MovieChat Forums > In Treatment (2008) Discussion > Sympathy for Paul

Sympathy for Paul

posted 8 years ago by murali-vajapeyam
1 reply | jump to latest

I see a lot of comments about how Paul was a bad therapist. I agree he was a pretty bad patient, but I think his empathy to several of his patients make him a very likable person in my book. Also, it is hard not to feel sorry for him: his patients abuse (somewhat expected given his profession), his wife Kate cheating on him and telling it to his face, the lawsuit...

I kinda felt sorry for him and really liked him. Gabriel Byrne I think did a good job of revealing a latent sadness, "lack of passion", through his looks.

I am not one who usually particularly cares about happy endings, but I wish this had ended better for Paul. Him essentially saying in the end that he is quitting his practice, throwing his life career away -- I would have preferred to see him regain that passion, and resume seeing patients as a calling in life. He certainly made mistakes as a therapist, but saying he was a bad therapist goes too far in my opinion.

Thoughts?

[–] jwkfh 8 years ago

I'd like to have seen another season with Paul connecting with Adel. They showed her as alone and lonely, just as Paul had guessed and I think they could have made a good story between them...
Paul was as fallible as all of us and IMO, a bit too singular... The weight of his patients woes was quite a burden to bear.
The series could have continued. I wonder if Gabriel was asking for too much money?
Any idea why it was cancelled?