Top 22 Shows I Watched In 2022: No. 11

The Patient on Hulu is not a show I'd recommend for everyone. This is a show that requires patience (pun intended). It requires an appreciation for subtlety, strong acting, and slow, tense build-up. If you can't sit still through a show or movie that doesn't have constant action, this probably isn't a show for you.

The show is anchored by Steve Carell, who plays a role in which I never expected him to shine. This isn't your Office idiot Steve Carell. This is a performance that convinces you of his helpless feeling while still trying to keep it together and possibly make the most of a bizarre and somewhat harrowing experience. You feel the moments of resignation in his facial expressions or voice. You tense when he thinks he has an idea that could lead him to freedom. For a character who does as little as his - he spends virtually all of the present time chained to a bed in a basement room - it was fascinating to get engrossed in every little detail and subtle moment, because after all, those moments are a matter of life and death.

The writing mechanism seems simple and creates a basic, tense premise that builds throughout the show. A therapist named Alan (Carell) is captured by a serial killer, Sam. Sam wants Alan to treat him. But no tricks will work. Alan can't convince him that letting him go is the best way to solve his issues. The show dispenses with shallow tricks quickly and really hones in on character growth, of which there is so little, yet just enough to keep the story moving. The show doesn't force you to feel sympathetic for Sam, but the writers paint a pretty clear picture of why Sam is the way he is.

Speaking of Sam, the character is played by Domhnall Gleeson. Similarly to Carell, I didn't expect this kind of performance for him. I didn't recognize the name, and I didn't even recognize him when I first saw him; to be fair, it's not like he's wearing a costume or a ton of makeup, either, but he evolved into the character Sam. Gleeson is the same guy who played General Hux in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. I would never have expected he could play such a heavy role, let alone play it so well. Seriously, I felt like this guy literally had emotional and social problems, he played it that well.

The ending was fine. I'm kind of glad the mother got pulled into it, but her involvement also felt a little out of place. It's not the happiest of endings, but that's okay. You don't have to feel good at the end of a show to feel like it was a good show. This was a hidden gem of 2022 for me.