5.14 - The Greater Good

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. I'm not all the way through the episode yet (darn my slow computer), so I might be wrong in this ... But I find it bizarre that we're supposed to buy Cuddy's behaviour as being a frustrated woman trying to get back into the swing of things. It's ok for new mums to be frustrated and sometimes act a little irrationally, but physically harming another person (no matter how much of a jerk he might be) ain't normal behaviour. Heck, if every new-mum acted like this, there'd be a hell of alot of lawsuits, and a hell of alot of injured/crippled/dead men. I was hoping the episode would play out better than the spoilers read, but so far it isn't. Cuddy still acts like an idiot, and I've pretty much lost all respect for her as a character. (which is a shame. A few seasons ago she was one of my favorite characters, behind House and Wilson). If Cuddy can't handle stress in a rational manner, then how the hell did she become the head of a hospital? :shock: -

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. Just wanted to say that it was not my intention to insult anyone. From a social justice standpoint, I do think that persecuted groups need a collective response to established roles and prejudices that are foisted on them by the majority group in a society. I get nervous when mainstream media tries to tell these story and I get very, extremely nervous when the implication is made that certain members of certain groups are not happy within professions that society wouldn't have given them less than a hundred years ago. I don't usually post again this early but I want to make it crystal clear that I meant absolutly no disrespect to anyone.

I didn't think any of Cuddy's pranks were okay. She physically hurt him (and House needs to get in better shape if he's worried about his heart going up all those stairs), she hurt him with the tripwire (which wasn't funny in the Animal House movies) and she cut off his utilities. And then she lied to him about why Cameron quit to justify what she was doing. Worse, House was only being House. He did to Cameron what Cuddy has always let him get away with. (A number of people argued last week that he was actually easy on Cameron.) So she created a monster and now she's not only blaming him, she's playing nasty tricks out of her own frustrations. It's a real hatchet job on the smart powerful Cuddy from the pilot. Taub's personal life is boring. It was boring in DEC and it's still boring. I like him when he snarks, PJ does a great job with that but this personal stuff is an episode killer. I couldn't get into the Foreman/Thirteen plot because it was so badly written wrt the research. It was worse than Fringe, worse medicine than Gray's Anatomy. They didn't think it was worth the couple of bucks to hire a university undergrad to go through the script? No one cares when a researcher quit. There are plenty of other people working in her lab. No one knows that "she's 5 years away from curing" whatever. That's impossible to predict. Foreman should not be allowed anywhere near 13 in the drugs trials because he works with her. If Thirteen were showing anything on that very easy test he was doing, she would have already have severe cognitive deficits and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near patients. If anyone had developed a brain tumor from the drug, they would have stopped the trials. At the least they would have warned the researchers so Foreman wanting to ask the drug company was stupid. Also stupid was the plan not to tell the company. Because what's Foreman's license compared to actually saving a few lives? A tumor that stars within a couple of days of going on a drug that no one else has developed a tumor from, grows to the size where blindness occurrs and then is irradiated within a day belongs on Fringe, not House. Or on the X-files. As Shore said, what's the point of killing off a character no one likes? I'm getting very tired of them tying Thirteen to the railroad tracks but the train keeps missing. Next week House tells Foreman and Thirteen they have to pick either the job or the relationship. Anyone want to join me in betting that it all comes to nothing, yet again, in the end?

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. I respectfully disagree. She may be a role model and an inspiration to other females, but that's a side effect of her being in the field she was in, not the reason for it, and it shouldn't be the reason to stay in it if that's not what she wants. Fact is, nobody gave her grief about getting out of cancer research because she was letting down her gender -- or her race, for that matter. They (and by "they" I chiefly mean Wilson) did so because she walked away from important work that could have saved lives. I think Wilson would have had the same reaction to a white male researcher on the verge of a breakthrough who ditched it all to cook and play piano. (Of course, if she were male, we'd need a different DX). This episode really made me miss season 1 Cuddy. Remember her? The one who didn't stoop to House's level? Prank wars are one thing -- "Let Them Eat Cake" was fun -- but this wasn't pranking; this was outright hostility and revenge toward the guy she blames for her inability to be home with the baby. Uh, Lisa? I don't recall anyone holding a gun to your head and saying "Go back to work!" She could have pulled rank on Cameron and insisted she give the acting dean thing another go. She could have designated another acting dean. She could have installed a bassinet and a nanny in her humongous office. Blaming House because she feels torn between her responsibility to the hospital (i.e., keeping him in line) and parenthood is just lashing out at a convenient target. And that's behavior unbecoming a dean of medicine, IMO. No Chase. Bummer. No Cameron. Double bummer. Boring Taub side story and not enough Kutner. And if, heaven forbid, I ever get a tumor, I want one of those magical Gone-in-One-Radiation-Treatment tumors like Thirteen's.

