season going to have? -
saw the first one. Some good acting. Maybe dry in parts. But overall it has my interest. There is something to this.
-
Just saw the Blair Underwood episode. Better than Melissa George, which was not bad either. Starting to like this.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 325 total posts 322 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 106 total posts 106 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 63 total posts 60 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 74 total posts 58 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 159 total posts 51 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 47 total posts 41 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 161 total posts 34 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 488 total posts 33 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 121 total posts 23 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 70 total posts 20 posts