In Treatment: Laura – Week Eight
By fred | March 18, 2008
(S01E36) Here we go, another Monday episode. Mondays, on this show, are dedicated to Laura. Or at least that’s how it was meant to be, at first. And the remaining proof of that is how such episodes are titled, they still include her name. But a few weeks ago already, Laura decided that she was done with therapy, she couldn’t take it anymore, and she left.
Of course the week after that, she found a way back to Paul’s office on Monday, like nothing ever happened. But last week no such thing, and a completely Laura-free episode on Monday. This time, well this time things were different, but still unusual…
Remember the she sad news Paul learned on the phone on Friday, as he was leaving Gina’s office ? Well, good news and bad news. The good news, it wasn’t about Sophie. The bad news, it was about Alex. Alex died. I’m not sure how he died, I don’t think it was ever really said, only that he was flying while it happened. The last time we saw him, something was different.
He was pretty much saying goodbye to Paul, knowing that the next time Paul would “see” him, he would be dead. We don’t know what happened, but it doesn’t sound crazy to think that Alex may have committed suicide, orchestrated his accident to leave his family alone. Alex wasn’t feeling right for some time now, and last week when he told how he thought it was better for his son not to have him around, how he said and really meant that his son would have a better life without him, when Alex left his son’s birthday party that was only the first move on much bigger plan.
Alex seemed to really believe that his son would be better off without a father, and he couldn’t deal with his demons and issues with his own father. He felt trapped, scared, confused, and there was only one place where he used to be good, to forget about it all and feel at peace with himself : in the air, flying. But recently that had been taken away from him, and one might even wonder if, after the mission that brought him to Paul, even that place hadn’t been “corrupted”, and didn’t left him feeling at peace with himself anymore.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Alex probably did commit suicide. Neither is it to say that Paul had to suspect it as well. I won’t go as far as saying he helped him making the decision, but he sure had to suspect that Alex had come to it. Which is why I found it so odd that the only thing he thought of, when it came to Alex’s funeral – who by the way was the first patient of his to die during his therapy – that the first thing Paul thought of, what came to his mind wasn’t guilt, it was Laura.
Yes, Laura was back this week. A very special episode that took place entirely outside of Paul’s office, or any office for that matter, and one that was filled with people, everywhere. Quite a change for a show that probably never had more then 4 different people per episode, and usually does fine with only two. This episode took place at Alex’s funeral, and it made sense for Paul to be there. As he himself admitted, scratching the “Dr” off before his name.
Paul was not only his doctor, but also a friend. Laura, on the other hand, was just a girl Alex cheated on his wife with for a couple of weeks. I can’t see any reason why Paul would have called her, except that hoping to see her there. And I can’t really see any reason for her to come, except to see Paul. But at least she knew it was inappropriate for her to be here, whereas Paul looked genuinely surprised when she said that, like he really couldn’t see why.
But they still both have feelings for each other, and it couldn’t stop there. Just like we had to have someone thinking they were married, of course. Although it seemed like maybe we have seen Laura for the very last time, because when Paul talked about his father and what he had done, and how Paul didn’t want to behave the same way, how he wanted not to think just about himself and what he wants, but also others, like his family, his wife and kids, it couldn’t have been more obvious that he was talking about Laura, about being with her, letting himself fall for her.
And she seemed to understand that, which may be why she decided to leave. This season is coming to an end, this is the last full week. After that, next week will have no episodes on Monday or Tuesday, so I would assume that it’s fair to think that Laura might be gone, for good. And even if there’s a second season, she might not come back. I’m not really sure what that leaves us for tomorrow though, since it’s supposed to be Alex’s session. I guess another Paul and his wife and/or kids…
This episode was pretty special, and also the shortest one so far. No therapy at all, except a little talk with Alex’s son maybe. But it seemed more of a way to end two stories at once, the stories of the two patients who had previously met : Alex and Laura. He is dead, she is gone. Since there’s no way Jake and Amy ever work things out, and I don’t see Paul saving his marriage either (he’s still a real jerk, should I remind you how he used one of his patient’s funeral to meet the one he loves ? Wait for his wife to find out, and him to not understand why she’s pissed…), and given that the show cannot possibly be a complete depressing failure, that means Sophie has to be the one who’s going to make it out okay. *cross fingers*
Posted in Reviews
Shows: In Treatment
