5.14 - The Greater Good

Holy misogyny Batman!... Then they had to insult me even more by having the whole thing be PMS related. It wasn't PMS-related. House called it ectopic endometriosis, and it was related to the uterine myoma she'd had 8 months before. The patient is a woman, and women do have uteri and periods. It's not misogynistic when a woman's illness is related to her uterus; it's simply realistic, because it's something that really can happen. One female patient in 5 seasons who has an illness that is related to her uterus, and now the show is insulting to women and misogynistic? Men have testicles and prostates; when the show writes a patient with testicular cancer or prostate cancer, will that mean the show is misandrist? Personally, I appreciate that they focused on something that is specific to women.

OK, I'll be the odd one out. I thought this episode was really boring. Maybe because it was so dominated by Thirteen's endless litany of woes. And I'm getting tired of seeing Foreman gazing into his soul. And House being so concerned about them. It just all felt off to me. It feels out of character to me. I don't understand why he's being all, "If you love her..." about 14. It doesn't fit House. I didn't think the episode was exciting either. It's nothing I'd ever watch again. I didn't connect to the POTW and I just wish 13 would go away. I'm so sick of her "litany of woes" as you put it. Enough is a enough. They need to give the character a break and the audience a break from the character. I don't think words can adequately express how sick I am of 13.

I thought it was boring as well. 14 wasn't bad... I just didn't care about it. Cuddy was so unrealistic with her juvenile pranks and cliche new mom crisis. I have no idea why House is talking all about 14's love, either? And I could care less about Taub's drama. I liked Wilson, but I felt like his emotion was kind of forced in the scene with the POTW - it seems after this long in his specialty, he wouldn't suddenly flip out because someone chose to leave, although I guess it was supposed to show his inner turmoil about Amber. And the fact that he would wash the mug was so obvious from the beginning that it didn't pack much of an emotional punch.

Holy misogyny Batman! Why does it always have to be women who question their careers on television shows? I hate the tradition Hollywood-pseudo-liberal view of happiness and creating a balance between home life and work life. In Needle in a Haystack Stevie questioned going back to school and becoming a scientist or working with his family. In Half-Wit, the father questioned his job taking care of his son and the path he had chosen for his son. Other than House, the character who has had the clearest and most unwavering dedication to his/her chosen career was the astronaut in The Right Stuff. If women feeling they have made the wrong choices in their careers were a constantly recurring theme on House, I'd agree. But not to have 2 or 3 female patients in 100 episodes do so would, in my opinion, be not only misogynistic, but patronizing as well. (Women can't handle the idea that not every woman is happy with her choices. So we'll pretend everything is sunshine and puppies in that area.) You have rights in a liberal society but you also have responsiblities. I did crappy chef jobs for years and years, and I hate to break this to the POTW, but line work is not some great escape. I don't think the POTW was planning on doing scullery work for the rest of her life. She already did another job before this. She's just sampling different things that interest her that she didn't have time for when she was on her career path. (I'd also assume she has savings from her time as a doctor and that she's not living on minimum wages.)

And I didn't see the cancer researcher as being uncertain of her career choices at all. In fact, she was the only one who wasn't questioning the choice she'd made to quit. She'd done well as a researcher, but she wasn't happy, so she quit. Now she's exploring other opportunities with no regrets.

I have to agree with Poeia. There are a lot of things Cuddy could have done to mess with House that wouldn't have physically hurt him. My mom is a chronic pain patient (both knees replaced, neither works well) and I can't imagine doing that to someone who is constantly in pain. Change the locks on his doors, inconvenience him in all sorts of ways, but don't physically hurt him. With that said...I did really enjoy the epi. Even Forteen. & Does anyone else think House seems a little...'soft'? With his relationship advice, taking the passive route with Cuddy, etc.

