6.01/6.02 - Broken

House became fanfic House ( a real softie inside) too quickly. It wasn't quick, if it was quick he would've been back to work this episode with everything back to normal Yeah, wasn't this supposed to take place over 6 month period? There's got to be some tv shorthand. Look what happened with the ketamine recovery - He asks for ketamine, we end the season, we come back and he's running 8 miles on his ruined thigh. I was *thrilled* to get two hours to explain 6 months. That's better than we've gotten in the past! :-)

I guess that so far, I'm the only one who didn't care for Lydia. She started something with a patient while knowing that she wouldn't leave her husband and children. She didn't say good-bye because she thought it had "ended perfectly" - she came across as selfish to me. I was indifferent to her. The catatonic sister-in-law was a plot device that gave them a reason for House to come in contact with someone other that staff and patients. She was a plot device in that they needed House to care about someone and that someone had to leave at the end or else there would be too many regulars on the show. I found it unbelievable that she connected to House to the point where she let this institutionalized psych patient steal her car and take another patient away. But I'm willing to suspend my disbelief as to those things. I felt Franka Potente did a good job and she had some chemistry with HL. Anyone notice his saying to her "I don't want you to go"? Shades of Stacy.

To a certain extent I think Lydia was somewhat institutionalized as well. She found it easier to make connections through the hospital. She married her husband because he knew what it was like to be going through everything with the sister/friend. Now the husband has escaped -- to the corporate office in Phoenix where he's always traveling -- and beyond her work/family responsibilities, her only outlet to make human connections of her own is the mental hospital, where she gives in to her emotional side.

... this was a standard-issue feel-good mental health storyline. Sorry to be a downer, but that's how I feel. Not that the acting was bad, but there were just too many pat or mind-boggling or heavily telegraphed moments. The thing with Freedom Master, who didn't see that coming a mile away? And what kind of idiot lets one patient in a mental institution take another out in her car? Because it was "nice" of him? Come on! Forced, I think, is the word Kerry used, and it's 100% accurate. The romance plot - sorry, it bugged me that there has to be a woman who is sooo attracted to House, even in this situation. The romance took away from what could have been more meaningful steps in relationships, such as House and Alvy, or even House and Dr. Nolan. Then the music box moment and its aftermath, as hokey as you get. Really almost demeaning in its shorthand approach. I hated that. How much better if House had said his apology to Steve, and never really known if it had any effect? And still had to try to move on. This says everything I meant with much more clarity. I realize it took place over months, but it was like a day between the Lydia kiss and actual sex and what came along with that etc. etc,. with no real development of why she was that into this guy in a mental institution in the first place to risk her family for him. The actual events seemed to happen very quickly and way too neatly - and peggy06's suggestion of the apology and not knowing the aftermath is the type of thing I would have liked to have seen. Also something like Amber appearing at the talent show, as someone suggested, and showing the hallucinations aren't gone, and they weren't a random vicodin side effect. Everything was just too "standard" and "feel good" as said above.

To a certain extent I think Lydia was somewhat institutionalized as well. She found it easier to make connections through the hospital. She married her husband because he knew what it was like to be going through everything with the sister/friend. Now the husband has escaped -- to the corporate office in Phoenix where he's always traveling -- and beyond her work/family responsibilities, her only outlet to make human connections of her own is the mental hospital, where she gives in to her emotional side. Wow, great connection, Namaste! That definitely helps put Lydia's character into perspective, otherwise I'd agree, she was too easy.

shadowcat please elaborate. Every hospital is different, but other than the smoking--I really didn't see much that I would consider too egregious. I didn't catch the smoking. I'm calling it 20 even though my list is longer because some hospitals are just crappy. So some of the "errors" are things that shouldn't happen, rather than things that wouldn't. Also because I may well be wrong about some things--I only ever worked in one hospital. 1-A detoxing House is locked into his room (and so far as I know detox is done in medical facilities because of the potential for medical problems with it, rehab is done in the psych hospital, so count that as possibly two mistakes because no one gets locked into a room). 2-Isolation is used as a punishment, which is completely unethical. You put someone in isolation when they are out of control, to protect them and the people around them, not when they don't do what you want. 3-A prn is given orally to a patient who is being restrained for agitation, because apparently not only does the hospital not care about its staff members losing their fingers or their patients choking, but also because the situation isn't urgent enough to warrant a faster acting form of drug administration. Drugs to calm agitated patients are given by injection into the muscles. 4-Phone calls are denied, and 5-Visitors are denied, both unethical. Some drug rehabs don't allow visitors because they fear the patients druggie friends will bring them drugs, but House isn't in rehab. 7-There's a patient who's been hospitalized for ten years, as if any insurance company would pay for that. 8-House is in a state hospital when he should have insurance enough for a private facility. 9-There's a meds nurse who doesn't check so much as the top of a patient's tongue for meds, let alone the cheeks or lip pouch in front. 10-Nolan, the, what, medical director? laid a huge guilt trip on House, his patient, when it's Nolan's own security that failed in a major way. You do NOT blame psych patient for their erratic behavior--that's why he's in your hospital. 11-Nolan, a psychiatrist who sees individual inpatients in his office (a rare thing), which has potential weapons and medications that are not secured (I'm fairly sure that is illegal. The drug part, I mean). 12-An administrator who walks the wards (I never saw it happen). 13-An administrator/therapist who is so unprofessional as to hand his patient a day pass to diagnose the therapist's father and cries in front of his patient. 14-Lydia doesn't seem to keep to the visiting hours, and 15-Visitors aren't watched by staff. Then again 16- There don't seem to be any staff in the evenings. Does everyone go home at night? I can see House stealing the keys to a room, so I won't hold that one against Mayfield. 17-Add to that the shrink who shakes her butt at her patients. 18-Plus there's the inevitable bit of malpractice by the evil shrink treating freedom man. There are many lousy therapists out there, though, so maybe this one shouldn't count. 19-Almost forgot the patient who wanted Haldol. No one wants Haldol. 20—Nolan blackmails House to stay. This is not altruism. He gets bucks per bed filled. 21—Arguable whether this should get its own number, but what they heck. Where’s the security? 22—House tells the “orderlies” (mental health techs) that he’s not having a psychotic break. Did anyone even look up what that term means? A psychotic break is what House had at the end of House Divided--its the descent into psychosis. What the blond shrink thought House was doing was losing control, or becoming agitated. 23-Nolan tells house the discharge plans for Cello Woman, in violation of her confidentiality. And previously 1- Wilson claiming that the treatment for psychosis is ECT, when it isn't and 2- That ECT causes brain damage (which it did, old style, and can still in the new style, but that isn't usual) 3-A couple of staff surrounded House when he walked in to Mayfield in Both Sides Now. That’s a good way to lose a prospective patient, because its very intimidating and many people would just turn around and walk away at that point. Or they could incite a crisis that they can’t handle because the staff can't restrain or medicate someone who isn't their patient. I also disagree with the portrayal of psychosis, but that's probably something that can't be helped. The episodes themselves were great, which is more important.

