Alan, despite the intense urge to kill Elias, remains calm. Sam explains how strong the urge has been to kill the man (his name is Elias), but Alan agrees not to kill him before speaking to him. ..
Alan demands that Sam fix him. The idea of protecting his mother supposedly didn’t work–not that we have proof he tried this suggestion. So, Alan suggests they try to distract him from his feelings. He tells him to go to work and have a normal day.
Alan is reluctantly leaving his therapy session with Sam. Elias finally speaks up from the other room to ask where he is. Alan whispers to him that this “lunatic” has captured both of them.
Candace interrupts them briefly to apologise on Sam’s behalf. She insists he really wants to change and states her opinion that his father is not the ticket to why he’s like this. “He was always… just Sam,” she says.
When she leaves, Alan continues talking with Elias, who is blindfolded and securely tied up. He doesn’t reveal who his captor is, but describes the room he’s in. He assures Elias that his daughter would have realized by now that he’s missing. Elias, too, thinks his parents will be calling the cops.
Alan talks about his family to fill time and to provide context for his experiences as a Jew. He describes his wife, Beth, who died of cancer a few months ago, and his son, Ezra, who became an Orthodox Jew. This put a great strain on their relationship.
Meanwhile, Alan has a rough day of work and calls Sam. He can’t take it any longer. He says he’s coming back to finish the job.
Alan urgently pleads with him to keep distracting himself from work–to stay at work and even go to a concert afterwards. Sam hangs up.
Elias starts panicking and asks Alan to tell his parents he loves them if he dies. Alan, barely holding it together, affirms his request.
Alan and Elias are discussing how they’re going to deal with Sam’s return home with a white noise machine. Elias suggests that they keep it in the room so that he can’t hear them talking, but Alan insists that it’s a ridiculous idea to just keep going to work everyday.
Alan tries to calm him, telling him that he will be released soon. Elias didn’t see his face when he captured him, so he can still work through this and release him. ..
Alan yells at Sam to stop approaching the door that leads to Elias, and suggests that seeing his ex-wife might give him the emotional shock he needs to get him away from his impulse to kill. ..
Sam just shakes his head and turns away from Alan. He steps into the bathroom.
When Elias comes out of his room, he quietly asks Alan to turn off the noise machine. Alan walks toward Elias’ room again, but before he can reach it, he unplugs the machine and leaves the house.
Alan sings “Country Roads” to Elias, who is crying in his room. ..
“Hi, Elias,” I say. “My name is Sarah. Nice to meet you.” ..
The Episode Review
The Patient is a psychological thriller that uses a minimalist style to create exceptional tension and drama. The writing/directing team is improving every episode in the ways it utilizes this style to create an intense and suspenseful experience.
The cast of “The Office” is responsible for making the show so successful. The cast is excellent in their roles and make the show very believable.
The show continues to present interesting themes about the practice of therapy, especially as it attempts to humanize those in the therapeutic profession by presenting different facets of Alan’s personality in different situations. Still, in many regards, The Patient holds its cards close to its chest.
In the comics, Sam has been shown to be a bit of a loner and to have a lot of self-doubt. We’ll have to wait on his actions to find out if he’s capable of changing.
