In Treatment Week 1 Sophie Wednesday 4PM S01E03 (HBO)

This is a surprising show on HBO. I was really dumbfounded when I discovered that there will be 43 episodes of In Treatment. Wow, 43. These are only half hour shows, or almost half hour shows, but still. That is just incredible.

In Treatment is based on the Israeli series Betipul. Gabriel Byrne plays Paul Weston, a psychologist trying to deal with his patients while going through some personal problems. Each show focuses on a different patient. Mondays feature Laura, an anestheologist infatuated with Paul. Tuesdays feature Alex, an ex-fighter pilot traumatized by events that happened a few years ago. Wednesdays feature Sophie, a suicidal teenage gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Thursdays feature Jake and Amy, a couple in couple’s counseling. Fridays feature Gina, Paul’s own therapist and mentor that he stopped seeing 8 years ago for some reason.

I’ve always loved psychology. This show really feeds that need. The sessions are almost verbatim of what would happen in a real session. This show is about characters, not actions. It’s a very smart show and I am also very surprised that Marky Mark is the executive producer. Marky Mark has had success with Entourage so it makes sense that he decided to try out other projects.

Now don’t say it! He’ll always be Marky Mark for me. I’ll never call him by his other name. That’s how I first knew of him and his funky bunch, so that’s that!

This is a great show. I really liked it. I find that it’s best to watch it a few episodes at a time. I recommend this show.

In today’s session we meet a teenager named Sophie. She’s a gymnast who was in an accident recently. She needs Paul to write a report. The report is his opinion on whether Sophie tried to commit suicide. Sophie leads a troubled life. She’s involved with her 40 year old coach and at home with her single mother. She’s driven to try for the Olympics, but these hopes are shattered when she broke both arms.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

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Max is trying to get out of going to school. Max is Paul’s son. He puts the thermometer next to a light bulb to warm it up. Paul says that they don’t have a choice. He has to go to work and Max has to go to school. Max runs away and says that Paul never believes him.

Sophie arrives. She’s a young girl whose lawyer recommended that she come see Paul. She didn’t like the way that the social worker was talking to her. Her mother said that she should talk to him. She had an accident on her bike. She rode it and got hit by a car. They say that she flew her bike into the street on purpose. The turn of phrase reminds her of something that happened to her. She was on a motorcycle of a friend. She played with the gas and the bike started off. It rode straight into a car.

Paul wants to know more about the accident. Sophie keeps repeating that she doesn’t know what happened, she doesn’t remember anything. She’s a gymnast. She wants to qualify for the Olympics.
She wants his professional opinion on her case.

She freaks out because she thinks that he spoke to her mother. She thinks that he already knows what the report says. She is almost out of the door. Paul says that he will read the report now. He hasn’t read it before.

He starts to read. Sophie keeps interrupting him. According to the report, she could have died. Sophie knows that Paul has a daughter. She used to go to school with her. He knows her mother. He sat on the PTA. According to the report, the social worker was trying to prove that the accident was her fault. It was good that she refused to answer questions. They start talking about death. It’s making Sophie uncomfortable and she tries to distract Paul. She asks for water.

Paul wonders why Sophie got so angry when she thought her mother called. She wants him to tell her that she is alright and not suicidal. That is the test that she is afraid of failing.

She says that her father who has always been there for her. Even though he doesn’t live with her anymore. He is the only one who loves for her, except Sy. He is her coach. She babysits for her coach as well.
Paul says that they should both assess what has been written in that report. She says that she will try.

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Relevant Posts

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