5.10 - Let Them Eat Cake

So am I in the minority for really liking Peirce Brosnan? And I realized that I never really replied in this thread yet. I loved the episode and agree that it did hearken back to season one of the show. Much of the tone, the jokes, the interactions with everyone just flowed well and made you think of days there where the show seemed to be proud to be one of the more intellectual offerings on TV. Even the interactions from Cameron, Chase, and Foreman were all in character, as was House's reactions to Kutner's idea for the site.

The last Bond movie I saw starred Roger Moore. But I think House's point was that you can argue about who the second best Bond was but "who was the best Bond" isn't a question because there is only one possible answer. (And I love Pierce Brosnan.) There were suggestions from TPTB that the reason they were giving Thirteen a fatal, genetic disease was because it would be interesting for House to contrast that with his own circumstances. His ailment is basically external -- he has a damaged leg, he takes opiates, he sticks knives in wall sockets, etc. while her body has been preparing to kill her since she was conceived. And I realize that I would be fine with that. If Thirteen's problems reflected back on House in some way, that could be worth exploring. But they haven't done that. Her situation has simply been all about her. And, even when it's well done, as it was in Let Them Eat Cake, it's not what I signed on to watch.

The last Bond movie I saw starred Roger Moore. But I think House's point was that you can argue about who the second best Bond was but "who was the best Bond" isn't a question because there is only one possible answer. (And I love Pierce Brosnan.) No disrespect to those who like Brosnan because I too love Brosnan, but House is right. If you've ever seen Connery as James Bond there really should be no argument about who is best. He was Bond just like HL is House. Connery was manly, good-looking, debonair but tough, graceful and playful yet icily duty bound as well. He could be in a dramatically intense/suspenseful moment and humourous all at the same time. Every actor since has brought at least three of those qualities with them to the role, but only Connery has combined them all. There were suggestions from TPTB that the reason they were giving Thirteen a fatal, genetic disease was because it would be interesting for House to contrast that with his own circumstances. His ailment is basically external -- he has a damaged leg, he takes opiates, he sticks knives in wall sockets, etc. while her body has been preparing to kill her since she was conceived. And I realize that I would be fine with that. If Thirteen's problems reflected back on House in some way, that could be worth exploring. But they haven't done that. Her situation has simply been all about her. And, even when it's well done, as it was in Let Them Eat Cake, it's not what I signed on to watch. You're been reading my mind Poeia, because I was thinking exactly this soon after this episode aired. I'm pretty sure during the L.A. Times screening K.J. was saying that 13's Huntington's was going to give TPTB an opportunity to compare and contrast with House's condition. It hasn't happened. I mean not even a little bit. If anything House has been completely removed with anything having to do with 13 and her Huntingtons storyline. I thought 13's storyline this week was done very well, and I mentioned that earlier in the thread. However, later I started thinking, "But, WTF does any of this have to do with House?" :? Every other arc has come back to House in some way. This one hasn't. This is just weird now.

I m probably in a minority here, but my favorite time in House was when Wilson moved into House's appt back in season 2. Both of them acting juvenile was hilarious, and by extension I loved House/Cuddy acting juvenile in this episode. I ve been a bit confused about the final scene though, I think it was left open ended on purpose, and that annoys me. With regards to 13, sorry I just cant get myself to like her. The whole Huntington's storyline, to me at least, seems contrived and maybe a touch too melodramatic for House as a show. I m not saying there are no cliches thrown around House all the time, there are, but HL can get away with them while I cant help feeling OW is daytime soap material at best.

The last Bond movie I saw starred Roger Moore. But I think House's point was that you can argue about who the second best Bond was but "who was the best Bond" isn't a question because there is only one possible answer. (And I love Pierce Brosnan.) There were suggestions from TPTB that the reason they were giving Thirteen a fatal, genetic disease was because it would be interesting for House to contrast that with his own circumstances. His ailment is basically external -- he has a damaged leg, he takes opiates, he sticks knives in wall sockets, etc. while her body has been preparing to kill her since she was conceived. And I realize that I would be fine with that. If Thirteen's problems reflected back on House in some way, that could be worth exploring. But they haven't done that. Her situation has simply been all about her. And, even when it's well done, as it was in Let Them Eat Cake, it's not what I signed on to watch. Yes, I agree with your assessment here, Poeia. I've been waiting to see the parallels between House and Thirteen and I haven't seen any. I thought that at some point we'd see the writers examine House's issues through the filter of Thirteen's issues but it hasn't happened. Thirteen, I suspect, is meant to be compelling but I'll be eternally damned if I can see it.

I m probably in a minority here, but my favorite time in House was when Wilson moved into House's appt back in season 2. Both of them acting juvenile was hilarious, and by extension I loved House/Cuddy acting juvenile in this episode. I loved the Odd Couple arc. I don't remember Wilson acting juvenile (sawing through the cane was revenge), but it was such a lovely respite from all the angst in House's persona. I didn't feel that way about House grabbing Cuddy's breast. That wasn't light-hearted fun, it was... pathetic. I think House was testing her to see if she really was interested in the whole package -- the aesthete and the boar -- I think there would be better ways to accomplish that.

I was referring to the I like you I m gonna sit next to you / ok I ll annoy you so you ll leave / fine here's a stinky bomb in your office / stinky bomb? say bye bye to your toilet/ you bust my toilet? ok I hide your furniture parts as juvenile. The breast touching was weird ... it wasn't like coping a feel or whatever, it was just a random thing that can be explained 50 different ways. Was he pushing away, was he reacting to the whole kids in highschool theme they had going, was he showing he is an ass, does he really not know how to react bla bla. I think it's one of the 2 things they need to refer back to, explain them a bit even just as a mention in passing to Wilson or something. The other thing being the not-dead actress in his office bit which to me again was kinda vague ... was it Cuddy overreacting or was House getting his money's worth. I mean it ties to the Taub/House discussion earlier but I feel if they wanted us to be sure House decided to stay alone and blah blah they could have set it much more clearly ie House leaving with not-dead actress and Cuddy seeing them, not talking in his glass walled office.

