Writers, what's happened to House's pain? A reference to Vicodin doesn't cut it. If I had just started watching this season, I'd think he was a common-or-garden jerk. Is that what made the show a hit? I think not. Can we please get back to the damaged genius of S1 and parts of 2&3? Please?
I hear you there. While we're at it, let's get back to some really compelling medical mysteries, please.
Yes! Most of the best episodes have a strong medical plot. The PotW being used to throw light on the characters (in a less literal way than tonight's) is the way to go.
I'm starting to think I want a different show than most, though. Over on That Other Place, people are really liking the episode, finding it hilarious and so on. Not all, but quite a few (Is this type of comment allowed here?) I don't watch House for the hilarity, never have. I've seen plenty of Hugh being hilarious in his pre-House career. What fascinated me about House was that he could compel me as a dark character. I really miss that. Every once in a while they throw in a scene where he can be serious, but really the complicated nature of the character's been lost. He's just an arrogant wise guy. What's fascinating about that?
When I read in an article that they picked the finalist fellows by who was "most fun" with Hugh, my heart sank. Sure, some fun is good, but it's a drama. A medical drama. Or maybe I'm in the minority? Maybe most people want the zany stuff? JMO, but I think the zany and outrageous stuff wears thin long before solid drama or procedural.
DOB1234- 10-30-2007
racy icons I am hesitant to do this, but may I politely request that people not use sexual subjects for their icons? I have grandchildren who sometimes visit and come up behind me while I’m at the computer and I don’t want to have to try and explain the facts of life to preschoolers.
DrSpaceman- 10-30-2007
While I loved the House Dance of Smug Superiority, after seeing Wilson observing from the window I was expecting that the POTW would look up and mirror HIM again. Then both House and Cuddy would have been pissed off and Wilson would away with a smirk.
idonmatrix- 10-30-2007
OMG! Pass the barf bag. I'm gagging on the overload of Foreman. I didn't even mind the newbies who I LOATHE,. but Foreman? HATE HATE HATE! He freaking belongs with House? ::Pukes::
He can't do the job. He's an arrogant piece of crap! Omar ain't selling it and I'm sick to death of him on my screen and sick that House is acting like he needs Foreman or WTF ever. I can't believe how much I once loved this show and how what I saw tonight was so far removed I'm stunned they haven't renamed it the HOUSE AND FOREMAN HOUR!
The ten seconds of Chase were lovely. Every minute of Foreman sucked donkey balls.
So much Word!!! I really thought Foreman's acting was off-pitch and out of step with HL's tempo. I could almost see the stage direction. Actually, I got caught up in the stage direction everytime he was onscreen - really not good at all. He just never quite nailed it. It was painful to watch. And uh *ahem* you can sometimes tell when actors don't have chemistry or don't like each other *cough*
About Chase. I really believe that after we finish with the OE self-pity arc, we'll get to see lots of Chase.
Things I loved - H/W - OMG!!!! That was the WIN!!! Wilson has House's nose wide open. I loved the Wilson/Cuddy because Wilson tells Cuddy to play to House's ego. Hell it works for him. Ooooowee!!! so much love. Then the mighty mighty lovewalk down the hallway and Wilson teasing House telling Wilson he hates him and Wilson knowing that that's just House saying I love you AGAIN!!!
Let's see, last scenes in this and previous episodes:
Alone - House and Cuddy
The Right Stuff - House and Cameron
97 Secs - House and dead patient (I really think it was House and 13, but the final scene was with the dead POTW)
Guardian Angel - Cuddy and Foreman?
Mirror, Mirror - House and Foreman
If I have this wrong, please feel free to correct me.
bailey- 10-30-2007
Yes! Most of the best episodes have a strong medical plot. The PotW being used to throw light on the characters (in a less literal way than tonight's) is the way to go.
I'm starting to think I want a different show than most, though. Over on That Other Place, people are really liking the episode, finding it hilarious and so on. Not all, but quite a few (Is this type of comment allowed here?) I don't watch House for the hilarity, never have. I've seen plenty of Hugh being hilarious in his pre-House career. What fascinated me about House was that he could compel me as a dark character. I really miss that. Every once in a while they throw in a scene where he can be serious, but really the complicated nature of the character's been lost. He's just an arrogant wise guy. What's fascinating about that?
When I read in an article that they picked the finalist fellows by who was "most fun" with Hugh, my heart sank. Sure, some fun is good, but it's a drama. A medical drama. Or maybe I'm in the minority? Maybe most people want the zany stuff? JMO, but I think the zany and outrageous stuff wears thin long before solid drama or procedural.
