HBO’s award-winning drama In Treatment recently opened its sophomore season a couple of weeks ago, and garnered positive reviews despite the initial dismissal of its first run.  It could be because of some changes in the series, such as taking on a new array of cast members and moving the doc’s office to Brooklyn.  Of course, there’s also the transformation that the protagonist, Dr. Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne), is undergoing. 

“I think you'll see the therapist more on his game,” said Warren Leight, who took over as show runner from executive producer Rodrigo Garcia.  “You want to see a detective solve crimes, and you want to see a therapist help people.  Last year, he was so mired with his divorce and romance with Laura that it spilled over.  I think he's in the process of becoming a more evolved human being.”

Relocating to another place, the newly-divorced Weston also has to deal with a new bunch of patients who are equally neurotic.  First off, there’s his former patient Mia (Hope Davis), a malpractice lawyer helping Paul out with his case.  However, she harbors feelings of resentment towards him, blaming the doctor for her childlessness and relationship problems. 

On Tuesdays, Weston meets the architecture student April (Alison Pill), who refuses to divulge her life-threatening illness to her friends and family.  Next up is the shy Oliver (Aaron Shaw), an overweight and bullied boy trying to overcome the pressures of his parents’ divorce.  His mother Bess (Sherri Saum) is too protective of him, while his father Luke (Russell Hornsby) isn’t doing his share of the work.  There’s also the successful CEO Walter (John Mahoney), who’s having trouble sleeping due to problems he refuses to acknowledge. 

Joining the group is Gina (Dianne Wiest), who serves as Paul’s own supervisor and therapist.  And the therapist will surely need all the help he can get, when he finds himself facing Alex Sr. (Glynn Turman).  He files a malpractice suit against the doctor for the death of his son, Weston’s former patient Alex (Blair Underwood in season 1).

There seems to be a renewed hope surrounding the second season of In Treatment.  Don’t forget to catch it on HBO, every Sunday and Monday at 9pm. 


-Maria Gonzalez, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: HBO, The Los Angeles Times
(Image Courtesy of HBO)