I missed this one back when it came out but am glad I am able to watch the three seasons available on HBO On Demand. I love Gabriel Byrne, and Diane Wiest was the best. Some reviewers did not care for Byrne's character, but I see Paul Weston as just another flawed human being like his patients which is realistic. I don't think you're supposed to like everything about him, especially since his patients' problems and tantrums bring out his worst parts. I think these negative reviewers must have some very unrealistic expectations of a therapist character.In response to those who take a dim view of psychotherapy (I do), the show does question throughout the efficacy of the "talking cure" through the prisms of Paul's perspective and the eyes of his patients. He even gets sued by Alex's father who believes Paul and his services are completely responsible for his son's death and lawyers up to prove his point and take his revenge. Paul himself seriously doubts whether he has really helped his patients and analyzes these feelings in his own therapy with Gina.Dianne Wiest is better in this series than she has ever been in her long acting career. She no longer portrays the winsome doormat that she has generally portrayed in past roles. I am glad this series gave her an opportunity to show what she's really capable of as an actress. In Treatment isn't everyone's cup of tea, I don't think. The intensity alone makes the series difficult to binge-watch in the traditional sense. I constantly have to take a break from these sessions and characters.. These characters are not people who are any more disturbed than any other "normal" people. I believe nearly everyone of us eventually comes to a point where his or her circumstances and the consequences of dysfunctional, immature behavior render us helpless and ineffective, forcing us to suffer through emotional crises and the need to mature and modify our game. Sometimes that requires the need to engage in therapy to at least weather the crises.Like therapy itself, I don't think this series is to be "enjoyed" like standard, mindless entertainment. The writing seems intended to provoke similar questions in the viewer about his own life and behavior. That's rarely an enjoyable experience. Perhaps the negative reviewers are reacting to their nest being disturbed by the troubling questions brought up by this series.

To me "In Treatment - Season 1" represents one of the best TV series I have watched in a long time. Others have commented on the quality of the acting – which I too find is exceptional if not extraordinary. Half of it is not about what the characters say or do, but just their facial expressions or body language in response to what the other person just said. A nervous glimpse at the floor, a deep sigh, fidgeting fingers, a hostile stare and often stubborn silence – it is these little things that in this setting actually fill in and complete or conversation – and since it is done so well - make this TV series oh so entertaining.What I find fascinating about "In Treatment" is what is happening when you watch it:A person tells another person things about their lives……. at first these things can sound pretty random, and the silence of Gabriel Byrne's character Paul – the psychologist - could be at times unnerving, if it was not for his facial impressions which the viewer can interpret in their own way… Moments later – while the viewer still processes his or her own theories on Paul's thoughts - the patients then react to his silence, his stares, or what they think his body language is implying, only for Paul to then often provide a more detailed explanation of his analysis later on in the session. At the end of the week, when Paul meets with his own therapist Gina, he often recounts what was said and how he actually felt at the time and what he wanted to have said or done, which again you – as the viewer - can interpret one way or the other, only to then hear Gina's thoughts and interpretation of what Paul has just told her. The viewer once more will have his or her own opinion on Gina's observations, which can be incredibly insightful even though she has to rely on second hand – and at times heavily filtered and distorted – information from Paul.The above could come across as tedious, but is in fact incredibly entertaining due to the clever scripting and nuanced acting. All the while, the - at first - random conversations reveal more and ore about the characters. Session by session, week after week, layer by layer we learn more about the patients and Paul... and Gina.There is another "device" used in the series that adds a fascinating twist to the above. I will not write what it is, as I promised "no spoilers". This opens up a whole new dimension to the characters and the analysis by Paul and the viewer and therefore adds to the enjoyment of watching."In Treatment" is not for everyone. Viewers will either love it or hate it. To test whether or not this might be for you, before watching ask yourself if your father would have enjoyed watching something along the lines what has been described above… ;-)

Read about how it was merely doctor patient conversations and stifled a yawn. About 2 minutes into the first episode and was hopelessly hooked.Doubt the portrayal is entirely realistic but don't care. It is gripping and moving. Immersive and addictive. No matter how many episodes passed, still couldn't wait to see what happened next.Have always liked Gabriel Byrne and he brings to life this flawed man trying to display an air of imperviousness. Deeply affected by his patients yet struggling to keep his distance at all times. Inevitably his reserve seeps into his personal life, alienating his family. As an actor he has to depict a wide range of emotions, all the time bound by the chair he sits in and the patient/character he speaks too. Truly a sight to behold. He is helped in no small part by the supporting cast who more than hold their own.In the age of transformers and avatar this is a master class in storytelling and drama. If you are debating seeing this, don't.Wish them well.Thank you.

Network: HBO; Genre: Drama; Content Rating: TV-MA (profanity, sexual dialog); Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4); Seasons Reviewed: Season 1 HBO's "In Treatment", based on the Israili series "BeTipul" , is undeniably one of the most daring shows on TV. Daring in the opposite of the usual since sense, because it's scope is so small. Because it is a show where all the drama exists in conversation, all the action contained in stories told to us. Because it's success or failure hangs nakedly in the skill of the writing and the performances. I am a huge supporter of a show with the kind of guts to try to pull of this level of minimalist television - if it's done well it can be a huge success.Gabriel Byrne plays Paul. He's a therapist who operates out of his home. In each episode we see a different patient's session - and we see the episode on the day of the session. In season one, Laura (Melissa George, "Alias") on Mondays, Alex (Blair Underwood) on Tuesdays, Sophie (Mia Wasikowska) on Wednesdays, Jake (Josh Charles, "Sports Night") and Amy (Embeth Davidtz) on Thursdays and then Friday in which Paul himself turns around and spills his guts to Gina (Dianne Wiest), a colleague who Paul has a bitter history with.This means you can actually choose how you want to watch "In Treatment" from the point of view of Paul (watch every day) or from the POV of a patient and just tune in on their day. Now, the show encourages you to carve out the time every day as Paul's story starts flying completely out of control and the patients drama's start bleeding into each other towards the end of the season. I never thought that watching a show in which two people sit across from each other and talk would be such an arduous undertaking Another interesting thing is that the show lasts as long as it has to, sometimes with the patient walking out on Paul and the episode clocking out at the 20 minute mark.I'm not going to pretend that there isn't a lot of cool stuff going on here. The house is well constructed, but it's cold, dry and dull inside. The characters, including Paul, are all whiny and self-absorbed almost to a point of intolerability. That's a given because they are after all in therapy, but that's all we see of them. There is very little personality, wit, sense of humor or anything that makes them seem real coming across. It's enough to make you want to strangle them - and that includes Paul who is played by Byrne in a way that is equal parts pathetic and obnoxious, self-destructive and phony. Paul is desperate to break every ethical and moral rule that binds therapist and patient. The personality exception is Blair Underwood, who is smooth and charismatic as the stubborn air force pilot who just returned from Iraq to deal with Paul's judging and supply the doctor with decent coffee.What the show does have to say is a lot about therapy. The purpose of it, the effectiveness of it, the impact on the patients and therapists. For a show like this, that is a one-man show for the dialog, the conversation has to crackle, the stories have to paint a picture. Put George Costanza or Veronica Mars or, as we saw so well, Tony Soprano in therapy and we've got an interesting time. But the writing in "In Treatment" just doesn't justify the show. The stories aren't complicated enough, and often don't feel to go anywhere. The themes are spelled out for us.At the end of the season I was left just as empty with what I'd seen. I wanted more dramatic meat to chew on than this show could offer.* * / 4