In Treatment

I feel like I've spent the last 3 weeks in therapy, even though I only got as far as Donegal. 

It wasn't the holiday (!!) but the box set of the entire first series of HBO's "In Treatment", lent to us by our neighbour before we set off. Staring Gabriel Byrne as Dr. Paul Weston, a psychologist, it is the closest to perfect television drama I have seen in a very long time. The action takes place mainly in his office, the writing setting up a perfect two hander between Byrne and his weekly sessions with a handful of patients and Gina, played by Dianne Wiest, who is Paul's own therapist and whose session sums up the week for Paul.

The fact that the action is rooted in the one room, very little movement, it's like a theatre piece, a 30 minute two hander in which the words resonate intensely. There's no distracting street scenes, no drinking coffee with over acting extras in the background, nothing but the words, facial movements, body language. It's incredible. But exhausting to watch.

I love it but have to say I can only take 2 episodes in a row. After that you feel you need to head for the couch yourself. Even if Gabriel Byrne is there and saying "I'm listening".