The first two episodes of The Patient are out now! Created by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg for FX on Hulu, the executive producers for the series are Joel Fields, Joe Weisberg, Steve Carell, Caroline Moore, Victor Hsu and Chris Long. The production companies for the series include Joel Fields Productions, Flim Flam and FXP.
The main cast features Steve Carell as Alan Strauss, a therapist and Domhnall Gleeson as Sam Fortner, a serial killer and the new patient of our therapist in question. Actors Linda Emond plays Candace Fortner along with Laura Niemi as Beth Strauss, Andrew Leeds as Ezra Strauss and David Alan Grier as Charlie Addison. Alex Rich is also part of the cast.
– Hulu’s The Patient Review (Ep 1-2) Does Not Contain Any Spoilers –
The Patient Episode 1 and 2: A Disturbing Beginning
FX’s The Patient opens with the shot of Steve Carell’s Alan tied with a chain beside a bed, he is unable to reach the door and no matter how much he shouts for help, no one comes to his aid. He notices that a toiletry kit and other things of necessity are provided to him in the isolated room.
In a quick jump, we move to the past to see that Alan is a middle-aged therapist, who has recently lost his wife and is coping on his own. We get to see his interactions with his patients and a particular interaction with a guy named Gene is overtly focused. Before we know it, we are dragged into the present and it is revealed that Gene, whose actual name is Sam is the person holding Alan prisoner.
On inquiry, we discover that Gene aka Sam is a person who gets overwhelmed by the compulsion of killing and thinks that only Alan will be able to help him. However, to make sure that Alan does not report him, he has captured Alan and is seeking therapy from him. The first two episodes of The Patient revolve around introducing Alan and Sam’s initial phase of the relationship and Alan feels about being a prisoner.
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The Patient moves rather quickly with its first three episodes. With a runtime of 20 to 20 minutes per episode, the storytelling does not give enough time to breathe and understand what exactly is happening. The shock value is high but, the momentum might just be too quick for most people to completely cherish this psychological thriller.
Through the first two episodes, it is clear that the show is in good hands, cast-wise. Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson have an unmatchable presence on screen that complement one another while also retaining their individuality. Although we do not get to spend enough time with Alan or Sam to know them very intricately, the way their character narrative is written, really keeps you intrigued and curious.
The cliffhanger ending of The Patient Episode 2 is something that really took the viewers by surprise and will act as the thread that will pull us back to the series as the upcoming episodes air every week.
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The Patient: Final Thoughts on Episodes 1 and 2
Overall, with the first two fast-paced episodes, The Patient has clearly established the themes of horror, panic, thriller and intrigue. It is offering us a hostage thriller kinda angle along with a psychological one to help us delve deeper into the series. The complaints from all the viewers will surely remain as to why this thriller show is running on such a short runtime. Maybe in the upcoming episodes, we will find some answers.
As of now, The Patient looks like a promising series with good performances that will help it shine if done well. A patient-client angle is something people are definitely interested in, the makers can work on that attention then this series might turn out to be a hit soon.
You can watch The Patient Episode 1 and Episode 2 now on Hulu.