"A psychotherapist who recently lost his wife, finds himself held prisoner by a serial killer with an unusual request to curb his homicidal urges." That's an interesting premise, and the show has its moments, but, unfortunately, it doesn't fulfill its potential. The writing, acting, and directing aren't consistently good. I'd like to see HBO's execution of that premise, but maybe the premise isn't as good as it seems. I've noticed that interesting-sounding premises tend not to lead to the most interesting stories. Some of the greatest movies have seemingly boring premises. When I read the premise for 12 Angry Men, I thought that it must be one of the most boring movies ever made, but, as it turns out, it's one of the greatest movies ever made. Nailing the premise is important. But the best premises have a controlling idea, and I think the writers of The Patient didn't find their controlling idea. The writers also don't always manage to progress and turn scenes. And they also fail to create progressive complications. I can't say that this show is worth five hours of your life.