Patrick Melrose Confronts his Demons in "At Last"

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Words are not enough to express how much I loved Showtime’s Patrick Melrose. The first few minutes of the first episode already had me hooked. I was in awe of how much Benedict Cumberbatch became this character. In Patrick Melrose, he became a recovering drug and alcohol addict who was sexually abused by his father at a very young age. After the first episode, we got a bit more insight into the real reason why Patrick kept pumping himself of heroine, cocaine and alcohol. “At Last”, Patrick came to terms with the fact that he was actually abused by his father and somewhat neglected by his mother. He has to confront his past one last time at his mother’s funeral. He was not able to do he eulogy and he had a panic attack. This scene was one of my favorite scenes and I couldn’t help but feel so terrible for Patrick because I kept thinking about what a little child could go through under the hands of a sexually abusive parent.

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The finale is just as good as the first episode. The story flowed seamlessly even with the constant flashbacks. It was well-paced and the acting from Cumberbatch and the supporting cast was once again, fantastic! After Cumberbatch, my next favorite was Jennifer Jason-Leigh. I have never seen her in such a role and I must confess, she was phenomenal. The most appalling scene was when Patrick finally (after more than 30 years) confessed to his mother that he was raped repeatedly by his father, her husband, and all she could say was “Me too”. Patrick loathed his mother for not protecting him but pitied her & couldn't help but love her too. 

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After so many years of unhappiness, abuse and rehab, Patrick was finally able to become a better person mostly because of his children. He didn’t want to neglect his children like his mother did him and he knew the only way he could do this was to let go of all the baggage and be hopeful for a better future for himself and his kids. He could only do this after both his parents died and it’s a bit twisted but they were both the cause of his problems. The fact that they both dead didn't mean he was going to forget everything he went through, it only meant he had to keep fighting for himself and his family and do everything possible not to go back to being an addict. If Cumberbatch doesn’t win an Emmy and BAFTA for this role, then I think they’ll need to end all the awards. This is by far one of the best characters he has played and I hope everyone involved in the making of this show gets enough credit because they deserve it!