Early on in the superb second season of HBO's In Treatment, Dr. Paul Weston (Golden Globe–winner Gabriel Byrne) tells one of his four new patients, “Eventually change happens, but it does take time.” In this case, that's time well spent in the company of Byrne and an exemplary ensemble that includes Hope Davis, John Mahoney, and Dianne Wiest, as well as two young newcomers who also shine—Alison Pill as April, an architecture student who refuses to tell her mother about her recent cancer diagnosis, and Aaron Shaw as Oliver, a child caught in the crossfire of his parents' anything-but-amicable divorce. The format remains the same, with each daily half-hour “session” mostly playing out in real time, coupled with some illuminating glimpses of Paul outside his relocated Brooklyn office. Davis' hard-driving lawyer Mia is a returning patient with continuing abandonment and intimacy issues. Mahoney's Walter is an embattled CEO suffering from panic attacks. And Wiest reprises her Emmy-winning role as Gina, Paul's former mentor whom he visits on Fridays to talk about his own “mess of a life,” which includes a recent divorce, a $20 million malpractice suit, and the death of his estranged father. With its raw emotion, In Treatment is hardly escapist entertainment, but its power is undeniably compelling. Compiling all 35 episodes from the 2009 season, this is highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)
In Treatment: Season Two
HBO, 7 discs, 870 min., TV-MA, DVD: $59.98 Volume 26, Issue 2
In Treatment: Season Two
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