In Treatment Week 2 Alex Tuesday 10AM S01E07 (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.

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 this session with the Navy fighter pilot Alex, Paul learns that Alex has been back to Iraq. It didn’t turn out the way he planned. Alex has got some marital problems as well. Alex starts to talk about his father.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

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Alex didn’t go to Baghdad. Paul offers him coffee. Paul says that he keeps the coffee for his patients. Alex asks him about his heart. Paul says that his heart is fine. Paul admits that he is glad that Alex is back. He was worried. Alex gulps when he tastes the coffee. It isn’t very good.

Paul says that he wants Paul’s advice on another matter. Alex actually went to Baghdad. He came face to face with the victims. Alex said that he felt nothing. He says that the military system did a great job on him. He went there to find out if the system had failed him. If they knew that they were targeting a school.

Alex says that he didn’t feel anything. Paul talks about his friend who passed away. Paul says that he was feeling but that he wasn’t feeling that he was feeling. Actually this is what Alex says. Paul says that he can’t acknowledge these feelings. He says that if he held onto this guilt organ, the system will cut it out of you. So he can’t feel anything. Paul asks him if this is really how it is for Alex.

Alex tells him that an old man came to see him. He had burns. Alex tells Paul that he kept repeating that he knew Alex. He knew that Alex was the man who dropped the bomb which destroyed the whole street. Alex says that his father killed his own father with his bare hands. Paul wonders if it’s too early to talk about his father. Alex tells Paul the story. His father was trying to get black workers to get hired by a factory in the fifties. The KKK came looking for him and shot his aunt and uncle. The rest of the family ran downstairs to hide from the KKK. His grandfather was very sick and wheezing. His father had to clamp his father’s mouth so that they weren’t discovered.

Alex says that he has an issue with his wife. When he came home from Iraq and it was late. The kids were sleeping. He sat for an hour and hour and half sleeping in front of the TV. He wonders why he is still with his wife after all of this time. His wife started grinding her teeth in her sleep. Paul says that it’s pretty common. It has something to do with flaws in the structure of the jaw. Alex says that it has to do with stress. She is repressed and that she takes it all out in her sleep. He says that his wife is a programmed person. Everything is scheduled. Sex, the kids and the way their life goes. He talked about her grinding the next morning. She found it sweet. She lets him have a cup of coffee a day.

It has been two months since he has flown. Alex says that Michaela is dying for him to go back to flying. Paul says that he isn’t convinced that Alex wants to go back flying. Alex has decided to leave home. He says that he isn’t in love with his wife anymore. He says that he was never in love with Michaela. He says that all he does is watch TV and sit on his ass. He hasn’t said anything to his wife.

Paul says that Alex asks him to take responsibility for his big decisions. Paul says that he is being hasty.

Alex makes a big gesture about paying Paul at the end of each session in cash.

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