“The Patient” episode 4 brings a strong sense of emotional connection between characters and adds to the heightened yet slow drama that has been building on so far. While the episode reveals about Sam’s new hostage, it also crafts a growing bond between this new individual and Alan. Any time or effort given to ‘The Patient’ really seems to pay off, as the work is turning out to be powerful enough to keep one attached. There is almost a therapeutic touch, indeed, amidst the dark and nervous situation that the show presents.
Spoilers Ahead
‘The Patient’ Episode 4 Recap And Ending
Alan is seen having a tough time sleeping, as the impossible tense nature of his current situation grips him. He remembers his recent sessions with Sam, short durations when he had to keep himself immensely calm and professional while his patient spoke of how he was finding it difficult to contain himself any longer. He did share with Alan about his relationship with his ex-wife and how they had spent some loving time together at concerts of Sam’s favorite musician. On this particular morning, which is the very next day after Sam brought in his new captive, Sam makes it clear how he had a difficult time containing his desire to kill, and yet he made sure to remember Alan’s advice. Alan had earlier told Sam not to do anything, i.e., kill anyone, before talking to him about it, but Sam could not really stop himself from attacking the restaurant manager, who had been terribly rude and arrogant towards him. While he engaged in his attack, though, he thought of Alan’s words, and for the first time, he had stopped in the middle of his act. Instead of killing the man, he had dragged him to his house and wanted to talk to Alan before causing any harm to him.
At present, Sam finds it difficult to stop himself and tells Alan that he is about to kill the captive when the psychotherapist suggests a new method to help his patient. His earlier method of making Sam think of protecting his mother whenever he stopped himself from killing clearly did not work, and now he tells Sam to essentially divert his mind by doing the usual things that he does daily. The best way to do that, Alan suggests, is for Sam to go to his work and spend the whole day there as usual, despite Sam wanting to call in sick. When the young man claims that he cannot pull through such a feat while he is in such an enraged state of mind, Alan says that he will always be available over the phone and would help Sam out if he called the phone at his home. This does happen sometime later, when Candace hurriedly comes downstairs holding a cordless phone with Sam on the line, asking to talk to Alan. The phone call goes almost the same way as their session in the morning, as Sam is stressed out by the work office environment and wants to just return home and kill his hostage. Alan talks him down, trying to convince him to spend the entire day at the office in order to face his challenge, and Sam agrees to try. Alan also suggests that Sam goes to one of the concerts that he enjoys so much after work, but he simply laughs it off.
Candace had also earlier come downstairs to talk with Alan, but the woman gradually seemed different than a worried mother willing to do anything to help her ailing son. Instead, she seems to be someone who would always protect Sam no matter what he did and would also rather have other people help him than try anything herself. Alan asks about the boy’s past, hoping to find any connections between his childhood traumas and his present addiction to killing, but Candace states that it is not such a simple diagnosis. She claims that Sam had always been the weird and unnatural way that he now is, irrespective of his history with his father. It is also in Episode 4 that we are first shown scenes from outside the house in the present, as Sam’s situation at work is revealed. Being such a meticulous and efficient person, almost a perfectionist in his daily duties, Sam is obviously subject to casual jokes and snide remarks. On this particular day, he forgets to bring donuts for his colleagues, as was decided before, and his colleagues do not let go of such a rare opportunity to make fun of Sam for his mistake either. His heartfelt and passionate work as a restaurant supervisor was also a matter of laughter for his colleagues, as a letter sent by a restaurant owner praising Sam’s work was often read out loud as a source of motivation and laughter for the others. Perhaps it is not too strange that the young man returns home frustrated and ready to kill that evening. Once again, Alan has to step in and talk him down, and this time he suggests that he visit his ex-wife immediately in order to take his mind off the murder. His point is that Sam had shared a genuine relationship with his ex-wife, and perhaps meeting her once again would help him out. Sam seems to take the idea as he goes out, leaving Alan and the hostage alone.
How Does Alan Grow Close To The New Hostage As Well?
Alan mostly does a juggling of roles between the time that he spends talking to Sam and that which he spends alone. In front of his patient, Alan is a calm and confident man carrying out his professional duty, but the moment Sam leaves the scene, in any instance, Alan’s fears and anxiety come crashing in. It is in such a state that he talks to the hostage for the first time. The young man held captive, his name later revealed as Elias, fearfully calls out to Alan when Sam is at work and asks him about the exact situation, they are in. Elias, who has a blindfold over his eyes and is tied to a chair, seems excited just to hear that Alan can see and move around at least a little bit. He suggests Alan try some physically forceful action against their kidnapper, but the elder psychotherapist knows better. Gradually, as they submit to the unfortunate reality of their situation, the two start to talk about each other and develop a slight bond. They try to relate to each other’s lives—Elias talks of his mother’s cancer when Alan tells him how his wife had recently passed away from cancer; Alan says how his daughter Shoshana must have contacted the police by now, and Elias agrees that his parents too have definitely reported him missing to the police. Elias says how he had returned home from Asia wanting to be close to his mother, and Alan cannot help but think of his own son, who was not so loving towards his mother. He recalls moments from family gatherings where their two children would come with the grandchildren, and Ezra still seemed distant from his parents. Alan tells Elias how Ezra’s conversion to orthodox Judaism had grown a barrier between him and his mother, and how that rift could never be repaired, even through death.
Elias, too, shares about his own relationship with and love for his parents, and he talks about how he had prepared a new dish only to make his mother taste something good during her suffering. Fearing that Sam would surely kill him, Elias asks Alan to write a note for him to give to his parents later, and in it, the young man can only come up with a heartfelt, “I love you.” He asks Alan if saying this much is enough, and he tearfully replies that it definitely is the crux of it. Hearing a caring son profess his love for his parents strikes a sad chord in Alan’s heart, for he definitely longs to hear something like this from his own children but has probably not heard so in a long time. Although he says that his daughter must be searching for him by now, this daughter, or any special bond that he shares with her, has been majorly missing throughout the series so far. Even if Shoshana does ultimately save her father, how much of it would be out of genuine love would perhaps always remain arguable.
When Sam returns home that evening, all frustrated and wanting to kill Elias, the young man held captive is scared that his time is up. Alan steps in, not just to cure Sam’s ailment but also to save Elias, and is able to divert Sam away from the house. Alan now tells Elias how he is really suffering mentally in such a situation, but Alan can only do so much. In order to help the man and calm him down, Alan now sings “Country Roads,” and Elias joins in. Despite the insignificance of such an act, this is all that the two captive men can do—unite and provide support for each other.
What To Expect Next From ‘The Patient’ Episode 5?
With the camera having already left the confines of the house once now and the point in the plot where Episode 4 ends, it might be expected that we will be introduced to Sam’s ex-wife next. Even if she is not seen, more revelations about her and her relationship with Sam will surely be made. With the obvious bond growing between Alan and Elias, it might not seem out of place if the two actually look after each other and if Alan tries to convince Sam to let Elias go. How exactly that pans out would be something to look forward to.
