Everyone has something to say about the last episodes. And some have something to say about the entire series, what Irrfan Khan and Dane DeHaan will be doing now that they have foregone therapy, and even the future. For instance:

Sound on Sight

A total formal break from most dramatic television, In Treatment is one of the purest pleasures around, a no-frills showcase for great performances with no distraction from support casts, multiple locations or format divergences – just two or three actors at a time, sinking their teeth into some of the best writing in the medium. As ever, Gabriel Byrne anchors it all as Paul Weston, the psychoanalyst with a litany of his own, ever-present issues complicating his work. This season boasted excellent turns from the likes of Debra Winger and Amy Ryan, the latter of whom is rumored to take over for Byrne should the show get a fourth season. Regardless of whether or not it continues, In Treatment has proven to be one of the most consistently high-minded and engaging dramas anywhere.

Alan Sepinwall did a great job recapping In Treatment this year, as always, but his enthusiasm for the proceedings seems to have waned a bit. Still, this review of the final four episodes offers a lot and his final words coincide with what many of us are thinking:

If the show comes back, I’ll happily tune in for the great moments, for the new actors (and maybe the return of Debra Winger and Amy Ryan), etc. But there’s a part of me that feels like that final shot of Paul disappearing into a sea of people on a busy Brooklyn street is the place where we should stop. Paul has decided that the solution to his life can’t be found in a therapist’s office. Whether he’s right about that or not, I don’t know, but I’ve gotten attached to the sad bastard, and I’d like to think he’ll find something that makes him happier and more fulfilled, rather than just returning to that office again. He could be a damn good therapist at times, but he wasn’t doing very well at healing himself.

Ellen Gray believes spoilers are a bad thing. Sort of. But she thinks HBO going off on its own as a solo channel is just dandy. [This article is no longer available on the Internet]:

So in deference to anyone else who watches and might be a little behind on “In Treatment, which stars Gabriel Byrne as a therapist named Paul Weston, I’ll refrain from talking in too much depth about the part in which Paul’s own therapist, Adele (Amy Ryan), is abducted by aliens.

Except to say it was a really cool moment.

Jesse decides one dad is enough at The Backlot [This article is no longer available on the Internet]:

In the end, though, Jesse pushes Paul away as well. Just like in real life, the patients on In Treatment don’t always conclude the season with their problems all neatly fixed. Sadly, under the advisement of his father, Jesse ends up leaving therapy with most of his issues unresolved.

Paul expresses concern that Jesse will end up burying the issues that they’ve been working to unearth. We get the sense that Jesse is trapped in a vicious cycle, searching for a sense of home and self only to sabotage his relationships with the people around him. Not exactly a satisfying resolution, but if you’re looking for happy endings, you’re probably watching the wrong show.

Listen, Jesse. I get it. I really do.

Maureen Ryan: Best TV of 2010 (but In Treatment does not quite make it to the top 10) [This article is no longer available on the Internet]

Time Magazine: James Poniewozik at Tuned In Blog

Paul ends therapy and considers ending his career. Whether he actually does the latter, of course, probably depends mainly on whether HBO picks up a fourth season of the show. If not, though, it would make sense to end the series on Paul’s recognition that his style of therapy may have been effective—if not always—but at too high a cost for him to sustain.

And what a gorgeously shot final scene, courtesy of director Paris Barclay, to end on: Paul melting into a crowd of pedestrians in Brooklyn, no longer a patient, maybe no longer a therapist. Just one more guy, alone with his problems.

Paul, free at last. In Brooklyn. Or is this Gabriel Byrne in “Stories From Home”?

The AV Club, one of the best “recappers” of In Treatment, analyzes the last episodes: Sunil and Frances, Week 7 and Jesse and Adele, Week 7

The Big Telephoria Recap : “Paul Weston is one of the most complex characters currently on television, and Gabriel Byrne has essentially given three season’s worth of master classes on the art of listening to his troubled patients.” Oh yes.

David Zurawik, who writes “Z on TV” for the Baltimore Sun, experiences separation anxiety as In Treatment comes to a close. [His article is no longer available on the Internet] We agree, Z! It is tough to say goodbye.

EDGE New York loves the Jesse story line [This article is no longer available on the Internet]:

In the ’Jesse’ story, the primary issue is surprisingly not anything having to do with issues of sexuality but with Jesse’s identity in terms of his finding out who his adoptive parents are and, in doing so, who he truly is…What has transpired has been some of the best television on the drama landscape.

