Episode 6 of The Patient was intense and showcased how Dr. Alan Strauss was moving towards a breaking point. After witnessing Elias’ murder, he was more afraid of Sam than ever. In fact, he didn’t even know if Sam could be helped and saved anymore.
In an attempt to save himself, Dr. Alan scribbles a message on a note and hides it in the mouth of Elias’ body. When Sam starts dragging the body, Alan is visibly scared, and like him, we all wonder if Sam would find the note.
Well, Sam might find the note in Elias’ mouth, and this time, it would be a point of return for Dr. Alan Strauss. After rebuilding Sam’s trust, it is likely that Alan’s dynamic this time might change.
The episode didn’t show what happened to the note, and it didn’t give us any signs of it being found either. Alan had already tried to escape once, due to which he had lost Sam’s trust. In fact, it took a lot of time for Dr. Strauss to regain Sam’s trust.
Currently, Sam is at the peak of his egocentric stage, where he is unable to think of anyone but himself. Although Alan did manage to bring him out of that state for a few moments, he’s still there.
A body needs to be disposed of, and this can’t be done if Sam starts feeling empathy now. While he did connect with Elias as a person and wanted to recite the Kaddish for him, Sam is quick to get out of it. His focus now is to keep the body in a place where the police can find it and leave the scene unnoticed.
If Sam finds a note in Elias’ mouth in such a stressful situation, then Dr. Alan Strauss might become dispensable to the serial killer. If we look at Alan’s graph in the episode, it’s been fascinating.
The doctor started dissociating from reality and began creating an environment in his head where he was sitting with his mentor and therapist, Charlie. It was quite insightful for the audience and helped us understand Dr. Alan’s psyche.
The depiction was intriguing because the doctor seemed to learn things about himself and the situation he was in, along with the audience. While learning about multiple other things, he also realizes he needs to fight back with everything he’s got.
This prompts him to distract Sam. When he’s away, Alan scribbles a note and tucks it inside Elias’ mouth. The show still has four episodes remaining. So, we still don’t know how the narrative would go forward from here.
If Sam does find the note, then he would not trust Dr. Alan Strauss again. However, considering that Alan has just taught him how to empathize with people, we might see the events pivots towards this theme of diagnosis and healing. I guess we just have to wait and find out.
About The Patient
The Patient is an American psychological thriller limited series created by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg for FX on Hulu. Premiering on August 30, 2022, the series consists of ten episodes.
Therapist Dr. Strauss is kidnapped and imprisoned by his patient Sam who needs him to find a therapeutical solution to help him stop his homicidal tendencies.
The mini-series stars Domhnall Gleeson, Steve Carell, Linda Emond, Andrew Leeds, Laura Niemi, and David Alan Grier. The thriller series streams on Hulu, with weekly episodes on Tuesday.
No Comments on The Patient Episode 6: Alan Hides a Note in Elias’ Mouth for the Police