HBO's "In Treatment"

Watching the second season of HBO's In Treatment, viewers will notices some subtle changes from the first, critically acclaimed season. Besides the different array of patients, the locations are also different.

First, newly divorced Dr. Paul Weston (Golden Globe winner Gabriel Byrne) has relocated from Maryland to Brooklyn and now runs his practice out of his brownstone. Also, with a new lawsuit pending against him as result of one of his cases from last season, Weston seeks counsel from a former patient Mia (Hope Davis), who also happens to be an attorney that could still use the good doctor's professional expertise. Their scenes in Mia's bright legal offices give the show a different feel from the darker, moodier feel of Weston's home office.

The other new stories include April (Milk actress Alison Pill), who is refusing treatment when diagnosed with cancer, Walter (Frasier's John Mahoney) as a CEO going through professional scandal and personal loss and Oliver (Aaron Shaw), an 11-yr old reacting to his parents' divorce with an eating disorder. Finally, Emmy-winner Dianne Weist returns as Paul's therapist, who helps provide the window into Paul's personal conflicts and overall journey.

"In Treatment" works best when regarded as an actor's showcase and the series should be commended for it's remaining primarily static in the doctor-patient setting. While it might be tempting to have flashbacks or forced scenes to move the stories outside the therapy sessions, the fact that it doesn't do that makes this series one to watch. It not only forces viewers to really pay attention to the subtle twists and turns but it also provides this collection of actors a worthy showcase to show the power of dialogue and a theatrical exchange between two people.

Gabriel Byrne has never been better and he seemingly provides a showcase of acting without saying a word. Paul is a man who has gone through his own series of disappointments and life changing events and, as he listens to his patients, you can't help but feel that he relates to each and every one of them all too well. Of the newest collection of patients, while all strong, Alison Pill's story stands out as someone who is blatantly ignoring the hand that life has dealt her by refusing treatment for her cancer or sharing the news with her parents.

The broadcasting of the series has also been adjusted this season. Whereas last season saw five episodes air over five consecutive nights, the series is now airing on Sundays and Mondays. On Sundays, two episodes will air from 9-10pm EST followed by three episodes airing from 9-10:30pm EST on Mondays. Regardless of how the episodes are presented (and with On-Demand and other platforms to watch anything on television these days), "In Treatment" is a treat and as solid in its second year as ever before.