THE PATIENT IS NOT EPIC. Unlike several of the major shows arriving on TV of late-House of the Dragon, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power-it does not boast dizzying visual effects, take place in a fictional realm, or have any connections to a larger cinematic universe.
While they go big, The Patient remains appropriately, suspensefully intimate and contained. For long stretches, it functions as a two-hander with scenes that involve a pair of actors doing exceptional work opposite each other: Steve Carell as therapist Dr. Alan Strauss and Domhnall Gleeson as Sam, a patient with homicidal tendencies. Much of it is set in a single room, the spare finished basement of Sam's isolated home in the woods. Most of the ten episodes run 30 minutes or less; the first lasts a mere 20, which is precisely how much time is required to establish the show's central premise and conflict. It is, pardon the pun, all killer, no filler, but not in the ways you may imagine.
Sam is a serial murderer who kidnaps Alan, chains him up in said basement, and insists that Alan cure him of his desire to take the lives of people he deems offensive. Yes, we see Sam engage in some rather violent behavior, but The Patient is not a “murder show.” It doesn’t fixate on the grisly nature of Sam’s crimes or a police investigation into them or, refreshingly, any sexual compulsions that may be driving him. Creators Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, in the follow-up to their masterpiece The Americans, steer all the way around serial-killer tropes to create a limited series that offers surprising twists and thoughtful nuance in equal measure.
Denne historien er fra September 12 - 26, 2022-utgaven av New York magazine.
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Denne historien er fra September 12 - 26, 2022-utgaven av New York magazine.
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A Wonk in Full- Ezra Klein, glowed-up and post-coup, was almost a celebrity at the convention.
Ezra Klein, glowed-up and post-coup, was almost a celebrity at the convention. Ezra Klein, who is known to keep his passions in check, did not have the right credentials to get into the arena. The Secret Service didn't recognize the New York Times' star "Opinion" writer and podcaster, but eventually he was able to figure out how to get in to where he belonged. This was, after all, as much his convention as any journalist's, since its high-energy optimism turned on the fact that President Joe Biden was no longer leading the ticket and, starting early this year, Klein had led the coup drumbeat.
The Afterlife of Donald Trump - The presidential hopeful contemplates his campaign, his formidable new opponent, and the miracle of his continued existence.
Donald Trump raised his right hand and grabbed hold of it. He bent it backward and forward. I asked if I could take a closer look. These days, the former president and current triple threat-convicted felon, Republican presidential nominee, and recent survivor of an assassination attempt-comes from a place of yes. He waved me over to where he sat on this August afternoon, in a low-to-the-ground chair upholstered in cream brocade fabric in the grand living room at Mar-a-Lago.
Danzy Senna Can't Stop Thinking in Black and White
Her latest novel holds diminishing returns.
Live, Laugh, Love
Dick jokes meet sentimentality in a wily Sandler-Safdie collab.
Tim Burton Is Great Again
A long-awaited sequel revels in gore and nostalgia.
In the Shack With Robert Caro
The Power Broker is turning 50. The final LBJ book is almostwell, he won't say exactly, but he's trying for 900 words a day.
24 Comedians You Should Know RIGHT NOW
THE COMEDY industry is undergoing a metamorphosis in 2024. Name-brand venues like the Second City and UCB are opening or reopening in New York, beloved local spots are being bought out by megacorporations, and streaming-service-helmed comedy festivals are usurping the old-fashioned ones. Post-WGA strike, TV-development execs are growing green-light-shy, Hulu is entering the stand-up fray, and YouTube specials are becoming just as worthy of watching as Netflix specials, if not more so.
Leading Lady
Anna Sawai could take home the Emmy for her performance in Shogun. But she's keeping her cool.
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Le Même Veau
The Frenchette crew has taken over the 87-year-old restaurant, and the snails are as garlicky and the duck as pink as ever.
DESIGN HUNTING: A LOFT WITH A HIGHER PURPOSE
Ali Richmond, co-founder of the nonprofit Fashion for All Foundation, has lived in this Brooklyn loft for almost 20 years with his archive of designer clothing.
