S01.E07: Kaddish

[Faceplant]

This is my first time starting a topic. I can see why no one else has yet. This episode was SO boring. 

[Maire]

The character development was interesting but I would like to see some action. If they want me to feel as claustrophobic as Steve Carnell they’ve succeeded. 

[AheadofStraight]

Character development is good but perhaps it would work better with longer episodes so SOMETHING actually happens in an episode..... 

[gesundheit]

Yeah, this one felt a little bit like a cheat. They dangled something out there and then yanked it back with a full reset. I feel like it'd be more effective if we didn't already know that Sam left the body somewhere undetectable. Sure, it's fine that that's what happened, but I think they could've held off on that deflating detail. I don't know. Killed suspense.

I didn't understand who the man was at Sam's old school? Was he like the school guidance counselor or something? Who also privately treats some students? I'm hoping that was there for a reason, like his crazy suggestion of living with his therapist raises a major red flag and the guy puts some pieces together or something.

[Guest]

Oh, Jesus Christ. They need to get on with it. This episode was insufferable except to Steve Carrell's agent who's busy compiling his ACTING scenes for Emmy submission. 

[BetyBee]

This episode I was really feeling sorry for Alan. He really hoped that this was all going to end one way or another. Seeing Sam out in the world and interacting with his former teacher made me fear all the more for Alan's life. If Sam starts seeing the teacher, then he has no reason to keep Alan alive. I just wish this unpleasant story was over. It is not blowing me away. Rather, it just stresses me out until the next week, when I get stressed out again! 

[QQQQ]

I wish the series were six 50-minute episodes instead of ten 30-minute episodes. There's just too little happening each week, yet I like the show. 

[RainbowBrite]

As I was watching this episode I checked to see how many more until the finale. I really don't understand how they'll fill three more episodes - either he makes it out alive, is kept there forever, or is killed. What else is there to see at this point? 

[Milburn Stone]

14 hours ago, gesundheit said:

Yeah, this one felt a little bit like a cheat. They dangled something out there and then yanked it back with a full reset. I feel like it'd be more effective if we didn't already know that Sam left the body somewhere undetectable.

Did we already know that Sam left the body somewhere undetectable? I thought we learned this at the same time Alan did. (But maybe I'm not understanding your meaning.)

Unlike many of you, I remain firmly in the grip of this show. I am right there with Alan as he spins from fear to rage to hope to despair to an awareness of the absurd meaninglessness of his suffering. 

[gesundheit]

40 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

Did we already know that Sam left the body somewhere undetectable? I thought we learned this at the same time Alan did. (But maybe I'm not understanding your meaning.)

Oh yes, I was unclear! By "already," I meant at any point during this episode. Like I feel there'd be more anticipation if we didn't know that at all, going into the next episode.

[Madding crowd]

I agree that this show is kind of boring which is an odd thing to say about a serial killer show. If Alan gets killed at the end the entire show will be pointless. I assume he will get out with some better understanding of his orthodox son but then the show is really about a religious story mixed with father/son drama. I’m sure Sam’s  former  school counselor will say no but it’s clear Sam is thinking about moving on to a new therapist. 

[monakane]

15 hours ago, gesundheit said:

I'm hoping that was there for a reason, like his crazy suggestion of living with his therapist raises a major red flag and the guy puts some pieces together or something.

That is my feeling.  I'm assuming there will be reports about Alan's disappearance and the therapist will put it together.

[Cinnabon]

2 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

Did we already know that Sam left the body somewhere undetectable? I thought we learned this at the same time Alan did. (But maybe I'm not understanding your meaning.)

Unlike many of you, I remain firmly in the grip of this show. I am right there with Alan as he spins from fear to rage to hope to despair to an awareness of the absurd meaninglessness of his suffering. 

I didn’t realize that until he told Alan. 🤷‍♀️

[gesundheit]

3 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

I didn’t realize that until he told Alan. 🤷‍♀️

Neither did I! I have obviously explained myself very poorly (as per usual). I'm saying we "already know" as in "we know now" when I think it would be better if we still didn't know that.

