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March 26, 2008 2:26

TV Tonight: Closing Sessions

Posted by James Poniewozik | Comments (5) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

10.0s across the board: Wasikowska as gymnast Sophie finishes up Treatment. / HBO: Claudette Barius

The last (abbreviated) week of HBO's In Treatment begins tonight. As much as I've knocked HBO around for its programming screwiness lately, this series (much like Tell Me You Love Me) was a prime example of why I'm glad the network exists. There's not another network in the U.S. that would have attempted it: it's too slow for FX, not sexy enough for Showtime, probably not commercial enough even for AMC and obviously too raw for PBS. It may have been a ratings failure, but it was an artistic success, and TV could use more programmers willing to fail this well. (In this sense, even the decision to blow $20-odd million on Twelve Miles of Bad Road and then cancel it was principled in its own way. Dysfunctional and messed-up, but principled.)

As for tonight, I won't give away anything except to say that I hope the show wasn't so low-rated that Emmy voters will overlook Mia Wasikowska, left, who has been simply astonishing: probably the best raw-nerve depiction on TV of a teenager's inner life since Claire Danes in My So-Called Life, and then some.

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Reader Comments (5)

Harold

I have to confess, I came to it late, was frustrated by it, and eventually drifted off because I couldn't face the commitment. That said, I'm also glad HBO gave it a chance. If the price o the DVD isn't too steep, I will definitely try again at my own pace.

Posted by Harold | March 26, 2008 5:42 PM

Allison:

I'm finally up-to-date enough to be able to promptly comment on one of your In Treatment posts without fear of spoilers!

I've become rather attached to the show, what with watching 2 1/2 hours a week for two months straight, with barely anything else on TV. And the commitment has paid off, I think, especially with the last week's episodes. So I agree both that I'm glad HBO bought/produced/aired the series and that Sophie's portrayal has been amazing.

Posted by Allison | March 26, 2008 9:12 PM

Emily:

i just wrote about Mia's performance reminding me of Claire Danes at that age....which isn't exactly what you're saying but in the same vein.

Posted by Emily | March 26, 2008 9:52 PM

at8ax:

File under "Hey you kids, get off my lawn": HBO is a network? When did that word lose its meaning of "affiliated stations"? As far as I'm concerned, HBO is a channel.

Posted by at8ax | March 27, 2008 4:30 PM

Brian4:

This was a great show, but one that I never would have committed to, at 5 nights a week over two months, if a strike hadn't completely cleared the field. Lucky for HBO there wasn't much else on, and lucky for me I signed on and was richly rewarded with a strong, intelligent, involving experience, the high point of which was Mia Wasikowska's otherworldly performance

Posted by Brian4 | March 28, 2008 9:01 PM

About Tuned In

James Poniewozik writes TIME magazine's Tuned In column, about pop culture and society. Tuned In, the blog version, is about the stuff we used to call "TV," whether it's in your living room, on your computer or--once the networks figure out the technology and line up the advertisers--in your dreams themselves.