To live with a person for a lifetime and not truly know them. That’s how you could describe the story of the series Rewind.
Psychotherapist Grace, a graduate of a prestigious university, runs a private practice and helps people with her keen mind. It seems she knows everything about her patients. But Grace is a living person and entitled to make mistakes. She failed to recognize sociopathy and narcissistic disorder in her own husband. He skillfully concealed his cruelty, lack of empathy, and absence of remorse behind a flawless performance as the ideal husband and successful doctor.
Grace tends to deny reality and avoid anything that doesn’t fit her perfect worldview. She prefers to live in an idealized world, avoiding problems (the scene in the first episode in the kitchen with the blender is an example). Yet Grace begins to remove her rose-tinted glasses when she notices her husband left his phone at home. She starts to realize Jonathan is hiding something.
Jonathan suffered a childhood trauma related to loss. His parents reacted inappropriately, blaming him instead of comforting him. This led to a psychological defense mechanism—dissociation. This mechanism allows a person to separate traumatic feelings from their experience, as if it didn’t happen to them. At the time, dissociation helped protect his psyche. I believe this is one of many childhood events that had serious consequences for his mental health.
Psychological trauma increases mental tension and demands resolution. That’s why Jonathan found himself in pediatric oncology. By saving children’s lives daily, he "therapizes" his own childhood trauma through good deeds. Basking in the admiration and love of others, he becomes intoxicated by fame and feeds his narcissistic side.
Jonathan uses people. He manipulated his son and Grace, convincing them of his innocence. He deceived Grace’s е, swindling a large sum of money to buy off a mistress. He used the mistress until she threatened his perfect family image. Jonathan is prone to lying—he lied to his wife about his work for three months.
Unfortunately, Jonathan and Grace’s son, Henry, struggles with emotional intelligence. While accidentally encountering Miguel at school, he greeted him, wanted to shake hands, and said, "Sorry." He explained his apology as simple politeness. This act may spark conflicting thoughts. After all, Henry is a child and may not fully understand his actions. Yet a conscience and understanding of right and wrong should already be formed at his age.
