MovieChat Forums > In Treatment (2008) Discussion > Which characters are SUPPOSED to be lika...

Which characters are SUPPOSED to be likable/unlikable??? Tell me, please

posted 13 years ago by benjaminorchard
5 replies | jump to latest

I've noticed a lot of topics on this board are devoted to complaining about how unlikable certain characters are... Laura, Jake, Amy, Frances and even Paul himself come under pretty heavy fire from IMDB users for being "unlikable"...

I'm rather puzzled by this, as I was under the impression that none of these characters were SUPPOSED to be likable in the first place, so complaining that they aren't likable seems to me to be a case of missing the point of the program.

Upon my first viewing of the series, I got the impression that none of the regular cast were really intended to come across as likable and that the whole point of the show was to present their neuroses realistically - warts and all. So of course they come across as annoying or even repulsive at times, realistically, that is what you'd expect people suffering from these kind of emotional/psychological problems to be like.

Or am I wrong in my interpretation??? Are some of these characters actually intended to be likable???

If you think so, then can you please go into specifics... tell me which characters are actually INTENDED to be likable... tell me WHY you think they are intended to come across as likable... and what SPECIFICALLY the writers/actors did that made them fail to come across as likable as they should've been.

Because to me, criticising a character for being "unlikable" isn't really valid when the character wasn't meant to come across as likable in the first place. If I was actually meant to like them, then that's another story..... as I said, I didn't find ANY of the main characters in "In Treatment" likable. If they existed in real life, I probably would not be friends with them. But I didn't mind this because I thought the writers/actors conveyed the intricacies of the characters' problems in great depth. Thus I considered "In Treatment" to be a success... but if the writers actually INTENDED for me to find these characters endearing and likable then I suppose I have to consider this show an epic fail.

[–] acisneros3 13 years ago

It's been a while seen I've seen the shown so my memory on some of the characters is a little fuzzy but I'm pretty sure the characters are supposed to be realistic and flawed, not likeable. But I like realistic people, so I found some of them likeable.

Nearly every single character does something pretty mean/cruel intentionally at one point in the show. At least in the first 2 seasons, I couldn't get into the third.

Amy: cheats on husband just because he thought she was.
Sophie: incredibly, shockingly cruel to her mother who seemed so nice and supportive
Gina: tells Paul's story without his permission in her book then ignores his calls (I think)
Alex: dates Laura just to push Paul and flaunts it in front of his face
Laura: cheats on boyfriend and leaves him right after accepting his proposal

I can't really remember Walter or the blonde in the second season. I think Walter laid off a bunch of people, I can't remember him, sorry.

Leaving April, Jake, Oliver, and his parents. I found all of them extremely sympathetic and these five were the only ones who I actually really liked and who, from what I can remember, never purposely did anything to harm anyone else.

Oliver's parents reminded me a lot of mine. They just fell out of love and were trying to break it to Oliver while the Dad was dating someone else (but didn't tell the Mom since he knew it would hurt her). They had a sad story, and while Oliver's Mom was babying him, it was clear she had good intentions. I liked that whole family and the dynamic.

Jake...I don't know why people hate him. He was suspicious of his wife cheating on him, wanted to keep the baby. He was a little overbearing toward Amy, but he was faithful, and didn't hurt her. Plus I think that one episode where it ended with him sobbing and repeating to Amy "Please don't leave me" really makes you feel for the guy. I liked him way more than Amy.

April. She has cancer, and has to take care of her autistic brother who gets all the attention from her parents while struggling with her ex dating a nice rich girl and college life. Her breakdown where she starts saying how she's gonna lose all her hair, etc., that scene right there made me feel so sorry for her and should've got that actress an Emmy nomination. April was by far, to me, the most interesting character of the show. I thought she was very likeable, just happened to be a perfectionist.

I don't have a clue why everybody here thinks Sophie's so likeable. Yes, she redeems herself at the end I thought, but oh my God, up until that point Sophia was suchhhh a bitch. If you guys were that girls mother/father, and she treated you the same way she did to her mom, you guys would not say she was likeable. She was interesting, yeah, but so harsh for no reason at all.

Oh and some of the things I'm saying might be wrong, it's really been over a year since I've watched.

[–] waterlily529 11 years ago

While Sophie was unlikable at times, her story was the one I liked most in season one. I feel since she was so young, Paul got to her at the right time. She has a good chance at a normal life now. Or at least that's the feeling her storyline left me with.

[–] bruce-129 12 years ago

This show is brilliant. It explodes so many myths about people,
like in this care the myth of likability.

From one angle I'm sure friends of Hitler thought he was likable.
I am sure his dog liked him. So, is likability a selfish illusion we
create that leads to this ridiculous celebrity society we have.

I like that this show sometimes you feel different things for the
people, even Paul, and you learn some detachment and to reserve
judgement - no one ever tells us this in life … at least no one ever
told me this, and I never saw this important concept in the
media.

I really liked the first session with Paul and Adele in season 3.
That is so amazing in showing how easy it is for other people to see
someone's problems and how hard it is for people to accept this.

[–] Thespear 10 years ago

Just because almost all the characters have serious flaws does not mean one can't like some more than others or relate to all of them. Indeed the fact that viewers can perhaps identify with some of their issues makes them even more relatable and perhaps...enjoyable to watch.

I find Paul's struggle with his patients quite noble. I enjoy Alex's intensity, Laura is deeply flawed but also someone you can feel for. Jake and Emma present a very realistic couple imho....clearly in love but toxic together.

I like the complexity in ALL the characters.

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are" Nin

[–] 10 years ago

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