[Soobs]

10 hours ago, BetyBee said:

 I just wish this unpleasant story was over. It is not blowing me away. Rather, it just stresses me out until the next week, when I get stressed out again! 

Exactly. Somehow I'm still watching it.

What is happening in the writer's room? Did someone actually say, "You know this isn't quite dark enough. Let's throw in some Auschwitz nightmares"?

Sam is definitely thinking about switching therapists which could be deadly for Alan.  I guess we'll find out if Sam has real empathy or he just sees Alan as damaged, disposable and replaceable. There are only 3 episodes left (one is actually called Auschwitz) so I guess I'll stick it out. Watching this feels like an emotional endurance test.

[The Mighty Peanut]

I was worried for Alan when Sam wanted to talk and Alan said he was too exhausted, turning away from slam and closing his eyes. I read it as an unforgivable offense that would put him in the category of someone Sam could justifiably kill. Sure enough Sam is shopping for a new therapist.

I think it's interesting that for all his will to survive and his understanding of Sam he still sometimes sees his situation as something that could be helped by setting healthy boundaries when someone is too demanding of his energy.

[SunnyBeBe]

I’ve tried to find a spoiler for the finale, but can’t find a thing.  How is that possible?  I really need to know how it’s going down.  If Steve isn’t going to survive or he remains in the basement, I’m done.  I won’t watch more of that.  I can understand that they kept the ending of Better Call Saul under wraps, but The Patient?  🥴 Please.  Lol

Steve’s son sounds like a real piece of work.  Is Steve a reliable reporter of the facts?  If so, I get the disconnect.  You can’t get along with some people because they don’t want you to.  

Edited October 9, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 10/9/2022 at 5:40 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

Steve’s son sounds like a real piece of work.  Is Steve a reliable reporter of the facts?  If so, I get the disconnect.  You can’t get along with some people because they don’t want you to.  

Not every child wants to participate in the assisted suicide of a parent.  It's too bad that her pain couldn't be controlled with medically-prescribed morphine until she died.

[SunnyBeBe]

On 12/6/2022 at 1:06 AM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Not every child wants to participate in the assisted suicide of a parent.  It's too bad that her pain couldn't be controlled with medically-prescribed morphine until she died.

It didn’t sound like hospices was involved, which is a shame.  They could have helped with her pain and having her family around her.  
 

I still think her son was a real piece of work.  I recently watched a mini series about a group in NYC possibly the one that the son is portrayed to be a part of.  Very intense.  It’s about a young wife who attends to escape.  It explains a lot about that kind of community.  
 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/arts/television/unorthodox-writer-deborah-feldman-netflix.html

Edited December 7, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 12/7/2022 at 9:43 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

I still think her son was a real piece of work.  I recently watched a mini series about a group in NYC possibly the one that the son is portrayed to be a part of.  Very intense.  It’s about a young wife who attends to escape.  It explains a lot about that kind of community.  
 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/arts/television/unorthodox-writer-deborah-feldman-netflix.html

This isn't the venue to explain all the differences, but please believe me when I say that the community Ezra and his family belongs to is not even close to the community depicted in Unorthodox.  The latter is a community with almost no access to any outsiders, even other Jewish people.  They are not fluent in any language but Yiddish, even when living in the US.  They do not expose their children to anything deemed "secular", which would include relatives who are not part of the community and who do not observe the way they do. The community in Unorthodox would be much more disapproving of Ezra's family's religious practices than Ezra was of his parents' practices.

Comparing Ezra's family and the community depicted in Unorthodox is like comparing a religious Christian family who never miss church on Sunday and who dress modestly and don't curse, to the Amish community (except the  Unorthodox community is more insular than the Amish.)  They (the religious family and the Amish) are both Christian and church-going, but the differences are far greater than the similarities.

Edited December 11, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[SunnyBeBe]

That’s good to know.  Based on how Allen’s son behaved…to me it seemed he was in a very intense community and Allen even called it a cult.  So,perhaps it’s a matter of perspective.  Whatever the level of religious fervor, it had caused a huge schism in Allen’s family.