The Awkward Reason Watching 'The Patient' Might Make You Hungry

The Food Network's best shows aren't the only thing on TV making audiences hungry. In 2006, the now-cult favorite "Marie Antoinette" left its viewers ravenous for baked treats as the titular character devoured countless cakes in its iconic "I Love Candy" scene (per YouTube). And in 1990, "GoodFellas" made its audiences crave Italian food when the movie's crew enjoyed some homemade Italian cooking after they finished up a murder. But now, a new show is causing its fans' stomachs to rumble — and for an off-beat reason.

FX's "The Patient" came out in August (per News Week) to rave reviews from outlets like The Vulture for its intense storytelling. And in its short run, the series has also earned a four and a half star rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But the series, which is about a therapist who finds himself kidnapped by a serial killer, is succeeding in inducing both great thrills and rabid hunger thanks to giving food almost as much screen time as its main characters.

According to Today, most of FX's "The Patient" focuses on the interactions between serial killer Sam Fortner (Domhnall Gleeson) and therapist Alan Strauss (Steve Carell) in a room where Strauss is being held captive. "You don't mind eating while we talk, do you?" Fortner asks in one of the series' trailers (per YouTube).

And eat he does. Every time the two sit down for a tense, and often hostile, therapy session, the serial killer drowns himself in Dunkin' coffee, chows down on pho, or dives into Indian food for dinner. By constantly showcasing a variety of foods, many viewers may find that watching "The Patient" inspires them to order take out just as much as watching a mukbang (those livestreams where people just eat) on YouTube does.

However, Today reported that there is a reason for "The Patient" highlighting Fortner's food obsession. The people behind the show explained they hoped Fortner's love of food would make him appear more like a real person and less like an archetype. So when your stomach starts to growl in the middle of this series' most nightmarish scenes, it's thanks to food being just as important to the plot as its characters.