Juliet Waters says goodbye to her favorite character in In Treatment and to Frances, too, and then ties up her wonderful series of recaps with a farewell to Jesse and Paul. Especially Paul:

But a professional sabbatical probably won’t kill Paul.  He needs to spend some time out in the real world hanging out with people instead of trying to shrink them, making real friends instead of trying to turn his patients into friends. Brooklyn, in a certain sense, seems to be Paul’s Calcutta. It’s a place, he tells Jesse, where he can be alone without feeling too lonely. As Paul walks out into the crowded street there is always the hope that this may be a place where he can free himself from his loneliness and not just another place to avoid it.

The ArtsBeat blog at the New York Times tells us what the future has in store for Irrfan Khan. [This article is no longer available on the Internet]

ShrinkWrapped: In Treatment

Deadline.com : Dane DeHaan’s therapy takes a tragic turn (unless you find vampires interesting in a psychological way!) [This article is no longer available on the Internet]

Irrfan confirms role in next Spiderman : Paul had some tough cases this year, didn’t he?

Berta at Couchslobs picks her three favorite shows of the season. Her comments about Paul are right on! [This blog posting is no longer available].

Also I’ve read in some places how Byrne’s character Paul Weston is described as McDreamy. Bishes – please! Yes Gabriel Byrne is a very handsome man (I’ve always been particularly fond of the Irish so I might be biased). And he happens to play a doctor. But any and all similarities end there. Paul Weston is a far, far, FAR more complex character then any we have ever seen on Grey’s Anatomy. Even back in the day when it didn’t suck. Why this need to dumb it down and hype it up to get people to watch? It is good, it will stand on it’s own and hopefully we will get another season.

Absolutely! So, let’s say Hail and Farewell to Season Three of In Treatment and offer a toast to the possibility of Season Four!

Many thanks to Sara and Aragarna for these screencaps!

13 Comments

  1. I really loved all the screencaps and I’d like to thank to Sara and Aragarna, cause without them I’d loose many parts of the show and news about it too.
    So, I’d love if HBO CHANNEL sees that In Treatment is the best series in Tv in the last decades not only in USA but in the world! Because it’s well done and well played of course, by Mr Byrne, or someone has doubts about it? I don’t think so!
    I hope in 2011 we are blessed with a fourth season.
    (From Brazil)

  2. Love the series to death, we hope they make it4

  3. HBO Romania has made a copy of season 1 with romanian actors. What I hate most about it is they’ve entitled it “adrift” which is an extremely bad choice as it gives the whole thing a negative slant and somewhat selfdefeating, quite the contrary of the original title “in treatment”. I won’t comment on the acting, directing and filming/ lighting! here, but I do wish to say that we loved the “new” US season 3 and desperately hope to have season 4, quite addicted as it seems! Beats me why HBO did this move here, instead of airing the original shows.

  4. I hope that saying goodbye to In Treatment 3 means welcome to In Treatment 4. I really want to see what happens with Paul Weston now, and I hope he can have some few patients, 3 or 4, just enough to make a new tv series for us.
    And if there will be no more In Treatment I hope HBO gives Gabriel an other tv series where he can have the main role/leading man role.

  5. WIndhover

    I’m not sure how long the review of 2010 TV highlights by Dorothy Rabinowitz in the Dec 24 Wall Street Journal will be available online…

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703581204576033502327051960.html

    …so I’ll just quote the relevant(!) part:

    “Elsewhere sterling skills from seasons past shone as clearly, even at times more brightly, this year, and nowhere more obviously than on HBO. The latest season of its remarkable “In Treatment” series (which first appeared in 2008), about a therapist and his patients, sustained a level of suspense and raw emotion altogether improbable for a show built on quiet conversation in the unyielding setting of a consulting room. This year saw the series achieve an edge-of-the-seat drama beyond anything it had before—that’s no small tribute. It’s done so thanks to the performance of Irrfan Khan as new patient Sunil; to Gabriel Byrne’s rich, frequently unnerving command of the character of Paul Weston, the therapist; and to Amy Ryan in the role of Adele, the therapist’s own psychological counselor, with whom he falls hopelessly, inevitably and altogether reasonably in love—now there’s a tale of forbidden passion we could have stood a whole lot more of.”

    From my fevered brain to your pen/keyboard, Dorothy!

    By the way, if you can access the link, check out the Video tab, wherein Dorothy gives a shout-out to IT (even though the caption inexplicably says “Gabriel Burn”. Or is that a Freudian slip?)

