Name: The Patient season 1 episode 7
Director: Gwyneth Horder-Payton
Released: 2022-10-04T10:30:00

Episode 7 of The Patient sees Alan do a lot of introspection and explore the issues going on in his head as he waits and hopes for someone to find the message he hid in Elias’ mouth. The episode is now streaming on Hulu.

Recap

Alan finds himself in the same old dream where he’s in a concentration camp and this time there is a group of orthodox Jews reciting the Kaddish. Next, he finds himself sitting across from Charlie, talking about how he’s feeling.

He imagines the scene that might take place when the police find the body and storm Sam’s house, or what might happen if Sam finds the note first. Both scenarios have brutal endings to them.

Charlie mentions how Alan keeps bringing up his old age and weakness when it comes to dealing with the situation that he’s in but Alan keeps deflecting and says that it’s not a big deal. He doesn’t want to open up even if it’s his final day alive.

He remembers the moment Ezra informed him and Beth that he was becoming more Orthodox and how he attacked his mother’s connection to God.

He gets up to recite the Kaddish for his wife but he doesn’t get far when Sam walks in and asks him what he’s doing. He tells him about the recitation and says that he cannot remember all the words.

Sam wants to have a session but Alan says that it’s been a long day and night and he’s too tired at the moment to sit down and talk with him. He keeps picturing the police storming in repeatedly and it makes him anxious.

The next morning, Sam visits his old high school and meets with his old school counsellor, Mr Buchella. Sam asks him if he ever felt like there was something wrong with him all those years ago.

Mr Buchella says that he felt something was off but he maintained hope that Sam would turn it around. Sam says that he’s not happy with the way his life is going and asks Mr Buchella if he’d be open to being Sam’s therapist.

Mr Buchella says he’ll consider it and gives Sam his number. Sam also asks him if it would be a good idea to live with your therapist and Mr Buchella says that he wouldn’t recommend that.

Sam is really struggling with something and he calls Mary up. He asks her if she ever felt there was something wrong with him. She says that there were a few obvious things since he was her husband but she also feels like he’s a generally good guy.

Alan finally decides to let out the frustration toward his son that he’s been holding onto and how Ezra’s decision to turn orthodox and then stick to it even during his mother’s final moments felt like a betrayal.

He tells Charlie that for the sake of his mother, he should have relented and just gone along with her wishes but he had to act all high and mighty and defy her right to the very end.

Sam returns home with a printer and tells Alan that he’ll print out the Kaddish for him so that he can recite it. Alan is pleased with that decision and lets Sam know that he’s showing empathy which is a good step.

He then tells Sam that he wants to talk about how Sam will feel when Elias’ body is found and it hits the news but Sam says that he didn’t leave the body for anyone to find, he actually hid it.

The gravity of the situation hits Alan as he processes the fact that he doesn’t know if anyone will ever find him or how much longer he’ll be alive. Sam hands him a sheet with the Kaddish written and asks if he can watch but Alan says that it’s private.

Sam goes into his room and closes the door. He then listens from the inside as Alan stands in the centre of the room and recites the Kaddish in memory of his late wife.

Review

This series does a great job of exploring human nature at its core and credit goes to Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson for portraying it so magnificently.
They’re both going through a multitude of emotions and they appear to deal with it in their own unique ways. Carell’s Alan dissociates into a situation where he’s exploring his trauma with his former therapist.
Even though he’s aware of his issues, he appears to be in denial and doesn’t want to face them. Gleeson’s Sam is going through a lot of guilt, firstly for killing Elias and then for not leaving it in the open like he said he would.
He tries to assuage that guilt by talking to other people and helping Alan in a different way but he knows there is no escaping this feeling.