Have you been watching In Treatment? HBO's half-hour drama, which captures both the inner and outer lives of a therapist (Gabriel Byrne) and his patients, doesn't have a huge audience. That's probably because some viewers think five nights a week is way too much of a time commitment, and probably also because some people just don't like therapy — or maybe they get enough of it in real life, which is certainly understandable.

But I'm completely addicted to In Treatment and will be sad to see it end this week. Here's a look back at the first season, including the lessons I've learned from each patient's sessions. (Each night, the show focuses on a different patient.)

[Warning: Slight spoilers]

Monday: Laura

As the linster noted back when the series first started, Laura (Melissa George, aka Lauren on Alias) is Jenny Schecter–esque and hard to like. (And she resembles Jenny in appearance as well as behavior — actually, I think Melissa George looks like a cross between Jenny and our own illustrious Sarah Warn. Here's another pic that shows the resemblance more clearly.)

Anyway, Laura is (or thinks she is) in love with Dr. Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne), and he's very fond of her, too. But she seems to be less and less attracted to him, the more he returns her affections. I hope he comes to his senses and realizes she's not half the woman his wife is.

Take-home therapy: Selfish, oversexed women are to be avoided.

Tuesday: Alex

Blair Underwood has been terrific on the show. His character, a Navy fighter pilot, struggles with questions of duty and morality, as well as with notions of "manhood" and his own not-quite-straight sexuality. It's difficult to take your eyes off Alex when he's on the couch, and his story line took a shocking, completely unexpected turn last week.

Take-home therapy: Be yourself at all costs.

Wednesday: Sophie

Even if you have no interest in the rest of In Treatment, do yourself the favor of watching a few of Sophie's episodes. I don't know where Mia Wasikowska has been hiding, but she is divinely, overwhelmingly gifted. I know everyone's been comparing Ellen Page to Jodie Foster, so I think I'll compare Mia Wasikowska to Meryl Streep. Yes, she's that good. … continue reading

Tonight at 9:30 on HBO, the new series In Treatment premieres. This one has quite a gimmick: It airs five nights a week and is set entirely in a therapist's office. Each 30-minute episode focuses on a different client of therapist Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne), and on Fridays we'll get to see his session with his own therapist (Dianne Wiest).

The cast also includes Melissa George (Alias, 30 Days of Night), Embeth Davidtz (Bridget Jones's Diary, Junebug) and Michelle Forbes (Battlestar Galactica, 24, Star Trek: The Next Generation).

  … continue reading