House

[housemouse]

It will be fun to watch Foreman handle House over the next couple of episodes. I am here to tell you that this show is getting better and better. House is becoming more and more House. I wonder if the writers are doing that on purpose. I wonder if he is going to go too far and implode or explode.

I like the relationship with Stacey. I haven't seen much of Sela Ward in the past, but she is perfect in this part. She's going to be very sorry if she leaves Mark, but won't it make for good television?!

Last week the LA Times printed an interview with Hugh Laurie. In it he says the hardest part of playing House is speaking without his British accent. Laurie described it as playing a tennis game where the rest of the players have rackets and he is using a fish.

[shmeep]

Here's what Matt Roush at TV Guide had to say about this week's episode:

House, "The Mistake" (Nov. 29): Told in flashback, as Dr. Chase prepares for a peer-review disciplinary hearing in the wake of a medical calamity for which he was at fault, this week's smart, entertaining episode broke the fourth wall repeatedly as action froze, characters commented as they watched themselves, and lies were revealed, causing certain scenes to be replayed several ways until the elusive truth (a very emotional one) came to the surface. Watching Sela Ward's coolly efficient lawyer hem and haw as she tried to avoid Dr. House was amusing, and the final payoff was just as choice, with House finding himself temporarily under the thumb of one of his underlings. When House stays within its formula, it's a very good show. When House breaks free, as it did this week, it's sensational.

I concur. And I also agree with you, Mouse. This does get better all the time. I don't, however, love the idea of Stacy leaving Mark for House. I think Sela Ward does a good job in that role, but having her around may not ultimately bring out a House I would care to see. She has added an intriguing temporary dynamic to the show as backstory gets filled in and we see what he was like before (which wasn't much different from how he is now, apparently), but when House is harping on her, he crosses too many lines in opposite extremes, from schmaltzy/sentimental to complete asshole. We love his sarcasm and bitterness, but I lose interest when he becomes downright cruel.

The thing I love most about House is that he does care about his patients (even if he never meets them) and every time he seems completely out of line, he's doing it in a calculating way that somehow leads to him saving a life or figuring out a mystery diagnosis. He often has to shock the truth out of people or manipulate the situation in order to get the answers he needs.

Is the show hinting at something? I'm a little nervous about his inability to open his pill bottle. Does he have some other health concern surfacing? Just a little something to ponder...

[shmeep]

It's back! How lovely to get to see new episodes of House again!

I am intrigued by where this season might be headed. Last night's episode was as twisty and turny as ever and what I liked best about it was that, while it did follow the usual pattern of House being right and not only saving someone, but figuring out a simple solution to a complex condition, it didn't end with him getting the satisfaction of knowing he was right. Brilliant! I love the new level they're bringing to his already tortured character. He is now recognizing that he always needs some kind of high. Now that he's pain-free (but how long will that last?) and off the meds, his high is from all that he can now do physically again--and from finding and solving medical puzzles where none may exist. But...the leg starts to hurt again and he admits to himself that he is addicted to trying to solve puzzles so he ends up making a decision at the end of the episode. I knew he was about to pop more pills as soon as The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get what You Want" started to play. I can't help but to wonder if things would have been different had Wilson allowed Cuddy to tell House he had been right. Looks like he'll find out next week, though. This new House is a little difficult to get used to, but I still find him fascinating.

[maggiethecat]

You're right, it was soooo good to have new House last night.

My prediction? He'll be back to cranky, limping, and throwing back the Vicodin in about, oh, three more episodes? If it ain't broke, don't fix it . . . but this new stuff is fascinating.

[shmeep]

maggiethecat said:

My prediction? He'll be back to cranky, limping, and throwing back the Vicodin in about, oh, three more episodes? If it ain't broke, don't fix it . . . but this new stuff is fascinating.

You just may have called it, Mags. Poor House! This weeks episode was especially compelling because there was the whole issue of what was causing House's pain to return. Was it a simple pulled muscle? Was it psychologically triggered by losing confidence because of his last case? Did he secretly like having that leg and that addiction? Was the treatment just no longer working? I really didn't know what was going on there, even if I did figure out that the kid was a Chimera the moment they found "alien" DNA in his brain. If I could know that just by watching Discovery Health Channel, it seems odd that House would need a great moment of revelation (of course!) to figure that out. Still, it was an interesting way for such a condition to present itself. But House himself was what was fascinating, watching as he first denied that the pain was back and then started buying into the pulled muscle/psychosomatic theory after finding out he had, indeed, cured that patient from last episode. His run on the treadmill, impossible even with the pills, and then his inevitable reintroduction to the cane were heartbreaking and those scenes got rid of the notion House secretly wanted/needed a bad leg and vicodin addiction.