I liked Lydia. I think it showed House he could try to have a relationship. I hope it shows TPTB that House can have a relationship with someone outside the hospital and that all the doctors don't have to be involved with each other alla Grey's Anatomy. It's too bad Lydia's gone, but House isn't ready for such a messy relationship, so she may have done him favour. The music box scene, and the sister-in-law playing the cello just made me cringe. I am looking forward to a clean and sober House.

One thing I did want to add now that I've thought things over. I'm a little disappointed in the lack of connection to the end of season 5. Now, I'm not going out on a Huddy tangent here, no "OMG Cuddy wasn't even a part of the show!!!!!!!!!" crap, no. However, as much as I enjoyed this being mostly House-centric, the fact that none of his residual feelings from the hallucinations ie. Cuddy sex and the affect of Amber being there on him didn't come up in some conversation with Andre was very perplexing. I mean, the guy hallucinated and BELIEVED that he had sex with his boss, the woman he's been "into" (however anyone wants to look at it) for the last year (or longer, again, however you want to interpret it) and saw his best friend's dead girlfriend driving his psyche. I'd say that's something to discuss, no? I was honestly expecting half way through the sex scene for House to freak out because it brought him back to his hallucinations. At least that would have put him in a position to say something substantial.

Well, I loved everything about this episode... with the possible exception of HL rapping. :P I think this was the best episode in a long, long time. I felt the relationship with Lydia was very authentic and I didn't care if it the circumstances were contrived. I thought it hearkened back to S1 House, who pushed Cameron away in part to protect himself. I didn't miss any of the regulars. I was very moved when House stayed with his Dr and his dying father. Once again, the scene felt so honest to me that I didn't care that it was unrealistic. HL is totally amazing!!

Thanks for the list, shadowcat. I see where you're coming from and you're right there are quite a few major oddities. I guess I was concentrating on other aspects (the patient experience and the portrayal of mental illness, not the weird behavior by the doctors) and missed those valid points.

Thanks for the list, shadowcat. I see where you're coming from and you're right there are quite a few major oddities. I guess I was concentrating on other aspects (the patient experience and the portrayal of mental illness, not the weird behavior by the doctors) and missed those valid points. Since this is a show that has doctors running radiology tests, test results in minutes rather than weeks, etc. ... I can live with it. It's within the realm of story telling shortcuts made for telling a dramatic story. It's not a documentary, after all.

Thanks for the list, shadowcat. I see where you're coming from and you're right there are quite a few major oddities. I guess I was concentrating on other aspects (the patient experience and the portrayal of mental illness, not the weird behavior by the doctors) and missed those valid points. Thank YOU for indulging me in my therapy. I feel better now. And I liked the rapping.

Well, Namaste--agreed on that, too. I'm not expecting a documentary, hell, I hardly expect House to be based in reality. But--I did appreciate the attempts at treating the mental patients as people who are flawed, but attempting to grow.

To a certain extent I think Lydia was somewhat institutionalized as well. She found it easier to make connections through the hospital. She married her husband because he knew what it was like to be going through everything with the sister/friend. Now the husband has escaped -- to the corporate office in Phoenix where he's always traveling -- and beyond her work/family responsibilities, her only outlet to make human connections of her own is the mental hospital, where she gives in to her emotional side. Hey Namaste, this is really good. It helps me to understand why I found the relationship with House so natural and so touching.

I'll concede that much of the mental hospital stuff would never happen IRL, but then again, much of what happens at PPTH would never happen in a RL hospital. And the Freedom Master/Silent Girl scene was contrived as all get-out but still made me tear up. I still loved this ep. to pieces, because of: The fact that we saw House smile -- *really* smile, not half-smiles or smirks -- more in two hours than we've seen in five years. The flying scene (see above re: smiling) The sex scene -- rrrowwrr! ::fans self:: Alvy's adorable smile at the end when he told Beasley, "I wanna get better." Best line of the night: "I'm not *that* cured!" "I'm a philanderer. That doesn't mean I give a lot to charity." House playing the piano and making puppy eyes at Lydia. The House/Alvy hug. And I may be in the minority on this one, but I loved the rap!

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