Total, utter & complete agreement. "House" grabbed me for the exact same reasons it grabbed you: I was so enthralled and absorbed by Hugh's dramatic performance. He showed me something I'd never seen nor even really suspected him capable of.
I'm pretty sure I want the same show you want. And I miss the show it once was desperately. Most of all, my head hurts from being bashed repeatedly with heavy-handed machinations. Sigh.
Having said that, I thought that, narratively, the mirror syndrome was a pretty interesting device to employ as a way of examining inner motivations of characters. Too bad I don't give a rat's ass about any of these characters, but it's the thought that counts. Also kind of a waste of Frank Whaley who is a fantastic actor and did a credible job with what he had to do.
I want to quote the person who said they were just floating on a sea of "meh." Yeah, that's a good description. I'm starting to feel a little sorry for the writers at this point. They picked this direction months ago and probably thought it would be just fantabulous. I wish they hadn't committed to so many damn characters over such a long spread but it's too late to un-shit the bed on this one and I have a sinking feeling that my "meh" is going to at high tide for the next few weeks. I would dearly love to eat my words on that one but the preview for next week's episode looked....pretty bad.
Where did they find DWB guy? My god, the character's boring, the actor's boring, the boring actor's playing a boring character who's bored...zzzzzzzzz..... I'm certain that just thinking about this circle jerk of boredom is what made me fall asleep at LAX on Sunday. :-) I didn't put an actual stopwatch to his screentime this episode, but if he had even a millisecond more time than Chase did he needs to be punished for crimes against humanity. It would be one thing if his character was actually essential to moving the plot--any plot--forward. But mainly he just sits there, breathing up valuable oxygen. Maddening.
Way to string out the non-suspense of 13's secret. Yawn. I'm not of the crowd that thinks she's actually not harboring a secret because that would mean that the writers took pains over the last 5 episode to not define this character in any meaningful way and I just don't see them doing that. On the other hand, this secret better be pretty damn amazing. I'm guessing that 13 used to be a man.
I think Cuddy needs a sabbatical away from House. (Not the show, the character. But maybe that's one in the same.) I hardly recognize this loser. Is LE still calling the shots on all of Cuddy's great defining moments or is making her look like an absurd, horrible person part of the grand plan? Remember how Cuddy manhandled House into giving that lecture in "Three Stories?" I so want her back. Get rid of Zippo the Clown they've created and bring that other, kick-ass woman I fondly recall.
I so rarely nit-pick the verisimilitude of what goes on in hospital settings, but you know, it's one thing for the (presumably) healthy House to barge into an OR mid-surgery without a mask on, but quite something else for him to haul in a sick, infected with god-knows-what, patient in there with him without a mask, too. Is Hugh allergic to the masks or something? It's not like they obscure the talking. It's just so weird that they rarely try to cover him up even when everyone else is.
That last scene with House and Cuddy in the patient's room was a little...odd. I suppose House's reaction is absolutely normal given the strange tempo and vibe of this entire season but considering we've only seen House really laugh, what, once? in 3+ years, the happy dance seemed a bit manic. It's kind of weird watching House as a guy who doesn't seem to have a care in the world.
And as a side note: Is it just me or is there a disproportionate amount of east coast people on this board? We left-coasters are just digesting the episode and the rest of you are snug in your beds, no doubt.
olivia720- 10-30-2007
I agree that Cuddy seems different in this ep. The vibe is different. She's not the same strong character.
Bessie Mae- 10-31-2007
Can they please have a medical mystery that doesn't tell us a damn thing about any of the doctors, but does tell us an interesting story about, oh I don't know, the Patient!!
That's not an uncommon complaint from people watching medical shows, but I've never had a problem with it. For me, the over all story of any show are the main characters. The people in the opening credits. Anything else and anyone else is ultimately, in my mind, a tool in service of the main characters. If a patient is interesting in their own right, well, that's a bonus, but it's not essential. Since I'm never going to see these patients again, I'd rather learn something new about House and co. or see something old in a new way/from a different perspective or revisit some aspect of the characters that I already know.
KMSpider- 10-31-2007
The real question is why do TPTB always have the cool Chase/House moments happen off screen?
Chase and House make a deal to scoop the betting by making sure that House fired no one, and they agreed to split the winnings 50/50! Chase probably threatened to not cut him in at all if it wasn’t an even split.
