In Treatment - Season Two

As the HBO release of In Treatment Season 2 proves, there's nothing wrong with seeing a therapist. Just don't expect him (or her) to be perfect. Gabriel Byrne returns to the series as psychotherapist Paul Weston. Newly divorced and running his therapy practice from his Brooklyn home, Paul finds himself in a predicament of catastrophic proportions. The season begins with Paul being served a lawsuit by an ex-patient's father angered by his apparent suicide. Our protagonist then spends a good deal of the season second-guessing his abilities and questioning his career.

Mia (Hope Davis) is the powerhouse attorney battling midlife crisis caused in part by Paul's abandoning her years earlier, and John Mahoney plays Walter, a chief executive with crippling panic attacks. Paul's inner struggle is fully exposed during his sessions with Gina (Dianne Wiest), whose gentle whispers lend a matriarchal tone to the series that says 'mother knows best' - - until of course she reveals her own dark set of issues.

What stands out about this series is its striking yet bare style - - each episode is set in a single room, and a minimal score is buffered by painfully awkward exchanges and uncomfortable silences. In Treatment is cerebral to its core - - and in the end, television at its best.

The 7-disc box set is complete with session recaps, and includes all 35 Season 2 episodes of the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning series.

In Treatment
DVD
$59.99
www.hbo.com