Season 4 Discussion

[T Summer]

20 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

Overall, I was glad to see the show back, but felt like the patients were not the most well developed.  I didn't get a particularly good sense of any of them outside of whatever tropes or cliches they represented, and felt like Brooke's episodes really suffered from the lack of therapist to bounce her issues off.  Rita did not serve that purpose and Adam honestly was interesting enough to sustain the time where it was just he and Brooke.  If they get another season, I hope they'll revisit that.        

I feel about the same I'd watch this actress in something else, but honestly if something happens and the show doesn't return I won't miss it. I don't feel invested in any of these patients and the thing I most want Brook to do... right up there with stop drinking, is MOVE!

(so Colin won't know how to find her)

[DanaK]

I’m confused about Laila’s family finances. I had the impression throughout that her grandmother was very rich as was her father, but the grandmother indicated on the last Laila episode that she was barely scraping by as a cocktail waitress when she took Laila in and seemed to indicate with her son’s car(?) dealership that they were presently more middle class

[Ms Blue Jay]

16 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I really liked Brooke's session with Rhonda, and wanted someone to slap Laila for doing her best to make everyone think she killed herself.  

I didn't really care about Brooke and Adam.  They telegraphed repeatedly that they were not a good match, and I couldn't really imagine them staying together if Brooke was going to try to get sober again.  

Overall, I was glad to see the show back, but felt like the patients were not the most well developed.  I didn't get a particularly good sense of any of them outside of whatever tropes or cliches they represented, and felt like Brooke's episodes really suffered from the lack of therapist to bounce her issues off.  Rita did not serve that purpose and Adam honestly was interesting enough to sustain the time where it was just he and Brooke.  If they get another season, I hope they'll revisit that.        

I am feeling the same as a lot of this.

I don't know why that last Brooke/Adam episode was such a chooooooore for me to get through.  I must have paused it 5-10 times.  Oh boy!

I'm sad that the show is over though.  I love, love, love, love Uzo in this show.  Anthony Ramos too.  I wish all of his sessions had been in person.  They were so electrifying compared to the Zoom sessions.

I can't believe that's it.  No Gabriel Byrne.  LOL.  Didn't I call it.

Am I the only one who was shocked that Brooke felt so happy over what Laila did?  I didn't get that....... Laila was a selfish brat making everything think she was dead.  It was horrifying.  That's not strong and independent or worthy of Brooke's pride.  

I assumed one of Laila's parents was white with how the actor looks (I could be wrong) but were they implying that both of her parents were Black?

Edited June 29, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[momo]

My husband and I are psychotherapists in the LA area and we're HORRIFIED by her lack of boundaries! But love her clothes 😀

[txhorns79]

2 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Laila was a selfish brat making everything think she was dead.  It was horrifying. 

I'll defend her in saying I don't think it was her intention to leave people with that impression.  She just kind of lacked the maturity to recognize how her behavior and cryptic message would be taken.  She certainly scared the crap out of Brooke and Rhonda.

[Empress1]

Brooke & Adam: they’ve known each other their entire adult lives. If they were going to be a real couple, it would have happened by now. Having a baby with someone with whom your relationship status is “it’s complicated” is unwise. That was a well-acted scene though (their fight in the bedroom).

[Norma Desmond]

On 6/26/2021 at 6:02 AM, T Summer said:

The cream ensemble...

That outfit was EVERYTHING. She always looks impeccable, sexy, stylish and powerful. Kudos to the stylists.

 

This season had some good moments, but overall was kind of a mess. Some of the writing was, quite frankly, at the same time, pretentious and foolish/amateurish. Uzo, John Benjamin Hickey and the cast are excellent though. They totally rose above the material.

Edited July 1, 2021 by Norma Desmond

[7-Zark-7]

I had a problem with the actor they chose to play Adam. I kept thinking, this is the guy you cast to play someone pimping out teenagers near a 7-Eleven. 

[BC4ME]

9 hours ago, 7-Zark-7 said:

I had a problem with the actor they chose to play Adam. I kept thinking, this is the guy you cast to play someone pimping out teenagers near a 7-Eleven. 

Perfect description. I had a problem with him too. They just did not seem like they belonged together.

[pasdetrois]

Quote

I feel about the same I'd watch this actress in something else, but honestly if something happens and the show doesn't return I won't miss it.

Same. I watched for the actors and the wardrobe. Not sure I'd tune in for another season.

John Benjamin Hickey was phenomenal as the narcissist who could charm anybody, even a therapist.

There was zero sexual chemistry between Brooke and Adam. I thought Aduba was stiff and uncomfortable in some of her scenes, like in the kitchen when she was talking to her AA sponsor. She's fantastic when delivering dialogue in close-ups. She really brings the subtle facial expressions.

