Take a seat on the couch for a very unusual therapy session with The Patient, a TV thriller from the team behind The Americans. The 10-episode limited series shows that everyone can use someone to talk to, even serial killers.
Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg wrote and are the executive producers of The Patient. The duo previously worked together on The Americans, the hit spy thriller starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. This is their first TV project since The Americans ended in 2018.
Here is everything we know about The Patient.
When is The Patient finale?
It's all been building to this, as The Patient finale is now available to stream on Hulu in the US. Here is the synopsis for episode 10 of the limited series, "The Cantor's Husband":
"For Sam, an unexpected decision shows progress towards his goals, but Dr. Strauss demands even more."
All episodes of The Patient are now available to stream on Hulu.
UK fans itching to watch The Patient now have a release date to hold onto, as the limited series premieres on Disney Plus on November 30. It is unclear if episodes are being released all at once or rolled out weekly.
What is The Patient plot?
The Patient is billed as a psychological thriller. Here is a synopsis for the series:
"Therapist Alan Strauss is held prisoner by a patient, Sam Fortner, who reveals himself to be a serial killer. Sam has an unusual therapeutic demand for Alan: curb his homicidal urges.
"To survive, Alan must unwind Sam’s disturbed mind and stop him from killing again, but Sam refuses to address critical topics, topics like his mother, Candace. Alone in captivity, Alan excavates his own past through memories of his old therapist, Charlie, and gapples with waves of his own repressed troubles — the recent death of his wife, Beth, and the painful estrangement from his religious son, Ezra.
"Over the course of his imprisonment, Alan uncovers not only how deep Sam's compulsion runs, but also how much work he has to do to repair the rift in his own family. With time running out, Alan fights desperately to stop Sam before Alan becomes complicit in Sam's murders or worse – becomes a target himself."
The Patient episodes
Here are the official synopses for The Patient episodes that have been released so far:
The Patient episode 1, "Intake"
"Dr. Alan Strauss, a therapist mourning the death of his wife, takes on an enigmatic new client. As they wrestle with very different problems, their professional relationship is transformed by a choice that binds them deeply together."
The Patient episode 2, "Alan Learns to Meditate"
"Sam delves more deeply into the reason he entered therapy, but he encounters resistance from Dr. Strauss as he attempts to continue their sessions. A gathering sense of not being alone leads to a revelation about the house."
The Patient episode 3, "Issues"
"Sam's desire to find a therapeutic solution grows as his inner struggle intensifies. Dr. Strauss brings a new variable into their sessions."
The Patient episode 4, "Company"
"On the threshold of crisis, Sam honors the promise Dr. Strauss made him make as a condition for continuing their work together. The trust built between patient and doctor is tested, with a life in the balance."
The Patient episode 5, "Pastisto"
"Sam reaches out to a woman from his past. Trials loom for Dr. Strauss, Sam, and Elias."
The Patient episode 6, "Charlie"
"Dr. Strauss struggles with the reality he finds himself in. Sam is consumed with practical necessities, but agrees to his therapist's advice to make different choices."
The Patient episode 7, "Kaddish"
"Both Dr. Strauss and Sam try to make new connections in their pursuit of an elusive peace."
The Patient episode 8, "Ezra"
"Dr. Strauss is honest with himself about his failures, past and present. A revelation about his relationship with Ezra leads him back to the urgency of escape. Sam loses faith in his doctor."
The Patient episode 9, "Auschwitz"
"Dr. Strauss leaves nothing unsaid. Sam gives it another shot with Mary. An idea sparks for Sam, and everything seems to click together."
The Patient episode 10, "The Cantor's Husband"
"For Sam, an unexpected decision shows progress towards his goals, but Dr. Strauss demands even more."
Who is in The Patient cast?
Steven Carrell and Domhnall Gleeson lead The Patient, with Carrell playing Alan and Gleeson as Sam. Carrell is of course best known for his roles on The Office and in the movies Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Despicable Me. Gleeson’s most recognizable roles have come in About Time, Ex Machina and Star Wars.
Other main cast members include Linda Emond (Succession, The Gilded Age) as Candace, David Alan Grier (The Carmichael Show, Jumanji) as Charlie, Laura Niemi (This Is Us, ShowFriends) as Beth and Andrew Leeds (Barry, A Million Little Things).
The Patient trailer
The heightened dynamic between Gleeson’s Sam and Carrell’s Alan is on full display in The Patient trailer, which you can watch directly below:
How to watch The Patient
The Patient is produced by FX, but the series is a Hulu exclusive for US audiences. The only way to watch is if you have a Hulu subscription, but the good news is there are multiple options for that. This includes signing up for Hulu as a standalone subscription, packaging it as part of the Disney Bundle or getting live TV on top of Hulu’s exclusive content with Hulu with Live TV.
For UK audiences, The Patient is streaming exclusively on Disney Plus, which also requires a subscription to view its content.
