After being off the air for more than a decade, HBO's acclaimed therapeutic drama series In Treatment was rebooted for a fourth season in May of 2021. Adapted from the 2005 Israeli series BeTipul, the newest iteration of the show revolves around Brooke Taylor, played by acclaimed actress Uzo Aduba, a brilliant psychoanalyst who graduated at the top of her class at Stanford University.

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As Brooke deals with the personal drama surrounding her beloved father's recent death, she also begins treating a trio of regular patients at her home office in Baldwin Hills, California. While there is a lot to like about the new version of the show, it has its pros and cons when compared to past seasons.

Reboot: Better Main Character Conflict

Brooke overlooks city at night in In Treatment.

One of the things the fourth season does better than the previous three is establishing a central conflict for its main character. In the original, Dr. Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne) suffered from a general malaise relating to a midlife crisis and sagging marriage. In the reboot, Dr. Taylor has a much more tangible sense of grief.

Brooke reveals early on that her father has very recently died that and she is the only member of her family left alive. The emotional stress and sense of isolation Brooke feel in the wake of her loss make her more rootable and relatable than does Dr. Weston's amorphous main conflict.

Orignal: More Interesting Patients

Sophie on couch in In Treatment.

Although Brooke Taylor has a more compelling conflict to make her relatable than Dr. Weston, the overall collection of patients on the first three seasons of In Treatment is far more eclectic and challenging in terms of their therapeutic needs.

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While Eladio, Laila, and Colin all have very legitimate reasons for seeking therapy, none of them eclipse the kind of deep-seated inner-torment demonstrated in suicidal teenager Sophie (Mia Wasikowska), guilt-ridden soldier Alex (Blair Underwood), cancer-stricken April (Alison Pill), etc.

Reboot: Complex Portrayal Of Social Issues

Laila on couch in In Treatment

While the personal conflicts of the patients are superior in the first three seasons, the awareness of salient and timely social issues raised in season 4 are handled with more sensitivity.

As a way to better reflect the times, storylines include mental health in Eladio's bipolar diagnosis, white privilege and a sense of liberal entitlement in Colin's upbringing, sex addiction, and LGBTQ identity issues in Eladio and Laila's lifestyle. They are presented in a way that honors and includes as many marginalized social groups as possible.

Original: Better Writing

Jesse on couch in In Treatment

Although the newest season does a better job at raising important social issues of the day, it's hard to consider the overall writing better than it was in the first three seasons. Much of this has to do with the realistic dialogue between doctor and patients as much as it does the compelling storylines.

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Winner of the 2008 Writer's Guild of America Award for New Series, as well as a 2009 Peabody Award, the caliber of writing on the first three seasons of In Treatment is more trenchantly observed and far more nuanced than the newest incarnation.

Reboot: Improved Setting And Set Decoration

Brooke treats Colin in In Treatment

One major improvement of season 4 over the first three is the sunny setting and colorful set decorations. The first three seasons were set in Baltimore and largely confined to Dr. Weston's dark and drab home office workspace.

In stark contrast, the new version takes place in Baldwin Hills, California where Brooke enjoys a magnificent modern open-floor home that has lush plant life and sprawling panoramic vistas of downtown Los Angeles. The ornate decorations inside Brooke's house make it far more inviting and welcoming for patients to bear their souls.

Original: Acting

Paul treats Sunil in In Treatment.

Although the performances have been extremely strong in season 4, the quality of acting was even greater in the original run of the show. In addition to Gabriel Byrne winning a Golden Globe for his lead performance, his costars Glynn Turmann and two-time Oscar-winner Diane Wiest also won Primetime Emmy Awards for their work.

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With a cast of youthful and experienced acting talent alike, the original run of In Treatment featured standout acting from John Mahoney, Dane DeHaan, Mia Wasikowska, Alison Pill, Debra Winger, Amy Ryan, and the late, great Irrfan Khan, who starred in numerous amazing films.

Reboot: More Diversity

Laila and Rhonda on couch in In Treatment.

The newest season of In Treatment has done a much better job at representing racial diversity than its predecessors. While Blair Underwood, Glynn Turman, Sherri Shaum, Russell Hornsby, and Irfan Khan were featuring in the first few seasons, almost every other main character was caucasian, including the protagonist.

By contrast, nearly all the main characters in season 4 are of ethnic descent, while only two are caucasian. The diverse cast of characters includes Brooke's Latin patient Eladio (Anthony Ramos), mixed-race Laila (Quintessa Swindell), Laila's African-American grandmother Rhonda (CharlayneWoodard), and Brooke's Latina mentor Rita (Liza Colon-Zayas).

Original: The Therapist's Therapist

Paul and Gina in hall on In Treatment

One of the core tenets of In Treatment is having the primary therapist meet with their own psychoanalyst at the end of each week. In seasons 1-3, Paul Weston met with his mentor, Gina Toll, played by the ever-talented Dianne Wiest, a far more compelling character than Brooke's mentor, Rita.

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Given the aforementioned quality of award-winning acting and writing, the relationship between Paul and Gina was much more dramatic than the one between Brooke and Rita. Having not spoken in nine years since Gina failed to write Paul a letter of recommendation to his satisfaction, their contentious backstory informs every encounter they have.

Reboot: Better Wardrobe

Brooke treats Eladio in In Treatment.

As superficial as it may sound, one area season 4 vastly improves on is the wardrobe and costuming. In the original, Paul mainly wore monochromatic old suits that reflected his midlife crisis. Brooke, on the other hand, struts around in one elegant outfit after another.

Brimming with ultra confidence and a sense of self-empowerment, Brooke isn't afraid to adorn herself in a sexy sleek wardrobe and chic fashion styles. Whether at work with patients or at play with Adam (Joel Kinnaman), Brooke puts on her best.

Original: Scheduling Structure

Paul looks pensive on In Treatment.

One of the things that stood out about In Treatment 1-3 was its novel scheduling structure. With half-hour episodes airing every weekday, the TV schedule mirrored Dr. Weston's workweek. Mondays were dedicated to Laura, Tuesdays to Alex, Wednesdays to Sophie, and so on. By Friday, Dr. Weston would visit with his mentor, Gina.

Season 4 alters the scheduling format and does so for the worst. Days of the week are hardly mentioned on the show, and, rather than airing one episode per day, two episodes are aired daily. As such, the show doesn't feel as intimate or tailor-made for its viewers.

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