All the talking just went on forever in every episode. Nobody is that good of a scriptwriter. Looked good on the page, but tiresome in delivery.

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 6/1/2021 at 2:59 PM, MBayGal said:

Not betting on Uso.  Have you seen Mare of Easttown?  

So Uzo and Kate are in completely different categories:

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[himela]

So my story with this show: I was in love with Gabriel while I was watching the first three seasons 5-6 years ago. I mean, I was obsessed with him. I was dreaming about him, I was thinking about the stories all day long and it's the only show I wish I could forget so I watch it again. Gabriel is my father's age but I don't care, he was amazing in that show.

Fast forward to this summer when I found out that the show has a fourth season. I was really interested to see how this season would go. I can't say I didn't like it, but I just couldn't enjoy it without Gabriel. Also it was sad that they kept referring to him but he never made an appearance.

So yeah, this show is my favorite of all times. :)

[SunnyBeBe]

On 7/10/2021 at 7:15 AM, BC4ME said:

Perfect description. I had a problem with him too. They just did not seem like they belonged together.

I’ve watched portions of season 3.  What level of success does Adam character have?  Is he accomplished in the entertainment field or struggling for a break?

[SunnyBeBe]

On 2/6/2022 at 3:33 PM, himela said:

So my story with this show: I was in love with Gabriel while I was watching the first three seasons 5-6 years ago. I mean, I was obsessed with him. I was dreaming about him, I was thinking about the stories all day long and it's the only show I wish I could forget so I watch it again. Gabriel is my father's age but I don't care, he was amazing in that show.

Fast forward to this summer when I found out that the show has a fourth season. I was really interested to see how this season would go. I can't say I didn't like it, but I just couldn't enjoy it without Gabriel. Also it was sad that they kept referring to him but he never made an appearance.

So yeah, this show is my favorite of all times. :)

I can relate for sure over Gabriel……he was intoxicating, imo.  I never tire of his seasons.  I can’t get into season 4. I want to like it.  I can’t accept Brooke as a therapist for some reason.  When I met Adam…omg…my opinion on her changed.  Maybe, I’m shallow.

[aghst]

Is there suppose to be any tie between the characters in season 4 and the previous 3 seasons?

Or just a different therapist and her patients?

At first the sessions were interesting but it felt like it ran out of steam.  Or at least it became a slog for me to finish after about half way through.

I know they wanted to show each of the patients change and reveal their true selves over the 6 episodes devoted to each of them as well as show Brooke’s personal life and issues but it felt interminable at times.

[txhorns79]

19 hours ago, aghst said:

Is there suppose to be any tie between the characters in season 4 and the previous 3 seasons?

Yes.  Brooke Taylor (the season 4 therapist) is supposed to have been a student of Paul Weston (the therapist from the first three seasons).  She references him a number of times during the season. 

[paramitch]

I was really happy with and moved by this season overall. Was it as good as the previous three? No, but I thought it was still really strong TV, and overall very well written and acted.

I loved the clever way the story handled the pandemic, and thought Uzo was really terrific as Brooke (and absolutely stunning). Brooke's home as the setting was really gorgeous, and I cannot rave enough about her wardrobe on the show. It's the first time in a long time that I've seen someone dress a curvy woman without sticking her in a floral monstrosity or a potato sack (see also SHRILL). And the vibrant jewel tones were so striking on her.

I agree with those who missed the therapist's therapy sessions each week, although I did think Rita her sponsor was sympathetic and beautifully acted. But I admit that it was uncomfortable to watch Brooke lie to herself about her addiction (and everyone else).

I enjoyed the patients, although I didn't think any were as riveting as those in the first three seasons, aside from Eladio, who I thought was genuinely riveting, and their final session I thought was joyful, emotional, and ultimately moving. 

I thought Colin was interesting but ultimately flawed, loathsome, and really hard to watch. For me, the constant and pathological lying, the ways in which he was constantly shifting his POV and story from second to second the moment she tried to get him to take responsibility -- aghgh. I did think he was a well-written example of male toxicity, and that Hickey was fantastic. 

I thought Laila's story was interesting and moving, but my problem was her actress -- oh, God, the vocal fry, the affectations, and as others noted, she's very incompetently fake-crying in her big scenes. I thought the final episode with her grandmother Rhonda was a thousand times more interesting, and I wish they'd just had Rhonda be the subject instead (and Charlayne Woodard would have been phenomenal -- I've always loved her, and saw her one-woman show in Seattle 20 years ago).

I didn't mind the actor who played Adam, and thought he was a decent actor, I just thought the characters seemed so mismatched -- he looked like he was some beer-swilling schmoe who'd wandered in from Portland, and there she was in her gorgeous and elegant home and wardrobe. It just felt weird to me.

