This is a series that I found because 
mention it on his post from yesterday so decided to take a look, it seems very short and it's that kind of series you need to pay attention to details to understand, until now for me is a very monotonous show based on the main scenario where it takes place, another thing that got my attention is that episodes are very short only about 23 minutes each, not sure for now why is this, what I can tell you is that it will leave you wanting to see another episode. The rating for this Tv Show is 7/10 on IMDB.
mention it on his post from yesterday so decided to take a look, it seems very short and it's that kind of series you need to pay attention to details to understand, until now for me is a very monotonous show based on the main scenario where it takes place, another thing that got my attention is that episodes are very short only about 23 minutes each, not sure for now why is this, what I can tell you is that it will leave you wanting to see another episode. The rating for this Tv Show is 7/10 on IMDB.The Patient is a Tv Series with the main character Alan Strauss a therapist, played by Steve Carell, that is kidnapped by his patient Sam Fortner, the patient played by Domhnall Gleeson, after they both start feeling the normal sessions are going nowhere.
Main Cast:
Steve Carell - Alan Strauss
Domhnall Gleenson - Sam Fortner
Laura Niemi - Beth Strauss
Linda Emond - Candace Fortner
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15574312/
I'm certain that I will continue watching this series until the end, don't like the fact that the episodes are so short but I hope they surprise me and in a second season they are longer, I now understand why they are so short at the moment, there are almost no sides stories, most of the time is a one to one session between the therapist and the patient in the same place. The topic is very clear a therapist that gets kidnap by a patient with a twisted mindset who for some reason don't know when to stop once he gets triggered.
As soon as the episode starts we know what's going on, we see Dr. Alan Strauss chain to a bed in a place that is obvious not familiar to him, the chain is long enough so he can move around so his captor is aware that he needs to move from time to time, this is the type of captor that doesn't want you dead or stationary, there is a specific reason behind this hole scenario, Dr. Strauss seems disoriented, as soon as he comes out of bed notice the chain on his ankle and tries to pull, starts screaming for help but the place looks very solitary, I didn't even know if he was alone but it's what commonly happens on this type of mystery / horror shows. He looks next to his bed and sees toilet paper and vessel that looks to do number one, so at this point the theory is confirm, he is most likely alone and nobody to help him, he is on that place against his will and might even fear for his life, it's just common sense, for anyone that doesnt watch that much tv series as I do would immediately know this.
I think on this first part of the episode we see Steve Carell on an unusual role for him or what we commonly see from him on the screen but he, in my opinion, perfectly express the horror and fear, the discomfort of the chain, the weight and that it makes him less stable to move around with the chain on his ankle, after screaming he kind of hyperventilate and try to calm himself down, he understand that he is not been rational and needs to take this step by step as he sits down and says “Ok” and start doing some breathing exercises.
In the second scene we see Sam who initially uses a fake name, Gene, and I think it's irrelevant so let's get to the meat and potatoes, The Patient, with Dr. Stratus at a room where they just started a session, Sam is looking for help because his father used to beat him up constantly, the exact words were “My dad beat the shit out of me a lot when I was a kid. And I think it fucked me up.” and he can't get over it, for some reason I do not believe him while he was on the room and also didn't buy is acting, don't get me wrong I like Domhnall from other movies like Ex Machina that I wrote a post a few days ago, but in that moment you could tell the difference between both actors.
For Ex Machina Review Click Here
Sam sells himself at first as this angry guy who only needs to forget about a few bad memories and control his anger but there is more than that and shortly we will discover it.
Dr. Strauss constantly has this flashback of short and old memories, scenes from his patients, from his wife, his son, to then continue with Sam who is still telling lies, he lies about his name, about this eyes that are too fragile to the sun light that's why he uses shades all the time after seen two doctors and no fix, talking about he read Dr. Strauss' book, besides being that straight to the point like I have this mental issue, give me a pill to fix it, he is clearly hiding something and Dr. Strauss sees that after a few sessions and tells “Gene” Sam, this guy at this point I still feel he sucks at this role, so Dr. Strauss asks Sam to be open and tell the truth but then Sam gets frustrated and tells him part of the truth, that maybe he can't be open and can't do it.
The answer to this conversation is simple, Sam is only telling part of the story so Dr. Strauss does not report him to the cops, as a serial killer he doesn't want to get caught, at this point he says he wants to get over his trauma but Sam Fortner is a psychopath serial killer who wants others to behave and react as best human beings possible. He doesn't tolerate cheating or bending the rules and is compulsory to teach a lesson to those who don't behave as he thinks everyone should be, it's no spoiler, if at least you read the description on many tv show sites or streaming as in IMDB the description says:
“A psychotherapist finds himself held prisoner by a serial killer who demands he help him curb his homicidal urges.”
Dr. Strauss goes home and one night while he was doing the dishes heard something going at his garbage and goes out, he gets hit on the head while he was picking up a can, too of classic kidnap scenario.
He wakes up in the room describe before with a chain to his Ankle, Sam shows up and start explaining why he did this, “I want help” “This is the only way I can be truthful” , besides confessing his true name is Sam now he says he has a compulsion to kill people. It's now when we are talking business, Domhnall goes into the psycho serial killer who can't resist teaching people a lesson when they cut corners or are just bad people. Dr. Strauss in my opinion instead of coming to a middle ground to his kidnaper denies to help Sam, denies to help him as a therapist, if I was him I would try to either trick Sam or fix his twisted thinking before he kills me but I guess Dr. Strauss was just too scared that until this point he hasn't evaluated his best option and is acting out of panic. I like this because again we see Steve perform very well with his character.
I think at this point is clear to me what's going to happen next:
- Either you help me or you die
- Either you help me or others die
Sam at one point even mentions “I know this is bad but it's not as bad as it seems”, this guy.
So far I like it, lots of suspense even though the topic at hand is very clear and it's nothing new but in this case it's both actors who will bring alive every scene, been 23 minutes episodes this will be a very short tv series, I'm not sure if there is a second season and don't want to spoil myself. I like watching this series that are not that much popular because they always bring something new, either new actors who may or may not perform at great levels or like The Patient, a tv series that has good actors but in roles that are not common to see them.
