The Patient - S01E10 [TBD] - Episode Discussion : r/ThePatient
Steve Carell (Dr. Alan Strauss) and Domhnall Gleeson (Sam Fortner) Plot Summary "The Patient" The Cantor's Husband(2022)
Realizing he will never be free, Alan takes a final, desperate risk. He threatens to kill Sam’s mother, Candace, with a sharpened cream container if Sam does not call the police and turn himself in. The Patient - S01E10 [TBD] - Episode Discussion
Sam reacts by lunging at Alan and strangling him to death. In the aftermath, Sam shows signs of Alan’s lasting impact: he sends a farewell letter Alan wrote to his children and provides them with the location of Alan’s body. Key Character Arcs Sam reacts by lunging at Alan and strangling him to death
In the final scene, Sam acknowledges his inability to stop his impulses through therapy alone. He chains himself to the floor of the basement—using the same restraint he used on Alan—and hands the key to his mother, effectively imprisoning himself to prevent future murders. Themes & Analysis
Encouraged by Alan, Sam visits his estranged, abusive father with the intent to kill him. However, Sam finds he cannot go through with it—a moment Alan hails as a massive therapeutic breakthrough.
Before his death, Alan finds personal closure by reconciling his feelings toward his late wife and his estranged son, Ezra, acknowledging his own failures in their relationship.