The Patient
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By all accounts, Dr. Alan Strauss is a pretty great psychiatrist.
Hes present, hes caring, and hes nonjudgmental.
But even the best therapists are only agents of change; theyre not magicians.
Alan is an observant guy, so he begins to scan the room for clues.
Someone wants him to be healthy and comfortable.
But not too comfortable.
The next thing Alan discovers is a thick shackle locked around his ankle.
As he strains against his restraints, he begins to shriek.
This illustrates that hes a therapist who practices what he preaches.
If it wasnt clear, Im already completely in love with Alan Strauss.
Perhaps thats why Sam chooses to kidnap him and not the two other Jewish therapists he met with.
When we visit with Alan in his outside life, we see hes mostly going through the motions.
He checks in with his daughter and makes sure to take care of his health.
He devotes a lot of time to eating well, flossing, and taking his meds as prescribed.
He also tries to reach out to his son by offering him a guitar his mother once owned.
We also get to peek in on sessions with a handful of Alans patients.
And then theres Gene … er, Sam, who wastes no time in his first session.
And I think it fucked me up.
In my life as a therapist, I know this move.
And this is exactly what happens with Sam.
And to be honest and truthful.
Of course, that evening is a dark and stormy one, and Sam makes the best of it.
He causes a racket on the patio to get a vulnerable Alan outside.
Gleeson delivers a few moments of laughter with his initial lines about the situation.
The thoughtful pause he takes when Sam says This isnt as bad as it seems … Its bad.
I know its bad is especially funny, and its fun to watch Carell play the straight man.
Sam lays it all out for Alan, but Alan isnt buying it.
Thats our time for today, but Ill see you at our next session.
Thats commitment, folks.
Did anyone else get Joe Goldberg (a.k.a.
the unrepentant serial killer fromYou) vibes from Sam when he was wearing a hat and glasses as Gene?
Does Netflix exist in this universe?
