“In therapy”

It's been a very long time since I've seen something this powerful in Israeli TV. I can't recall something quite like it. No special effects, no big action scenes or fake dramas… it's simple, honest and effective, goes straight into your soul.

Being in Asia for a year I missed the first season of this show and have heard very little of it. Last week, I got to see a rerun episode with my dad and right after I quickly tried my best to get a hold of some more episodes. I have to confess that although I had plans as to what to do yesterday, I've spent a fair amount of time watching the episodes I was able to get my hands on, thinking about them and discussing them with others. I am, so it seems, an addict.

"Plot Outline: The show follows Reu'ven Dagan, a known psychologist, through his weekly meetings with his patients, including his appointment with his own therapist." (from IMDB)

People, processes, life, interactions, therapy. These are subjects that I've been into since I was a little kid, starting with books that I've found laying around the house - reading all the books by Irvin Yalom, Yoram Yovel and many other unknowns, and into my decision to go for a psychology degree. Those who know me a little know my special connection to those.

"Betipul" - Hebrew for "In therapy", is a realistic show about the inner-workings of therapy. It goes further than any book that I've read and any simulation that I've seen about therapy to show the interactions happening between people - showing different patients coming to a psychologist, and the sessions between that psychologist and his mentor-therapist. A very strong experience.

Bottom line - it's the best thing that's happened in Israeli TV lately… go and see it.