Call me crazy, but Wilson seemed to be questioning his career choices, too, here. Perhaps not as loudly, but he was sympathizing pretty damn hard with the PoTW. Yeah, but I feel like men can question their career choices and it isn't such a big deal. If a woman has an important scientific job, I think she owes it to her gender to stay on and try to pave the way for others in her minority to get where she is. From an economic and social standpoint, women are a minority (past discrimination and current wage differences between men and women make that evident). I mean they aren't a numerical minority, but past discimination gives them the history of a persecuted group. I hate it that it seems like Hollywood never wastes a chance to tell working women how unfullfilled they are. As for the PotW's life choices, I don't think she intended to work in the restaurant field full time, did she? She was also taking piano lessons, going to a book group, etc. I think she was just doing things she enjoyed. I have to say, sometimes doing your hobby for a living can be the quickest way to ruin your love of it, that's for sure. ;-) But if so, having worked in plenty of restaurants, I hear you, but maybe she wanted that sort of contrast - it's so different that what she used to be doing. Again, I just can't respect someone who leaves their important, life saving job so she can work line all night and smoke pot in the walk in. I don't understand what changed Wilson's mind. I agree that Wilson was questioning his choices but he's had a major trauma and he's obviously still affected by it. I don't think he should trash his career because of it. I wonder if we're meant to think that Ch/C are totally happy and fullfilled in their lives and that is why we didn't see them this week.

Oh Wilson, you totally made my heart break when you washed the mug. I have nothing really to add. You ladies have pretty much wrote my thoughts on a lot of things. I liked the episode. Not loved... yet anyway. I felt like the episode was closing an arc and setting up another. And since nobody has played in the shallow end, Wilson was cute tonight. I love his hair to the side. And tons of cute House (concerned House is lovely).

Not that I had much before, but I just don't have any respect for Cuddy now. It's official, the show hates women. How else can you explain this insulting and absurd characterization of a supposedly smart, high-powered professional woman? I'm insulted as a woman, a mother (both working and stay-at-home), and frankly as an audience member. The utter OTT horridness of Cuddy making House climb several flights of stairs, tripping him, hiding his cane - it's just unbelievable. I don't care what the alleged justification. And did they actually try to pass this off as "time of the month?" Ugh, ugh, ugh. I felt no good could come of a baby subplot, and ditto House/Cuddy, but never thought they'd be as hamfisted as they have been. There's barely a recognizable human response in there. Everything is dramatic, contrived and/or silly. Kutner was a testy little thing again tonight, wasn't he? I'm getting a little tired of righteous Kutner. Did I hear House call him Deepak at one point? I was also irritated by the PotW and her lectures. IMO, Wilson was right the first time. Call me a curmudgeon, but they didn't make much of a case for her. Having said that, it always creeped me out that he lived in Amber's place, so it'd be good to see him leave it. I kind of hate how they bring in his grief so selectively; makes it hard to believe in it. Foreman/13 actually turned out to be one of the better parts of the episode, maybe in contrast. I will say I was in suspense over what would happen, and I was moved at the end when her sight was restored. So maybe not a complete curmudgeon. The best thing about the episode was a decent amount of House, and good House.

Yeah, but I feel like men can question their career choices and it isn't such a big deal. If a woman has an important scientific job, I think she owes it to her gender to stay on and try to pave the way for others in her minority to get where she is. Women with "important" jobs (however one defines "important") do not owe anything to their "gender" or to anyone else. People are people, and they are allowed to make their own choices without regard to the minority group from which they hail. An individual does not define a group. A high-achieving individual does not define his/her group any more than a low-achieving individual defines his/her group. The idea that — just because someone is born a minority and has achieved something great in his/her chosen profession — then that means she/he "owes" something? I find that incredibly insulting.