If Cuddy can't handle stress in a rational manner, then how the hell did she become the head of a hospital? :shock: That's what makes it such poor writing, that since season 3, most of the big decisions she's made have been out of her emotions, not her brains. Wilson is damaged and twisted in his own way without being an emotional wreck. And this episode was written by a woman (Sara Hess). Why have Cuddy say she came back because House forced Cameron to quit when we say in the last episode that's not true. And how does anything justify hiding House's cane since he can barely walk without it? If they're setting up Huddy sex (and House's comment that "Our cycles aren't aligned yet" suggests it), why not make it pleasant rather than nasty? At least there was the return of "Blue", the janitor, who put the signs on the elevators for Cuddy.

It was worse than Fringe Well, at least Foreteen weren't attacked by killer butterflies. ;-) Hey, wait! Now there's an idea for a House/Fringe crossover. :-)

Did anyone else spot an Amnesty International in Thirteen's oddly huge apartment? I'm sure I did. Lucas said Cuddy donates to it, I wonder if someone on the show is a supporter. The whole subplot about why Foreman did what he did would be intriguing if it were anyone but Foreman the Cameron-stabbing bastard. ETA And this episode was written by a woman (Sara Hess). Aha. She always writes the women as raving bitches for some reason.

If Cuddy can't handle stress in a rational manner, then how the hell did she become the head of a hospital? :shock: I think she generally can handle stress in a rational manner. Right now, she's going through the biggest changes of her life, and in addition she has reached the high point of exasperation with/toward House. I don't blame her for going over the edge and stooping to his level for once. We're all entitled to fall apart once in a while.

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 didn't see it as related to her gender at all, but I agree with Taub on this one. Your co-worker went into another form of productive activity, which IMO makes a huge difference. They seemed to describe her as just dabbling. I don't think that's the way to fulfillment, but who knows. It was, IMO, not a very well-drawn storyline. Like someone else posted, I kept wishing House or somebody would confront her. 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. They're the ones who tied it into her motherhood issues; I didn't. I don't remember anything House did that's this bad, and what makes it worse IMO is that it wasn't his fault. She is a free agent to do what she wants. If she wants to take time off, take time off. But don't leave his former student, who used to have a major crush on him, in charge and then complain about it. If it's really true that nobody else can make him work in an acceptable manner, fire him. Come on. The way they portray Cuddy doing her job has gotten worse and worse over time, and this is just another low point. (House obviously agrees with me. :) ) So many women face the issue of motherhood and career; this show turns it into absurdity and meanness. Sorry, but it bugs me. My feeling is, if the show is going to be this poor at handling personal storylines, better they should go back to being a procedural.

Right now, she's going through the biggest changes of her life, and in addition she has reached the high point of exasperation with/toward House. I don't blame her for going over the edge and stooping to his level for once. We're all entitled to fall apart once in a while. Not really, tbh. If someone falls apart that badly to the point where they take out their frustrations by physically harming someone, then they need either a loooong vacation or a trip to the police station. And like I said, many new mothers have a hard time when they first have a baby (especially if they are working mums), and they can act irrationally due to their sudden change in life. But I don't know too many who start hurting collegues as a result of their stress. And if any do, then I don't think they're "entitled" to it. I also agree with peggy06 ... I don't think House has done anything so harmful in the show, so Cuddy certainly didn't stoop to his level - She missed the ledge and fell right past it! :D -

Found the ep to be kind of blah. I admittedly don't buy this whole Foreteen storyline, so it's mere presence is an irritant. Two weeks and he's ready to risk his career--yeah right...this is the same doc who screwed over a colleague in the publishing department just to get ahead. For this, I didn't get Cameron and Chase in the 100th ep? (And ,yes, DS, a 100th ep is an important milestone...though apparently not to you because you didn't knock this one out of the park). And, man, can OW not play blind. Frankly, the writing was pedestrian (except for the Wilson moments, which were made of awesome). The Taub and wife bits were blandly inconsequential--not annoying, but not awe-inspiring either. That said, Taub is actually growing on me while Kutner is beginning to irritate me. The POTW was actually interesting in a sort of way (personal happiness vs. duty to society...I'm actually more of a believer in the latter than the former) and I wish there had been more of her. I also want Professional Cuddy. The one who ran the hospital in the 1st season and has been steadfastly disappearing ever since. AND I WANT CHASE & CAMERON!

