As my roommate so eloquently puts it, I think therapy is “for pussies.” Well, if going to therapy is anything like watching others go through it, I have been sorely mistaken. HBO’s new nightly series, In Treatment, follows one therapist’s weekly sessions with four patients and one with his own doctor. It kicks off this week, and the first installments are a tad… grueling. The people who come into Paul’s office are so very seriously screwed up, it’s hard enough watching them spill the beans. Being the professional responsible for their progress and welfare is almost unthinkable. Since we’re really talking about five separate shows with one tying them all together each week, it’s probably best to discuss them as such. Here goes…

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.