Yeah, but I feel like men can question their career choices and it isn't such a big deal. If a woman has an important scientific job, I think she owes it to her gender to stay on and try to pave the way for others in her minority to get where she is. From an economic and social standpoint, women are a minority (past discrimination and current wage differences between men and women make that evident). I mean they aren't a numerical minority, but past discimination gives them the history of a persecuted group. I hate it that it seems like Hollywood never wastes a chance to tell working women how unfullfilled they are. Again, I just can't respect someone who leaves their important, life saving job so she can work line all night and smoke pot in the walk in. I don't understand what changed Wilson's mind. I agree that Wilson was questioning his choices but he's had a major trauma and he's obviously still affected by it. I don't think he should trash his career because of it. . That is your opinion, and you are entitled to it, but I have total respect for the POTW. It doesn't matter how important someone's work is, if internally it is tearing one apart because it is not right for them. I get her. She spent her life rationalizing why she was doing the right thing, that she should be a researcher, that it was what she was supposed to be doing, but people can't spend their lives forcing themselves to be what they aren't. Yes, it seems selfish to decide not to save lives anymore, but she realized she had to save her own soul instead.

Call me crazy, but Wilson seemed to be questioning his career choices, too, here. Perhaps not as loudly, but he was sympathizing pretty damn hard with the PoTW. Yeah, but I feel like men can question their career choices and it isn't such a big deal. If a woman has an important scientific job, I think she owes it to her gender to stay on and try to pave the way for others in her minority to get where she is. From an economic and social standpoint, women are a minority (past discrimination and current wage differences between men and women make that evident). I mean they aren't a numerical minority, but past discimination gives them the history of a persecuted group. I hate it that it seems like Hollywood never wastes a chance to tell working women how unfullfilled they are. Perhaps, but our society as a whole is still at a point where women really do have to choose between staying at home and going to work. Not many professional women Cuddy's age can look to their mothers as guidance on how to deal with full-time jobs. Cuddy's position is very unique, and it's important to explore how women deal with professional drive versus biological drive. It's still a decision women that women have to come to terms with. And women have a right to question whether they're happy. So do men. I didn't think the PotW left her job because she felt unfulfilled as woman -- she felt unfulfilled as a person.

Yeah, but I feel like men can question their career choices and it isn't such a big deal. If a woman has an important scientific job, I think she owes it to her gender to stay on and try to pave the way for others in her minority to get where she is. Wow. As a woman with a (semi, moderately, not-so) important scientific job, I don't know what to think about that statement. Still not feeling the misogyny in the episode, though.

razor, maybe he realized he had no business walking into the room of someone he barely knows and lecturing her on her personal decisions? This is sort of in responce to an earlier post. I loved the POTW. I think she was one of the most believable ever. But I totally understand her story. A career in science is not as thrilling as it sounds. It totally makes sense that she would want to ditch it all for something she really loves. It totally makes sense that she spent her lfie dong what she "should" do and finally decided to do what she wants. That is exactly what I have been going. I spent years in science cause everyone told me I should do it, but unlike the POTW it never worked out the way it should. Now I am trying to do what I love, something that has nothing to do with science at all. I loved the POTW. It is not a feminist career story, it is a personal story of finally deciding not to do what was expected, and what one "should' do. It was totally and completely realistic, and honest and truthful. I didn't see it as related to her gender either. One of my co-workers, a highly respected and prominent scientist, has just decided to quit her career and work for a charitable foundation. The reaction she got from both male and female co-workers was "good for you". I love Kutner because he's the only one of the cast who's happy. Studies show a person's happiness level is pretty much set no matter what happens to them. Everyone else on the show is always miserable whether they have reason to be or not, it's so refreshing to see someone who's not. ETA It's official, the show hates women. How else can you explain this insulting and absurd characterization of a supposedly smart, high-powered professional woman? I'm insulted as a woman, a mother (both working and stay-at-home), and frankly as an audience member. The utter OTT horridness of Cuddy making House climb several flights of stairs, tripping him, hiding his cane - it's just unbelievable. I don't care what the alleged justification. And did they actually try to pass this off as "time of the month?" Ugh, ugh, ugh. House has done worse things and it wasn't attributed to his being a man. As for her behaviour being blamed on her period, House wasn't serious about that. He was just acting like his normal self to her, which is being a jerk, as his own way of accepting her apology.

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