In Treatment Week 2 Laura Monday 9AM S01E06 (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.

In this session, we continue to explore Laura’s obsession with Paul and her dismal personal life. She doesn’t really know what to do. Currently, she’s got a fiancée Andrew, who gave her an ultimatum last week. She’s decided to accept it since she can’t have Paul.Warning: Spoilers ahead.

* * * * *

Paul’s toilet is clogged. He has an argument with his wife Kate about it. It’s time to see Laura again. The session starts silently. Laura says that she said yes to Andrew. She is going to get married in June. She wants to invite Paul and his wife to her wedding. She decided to get married yesterday. Andrew says that for a minute he thought that he was wrong about suggesting that Laura goes into therapy.

Paul says that he’s going to have to get used to her new tone. She is talking as a couple. She is at odds with him. He tells her about the bends. He says that there is such a large gap between her low of last week and her highs of this week. He’s worried about getting the bends. She says that she is a certified diver. She tells him that she wants a happy session, not a depressive session.

Yesterday she was at Andrew’s ex and their new baby. They kept trying to invite her over. So she finally agreed to go to see them.

Laura is playful and positive. She talks about Andrew’s ex. Andrew says that Laura reminds him of her. She says that she reminds her of a wild animal that was domesticated. She says that she said yes to Andrew because Paul said no to her in her previous session. She says that it isn’t a fantasy that she is in love with Paul.

Paul asks her about the time in San Diego when her mother had died. She was 15 years old. She had said that the summer was significant to her. Her father kept calling her to come back home. Her mother was the last wall that protected her from the toxic fumes of her father. She was attracted to David. She was staying with a childless couple.

When she left, she told them that she wanted David to adopt her. She wanted him all to herself.

Paul says that maybe he is a life raft just like David was in her past. She says that there is one big difference between David and him. She wants him to f*ck her not adopt her. She says that she wants to pee. Paul says that the toilet is backed up. She wants to use the toilet in the home. Paul says that he’d prefer if she didn’t. She blows up on him.

Laura says that she knows when she turns people on. She knows that she turns Paul on. At least that is what she says. She says that she was dead before. She says that she brought him back to life. She is totally crazy. She wants to have a relationship with Paul. Paul doesn’t want to and she can’t understand. Session is over and it’s time to leave.
She asks him if he wants her. Paul says no.

* * * * *

Relevant Posts

• In Treatment S01E01
• In Treatment S01E02
• In Treatment S01E03
• In Treatment S01E04
• In Treatment S01E05