In Treatment Week 3 Sophie Wednesday 4PM S01E13 (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, Sophie finally admits what happened between her and Sy. The situation is complicated because Darlene, Sy’s wife, is back from Wisconsin. Sophie has been Sy’s “wife” ever since. She’s been taking care of his child and cooking/cleaning. Once Darlene came back, it’s like Sophie has lost all of her bearings.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

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Sophie arrives for therapy in a neck brace. She says that it isn’t serious. She slept on the couch because her cousin is in town. The next day, she couldn’t move her neck. She went to the doctor and he put on a neck brace. Sophie says that she found something for him. It’s a miniature cat boat. She says a going away present since today is their last session. Paul said that it would take at least 3 sessions. That doesn’t mean that today’s is their session.

Sophie wants to try out Paul’s chair. She does a mock therapy of Paul. Sophie asks how would a person like her start therapy. Paul asks her about the boat. She said that she got it years ago on a family vacation in NYC. After the vacation, her parents tell her that they are getting a divorce. Her father went back to NYC with his new wife. She stayed with her mother, who is totally depressed.

She says that it might have been possible for her to live with her dad, but his new wife Natasha wouldn’t let him. Sophie says that they didn’t last. She says that she doesn’t remember a time that she didn’t know Sy.

Sophie blames herself for everything that happens around her. Sophie talks about Sy like she is involved with him. She says that Sy wouldn’t have sex with her even when Darlene left for six months. Sy said that this is a line that they could not cross. They had been sleeping in the same bed.

The night before Darlene came back, she had sex with Sy. She said it felt like nothing at all. She says that it was like watching it happen. That same day, they had a big fight during practice. She fell off a beam. Sy came over and screamed at her. Tears are streaming down her face. That night she slept on the couch. Sy told her that night that they had to stop. They almost had sex again that night, but Sy didn’t want to.

A few weeks later, Darlene wanted to talk to her. Darlene said that Dana had become too attached to Sophie and that she shouldn’t come over anymore. Sophie knew that Darlene was lying.

Paul says that Darlene is wrong. Dana will never forget her. Grownups forget. The night that Darlene came back, Sophie had her accident.

Sophie goes into the bathroom. She looks herself in the mirror. Paul hears the mirror breaking. She broke a picture frame. Sophie wants to know what Paul thinks. He tells her that she couldn’t have premeditated the accident. That is what he would write in the report.

He tries to explain the difference between wilfully wanting to hurt herself or just being distracted by her emotional state. He finally gets through to her.

Paul asks her if there is anywhere that she is happy. She says that she is happy on the beam. Dive, dive and swish. It’s a song that she sings to herself on the beam. Paul says that she can’t live on the beam. She’ll have to come down eventually.

Sophie leaves. Paul calls Sophie’s mom. He wants to discuss her return to training and the gym.

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