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Limited Series – The Patient

Play trailer 2:55 Poster for Limited Series – The Patient 2022 Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
89% Tomatometer 63 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
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. In order to survive, Alan must unwind Sam's disturbed mind and stop him from killing again but Sam refuses to address critical topics, like his mother Candace. Alone in captivity, Alan excavates his own past through memories of his old therapist, Charlie, and grapples 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.
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The Patient — Limited Series

The Patient — Limited Series

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Critics Consensus

While The Patient might test viewers' patience by overextending its killer conceit, the arguably career-best work by Domhnall Gleeson and Steve Carell make this therapy session worth eavesdropping on.

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Critics Reviews

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Nick Hilton Independent (UK) The show is intelligent and unusual, aided by a fine turn from Carell. Rated: 4/5 Dec 2, 2022 Full Review Lucy Mangan Guardian If you can be patient, The Patient will yield its rewards. Rated: 3/5 Nov 30, 2022 Full Review Dan Einav Financial Times ... A two-hander that is both incisively written and exquisitely performed. Rated: 4/5 Nov 28, 2022 Full Review Samantha Schuster Cinéfilo Serial It offers a different, shocking, disturbing, and dark story that delves into human relationships and psychology. Excellent performances and a climate filled with tension and surprise are some of its best attributes. [Full Review in Spanish] Rated: 4/5 Jul 25, 2025 Full Review Ally Ham The Review Geek It’s a difficult line the series walks, between humanizing and glorifying a serial killer... In all of this focus on Sam and his complexities, the show deftly avoids a message about pandering to one’s oppressor. Rated: 8/10 Jul 20, 2024 Full Review Pallavi Keswani The Hindu The Patient stands out amidst a sea of shows about serial killers, making for a deeply captivating watch that involves equal parts anticipation into its final outcome and a meditation on family dynamics. Jan 24, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jonathan R. Excellent acting by everyone. Every episode kept getting better. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea due to large dialogue scenes but to me that’s what made it worth it. Excellent all around. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/20/25 Full Review Audience Member Unfortunately this is not a patch on the original French series That’s 5 ***** from 2022 Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/11/25 Full Review Arthur G The Patient is a thrilling series, which surprises the audience in every episode. The show is set mostly in a bedroom, and it increases the suspense and tension carried by two very good actors. A serial killer desires to fix himself at the same time he understands there is no turning back; and a therapist who is kidnapped and has to deal with problems of greater magnitude while walking on very thin ice. This is a very good plot. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/17/24 Full Review Neil C Odd and doesn't really go anywhere. If you cared about the characters then it might work but it not good enough to make that happen. The whole thing is laden with heavy Jewish symbolism for reasons that are never explained. Maybe it works better if those symbols are ones you grew up with but if you didn't then it's all very incongruous. The whole show feels like it was written specifically to be watched by a small audience of Jewish psychologists. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/14/24 Full Review matthias s **The Patient – 63%** Steve Carell is amazing as always in *The Patient*, and his acting—alongside Domhnall Gleeson’s—is really what makes this show work. They both carry the series, bringing out every emotion. The story itself is good and well-written, but the execution doesn’t fully deliver. It’s a very slow burn, maybe a bit *too* slow for me, and with short episodes, it struggles to hook you as much as it could. The cliffhangers at the end of each episode are great, but they leave you wanting more that doesn’t really come. Honestly, it might’ve worked better as a movie or a shorter series with longer episodes. It’s a solid show with some intense moments, but I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed in the end. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/27/24 Full Review taylor s Really great premise. Then it gets slow and unbelievable. The serial killer is reckless and stupid so I’m not sure how he managed to not get caught at some point. He’s also about 95 pounds and apparently has super human strength or something. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/13/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Patient — Limited Series

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Aug 30, 2022 Intake Dr. Alan Strauss, a therapist mourning the death of his wife, takes on an enigmatic new client; as the two men wrestle with very different, individual problems, their professional relationship is transformed by a choice that binds them together. Details Episode 2 Aired Aug 30, 2022 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. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 6, 2022 Issues Sam's desire to find a therapeutic solution grows as his inner struggle intensifies; Dr. Strauss brings a new variable into their sessions. Details Episode 4 Aired Sep 13, 2022 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. Details Episode 5 Aired Sep 20, 2022 Pastitsio Sam reaches out to a woman from his past; trials loom for Dr. Strauss, Sam, and Elias. Details Episode 6 Aired Sep 27, 2022 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. Details Episode 7 Aired Oct 4, 2022 Kaddish Both Dr. Strauss and Sam try to make new connections in their pursuit of an elusive peace. Details Episode 8 Aired Oct 11, 2022 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. Details Episode 9 Aired Oct 18, 2022 Auschwitz Dr. Strauss leaves nothing unsaid; Sam gives it another shot with Mary; an idea sparks for Sam, and everything seems to click together. Details Episode 10 Aired Oct 25, 2022 The Cantor's Husband For Sam, an unexpected decision shows progress towards his goals, but Dr. Strauss demands even more. Details
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Season Info

Director
Kevin Bray, Chris Long, Gwyneth Horder-Payton
Creator
Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields
Executive Producer
Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields, Caroline Moore, Chris Long, Steve Carell, Victor Hsu
Screenwriter
Joel Fields, Joe Weisberg
Network
Hulu
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Aug 30, 2022