I mean it ties to the Taub/House discussion earlier but I feel if they wanted us to be sure House decided to stay alone and blah blah they could have set it much more clearly ie House leaving with not-dead actress and Cuddy seeing them, not talking in his glass walled office. I think we saw all we needed to know House intended to or had just gotten his money's worth. A naked woman smiles in his face and reminds him he owns her for the next three hours and whatever will he do with that time? He smiles back. They are shown later with the hooker leaning into his space, smoothing his jacket which is a very intimate gesture, and House smiling and perfectly at ease with her in his space. I don't see any reason not read this scene as following from their previous scene. I'd like not to have to, but I don't see anything at all pointing not to. I didn't feel that way about House grabbing Cuddy's breast. That wasn't light-hearted fun, it was... pathetic. I think House was testing her to see if she really was interested in the whole package -- the aesthete and the boar -- I think there would be better ways to accomplish that. I think that he was stripping their relationship of the romanticism Cuddy is investing in it, both the kiss and the way he relates to her in general. I think he was making a decision on the relationship question and letting her know that he's got a sexual interest in her, but she shouldn't be reading anything more than that into his sexual teasing. That doesn't mean he doesn't have a feeling that she is his friend, but the sexual frisson is just sex. And he was willing to be very hurtful in conveying that. To me, House protected his control over being able to have the kind of meaningless sex he enjoys, but he also gave up his leeway to tease Cuddy about her breasts ever again. I really need to see that or I really hate what this arc has shown me not only about Cuddy but also about House. Mod edited to merger back-to-back posts. Please do not reply to yourself.

I think we saw all we needed to know House intended to or had just gotten his money's worth. A naked woman smiles in his face and reminds him he owns her for the next three hours and whatever will he do with that time? He smiles back. They are shown later with the hooker leaning into his space, smoothing his jacket which is a very intimate gesture, and House smiling and perfectly at ease with her in his space. I don't see any reason not read this scene as following from their previous scene. I'd like not to have to, but I don't see anything at all pointing not to. It's basically something my gf pointed out, and I noticed it after she did. She gives him the helmet, which in my book means they are not leaving together. If she was riding on House's bike he d be giving her the helmet, much like most bike riders do even though it's strictly illegal, if you have one helmet available you give it to the passenger. And I believe House did the same when Cameron rode on his bike in Season 2... Add to that the fact he's holding his cane, if they were leaving together it would make sense for her to hold on to the helmet instead of giving to the guy with the cane ... but I may be nitpicking And as a side note, I m not entirely convinced she is a hooker ... if we supposed to think hooker she was really badly cast

She gives him the helmet, which in my book means they are not leaving together. If she was riding on House's bike he d be giving her the helmet, much like most bike riders do even though it's strictly illegal, if you have one helmet available you give it to the passenger. I don't think we saw enough to know how they would get on the bike, but it works equally well that they've just come up from a quickie in the showerroom. There's nothing in the show other than our desire for him not to have sex with the hooker to point us to him not taking her up on her suggestion. Their final scene follows very well from their previous scene. A naked hooker told House he owned her for the next three hours and he looked delighted. The next scene shows them laughing and the hooker in his space, making an intimate gesture. He's a guy who likes hookers. if we supposed to think hooker she was really badly cast House thought she was great.

It's basically something my gf pointed out, and I noticed it after she did. She gives him the helmet, which in my book means they are not leaving together. If she was riding on House's bike he d be giving her the helmet, much like most bike riders do even though it's strictly illegal, if you have one helmet available you give it to the passenger. And I believe House did the same when Cameron rode on his bike in Season 2... Add to that the fact he's holding his cane, if they were leaving together it would make sense for her to hold on to the helmet instead of giving to the guy with the cane ... but I may be nitpicking Or, since she got herself to the hospital a couple days earlier (presumably in her own vehicle), she is planning to follow House to his place, in her own car or motorcycle. She was dressed like a biker-chick, so I can easily believe that her motorcycle is parked in the hospital parking lot with her helmet on it. And as a side note, I m not entirely convinced she is a hooker ... if we supposed to think hooker she was really badly cast There is quite a wide array of "types" among the hookers out there working. There is no way that the character is supposed to be an actress. Professional actresses don't generally have tattoos covering their entire arms; it would severely limit the roles they could get. So she is either a hooker or a biker-chick that House met in a bar. And as House doesn't generally chat people up in bars, and (as jair pointed out) as the woman was for hire and pointed out very coyly that House had three hours left of her time... I think the hooker angle makes the most sense.

And didn't House use air-quotes when he described her as an "actress?" Or, he said something in the morgue that made it sound like she wasn't really trained in the art of acting.

And didn't House use air-quotes when he described her as an "actress?" Or, he said something in the morgue that made it sound like she wasn't really trained in the art of acting. He said, "Seriously, how good was she? No formal training. At least, not in acting." Later in the scene he said, "I booked our little thespian here for two days." There are no air-quotes, but his use of the modifier "little" is, to me, an indicator that she is not a professional thespian. Kind of like when I refer to my kid as a "little chef" when she makes her own sandwich. I think he called her a thespian because she had been acting over the past couple days, but it's certainly not what she usually does for a living.

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