Talking Therapy and More

Salon : Heather says in the blog I Like To Watch:

“…the acting on this show is so incredible that it’s hard to remember that there’s any acting going on at all.”

She also (astutely, IMHO) observes that

“…In Treatment’s ambivalent take on therapy is a big part of what makes the series so engrossing. Even as the show’s writers capture the narrow, un-self-aware perspectives of each character and celebrate the work of therapy, they also underscore therapy’s shortcomings. The “healthy professional boundaries” of therapy are often exposed as unrealistic, demanding superhuman acts of self-restraint by Paul or any other therapist…”

Psychology Today : Dr. Simons (a member of the real-life faculty of the New School, Paul Weston’s alma mater) tells us all about parataxis and the writers’ insightful use of it:

“I can’t overstate my love of In Treatment… The show is masterful in terms of silence–of implied ideas, of explanations left out of the text.  It’s so logical in its silence that it can make anyone feel like an expert psychologist.”

Vulture, Devouring Culture : this blog over at New York Magazine has a running short feature on the show. “What’s the Meta, Paul?” Heh heh.

Broadcasting and Cable : apparently HBO should now be in a good mood!

Jewish Journal.com : useful background info on the original Israeli series and how it has been “translated” to the US:

“The premiere last Sunday of the second season of In Treatment on HBO marked a milestone in television history in both Israel and the United States.”

The House Next Door : Libby Hill’s great blog provides an in-depth overview of the first five episodes:

“The more things change, the more they stay the same. That seems to be what the individuals running HBO’s series In Treatment are telling us with the first batch of episodes of its sophomore season. Back in the therapist’s chair as Dr. Paul Weston is Gabriel Byrne, whose portrayal of Weston manages to make the character the best and the worst therapist of all time.”

On the Couch with Gabriel : And finally, the man himself, in an interview with Barry Egan, who always asks interesting questions and gets intriguing responses from Mr. Byrne.