In Treatment
In Treatment is an American drama television series for HBO, produced and developed by Rodrigo Garcia, based on the Israeli series BeTipul (Hebrew: בטיפול), created by Hagai Levi, Ori Sivan and Nir Bergman.
For the Italian series, see In Treatment (Italian TV series). For other uses, see Treatment.In Treatment
- Gabriel Byrne
- Dianne Wiest
- Michelle Forbes
- Melissa George
- Blair Underwood
- Mia Wasikowska
- Embeth Davidtz
- Josh Charles
- Hope Davis
- Alison Pill
- Aaron Shaw
- Sherri Saum
- Russell Hornsby
- John Mahoney
- Irrfan Khan
- Debra Winger
- Dane DeHaan
- Amy Ryan
- Alex Wolff
- Uzo Aduba
- Anthony Ramos
- John Benjamin Hickey
- Quintessa Swindell
- Charlayne Woodard
- Liza Colón-Zayas
- Richard Marvin
- Dev Hynes (Season 4)
United States
English
4
130 (list of episodes)
- Rodrigo García
- Stephen Levinson
- Hagai Levi
- Mark Wahlberg
- Warren Leight
- Paris Barclay
- Dan Futterman
- Anya Epstein
- Noa Tishby
- Jennifer Schuur
- Joshua Allen
- Melissa Bernstein
- Julian Farino
- Los Angeles (seasons 1, 4)
- New York City (seasons 2–3)
22–30 minutes
- Leverage Management
- Closest to the Hole Productions
- Sheleg
January 28, 2008 –
June 28, 2021
The series is about a psychotherapist,[1] 50-something Paul Weston, and his weekly sessions with patients, as well as those with his own therapist at the end of the week. The program, which stars Gabriel Byrne as Paul, debuted on January 28, 2008, as a five-night-a-week series. Its executive producer and principal director was Paris Barclay, who directed 35 episodes, the most of any director on the series, and the only one to direct episodes in all three seasons. The program's format, script and opening theme are based on, and are often verbatim translations of BeTipul. HBO Canada aired the program simultaneously with HBO in the U.S.[2] Season 1 earned numerous honors, including Emmy, Golden Globe and Writers Guild awards.
The series was renewed for a second season on June 20, 2008, and production on Season 2 wrapped in early 2009.[3] According to The New York Times, production relocated to New York City from Los Angeles at the insistence of Byrne, who otherwise threatened to resign. The move and the addition of Sunday night to the schedule were considered votes of confidence in the series by HBO executives. Season 2 premiered on April 5, 2009. The second season built on the success of the first, winning a 2009 Peabody Award. The third season premiered on October 26, 2010, for a seven-week run, with four episodes per week. The 24-episode fourth season premiered on May 23, 2021, and aired four episodes weekly.[4]
In February 2022, HBO confirmed that the show would not return again.[5]
Characters[edit]
Paul Weston[edit]
Gabriel Byrne portrays Paul Weston, a charming, relentless psychologist, who is seeking a peaceful existence, free of self-doubt and ambivalence. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he earned his undergraduate degree, Columbia University, where he earned a master's degree, and The New School, where he received his PhD (though a season one scene shows two diplomas from the University of Pennsylvania displayed near the door to Paul's office). In summer 1988, he moved to Maryland, where he worked at the Washington–Baltimore Psychoanalytic Institute and later established his private practice in Baltimore.
Gina Toll[edit]
Dianne Wiest portrays psychotherapist Gina Toll, Paul's former mentor and clinical supervisor whom Paul avoided for nine years after an argument over reservations Gina expressed in a letter of recommendation on Paul's behalf. She acts as a sounding board for Paul's doubts about his motives and abilities.
Critical response[edit]
The series was generally well-received, attaining positive reviews. On the review aggregator website Metacritic, the first season scored 70/100,[22] the second 85/100,[23] the third 83/100,[24] and the fourth 72/100.[25]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 78% approval rating with an average score of 6.1/10 based on 36 reviews; the critical consensus reads, "In Treatment has finely-written scripts that develop with raw emotion while unspooling engrossing suspense."[26] The second season has a 100% approval rating with an average score of 8.9/10 based on 19 reviews; the critical consensus reads, "In Treatment continues to hone in on its characters in the second season, allowing the cast to find more nuances in their performances."[27] The third season has an 87% approval rating with an average score of 8.6/10 based on 23 reviews; the critical consensus reads, "In Treatment offers some of the tightest dramatic writing and purest performances on television."[28] The fourth season has a 96% approval rating with an average score of 7.5/10 based on 25 reviews; the critical consensus reads, "In Treatment returns with a solid fourth season that captures the spirit of the original while giving its new ensemble—led by an outstanding Uzo Aduba—plenty of room to shine.[29]
The Los Angeles Times's Mary McNamara called In Treatment "cleverly conceived," well-written and -acted, but "stagey" and "strain[ing]... believability".[30] Variety's Brian Lowry deemed it "more interesting structurally than in its execution".[31] On Slate, Troy Patterson found it tiresome for its "nattering" and "ambitious hogwash".[32] In Entertainment Weekly, Ken Tucker gave it a "B+", with "lots of great soapy intrigue".[33] The New York Times wrote, "In Treatment [...] is hypnotic, mostly because it withholds information as intelligently as it reveals it. [...] The half-hour episodes are addictive, and few viewers are likely to be satisfied with just one session at a time. [...] In Treatment provides an irresistible peek at the psychopathology of everyday life—on someone else's tab."[34]