When therapist Alan Strauss (Steve Carell) is kidnapped and imprisoned by Sam (Domhnall Gleeson), a patient with homicidal urges, Alan begins a painful journey that directs his attention to his dangerous surroundings as well as his repressed thoughts.
Both Carell and Gleeson are creepily good in this, with Rotten Tomatoes even dubbing their work here as a “career best.” Carell is almost unrecognizable as the troubled but subdued prisoner, while Gleeson is unnerving as the reform-seeking serial killer. The backstories and the ongoing mystery propel the story with great force, but the show is at its best when it takes time to sit with its two leads and let them go at each other. All this makes for a rewarding mystery and a compelling two-hander.
"It may not be the most uplifting series you’ll watch this year, but it’s certainly one of the most thought-provoking and absorbing."
— Jen Chaney
"Similar to the show itself, Carell’s turn isn’t loud or attention-seeking; it’s thoughtful and lived-in."
— Ben Travers
A psychotherapist finds himself held prisoner by a serial killer with an unusual request: curb his homicidal urges.
