TV Has Cured Me From Ever Needing Therapy

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That's because I have spent most of this Easter Sunday--nay, all of it--watching this marathon of In Treatment because Comcast has brought me the miracle of free HBO in order to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. In case you don't know, In Treatment is a half hour show starring Gabriel Byrnes. Each episode is a particular therapy session on a certain day with a client. There are four rotating appointments--the seductive Laura with the huge teeth, the black closeted gay military guy, the adorable, suicidal gymnast, and the angry, mismatched couple. The last day (Friday) is the therapist's meeting with his former mentor, Dianne Wiest. I find these shows to be the least interesting, or maybe the hardest to watch, because they basically just argue back and forth. It's a compelling show, but I do have one teeny tiny pet peeve with the dialogue. They overuse each other's names...Nobody in reality says another person's name with the same kind of frequency.

Example:

Paul: How did that make you feel, Laura?

Laura: Well, Paul, I don't know. Sad, I guess. How do you think it made me feel, Paul?

Paul: I couldn't say, Laura. Maybe you're remembering your absent father, Laura?

Laura: My father's name wasn't Laura, Paul.

Paul: He was named Paul too? We really should discuss this Oedipal connection, Laura.

Laura: No, Paul his name was Peter, Paul.

Paul: Peter-Paul, Laura?

Laura: No, just Peter Laura Paul. What?

You get the gist. I will likely stay up until it goes off the air maybe midnight, or three a.m., if that's what it takes.

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