If it's really true that nobody else can make him work in an acceptable manner, fire him. That's exactly what Wilson said to Cuddy, so that was not an attitude outside the writing of the show. And he then said that maybe it was her own happiness at being back at work that was really fueling her anger--disguised guilt. He said that House was just being House in the way he worked and she was being Cuddy in the way she worked--she's actually happy at work and she needed to make peace with that instead of displacing her discomfort onto House. I didn't have a problem with the emotional journey for Cuddy at all, except the heights she took her anger--physically hurting House was an extreme response for someone who knows his injuries and cares. I know Wilson called her on that, too, and she recognised it was inappropriate, but I'd rather not have gone there.

Right now, she's going through the biggest changes of her life, and in addition she has reached the high point of exasperation with/toward House. I don't blame her for going over the edge and stooping to his level for once. We're all entitled to fall apart once in a while. Not really, tbh. If someone falls apart that badly to the point where they take out their frustrations by physically harming someone, then they need either a loooong vacation or a trip to the police station. Cuddy doesn't need a vacation. What she needs is an actual maternity leave, so she can spend time with her baby. And like I said, many new mothers have a hard time when they first have a baby (especially if they are working mums), and they can act irrationally due to their sudden change in life. Ok, respectfully, please don't say that work-outside-the-home moms have it harder than stay-at-home moms. As a stay-at-home mom, I could certainly argue the opposite point: When my kids were small, during the day, I never got a break, I didn't get to go out to lunch and have adult conversation, I couldn't even go to the bathroom by myself, for a year I couldn't leave the house alone for very long because I was breastfeeding and my baby refused to drink pumped milk from a bottle, and the isolation... I won't even get into that. However, I won't make that argument (and I generally don't), because it's not fair or productive, and there is just no need to pit work-outside-the-home mothers against stay-at-home mothers. All new mothers — all new fathers as well — struggle to get used to their new lives. But I don't know too many who start hurting collegues as a result of their stress. And if any do, then I don't think they're "entitled" to it. Well, the show is fictional. And none of the new mothers I know in real life have ever had to deal with an employee named Gregory House. :wink:

If it's really true that nobody else can make him work in an acceptable manner, fire him. That's exactly what Wilson said to Cuddy, so that was not an attitude outside the writing of the show. And he then said that maybe it was her own happiness at being back at work that was really fueling her anger--disguised guilt. He said that House was just being House in the way he worked and she was being Cuddy in the way she worked--she's actually happy at work and she needed to make peace with that instead of displacing her discomfort onto House. I didn't have a problem with the emotional journey for Cuddy at all, except the heights she took her anger--physically hurting House was an extreme response for someone who knows his injuries and cares. I know Wilson called her on that, too, and she recognised it was inappropriate, but I'd rather not have gone there. Yes I appreciate that they finally got around to saying this, but it was too little, too late. They already made Cuddy react in a completely inappropriate, OTT way that pretty much trashes the character IMO. You can't take that away. Also, the way they played the apology, cane-giving-back scene implied to me that the PTB think this whole storyline is amusing. Well, I wasn't amused.

Cutie Honey wrote: But I don't know too many who start hurting collegues as a result of their stress. And if any do, then I don't think they're "entitled" to it. Well, the show is fictional. And none of the new mothers I know in real life have ever had to deal with an employee named Gregory House. Wink I also think the basic emotional point they were making of displacing anger onto someone else because of your own emotions is quite valid. Trip wires may not be common, but thinking that if someone else was not so slow, so dippy, so something, you wouldn't have to be here and taking it out on him/her is a recognisable response. Not one that everyone would have, of course, but one that some people have. As a metaphor it works. In practice seeing House fall--don't like it much. But I think the episode showed Cuddy acknowledging and moving past that behaviour, and House in his way accepting her apology, so I'll be able to move on. Also, the way they played the apology, cane-giving-back scene implied to me that the PTB think this whole storyline is amusing. Well, I wasn't amused. I didn't think the way Wilson confronted Cuddy showed it was supposed to be amusing. I think the apology cane-giving back scene showed that their relationship will withstand this. House wasn't about to get touchy feely with accepting the apology, so he deflected while really allowing the moment to move forward into comfortable territory for both.

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