Yeah, I'd have to agree. I'd have preferred condensing the 13 storyline and expanding the House one too. Felt the same way in OD/OR where I was very interested in House and not so much in the homeless guy and Cam. But with this as with all tv, you can't get a custom fit in an off-the-rack world..

The Softer Side is the top selling TV episode on Amazon at the moment.

boffle wrote: But with this as with all tv, you can't get a custom fit in an off-the-rack world.. Wise words indeed. I actually found this episode to be quite balanced and tightly constructed, with each scene serving to either propel the central case of the patient or inform the examination of House's dilemma. For me, this episode underscored that the streamlined "House" scripts which are not required to service too many characters tend to be much stronger.

I finally got to see this episode. My favorite part? Kutner's alarmed, "What wrong?" when House walks into the office wearing a suit and tie.

Just out of curiosity, what are you watching for that gets you what you need in this episode?

Of course, we fans have no control over what is being presented to us by Shore, Jacobs, Laurie and co., but over the years, they have done a brilliant job in giving us a wide variety of takes on the core situation of an arrogant yet life-saving doctor and his relationships with patients and colleagues. It's still a hit show, so they must read that as confirmation that, for the most part, fans are still happy with what they are coming up with. If they weren't, common sense tells us, they would tune out. So the House creators have given us a wide range: darkest drama, lightest comedy, friendships that are both broken and restored, crushes that fade, crushes that blossom into real love, flirtations that hide deeper feelings, patients that hurt themselves for both noble and stupid reasons, philosophical meditations on the meaning of life, how to teach effectively, how all the human foibles we have, whether we are parading them or hiding them, how that all can be so easy to misconstrue, and at the heart of all that is the unapologetic and fascinating protagonist, House. In this episode, we see him willing to quit his job to be pain-free, then willing to give up the pain-free future to do his job to the best of his ability. The ethical and personal dilemmas he faced here were challenging and complicated. It's not about choosing this or that person to be romantic about, it's about what he finds in himself that he wants to connect with at the deepest level, and it turns out that it's not going to happen the way he wants it to, even when he is so very close. It's tragic and compelling and there's no way I would have expected it. I think it's fabulous that from week to week I have no idea where they are going with this show and I love being surprised with what they create for these characters. That was my meaning in the quote above: there's a great deal of interesting material here from which to choose, and expecting the writers and producers to tailor their writing to fit any particular agenda, shipper or no, is just courting disappointment. Now, I'm not arguing for or against shipping here, or how any particular fan chooses to enjoys the show. Naturally, we all vary widely in that respect. Just enjoying this episode and looking forward with great anticipation to wherever they choose to go next.

Sorry for this insanity. What follows is probably my longest ever post (and the most boring, as well, I guess. But I was asked. :wink: ) Just out of curiosity, what are you watching for that gets you what you need in this episode? I'm not watching for anything. I stepped onto the ride at the beginning and I'm letting it take me where it goes. I'm not desperately searching for OTPs, or switching the channel when any particular character is on screen or not on screen (as some do, which I find puzzling, but it's non of my business). I enjoy this wonderfully complicated man named House, who is neither good nor bad guy, but a multi-layered, complicated man. I would still watch the show if any of the characters left, except for House himself (because he holds everything together). I love that it's a medical show, cause I love that stuff, but I do have to admit that I usually don't care if the patient lives or dies. Both can be good drama at the right time. What got me what I need in this particular episode was drama and humor i.e. in these scenes (in no particular oder and not a complete list): - Taub and Kutner jerking Foreman and 13 around, particularly Taub's impressions - moron with the broken finger - House still trying to find a different way of managing his pain and not being miserable - Cuddy, Wilson and Foreman having become used to expect the worst of House, even when it's not the case - Wilson challenging House to drink that scotch even though he knows House well enough to know he'll drink it even if he shouldn't - the ice cream metaphor - Kutner's bored frustration at having to babysit House - House walking away after leaving his cane in a dumpster - Cuddy still thinking she can control House with threads and realizing how much lack of pain means to him, only to find out being a great doctor means more - Wilson's shock at seeing House shaved and dressed up and realizing that House is actually doing well (learning not to always expect the worst) to name some scenes off the top of my head. Acting choices by all actors also gave me pleasure: Cuddy: Tiny moment of puzzlement when seeing House do the Charlie Chaplin cane twirl in the clinic / coolness when Wilson accused her of sleeping with House / scene in the bathroom 13: "Can we please drop the metaphor" / shock at how much she screwed up when (s)he-kid told her he didn't want to die, at least until now / "nice heels" moment Wilson: The challenge to drink the Scotch / Annoyance switching to concern, when House isn't breathing Taub: Foreman impression / stunned look when House enters the office all cleaned up Foreman: Opening mirror scene (because it's a rare thing to see him as a regular playful human being) / "nice heels" moment Kutner: "I'm a little slow" scene House: too many big and tiny moments to name without exploding this already too long post I loved that the patients medical condition didn't have anything to do with the reason he ended up in hospital. I love the ethical question of "tell or don't tell" and the consequences that may follow. I have to admit I didn't notice lack of Cameron or Chase because the episode was well balanced, IMO. They have had great moments and will have more, I'm sure. But truth is if you don't look for a particular character or actor, you might miss them being missing, if the episode is good. I'm looking forward to seeing if and how House will continue to keep trying other things to manage pain and misery. I other words, I'm getting a lot from watching the show. Doesn't mean that I'm non-critical towards it. I pretty much hated the cop out that was "Words and Deeds" for example, but that doesn't mean that episode didn't have awesome scenes and acting. I have disliked pretty much every character at some point or another throughout the run of the show, but that's a good thing. That's part of interesting drama. Then I learn something new about the character, or the character grows, or I grow and then I change my opinion. It's part of the ride. :wink: ETA: I was just told I could sum this up with one word: "Entertainment" Darn, I knew there was a shorter version out there.

I'm happy you didn't think of the one word version sooner, to21be, because I very much enjoyed your post and couldn't agree more.