Freud Season 1 Episode 1 Hysteria

Set in Vienna in the 1880s, "Freud" follows a young Sigmund Freud as he begins his career in the field of psychoanalysis. In the first episode, titled "Hysteria," we are introduced to Freud as a struggling, unknown doctor working in a hospital for the mentally ill. The episode opens with a patient being wheeled in on a stretcher, and we soon discover that she is suffering from hysteria.

Hysteria was a common diagnosis for women at the time, and it often involved unexplained physical symptoms such as fainting spells, tremors, and fits. The patient in question, a young woman named Cecily, has been institutionalized for two years, and her wealthy family has come to Freud for help. They want him to cure her so that she can return home and resume her role as a dutiful daughter.

Freud is initially skeptical of the family's motives, but he agrees to take on the case in order to further his own research. He starts by observing Cecily's symptoms and listening to her talk about her experiences. The more he learns, the more convinced he becomes that there is a psychological root to her illness.

Meanwhile, Freud is also dealing with his own personal struggles. He is estranged from his father and has been kicked out of his apartment due to his unpaid rent. He is living in his friend's office and trying to scrape together enough money to pay his bills. His lack of resources adds an extra layer of stress to his life, making it difficult for him to concentrate on Cecily's case.

As Freud delves deeper into Cecily's psyche, he uncovers some disturbing truths about her family and their secrets. He also becomes more and more obsessed with her, both professionally and personally. He starts to have erotic fantasies about her and becomes convinced that she is the key to unlocking the mystery of the human mind.

The episode builds to a tense and dramatic conclusion as Freud attempts to cure Cecily of her hysteria using a controversial technique known as hypnosis. He puts her under and tries to get her to open up about her repressed emotions. The scene is both creepy and fascinating, as we watch Freud test the boundaries of what is ethical and acceptable in the name of science.

As the episode ends, Cecily's fate is still up in the air, and Freud is left to wrestle with his own demons. "Hysteria" sets up the rest of the season as a psychological thriller that explores the dark underbelly of the human psyche.