andreikirilenkotattoo on TV: 'In Treatment' post-mortem

Today's column offers a belated look back at the first season of "In Treatment."

In Treatment week 9 open thread

And so we head into our final three episodes of "In Treatment." No Monday or Tuesday shows this week, but we're sticking with the usual pattern of respecting the airing schedule. We can talk about Sophie tonight, Jake and Amy after tomorrow night, and the whole shebang on Friday.

In Treatment, week 8 open thread

And here things get very interesting with various patients on "In Treatment." Same rules as always: I'll do my best to remember to bump this post up every weeknight at 10, and in turn you only comment on the episodes as they air on HBO (i.e., no talking about Sophie until Wednesday night at 10).

In Treatment week 7 open tread

Okay, we seem to be in a good groove here. One post, five episodes of "In Treatment," with me struggling to remember to bump it up every night. Please honor the on-air schedule, so no posting about the Sophie episode until after Wednesday night at 10, etc.

All TV: 'Canterbury's Law' review, 'In Treatment' revisited

Today's column reviews "Canterbury's Law," about which all you really need to know is what's in that picture:

When Julianna Margulies left "ER" in 2000, turning down a $27 million contract extension, she said she was burnt-out on playing the same character and the same situations for so long, and she needed a change. And that's fair. Money isn't everything, and if you're unhappy in your current job, you have the right to do something else that pays less.

And yet, watching "Canterbury's Law" (8 p.m., Ch. 5), Margulies' first regular series since, I wonder if she would have stayed on "ER" had the producers gotten her out of those scrubs and into a miniskirt.

"Canterbury's Law" is a show that's almost entirely about Margulies' legs. That, or her shoes. Practically every scene opens with a fetishized close-up of Margulies' latest stylish pair of stilettos, then a pan up her stockings. When she complains that a co-worker is overshadowing her, he says, "Relax. You've got better legs." You know things are getting stressful for her when you see she's chosen to wear pants.

To read the full thing (including a brief plug for the final weeks of "In Treatment"), click here.

In Treatment week six thread

Forgot to post this last night. Sorry. As we've been doing the last few weeks, just a single post to discuss all five episodes of "In Treatment" that I'll try to remember to bump up every night at 10 p.m. so we can discuss each epiode. As before, please respect the broadcast schedule: no discussing Alex's episode until after it airs Tuesday night, etc.

In Treatment week five thread

So, remember what I said before I left for vacation about how you all would be caught up with "In Treatment" by the time I got back? Well, guess what show my now-addicted wife insisted we take with us on our trip to watch during the downtime? So I'm now early in week 7 (the last one I got in advance). That said, I think I remember enough of what happened in the previous episodes that I can safely weigh in with some comments without giving away where stories are going.

The one post for all five episodes idea worked fairly well last week -- at this point, I don't know anybody who's still watching the show who isn't watching all five -- so unless there are any convincing counter-arguments I'm going to do that again this time, and just bump up the posts each weeknight. As with last week, I'd ask people to honor the airing schedule, so let's only talk about Laura's session (and the ones before it) until after Alex's is done tomorrow, etc.

In Treatment, week four open thread

You're almost caught up to where I am with "In Treatment" -- I watched two or three of this week's episodes a while back -- so by the time I get done with my vacation, you may actually be ahead of me.

Only one post this week for all five episodes. I would ask that you respect the broadcast schedule, no matter how you're seeing the episodes -- i.e., don't talk about Alex until Tuesday night after 10, no talking about Sophie till Wednesday, etc. Please play nice with one another, okay?

In Treatment, week three: Paul and Gina

Talk about the week's fifth episode of "In Treatment," and how it makes you look back at the previous four.

In Treatment, week three: Jake & Amy

Jake and Amy are back for this week's "In Treatment," but once again they're not both there for the entire session. Thoughts?

In Treatment, week three: Sophie

Talk about the latest "In Treatment" visit for our young gymnast here.

