Hulu's "The Patient" Isn't True, but the Story's Not Unlike Some Scary Real Incidents

Image Source: Suzanne Tenner/FX

Hulu is adding another miniseries to its ever-expanding library of titles. As the crime genre has grown increasingly popular, the platform has tackled several real-life tragedies and transformed them into spine-chilling limited series, such as "Candy" and "The Act." Now, Hulu will be the streaming home of new FX drama series "The Patient," a psychological thriller that centers around a therapist's horrifying experience with a dangerous client.

"The Patient" is produced by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, the masterminds behind FX's long-running drama "The Americans," and features a talented cast that includes Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson. Amid the hype around the series, which is set to premiere on Aug. 30, you may wonder if "The Patient" is based on a true story. Here's all we know about the inspiration behind the thriller.

What Is "The Patient" About?

Esteemed therapist Alan Strauss (Carell) has had a successful career treating patients. Alan lives a normal life and enjoys helping people understand themselves so they can have more meaningful relationships with those close to them, as well as the world around them. His latest patient, Sam Fortner (Gleeson), presents himself as a challenge. Throughout their sessions together, Sam reveals that he needs help because he can't control his compulsions. Soon enough, Alan is kidnapped and held hostage by Sam, whose compulsions turn out to be for murder. Now, Alan must fight to survive while also meeting Sam's demands to cure him before he becomes one of Sam's next victims.

Image Source: Suzanne Tenner/FX

Is "The Patient" Based on a True Story?

"The Patient" is not based on a real incident. Showrunners Fields and Weisberg wrote the original storyline together and have not claimed that a singular true-crime story inspired the plot.

Outside of the storyline, the duo did reveal that Carell's character, who is Jewish, was inspired by their own lives. In a summer press tour for the Television Critics Association on Aug. 2, Weisberg explained the characterization of Alan. "When we came up with the original idea, the character wasn't originally Jewish," he said, according to Variety. "And then you start, as you always do, looking for ways to add specificity and depth. And we came up with that idea pretty quickly. But it allowed us to tap into things from our own lives . . . [it] added just certain dimensions and it became really a lot more fun to write in a certain way after that."

Carell's casting as a Jewish character has garnered some criticism, as the actor is not Jewish himself. Touching on the subject matter, Weisberg said: "And casting Steve, who is not Jewish, I think our feeling has always been, as television writers, that we're kind of in an area where people are pretending to be other people. That's what everyone does all the time. And that's just our main outlook on it. But we understand some people feel differently about it and that is also fine, too."

Are There Any Real-Life Cases That Mirror "The Patient"?

There are a number of startling real-life cases that mirror that of "The Patient." Most recently, a social worker in Palm Beach County, FL, was allegedly kidnapped, beaten, sexually assaulted, and held hostage by her patient in July, as reported by Florida news station WPTV. The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was working with 20-year-old suspect Tzvi Allswang to help him learn social skills and practice for a job interview when their session allegedly turned into a harrowing 15-hour ordeal. The saga ended when Allswang was shot by police. He is currently charged with multiple crimes, including attempted murder and sexual battery. Allswang was denied bond and is being held in jail.

Back in 2018, a Fullerton, CA-based therapist was held hostage and stabbed by a woman, though their professional relationship was not disclosed at the time, per CBS Los Angeles. Two social workers in San Francisco were the victims of a phone scam in 2021; they were essentially held them hostage by a scammer who pretended to be a law enforcement officer and demanded thousands of dollars in bail money from the two for failing to testify at a trial (via the San Francisco Chronicle).

While "The Patient" is not based on a true story, the storyline itself is enough to bring you to the edge of your seat. The series hits FX and Hulu on Aug. 30, but until then, watch the trailer below!

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