Some of the most dynamic episodes in the series are those between Paul and Gina. Their therapy relationship is contentious, and ridden with old hurts that rear their heads suddenly and cruelly. Their Friday sessions also put us in the super-viewing position, as we see Paul finally out of control, without his beloved professional mien. We can analyze the therapist, and see what of his own he has been bringing into his clients' sessions. And then we can also analyze the therapist's therapist. Why, for example, is Gina so focused on Paul's sexual boundaries regarding Laura's obsession with him? Why does she keep returning to that issue?
The 30-minute hour
HBO's 'In Treatment' is a psychological epic in small, powerful doses
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"In Treatment," so rife with projection and transference and counter-transference, so steeped in the pain of both denial and self-awareness, so unabashedly unconventional, proves that HBO is still trying to break new ground. It may not represent the territory that fans of "Deadwood" and "The Sopranos" are hoping to travel, but it's certainly new and risky. Dr. Melfi would probably be pleased.
Matthew Gilbert can be reached at gilbert@globe.com. For more on TV, visit boston.com/ae/tv/blog/.
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