In Treatment, week three: Alex

Talk about the latest episode of "In Treatment" -- kind of the second half of a two-parter with last night's show -- here.

In Treatment, week three: Laura

And I hope this episode of "In Treatment," like last week's Jake & Amy installment, has finally shown people why it's kind of essential to watch all five episodes each week. Try to imagine watching tonight's Alex episode without having seen last night's Laura show, right? Fire away with your thoughts in the comments.

In Treatment, week two: Paul and Gina

Fire away with any thoughts on the second shrink vs. shrink episode of "In Treatment."

In Treatment, week two: Jake & Amy

For the first time since "In Treatment" began, I'm going to share some of my own thoughts on an episode, and anyone who watched tonight will understand why. (And if you skipped tonight, you really need to catch up with this one, ASAP. Trust me. You don't want to see this week's Paul/Gina session without it.) Spoilers coming up just as soon as I find some club soda and table salt...

See what I mean? Both about the show really being about Paul and how watching every episode is essential? Here's an episode where the therapy session was over less than 10 minutes in, and yet it was the most riveting installment yet, and the one with the biggest development in Paul's life so far.

I can only imagine someone who's decided to only tune in for, say, Laura and Alex and then Gina putting on tomorrow night's episode and being dumbsquizzled by the major piece of news Paul's going to lay on Gina about his marriage.

And, frankly, I would say having seen last night's Sophie episode was just as essential to understanding this one as seeing this one will be to everything that follows. We can tell already that Paul is in trouble, that maybe he's not the best guy or the best therapist right now, but if we had Kate's infidelity dumped on us without those moments last night where we see her being so warm and maternal with Sophie, I can imagine it being much easier to take Paul's side. But when she lays into him about being an absentee husband and father, I'm inclined to believe her, you know? Not that it excuses cheating (you're either in a marriage or you're not), but I appreciate why she felt the need, you know? Hearing Kate describe how distant Paul's become with the kids, I have no problem thinking that he has a tighter bond with Sophie after two sessions than he does with his own teenage daughter at the moment.

Great work by Michelle Forbes and by Gabriel Byrne, who knows how to really turn on the brogue to show just how angry Paul was by this news.

As for the briefly-seen Jake and Amy, it's definitely a contrivance that she would miscarry at the exact moment she had made peace with having the baby and decided to make things work with Jake. But I also don't think all of their problems were solved. Miscarriage or no, they would have been back on Paul's couch within a few weeks.

What did everybody else think?

In Treatment, week two: Sophie

Talk about the latest gymnastic-tastic episode of "In Treatment" (and the ones before, but not after) here. Of particular interest here is the role that Paul's wife plays, and the talk about Sophie's coach.

In Treatment, week two: Alex

Talk about the latest episode of "In Treatment" (and any previous episodes, but not upcoming ones) here. One thought from me, which I had as I watched it (and therefore not colored by stuff I've seen down the road): this show takes place in real time (each week of the season is a week in Paul's life), which means Alex has been a very, very busy man over the last seven days.

In Treatment, week two: Laura

Hopefully you know the drill by now. Talk about the first episode of "In Treatment" week two (and, if you want, how it relates to the episodes from week one), but don't start talking about later episodes if you've seen them.

In Treatment, week one: Paul & Gina

And so we come to the end of week one of "In Treatment," as Paul goes to visit his therapist. Talk about this episode, and the ones before it, and also whether you intend to watch all five episodes next week.

For what it's worth, the show is more about Paul than the patients, and too much of interest happens to Paul in every episode that if you start skipping certain episodes because you don't like the patient, you're going to miss major things. (Why is Paul suddenly grouchy? Why does he seem a little too interested in this line of discussion? Etc.)

But that's just me. What did you all think?

In Treatment, week one: Jake & Amy

I imagine most of the chatter tonight's going to be about "Lost," but if you want to talk about the fourth episode of "In Treatment," do so here.