In Treatment‘s greatest success was the subtle manner in which they shifted the attention from Paul‘s patients to Paul himself. Clearly he was the star, but the first week or so offered just a few glimpses of his own character. By the end, I was just looking at everyone else through his eyes and how it all related to his own crumbling life. The first season didn’t really do much to clear up any of the debris, and Friday’s finale ended on an almost sickeningly ambiguous note. Not that I really mind or expected anything more. The only loose thread that really upsets me is his relationship with his wife. As for his patients and his own therapist, their stories tied together quite nicely – even though most of them were razor blades next to the bathtub depressing.

Laura grew on me, mostly just because I fell in love with Melissa George’s speaking voice. At first I sort of looked at her as a manipulative hussy, but when Paul started pursuing her after she left therapy, I realized how protective I’d become of her. She figured out more about herself than anyone else in the series, and she deserves a lot better than to be with a man several decades her senior who’d always have some sort of unethical thrall over her. Hopefully she’ll get that now that he put the kibosh on it.

Alex died. He sure was a creep, but that may not have been entirely his fault. Also: he was totally gay right?

Sophie seemed to mature unrealistically fast for someone of her age, unfortunate circumstances and fragile mental state. My interest in actress Mia Wasikowska waxed and waned over the course of the series, but that has a lot to do with my inability to ever fully embrace child actors. It’s always hard to tell if they’re playing angst well or if they’re just annoying. The unusual bond she formed with Paul by their final session was one of the few heartwarming moments the dark series afforded, so I’ll thank her for that.

Jake and Amy decided to divorce. This breaks my heart because they were both so messed up, being together seemed like the only way they wouldn’t end up alone. Amy’s hysterics in week six and Jake’s emotional collapse in week seven were my favorite scenes of the entire series. Leaving them in such a broken state, as individuals and as a couple, was probably inevitable, but it still hurts.

Gina got less important as the weeks passed and they weren’t as strict in keeping to the real-time sessions. Her relationship with Paul wasn’t as developed as it really could have been, and insights into her past were just whack-you-over-the-head allusions to Paul’s situation. Also, in reference to her own crush on a patient, I will have nightmares of Dianne Wiest saying “I wanted to eat him up!” for many years to come.

Watching In Treatment certainly was an experience – one I don’t think should necessarily be repeated in a second season but one that I appreciated and kind of changed the way I think of storytelling.

Monday
Laura (Melissa George) is a mess of a girl. She forms unhealthy attachments and talks in frustrating circles (something shared by many of Paul’s patients). She’s been seeing Paul for over a year and reveals to him the first episode that she’s been in love with him the entire time. This is after she recounts a particularly lurid night the bathroom of a bar. While describing her sexual shenanigans, she pauses to ask if he’s disgusted. Of course he’s not – at least not outwardly. Well, I am. Laura’s sad display makes me physically uncomfortable, and my penchant for grimaces reminds me of why I never thought of pursuing psychology. I’m tempted to rule out this night, but the fact that her issues look to be one of the biggest reasons Paul is seeking council for himself means I may see it through.

Tuesday
The interesting thing about Alex (Blair Underwood) is that he isn’t someone you would expect to see in therapy. He doesn’t fit the bill as well as his costars. A cocky Navy pilot with an unconscious death wish, Alex might also be a latent homosexual. In his first sessions he nonchalantly talks about how he accidentally killed 16 children in a bombing like an affected frat boy would write off a night of drunken misconduct. This is the only chapter I am tempted to write-off immediately. Blair Underwood has a recurring role in several million TV series right now, so forgive me if it’s hard to muster sympathy.

Wednesday
It must be rough to be the only unrecognizable player in an ensemble like this, but Mia Wasikowska holds her own as Sophie, the gymnast who has to seek therapy as part of a lawsuit brought on by a car accident. What Paul must decide is whether or not Sophie’s accident was actually a suicide attempt. In the first session, he also uncovers a potentially pedophilic relationship with her coach.

Thursday
This is what I’m here for, folks. Embeth Davidtz and Josh Charles are two of my favorite actors in this whole wide world, and seeing them as a combative couple pleases me to no end. After five years of trying to have a baby, Amy and Jake finally find themselves pregnant with their second child – only to question whether or not they should actually have it. The absolute highlight of the week comes when Amy gives a speech about how she doesn’t love the child inside her and doesn’t know what she’s capable of doing to it if she carries it to term. She pauses and reveals that she is just kidding. It’s fantastically chilling. Amy is a liar and Jake is an ass. They remind me a lot of Brenda and Nate from Six Feet Under. Whether I stay on board for any other nights is really up in the air, but I will be here for each of the nine sessions with Amy and Jake.

Friday
With such a colorful roster of clients and a wife wearing him even thinner, it’s no wonder that Paul (Gabriel Byrne) has to solicit help for himself. On Friday he begins regular meetings with his former therapist Gina (Dianne Wiest). Paul stopped meeting with Gina almost a decade earlier over some disagreement that is not yet clear. Their meetings mix a happy reunion, with the opening of old wounds and our only real look into Paul’s mind. It’s the most interesting night of the week, if only for its ability to tie the rest of the show together into one cohesive story.

In Treatment is something entirely new (unless you’re from Israel). It’s less like television than it is a series of one act plays. Not that I don’t appreciate the thoughtful editing, but for all intents and purposes, these installments are essentially one-shot, real time glimpses into the seriously sordid lives of well-spoken others. It’s not pretty and it certainly isn’t easily digestible, but In Treatment is the kind of thoughtful, exciting television you expect from HBO. The uncanny timing also makes it the strike-starved watcher’s dream come true.