The Patient
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It has been less than one week since Sam Fortner kidnapped Alan Strauss.
And theres already a body count.
At this point, were halfway through the season, and Sams dark passenger has finally made an appearance.
Yet throughout this episode which takes place over mere hours Alan is beginning to panic.
And Sam is trying.
But despite the presence of a trained, talented therapist, hes white-knuckling the whole experience.
This is the first episode that opens on Sam and not Alan.
Sam visits his ex-wife and blasts Kenny Chesneys Get Along to shake off his stress as he drives.
Theyre just like us!
Sam arrives at Marys (Emily Davis) house, and the two have a very awkward conversation.
They briefly catch each other up, nervously clutching coffee mugs at two distant ends of the dining table.
The conversation continues, uncomfortable and stilted.
When Sam returns to the basement, divorced-dude La-Z-Boy in tow, Alan is ready to engage.
But the tactic (temporarily) works.
He swings around and looks at her, angry tears suspended in his eyes.
He actually listens to her.
Without a word, he turns and walks into his room.
Alan is grateful and dumbfounded but knows this is only a brief reprieve.
Throughout the episode, hes been gearing up for the worst.
Thinking that Elias might just make it out, hes given him a message for his own family.
But behind closed doors, Sam is at least attempting to practice what his therapist is preaching.
He contemplates a few top videos featuring stepmothers and neighbors wives before typing big tits into the search bar.
For all of Sams efforts, nothing works, and Alan is forced to play his last card.
Alan hasnt been sleeping; hes been on Elias watch.
So when Sam comes out of his bedroom, Alan is waiting for him.
He dutifully scoots off the bed and into his therapists chair.
Sit down, he says solemnly.
Alan then proceeds to drop some truth bombs on Sam.
Alan dares to counter Sams position that every one of his victims deserved to die.
They just happened to meet Sam at the wrong place and the wrong time.
So Alan switches tactics and attempts to engage Elias in the therapeutic process.
As Sam strangles the life out of his captive, director Kevin Bray chooses to really focus on Alan.
Instead, it centers on the appalling trauma Alan is experiencing by bearing witness to this event.
For his part, Carell truly makes Alans experience come alive.
The doctor has failed in his task.
He was unable to save this man and stop his patient from committing a violent crime.
Helpless and left with no other options, he uncontrollably screeches, No!
No, no, no!
and calls for Candace to intervene.
But Candace doesnt come, and Alan is left to watch this atrocity firsthand.
In shock, he seems unable to look away from whats happening mere feet in front of him.
Sam exits the scene, leaving Alan in the room with Eliass body.
Curiously, he takes three wallets out of the box and carefully lays them on his bed.
The intent behind this scene seems purposefully ambiguous.
He couldnt save Elias.
Will he be able to save himself?
Thats all the time we have for today, but Ill see you at our next session.
Alan also has a fleeting memory of Ezra joining Beth in song at temple when he was a kid.
For once, its a happy memory.
No food at all in this episode or the previous episode.
Has Sam tired of playing DoorDash with his captive?
While this week didnt play out in real time, it covered only a few harrowing hours.
Will we possibly get a real-time episode in the future?
