With the house to himself, an energized Eladio shares the true depth of his unlikely connection to Jeremy. But when her patient shuts down on the heels of a compliment, Brooke helps Eladio sort through deep-rooted issues from his childhood.
In 2020, the television industry aired 493 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of HBO's In Treatment.
"Eladio - Week 3" was written by Chris Gabo and directed by Uta Briesewitz
Eladio cannot accept compliments. Brooke connects it back to him having a mother who never offered him the support he needed as a child. In order to rewire his brain, she tries to step into that role and help him accept the graciousness of his own actions. And yet, he completely shuts down. After this session, Brooke is also convinced that medication is necessary in this case. She was reluctant to pursue that path so quickly into these sessions. She made a deal with El though. They set a timeframe. He wasn't out of medication just yet. As such, he can't use that as the sole barometer of whether or not these sessions are going well. He is in a completely different mood here. He feels free because the DeMarco's are out of the house. He has the place to himself. That means he can be as open and honest as he wants about how it feels to be in this particular situation. His life is essentially shaped by the demands of their lives. He serves as an aide to Jeremy. He loves the job. He stays because of the person he is helping. He doesn't entirely feel appreciated in this role. He is the help. He is hired to do a job. He extends himself further than what is expected of him. That's just who he is. He isn't afraid to speak his mind. He sees the lines blurred between family and those who work for them. These relationships are personal. But he was still concerned about them listening in on these sessions with Brooke. They are away for the day. And yet, El is still doing video sessions with Brooke. He is still bold and expressive when talking about Jeremy. Their bond is one defined by mutual love and respect. That's at least how El describes it. That's how he feels. He sees the actions that prove it as well. They get into these epic fights because Jeremy says so many offensive things that El cannot tolerate. He provokes conversation as well. He calls out these heinous thoughts. He engages with the subject instead of just writing it off as the wealthy and privileged of the world being condescending to those not lucky enough to be in the same situation. It hits him deep in his soul. He must engage. As such, it's reflected back onto him that he can be trusted with the true impulses of this family. Those bonds have been forged. They understand each other much better than what a traditional home health aide would. El lets Jeremy have his freedom as well. Sometimes it's completely justified too. El understands exactly what Jeremy needs in any particular moment. Brooke sees that Jeremy is lucky to have El. That compliment hits El's mind differently though. He sees it as dismissing what this relationship is. To him, it's Brooke saying that El isn't also lucky to have Jeremy in his life. And yes, everyone may want to dig deeper into that reaction as well. Right now though, Brooke just wants El to accept when people say nice things about him. She is just offering an observation. She engages with her patient. She comments on his behavior. She uplifts what needs to be uplifted to provide clarity. El needs this boost. He sees it as not worthy of spending all this money on therapy though. He doesn't need people to compliment him. That's not all that Brooke is doing. She wants to provide El with the guidance necessary to improve his life. He needs stability. It's not good enough that he gets four hours sleep when he knows the DeMarco's will be gone for the day. That means he won't have to do any of his normal responsibilities. He gets to be free in this environment. That lessons the burden on his shoulders. But he's not willing to engage with Brooke's idea of providing new context to pivotal childhood moments. He doesn't think it's relevant. He doesn't want to obstruct from the work that needs to be done. He still shuts down though. Brooke sees that clearly. She doesn't want to push him too far beyond his comfort zone. He has to be willing to examine his past and how it has shaped his behavior. It's hard for him to see his own identity in a world where he has so much empathy and love for Jeremy. Brooke makes him think about things in a new way. The situation doesn't really change. It remains the same. El has some relief in his life. That comes from sleep. And yet, Brooke still sees a troubled young man. He certainly has enlightened views on the world. He sees the best in people and engages when others don't think it's worth it. Not every relationship has to be meaningful or challenged though. El engages fully with life. He sees that as the burden he must carry. He can't change anything about that. Brooke may help him become more enlightened about his perspective. She may also keep driving him in circles wondering if any of this means anything at all. He is still essentially questioning her motives even though he trusts her to a point as well.
Eladio cannot accept compliments. Brooke connects it back to him having a mother who never offered him the support he needed as a child. In order to rewire his brain, she tries to step into that role and help him accept the graciousness of his own actions. And yet, he completely shuts down. After this session, Brooke is also convinced that medication is necessary in this case. She was reluctant to pursue that path so quickly into these sessions. She made a deal with El though. They set a timeframe. He wasn't out of medication just yet. As such, he can't use that as the sole barometer of whether or not these sessions are going well. He is in a completely different mood here. He feels free because the DeMarco's are out of the house. He has the place to himself. That means he can be as open and honest as he wants about how it feels to be in this particular situation. His life is essentially shaped by the demands of their lives. He serves as an aide to Jeremy. He loves the job. He stays because of the person he is helping. He doesn't entirely feel appreciated in this role. He is the help. He is hired to do a job. He extends himself further than what is expected of him. That's just who he is. He isn't afraid to speak his mind. He sees the lines blurred between family and those who work for them. These relationships are personal. But he was still concerned about them listening in on these sessions with Brooke. They are away for the day. And yet, El is still doing video sessions with Brooke. He is still bold and expressive when talking about Jeremy. Their bond is one defined by mutual love and respect. That's at least how El describes it. That's how he feels. He sees the actions that prove it as well. They get into these epic fights because Jeremy says so many offensive things that El cannot tolerate. He provokes conversation as well. He calls out these heinous thoughts. He engages with the subject instead of just writing it off as the wealthy and privileged of the world being condescending to those not lucky enough to be in the same situation. It hits him deep in his soul. He must engage. As such, it's reflected back onto him that he can be trusted with the true impulses of this family. Those bonds have been forged. They understand each other much better than what a traditional home health aide would. El lets Jeremy have his freedom as well. Sometimes it's completely justified too. El understands exactly what Jeremy needs in any particular moment. Brooke sees that Jeremy is lucky to have El. That compliment hits El's mind differently though. He sees it as dismissing what this relationship is. To him, it's Brooke saying that El isn't also lucky to have Jeremy in his life. And yes, everyone may want to dig deeper into that reaction as well. Right now though, Brooke just wants El to accept when people say nice things about him. She is just offering an observation. She engages with her patient. She comments on his behavior. She uplifts what needs to be uplifted to provide clarity. El needs this boost. He sees it as not worthy of spending all this money on therapy though. He doesn't need people to compliment him. That's not all that Brooke is doing. She wants to provide El with the guidance necessary to improve his life. He needs stability. It's not good enough that he gets four hours sleep when he knows the DeMarco's will be gone for the day. That means he won't have to do any of his normal responsibilities. He gets to be free in this environment. That lessons the burden on his shoulders. But he's not willing to engage with Brooke's idea of providing new context to pivotal childhood moments. He doesn't think it's relevant. He doesn't want to obstruct from the work that needs to be done. He still shuts down though. Brooke sees that clearly. She doesn't want to push him too far beyond his comfort zone. He has to be willing to examine his past and how it has shaped his behavior. It's hard for him to see his own identity in a world where he has so much empathy and love for Jeremy. Brooke makes him think about things in a new way. The situation doesn't really change. It remains the same. El has some relief in his life. That comes from sleep. And yet, Brooke still sees a troubled young man. He certainly has enlightened views on the world. He sees the best in people and engages when others don't think it's worth it. Not every relationship has to be meaningful or challenged though. El engages fully with life. He sees that as the burden he must carry. He can't change anything about that. Brooke may help him become more enlightened about his perspective. She may also keep driving him in circles wondering if any of this means anything at all. He is still essentially questioning her motives even though he trusts her to a point as well.