As for the Paul references, I loved them, and thought they were a fun way to honor the character (and Byrne), and to keep him in our minds in an affectionate way. I had to laugh when the show was calling Paul "America's Therapist," and I could just imagine Gina's snort of laughter (in an affectionate if irritated way).

I will say that I do prefer seasons 1-3, and I did miss Paul (and Gina, and Adele too, although I love Gina most). These patients just didn't have me as invested as I was the first three seasons -- I cared so much for Sophie, Walter, April, Mia,  Alex, Oliver, and many more. (I will always be haunted by John Mahoney's absolutely superb performance as Walter. Always. So moving!)

What the show continued to do here that was interesting to me was that with Brooke, as with Paul, it openly depicts a therapist who crosses boundaries and has serious RL issues, but they manage to get results. As long as I accept it as fiction, what I like about this approach is that the show feels invested and deeply humanistic. Paul is an often cruel, thoughtless, petty man outside of the office, but as a therapist, I always found him to be professional, gentle, kind, tough, and deeply invested in helping these people find their paths to healing. Paul overstepped with so many of his patients, but the payoff in those late, electric episodes made it worth it -- Marvin's tears, Mia's realization that she was worth loving, Sophie's healing, etc. 

The subtext for me is that the deep care and investment shown by Paul and and Brooke is their superpower to helping patients find healing and clarity, so while I would not be okay with the boundaries we've seen crossed across the seasons in some cases, in others I was cheering (Paul taking April to the hospital, etc.).

On 5/24/2021 at 9:13 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I can't believe Colin commented on how nice her house was and then said "What does your husband do?"  Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.  He was just so nasty.

"In Treatment" was really good in its day.  There were some great storylines, especially the first season.   I think Season 2 was good too.  I have zero recollection of Season 3 so perhaps I skipped it.

S3 was Jesse, Frances, and Sunil. I enjoyed it a lot (and it was great to see Debra Winger on my screen again), but for me it was substantially weaker than 1 and 2. Still great TV, though. 

On 6/6/2021 at 3:58 PM, BC4ME said:

Throughout the entire series, way too many people are educated and/or smart. Not that I have anything against that. They just seem over-represented.

I think it's the nature of the show, though. The characters have to be interesting enough for their issues and revelations to fascinate us, and if they are simpler or less intelligent characters, there's not as much fun to watch them navigate treatment. While therapy can definitely benefit many people of all levels of intelligence, it's not all going to be equally entertaining to watch.

On 6/10/2021 at 6:41 AM, txhorns79 said:

It also sounds like Brooke and Rita have badly blurred the lines between being sponsor/sponsee and friends, and Rita is kind of giving into Brooke's manipulations not to leave her, when Rita really needs to detach from Brooke (which Rita herself said).  

I have family members who have gone successfully through AA and NA, and their sponsors definitely became important people in their lives. I could see Brooke (especially not having a ton of friends on her own) bonding with Rita over a decade, so that felt real to me, although I agree that Rita was absolutely crossing way too many boundaries (although I liked that she owned up to that).

On 6/15/2021 at 10:34 AM, Psalm11 said:

Yes. Charlayne Woodard, award winning actress/dancer/singer. A favorite since starring in Ain't Misbehavin" on Broadway back in the late 70s. (Yes, I am that old.) She won a Tony, btw.  You might also recognize her from her recurring role of Sis Peg in Law and Order:SVU. She is wonderful!

I love her so much and she's still so stunning. I always thought she should have been a bigger star on TV or film. She was a delight onstage as well (and her autobiographical show about performing in "Ain't Misbehavin'" was hilarious).

On 6/16/2021 at 6:39 AM, Empress1 said:

Does Adam know Brooke is an alcoholic? I assume so since he knows about Rita and he's known Brooke all of her adult life. If so, this is a really toxic relationship - he shouldn't be drinking with her.

It was pretty clear to me that Adam's an alcoholic too, and one who doesn't acknowledge alcoholism as a thing. He thinks Brooke can "manage" her drinking.

On 6/20/2021 at 7:02 PM, txhorns79 said:

Wow.  Brooke is completely out of control.  That scene with her screaming at Eladio was scary.  Uzo was just amazing.  You see her lose it, recognize that she's lost it, then try to regain some kind of control over the situation all over the course of a minute or two.

I can't even speak about Colin.  The whole thing was ridiculous.  I don't believe for even a moment Brooke would have let him into her house, after his banging on her door and scaring her, whether she was drinking or not.  I'm also very surprised she was going to continue seeing him.  I was not expecting that after last week.     

Strictly because of Brooke's situation -- that she's mourning her father, dealing with the resurging feelings about the baby she gave up, and at this point drinking pretty steadily, I found it believable that she would be reckless enough to let Colin inside.

I personally wouldn't have even answered the damn door -- the guy just exuded rage. I found him uncomfortable even in the in-home visits during the day.