The Patient

I wanted to love this but instead I dragged myself through to get to the end. While the premise has promise, there is terrible execution (pun intended) of the actual plot and character arcs. Was waaaay too slow to keep me engaged.

A little slow at parts. Especially the ones with Ezra but still pretty good. Conflicted between hating and loving the simplicity of the ending.

Steve Carrel’s acting made an ok show watchable (and at times good), but it’s a wasted performance in a “meh” series.

The ending was anticlimactic, I think tension could have been built better, and the storytelling may have been more interesting if we remained in the room with Strauss and his flashbacks, rather than seeing Sam’s interactions with others in the outside world. I also don’t think the scenes where we see into the cupboard with Elias are necessary. If we as an audience had stayed completely in the room with Strauss and the things he envisioned I feel we would have developed a stronger sense of fear, of panic, and of being trapped alongside him, sharing in the imprisonment, only being allowed to know what he knows.
I also think it could have worked if Sam’s persona in the outside world was different in some way (perhaps more sociable or cheerful) which I think might provide a similar affect of feel trapped with Strauss.
Beyond that though you get a sense this show was made by a small group of people, it has the same vibe as a small independent film which I had its pros and cons. If there had been input from a wider range of people there may have been some positive directional changes, however the feeling that the show was made by a smaller group does provide a more contained, almost claustrophobic atmosphere which helps with the sense of being trapped.

10/10

Was good up until the end. Also felt like they made this too long.