[hoosier]

One thing that has bothered me this season is how House was able to go for mile long runs etc. Didn't they have to remove the muscle from his leg when he had the 'stroke' and that was why he limped and was in so much pain? The muscle didn't regenerate, the ketamine (sp) only rebooted his brain and helped with the chronic pain so how was he able to run and run soooo far and not limp at all? I mean, wouldn't he still have the limp just not the overwhelming pain?

[housemouse]

David Morse is back! It was so good to see old Boomer in the meaty role of House's nemesis.

David Morse is one of my all time favorite actors and it is great to see him again. When I saw him listed as a guest star I was hoping against hope that he might be recreating his St. Elsewhere role, Dr. Jack "Boomer" Morrison. The St. Elsewhere fans among us might remember what happened to Boomer in one of the last episodes. After going through what he went through, I could see how the character would be able to stand up to House's bullying. Although I knew that would be too good to be true, I love the character he is playing. I can't wait to see how this storyline plays out. I just hope they don't wimp out like they did when Chi McBride guested as Edward Vogler. I liked that he gave House a run for his money, but I didn't like the way they ended the storyline. Someone needs to call House on his crap once and for all.

[shmeep]

I'm still watching House! Especially now that that tiresome story line with the cop who was out to get House has finally wrapped up. I like David Morse as much as the next guy, but...that story was making me dread each episode.

Tuesday's episode was better than average, with the Gypsy boy whose family wouldn't let the doctors experiment on him--and it was a good thing they didn't, since all that was wrong with the boy was a toothpick traveling through his digestive system and causing damage. But the best part was House trying to get his handicapped parking spot back from the new doctor in a wheelchair by stubbornly using a wheelchair himself for an entire week.

Yes, Krissie, this is where Hugh Laurie has been hiding. You should check it out. Very enjoyable, although I do miss him with his true accent.

[mlm828]

I, too, am soo glad the tiresome story line with the cop is over. The legal aspects of the story were truly absurd. But I think what bothered me the most about it is that, when it was over, we seemed to be right back where we started. So what was the point?

It isn't clear to me whether House has now gotten off Vicodin. I don't remember seeing him popping any pills in last week's episode, and this week, he said he didn't need them, because he's not trying to walk on the damaged leg. But the guy's supposed to be in chronic pain, isn't he? That isn't going to go away. Is he just supposed to suck it up? House doesn't seem like the type to do that. And if he couldn't function in pain before, how can he function now?

I thought the wheelchair competition was funny, too, but I was a little let down that Cuddy gave in to House and gave him his space back, even though he didn't stay in the chair for the whole week. I sometimes wish everyone would stop caving in to him.

[shmeep]

mlm828 said:

I think what bothered me the most about it is that, when it was over, we seemed to be right back where we started. So what was the point?

I see House as a flawed type of character who doesn't really grow or change no matter what happens to him. Kind of like Scarlett O'Hara. I'm reading GWTW right now and it always amazes me that she is still the same selfish immature character in the end as in the beginning. She does grow a little, but does she ultimately learn anything? Not really. She still ends up wanting what she can't have and not appreciating what she does have and she also ends up with that guilt of hers always being pushed out of her mind, vowing to think about it tomorrow. I see House as that type of character. He may seem to grow and he may be admirable--even heroic at times--but he's always House. I found it frustrating that he ended up where he started, but I also found it true to the series. I didn't like how he treated everyone, but I really do think his apology to Wilson was sincere even if he would never admit it to anyone.

mlm828 said:

It isn't clear to me whether House has now gotten off Vicodin. I don't remember seeing him popping any pills in last week's episode, and this week, he said he didn't need them, because he's not trying to walk on the damaged leg. But the guy's supposed to be in chronic pain, isn't he? That isn't going to go away. Is he just supposed to suck it up? House doesn't seem like the type to do that. And if he couldn't function in pain before, how can he function now?

