In Treatment: Laura – Week Three
By fred | February 12, 2008
(S01E11) Damn, so this is the third week already! And given how we got one episode each day of the week, it goes really fast, and this is no less than episode 11 already. But this is, of course, only the third time we meet with Laura. It’s funny how things went down with this show, and with Laura. She was the first patient we ever saw, her session is the first one we saw, even though it wasn’t her own first, and because of the old cliché of a plot (she’s in love with Paul, her therapist), I really didn’t like that whole thing, or her.
Then, as the second week came, things changed. And I have to say that despite what I first thought, I ended up liking her after all. I didn’t expect it, but it happened, somehow. And with this new week things didn’t change this time : I still like her.
I think I do, I like Laura and I like the way she can be with Paul at times, the way she can speak to him and force him to confront some truth he might not want to deal with. It’s a special relationship they share, her and Paul, and I found myself liking to witness it evolve.
And this week it seems that, even though he did not present things like that and would probably not even admit it, Paul realized that Gina (his own therapist from the Friday’s sessions) was right. When he suggested that maybe Laura should stop coming, because this therapy wasn’t helping her, he was following Gina’s advice, and as such it was also an admittance that, yes, there might be, or could be, something between him and Laura.
And that’s something, by the way, that I don’t really understand. Despite what she claims, it must be entirely due to the therapy, because I fail to see what she could like in him, the guy is a real jerk. Of course, she may know him in a way we don’t, but we also know him in a way she doesn’t, and trust me, he’s an ass.
Anyways, I like Laura and the way she is with Paul, and I did liked her little story as to why she was late. Really, I might be a terrible, terrible person, but imagining the dog bouncing from one car to another, really, you had to laugh, right? At least I did, I found that whole story pretty funny. Terrible, terrible person…
And so I get it that this time she was late, so that may be why we got to see Paul alone in his office waiting for her, but that’s not something that never happened before, we always have such little things, and I found myself wondering how much time do they need to kill each time. I’m sure it’s relevant to his whole situation, and explained the belt, so that’s why we saw him sleeping in his office. But really, sometimes it can feel like they’re trying to kill time.
The main new thing this episode introduced, however, was a scene that took place outside Paul’s office, and during which for the first time two patients of his met. As she walked away (after another humiliation from Paul), Laura met Alex. Alex comes in on Tuesdays, but somehow he got the day mixed up and skipped Monday. At first I really wasn’t sure about that whole thing, but now I wonder if they’re going somewhere with this or not.
Because thinking about it, if those two were to hook up, we know Laura wouldn’t mind cheating on her future husband (could even get her an excuse to break it off), and Alex isn’t that much into his wife lately… so if this was to happen, at first I thought it wouldn’t be good, unless they both talk about it to Paul but somehow Paul wouldn’t know who they’re talking about. Only that don’t really make sense, plus it’s a bad idea.
Then I thought, what could be fun, since Paul has a thing for Laura, is a jerk and a bad therapist anyway, it could be fun to see him trying to break that new relationship, pretexting the will to save both present & future marriages, when in fact he’ll only be jealous. But maybe it won’t go anywhere, what do I know.
Overall a good episode, I liked it, and I’m not as curious about what’s in the big box as to find out what happened between Alex and Laura…
Posted in Reviews
Shows: In Treatment