  6. …Well, this is admittedly a lot of information to absorb at once, but being a Byrneholic myself I would like to express my ideas about this news…
    Of course we hope that Gabriel will return as the DEEP, enigmatic Dr. Paul Weston in future endeavors; but, if he doesn’t, for whatever reason, we will certainly be watching and waiting to see what he pulls out of the magic hat next, won’t we?? I have seen bits and pieces of ‘In Treatment 3’; all of the actors involved are excellent at their craft, and no matter what may happen with the series in particular I wish long successes for all of them – they definitely deserve it. I was particualrly enthralled by the onscreen chemistry between Gabriel and Amy Ryan; she was a perfect pick for the role as his therapist – cool, collected and yet trying to hide a passion that conflicted with whatever her head was telling her.
    Getting back to Gabriel, though… the man is such a chimera! He is able to play a therapist, an ex-cop-turned-criminal, a tabloid reporter and even the complex Lord George Gordon Byron (who still continues to fascinate me) with as much ease as though just changing a hat. What I am trying to say, is that in the world of acting, things are CONSTANTLY changing – and the ones who wind up sticking around in the profession, and gracing our living rooms time after time as different (sometimes VERY different) characters, are the ones who not only benefit from change, but consciously seek it out and WANT IT. Any doubts as to the validity of what I am saying, ask a ‘seasoned vet ‘ like Gabriel Byrne. Because surely, he’s got so many stories about so many different experiences he’s had in the business (wild limo rides notwithstanding!) that he understands the very basic principle,that change is often good for an actor.
    I love Dr. Paul Weston – but no less that I love Lord Byron. We all have a dear character from him, do we not…?
    ;)

  7. I just got an e-mail from a friend thanking me for that I mentioned In
    Treatment for her last year. She had bought the IT1 DVD last year and had not looked at it before now, but now she was so glad that she had seen IT1 and that it is so much to learn from it.
    I hope that so many people as possible will discover In Treatment. Personally I hope for IT 4 and there is still a little hope for that, I think.

  8. I feel devastated.I don`t know how to live without Dr.Weston and, of course Mr.Byrne!He really changed my life,I wanted to write before but I could not encourage myself.Because of I.T, I started to read more in english,I tried to see all his movies,(sometimes without translation),research all about his life. Also, I read Pictures in my head..what a wonderful writer he is!!Well, he is intelligent, well read,compasive, benefactor and seems to be so deep and besides handsome !!! Too much !And now what ? No I.T, no GB! It`s really sad. Thanks Stella for all you do, I feel connected to you and the others .Best wishes for all from Buenos Aires

    • Susy, while In Treatment may be over, Mr. Byrne is turning up all over the place! He is presiding over galas, doing readings, and curating a film festival in New York–all happening in April and May! He has a film coming out sometime soon and his activities as Cultural Ambassador are obviously going to keep him in the public eye. So, we are losing a therapist but keeping a great actor and a wonderful statesman. Thanks for visiting Byrneholics and remember to come here anytime you need to see Mr. Byrne’s shining face–he will be here! :-)

  9. Well ,Stella, you are right. He`s in the public eye,he`s showing himself, he`s more than Paul Weston,really a gifted actor and a sensitive human being !! By the way,I visit Byrneholics every day because I need to look at his beautiful and dangerous smile. It`s more difficult for me to write because english is not my first language but I understand all ! Thank you again for your brilliant job and I hope Mr.Byrne will be here for ever.

    • Thanks, Susy! Glad you are enjoying the website. We certainly plan to keep Mr. Byrne right here for a long, long time. His beautiful and dangerous smile needs to be available on the web for all to experience! :-)

  10. guys remember On may 12 it’s gb birthday , I can’t wait

  11. Andrea Veloso

    Dear Gabriel,
    Sometimes I catch myself thinking of your smart talk, those genius hints on every subject that only you can come up with…
    Oh dear, falling in love with you was not unjustified, you are a confident and intelligent man, you don’t feed only on newspapers like most men nowadays. Oh no!
    You have a remarkable personality, and your education clearly comes back then from the cradle. You also have a strong disposition that helps you to succeed in your undertakings. Your future life will never be a mere repetition of the past. Your creativity doesn’t rely on only things kept in memory.
    You don’t worry about keeping what you gain. You think that living the present is more important than saving for the future. You trust on what’s life has been keeping for you. You are certainly a differentiated person and I admire you for all of it.
    I believe you can make any dreams come true, ever since the day I saw your beautiful blue eyes and your sexy smile, you’ve been soothing my heart, even if you don’t recognize it, because you don’t know me… It doesn’t really matter, does it?
    My heart pulses only for you, and this simple words express my admiration and all those things that I wouldn’t have the courage to talk to you, if it would be possible a day. But if it would be, you’d better know it’s all where it should be: inside my heart.
    Happy Birthday!
    AndreaVeloso (from Brazil)

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