This reminds me of when House complaining to Chase about Wilson’s loud toenails last season. Again, off-screen.
More on-screen time, please!!!!
In the middle of House trying to talk DWB out of quitting (and me wondering why House was doing it), I suddenly remembered the spoiler about the bet. It made the scene even funnier.
donkeykong- 10-31-2007
I thought the thing about the taking of the spinal fluid to tell what diseases he had in the past was pretty damn cool. Never heard or seen that before!
Jouse- 10-31-2007
What has happened to this show? This was hardly better than last week, and actually I am more upset now, because it's two strikes in a row. Where are the insights? The wonderfully carved (as opposed to the in-your-face circus) humour? The characters depth? When did it turn to Scrubs? I didn't sign up for this :? . And this is the first time that the huddiness wasn't the worst bit of an eppy. Blah.
Does anybody else feels like the show has gone horribly off track? Is it success blindness? And if so, can it be just temporal?
I feel cheated. House has been going through something since mid-season 2, and now it's like another character, a pale, frothy reflection(!) of the mold-breaking original.
ETA: I just rewatched a few scenes and realised something disturbing. The new boys (Especially Taub, but also 6/9 and the the other guy that wanted to quit, forgot his name) were more intriguing for me this episode than House himself. Could it be that the writers are putting House on the back burner with toilet jokes while subtely bulding the new characters?
Namaste- 10-31-2007
I may be alone in this, but I'm glad that every show doesn't have a House-broods-about-the-patient-alone-in-the-dark-musical-montage. He doesn't have to take every case and personalize it. If he did, that would get old and stale, as well as turning every case into a House life lesson. It's good to have the mix, and having a lighter attitude this week allows the darker, brooding episodes to stand out in contrast.
Also ... Another "hoo-hoo" reference. Hee. Hee. This time from Kutner. Guess he went to Hopkins too.
Birdwoman- 10-31-2007
I'm with sherlockjr on this one. I loved this ep too, and I usually can't stand Foreman.
My friends and relatives in the medical profession tell me that silliness/silly jokes on each other etc are not uncommon among people working in hospitals; it is a way of venting and decompressing from the very serious business they have.
Jouse- 10-31-2007
I may be alone in this, but I'm glad that every show doesn't have a House-broods-about-the-patient-alone-in-the-dark-musical-montage. He doesn't have to take every case and personalize it. If he did, that would get old and stale, as well as turning every case into a House life lesson. It's good to have the mix, and having a lighter attitude this week allows the darker, brooding episodes to stand out in contrast.
I'm not a fan of the brooding music montage to the least. I find it cheap, same as I found a lot of House's behavior this episode. It just didn't feel.. genuine, I guess.
In any case, it didn't work for me.
fffaw- 10-31-2007
I finally got to see the whole episode and was surprised to find that I didn't really mind Foreman at all. Maybe as House said he really did learn something.
I think it will be interesting to see how their relationship changes. I am thinking (hoping) that we will see a less arrogant Foreman. Perhaps he is realizing that he really does want to work at House's side and he *is* learning and it's making him a better doctor. That would be very nice indeed. I'm cautiously optimistic.
13's secret better be damn good.
I echo the sadness of the continuing decline of a strong and competent Cuddy. I was bummed that House came out the alpha male there. I really would like a Cuddy who doesn't get walked over - a strong professional woman - but TPTB may have written her into a corner. I guess, basically, it's House's world and they just live in it. (Yeah, I know the show is named House but...)
I LOVED that Wilson was the alpha and House knows it no matter how mad he was about it. House would be lost without Wilson's levity.
I loved the scene with Wilson teasing House about it. Great friendship scene. :-)
Bridgididge- 10-31-2007
I don't know what to think. I was embarrassed when they did the toilet humour gag though now in hindsight I think that was House just trying to make things awkward for Foreman so it annoys me slightly less, I actually thought "what the...? Since when does the show House do toilet humour?"
But, yes, I can't help but agree that it has a different feel and I got a little worried but I think it will settle back into place (if they do it right) so maybe this isn't the death of the show I occasionally get worried about. And about over zealous House? Yeah, thought that was weird but...it seems like his leg isn't bothering him too much, his support network (whilst perhaps unwanted on occasion *foreman*) is HUGE at the moment (which doesn't work with loner House but I digress...) I think he might've truly got over Stacy and no super dark nemeses so maybe this is the happiest he's been for four years? Maybe it works?
I don't know. I'll reserve judgement for later, and instead have an orgasm every time Wilson walks on screen :P
