In Treatment Needs Some Treatment

The human brain is an amazing device. It is capable of having more ideas then atoms in the universe. It can also store countless memories and shuffle through them in a matter of seconds. This organ contains many mysteries to human behavior grouped into a large genre of the study of psychology. Given the widespread interest of the study of human behavior, HBO came up with a new series “In Treatment” which delves into the world of a psychologist.

For five nights a week in blocks of 30 minutes, “In Treatment” gives the viewer a glimpse of a therapy session in real time. During the first four nights, the psychoanalyst Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne) treats a patient a night. The remaining night of the week, Weston goes to his own psychologist Gina (Dianne Wiest) for his problems and issues with his patients.

With impressively experienced cast members and an innovative premise, “In Treatment” falls short of the stunner it could be. The show opens with the name of the patient, the day, and the time of the session. This is the only information that the viewer receives before listening to 30 minutes straight of a therapy session, starting with the patient giving a dull 10 minutes monologue. The action is all woven into the words; there is little movement, hardly any sound, and no music. It’s difficult to compare to the other series on air with therapy sessions, because this is the only series which focuses on the psychologist life, with no other plot line or drama outside his home or his home office.

To offset this fact, the show attempts to be captivating by revealing information at a snails pace. Unfortunately, this method is not effective because the viewers aren’t previously engaged by the plotline. Even with the “near-death experiences, suspected infidelities and sexual dilemmas” as HBO.com advertises, each episode is surprisingly boring. To keep the audience entertained during these sessions, are bits of suspenseful tidbits about the characters. Only these tidbits are more confusing and frustrating then exciting. Imagine the hit television series “Lost” without the action or the dramatic music. If it was possible to get emotionally invested in Westin’s character, the viewer would most likely tune in for the next chapter of his story. Only it’s all just too easy to drowned out the calm mellow voices and contemplate personal psychological issues.

The show should have introduced the character in some way before allowing the audience to sit in on the therapy session. Perhaps by Weston writing information in his chart, or a narrator discussing a case study the patients problems can be made clearer. This way, the audience can understand the small hidden meanings behind the patient’s words and understand fully why they say the things they do. For one who is educated in the intricacies of psychology, maybe this would have been redundant, but for the general public, necessary.

The actors, however, did have reasonable performances where each patient behaves exactly as would be expected of them. Unfortunately, the dullness of the show overshadows what would be a best actor/actress nomination. Also, the script makes it all too easy for the patients to reveal their problems. The show is more of a treatment to overcome boredom, then the treat it almost is. It would be amazing if the viewer leaves the show with their sanity intact.