Name: The Patient season 1 episode 4
Director: Kevin Bray
Released: 2022-09-13T09:30:00

In episode 4 of The Patient, Sam is pushed to the brink and Alan tries his best to keep him from killing the manager of the greek restaurant. The episode is now streaming on Hulu.

Recap

Alan wakes up in fear, remembering that Sam brought someone back gagged and tied up and stuffed him in a storage closet. He thinks back on all the information that Sam has shared with him so far and if there is any way he can stop what’s happening.

Sam comes down and complains about not being able to hold it in much longer but he grabs the manager and then stops himself because Alan told him to have a conversation before doing anything.

Alan tells Sam to go to work because sticking to his daily routine might distract him from his need to kill. He tells Sam that if he continues to feel anxious he can just call home and have a phone session with him.

Sam eventually leaves for work in a huff and that’s when the manager in the room speaks up. He asks Alan who he is and where he’s being kept at the moment and Alan lets him know what the situation is. He tells him to keep it down because there is someone upstairs.

Candace comes down and tells Alan that Sam feels really bad for what he’s done but he just couldn’t control himself and Alan asks Candace to tell him more about his experiences with his father. Candace says that Sam has always been that way and that his father probably had nothing to do with it.

Sam is distracted at work and forgets that it’s his turn to get doughnuts for everyone. At a team meeting, they discuss a kind letter that a restaurant once sent about Sam in recognition of his good work helping them.

Alan talks to the manager about his family and how his wife died of cancer. The manager says that he moved back home to help his parents with the restaurant because his mother had cancer too. Alan says that their son, Ezra, had a different reaction and that things were complicated between them ever since Ezra became an orthodox Jew.

He remembers how his wife favoured his daughter’s children over his son’s children, driving a deep wedge between them.

Candace rushes down with Sam on the phone who is losing patience. He says that he cannot focus on his work but Alan tells him that he’s managed to handle it this long so he should try and push through a little longer.

Sam returns from work with a noise machine that he switches on and places in the room with the manager so that he can’t hear them. Alan and Sam discuss Sam’s marriage and all the good memories he has of his wife.

Sam talks about the concerts that they went to and any shared interests that they had. Alan tells Sam that he needs to do something that will give him an emotional shock and distract him from the need to kill, so he advises him to go see his ex-wife.

Sam listens to Alan and leaves. The manager says that he’s struggling there and begins to hyperventilate when Alan begins singing ‘Country Roads’ to calm him down. His breathing improves and he introduces himself as Elias Petraki, giving Alan a name to attach to the voice.

Review

This was a frantic episode in certain moments as Alan scrambles to convince Sam not to kill Elias. Domhnall Gleeson is brilliant as a troubled serial killer doing his best to control his impulses.
The concentrated nature of the series is quite intense, this is the first time since the first episode that there are scenes outside the basement room and even then, Sam is the focal point of these scenes.
The story behind Alan’s family and the frosty relationship between his wife and son are explored a little further in this episode but it is still unclear where the creators are going with this.