I think it's clear that he's as addicted as ever--and I'm pretty sure he did pop pills at least once last week. This week, I didn't see him do it. That never made sense to me either, though. Earlier in the series, when he tried to get clean, Cuddy eventually almost made him take pills again so he could focus on a case so all this stuff with the cop seemed to take it to a ridiculous place that didn't fit in with what we know. We know he was able to stay clean for an entire summer when he wasn't in pain and that he went back on the pills when the pain returned. We also know he has tried many different kinds of drugs but that only Vicodin is effective so I really didn't get what rehab was supposed to be about--other than to put on a show for the cop. Definitely a low point in the entire series. I would have liked to have seen House up against a worthy foe, but not one like this, who operates with sheer power and not by matching wits on an entertaining (for the viewers) level.

mlm828 said:

I thought the wheelchair competition was funny, too, but I was a little let down that Caddy gave in to House and gave him his space back, even though he didn't stay in the chair for the whole week. I sometimes wish everyone would stop caving in to him.

I don't think Caddy should have given in either. It goes against character and apparently against the law. I liked wheelchair lady, though. She and house seemed to have a little chemistry, if I'm not mistaken. Their whole "wheelchair!" "Cane!" argument was hilarious--and I thought House made a good point about how much more he has to exert himself and how dangerous the ice is when a cane slips on it.

[doobrah]

There was a blurb in this week's TV Guide that said to the effect: There's a popular medical show where the actor playing unlikeable lead character is worried about being typecast once the show ends, and has been putting pressure on the show to make him more likeable. And if you need another clue, you're looking at him.

Well, the "House" cast is on the cover. And I take that description to mean "House". Good guess, huh?

If you've noticed, House has been undergoing somewhat of a transformation. He's not as blatantly rude, unreasonable, and nasty lately. He's even become somewhat of a sympathetic character, sort of blaming his bad behavior on his pain rather than just being part of who he is.

I thought last night's episode with Dave Matthews was terrific -- and the dueling piano playing was outstanding. But I don't know if I'm ready for a nice Greg House.

[hoosier]

But look what House did last night--letting all of them think that he had cancer and using another patient's records so he could be part of a new clinical trial in hopes of alleviating his chronic pain. That is pretty low. I do have to admit that I did love the code name for his file (Luke N. Laura!) and his scenes with Dave Matthews were great and he was actually a little more human with him. Maybe they will let him show a modicum of empathy for his patients while he is still a royal pain in the you know where to his team and friends. You wouldn't want House to become too human!

[bjobsessed]

I think last night's was one of my favourite episodes. It had it all. House was still House, but he was actually a bit nice, the other doctors actually cared about him, I loved the piano and the caring father, the end was great--just a hint of a smile and a buttoned shirt.

[mlm828]

I don't think House has changed -- not really. I agree he showed more empathy than usual for the "Patient of the Week," but I'm not sure that's a sign of any lasting change. Maybe it was simply that particular patient, or perhaps he thought that was the way to get the father to agree to the very radical procedure he was recommending. He certainly seemed like his usual self with the clinic patient with bulimia.

He also seemed like the same old House in other respects, such as showing up at Cuddy's house in the middle of the night. And his stunt of letting everyone think he had cancer, in order to get drugs shot directly into the pleasure center of his brain, was pure House. The part that I found funny was that everyone was saying House wasn't acting like someone who was dying, but none of these supposedly highly intelligent people picked up on the obvious answer, even after House told them: he wasn't dying.

[mlm828]

Is anyone but me still watching House? It's been pretty uneven this season, and I haven't liked it as much since they reduced the roles of the original team and brought in the new ones. It wasn't broken, so I'm not sure why they "fixed" it.

But I have to comment on this week's episode. Shmeep, I'd be particularly interested in your comments, if you saw it -- especially about the "patient of the week" and the issue of how Deaf culture was presented.

My "throw-something-at-the-television" moment came when House ordered Chase to put in a cochlear implant, against the patient's wishes, and Chase complied. In the real world, such a stunt would likely result in both of them losing their medical licenses (or at least a lengthy suspension), not to mention a humongous lawsuit (which they would lose, big time). But nothing happened. Watching this part of the episode, I was reminded of a rather notorious case here in California, where a woman went in for breast surgery. The surgeon offered her augmentation (implants) which she firmly declined. While she was under, the arrogant s.o.b. decided she "needed" the implants. She went into the surgery a B cup and woke up a D cup. As I recall, the guy lost his medical license, deservedly so. OK. Rant over.

I did like the bit about House's evil self, played by Amber.

Comments, anyone?