From Apple TV+’sShrinkingandTheShrink Next Doorto Hulu’sThe Patient, current television is saturated with portrayals of therapy. All of these shows have a lot in common: big-name leads, dark humor, and a lot of patient-therapist boundary-crossing. So why all of this contentnow? The answer likely lies in the similar saturation of therapy and mental health discourse on social media, in pop culture, and in everyday life. A whole new arena of comedy has been unlocked in recent years, as the topic of therapy lends itself well to fresh and shocking humor. On the flip side, the completely vulnerable nature of therapy makes it an apt tool for horror, as if opening up to a stranger is not scary enough. But the secret superpower of therapy-related television is that it is inherently poignant, and therefore will always have a layer of depth that other shows might not.
Therapy is of course not completely new in media, with shows likeThe Sopranos,Web Therapy, andHannibalportraying varying levels of realism in therapy. However, there is a new age of therapy-related television beginning, one that delves into the lives of both patient and therapist alike. Therapists have often been on-screen tools rather than fleshed-out characters, but recent programs that explore their depth can lead to television that is laugh-out-loud, tense and scary, deeply heartwarming, or all of the above.
RELATED:TV’s Worst Therapists, From ‘Shrinking’ to ‘The Sopranos’
‘Shrinking’ and ‘The Shrink Next Door’ Are Proof That Boundary-Crossing Makes for Good Comedy
ShrinkingstarsJason Segelas Jimmy, a grieving husband and father who also happens to be a therapist. In order to begin his own healing journey, he begins crossing boundaries with his patients. And these boundaries arebig. Watching Jimmy break every rule of therapy (like threatening one of his patients with dropping them if they don’t leave their husband) is so effective because it is so unexpected. It is easy to do shocking jokes about therapy because therapists are traditionally such stoic and professional characters designed to move along the story for the main, (and typically more interesting) characters.
The comedic effect is only doubled when the actor is also highly professional:Harrison Fordshines as Paul, another therapist at Jimmy’s practice.Ford’s chemistry with bothJessica Williams(who plays therapist Gaby) and Segel is a refreshing take on the classic gruff mentor and goofy mentee relationship. Paul’s deadpan demeanor makes him the more traditional therapist type, while Jimmy and Gaby are the hip, young therapists. We’ve seen this trope in plenty of settings, but in a therapist’s office is perhaps the most unexpected. Supposed “experts” on the human psyche driving each other crazy and making morally ambiguous choices will nevernotbe entertaining.
However, the dark jokes don’t have to be in your face to be effective. InThe Shrink Next Door, Marty (Will Ferrell) is a lonely, geeky heir to a fabric business who, at the recommendation of his sister (Kathryn Hahn), begins seeing therapist Dr. Ike (Paul Rudd). Slowly, Dr. Ike infiltrates Marty’s life, and we watch as over the course of almost 30 years, Dr. Ike drains Marty of his money and personal freedom. While this show is a very different,more subtle brand of comedy than Ferrell and Rudd have previously done together(i.e.Anchorman) there is a certain kind of satisfaction in watching the two of them in a dark comedy-drama. Like watching Harrison Ford as a gruff professional, watching Ferrell and Rudd flex their serious acting chops is already unexpected. The show then subverts our expectations of a patient-therapist relationship so much it becomes comical. Much of the humor inThe Shrink Next Dooris unsettling and at the expense of the clueless Marty, but again, fresh and effective.
The Therapist’s Perspective Is a Valuable Tool
Shows likeHannibalhave already explored the consequences of an ill-intentioned therapist, but what about a murderousclient?The Patient, an FX miniseries starringSteve CarellandDomhnall Gleeson, follows a serial killer that takes his therapist captive to help stop him from killing. Carell plays Alan, a psychotherapist dealing with trauma of his own, and Gleeson plays Sam, his new patient that quickly escalates their relationship from patient-therapist to captive-captor. While there are moments of extremely dark comedy, this show is mostly an atmospheric thriller that keeps you guessing from start to finish.
Similar toThe Shrink Next Door, The Patientis constantly unsettling. Sam puts not only his mental health in Alan’s hands, but the lives of other people as well, a dark premise that is uniquely terrifying. We want to trust the therapeutic process, butThe Patientreminds us that there is only so much therapy can do.It doesn’t take horror to evoke fear, and something about Sam’s complete lack of control despite being treated by “the best” is a littletooreal. It’s a (probably healthy) reminder that therapists are not superheroes, but unfortunately for Alan, that fact keeps his life at constant risk and the audience on edge.
LikeShrinking,The Patienthumanizes the therapist. Alan, like Jimmy, has recently lost his wife, andThe Patient’s most heartfelt moments draw from Alan processing his grief and complicated relationship with his children. The audience empathizes with Alan for both his impossible position with Sam and his achingly human problems.Shrinkingdoes this even more. Rather than short vignettes of Jimmy’s grief, much of the show is focused on the complex ways that losing his wife has affected his work and relationships. The idea of therapists continuing to better the lives (in theory) of their clients while dealing with struggles of their own is touching in a deep way. Shows about therapy might be fertile ground for comedy and suspense, but they are also inherently thought-provoking, one of the most important qualities a show can have.
As television and film become more saturated, it’s harder and harder to come up with original content, —one great reason to tap into therapy as an on-screen tool. Therapy is becoming normalized to the point that many people can relate to content regarding it, but it is not yet overdone in media. The slightly taboo, sometimes dark, and ultimately poignant nature oftherapy makes foran easy transition into both meaningful moments or pitch-black humor. Therapy is rich with on-screen possibilities, and likely won’t be leaving the media anytime soon.
