The Patient
| Company type | Limited series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | August 30, 2022 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Psychological thriller television series |
| Website | www |
The Patient is an American psychological thriller limited series crafted and scripted by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, who also act as showrunners and executive producers alongside Chris Long, Caroline Moore, Victor Hsu, and Steve Carell. The series features Carell, Domhnall Gleeson, and Linda Emond in principal roles. It debuted on August 30, 2022, on FX via Hulu and wrapped up on October 25, 2022, after a total of ten episodes.
The narrative follows a therapist (Carell) taken hostage by a patient (Gleeson) who demands an unorthodox therapeutic approach to manage his homicidal impulses.
The Patient was met with favorable reviews from critics. Carell received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie, while Gleeson earned nods for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries.
Synopsis
A serial killer confines his therapist captive, seeking assistance to suppress his violent tendencies.
Main
- Steve Carell portrays Dr. Alan Strauss, a therapist grappling with the recent loss of his wife
- Jackson Dollinger appears as the young version of Alan Strauss
- Domhnall Gleeson plays Sam Fortner, a serial killer and Alan’s new patient who works professionally as a restaurant inspector
- Linda Emond acts as Candace Fortner, Sam’s mother who is aware of the circumstances
Recurring
- Andrew Leeds as Ezra Strauss, Alan and Beth’s son, estranged after adopting Orthodox Judaism
- Laura Niemi as Beth Strauss, Alan’s recently deceased wife and cherished cantor at her community’s Reform synagogue
- Alan Blumenfeld portrays Chaim Benjamin
- Alex Rich as Elias, one of Sam’s captives whose situation prompts Sam to seek Dr. Strauss’s help
- David Alan Grier plays Charlie Addison, Alan’s former therapist
Development
In October 2021, The Patient was announced with an order for ten episodes by FX on Hulu. Steve Carell was confirmed to star as the lead character—a therapist held hostage by a serial killer—and also took on executive producer duties. Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg created the series and served as showrunners while co-writing every episode. Additional executive producers include Caroline Moore, Victor Hsu, and Chris Long, who directed several installments.
Casting
At the time of the October 2021 announcement, Steve Carell was revealed to be both lead actor and executive producer. In January 2022, the cast expanded to include Domhnall Gleeson, Linda Emond, Laura Niemi, and Andrew Leeds. The following month saw Alex Rich and David Alan Grier joining in recurring capacities.
Filming
Production for The Patient commenced in Los Angeles in mid-January 2022.
Release
The limited series The Patient made its debut on August 30, 2022, premiering on FX through the Hulu streaming platform. For international audiences, the show was made available on Disney+ in selected markets. Subsequently, it was broadcast on FX on April 27, 2023.
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, The Patient holds an approval rating of 89% based on 63 critic evaluations, with consensus highlighting the strong performances by Carell and Domhnall Gleeson despite some concerns about the series' pacing. Metacritic assigned the show a score of 74 out of 100 from 30 critics, reflecting "generally favorable reviews."
Nick Allen from RogerEbert.com awarded the series 2 out of 4 stars, praising Carell's "reflective portrayal" but describing Gleeson's performance as "monotone" and criticizing the slow pacing. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian rated it 3 out of 5 stars, commending Carell's "flawless" acting while pointing out that the series felt "somewhat sluggish and repetitive."
Accolades
Audience viewership
The Patient demonstrated strong streaming traction. Data from Whip Media, which tracks viewing habits of over 21 million users worldwide through its TV Time application, showed the series debuting as the ninth most-streamed original program in the U.S. during the week of September 4, 2022. It climbed to sixth place by October 9, fifth by October 23, and reached third place by October 30.
According to Reelgood, which analyzes real-time streaming activity among approximately 5 million U.S. users, The Patient ranked eighth in viewership as of August 31, 2022, advancing to fourth by September 9. Additionally, JustWatch, using data from more than 20 million global users, listed it as the third most-streamed show in the U.S. between September 5 and September 12.
External links
- The Patient at FX
- The Patient at Hulu
- Articles with short description
- 2020s American drama television miniseries
- 2022 American television series debuts
- 2022 American television series endings
- American thriller television series
- American English-language television shows
- FX on Hulu original programming
- Psychological thriller television series
- Television shows filmed in Los Angeles