On Stephen Fry guest-starring, I just found this interview... QS: I think, now - by law - he belongs to us in America now. FRY: Yeah, he certainly does, doesn’t he? Yeah. I’ve only seen four episodes, I think, but he’s terrific. Really wonderful. QS: I’m surprised they haven’t scheduled your stunt casting as the hospital administrator, or something… FRY: Well, funnily enough, when I talked to him he said, “You’ve got to come and do an episode.” I said, “I’d like to be the visiting doctor from London who’s even nastier than you are. Who makes you look like a pussycat.” QS: I can’t even imagine that… unless you went around performing unnecessary amputations or something, I can’t imagine a more unpleasant sort than what they’ve made his character out to be. But in a loveable way. FRY: Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

There's still an interview on the Fox site with Stephen that's more recent, from when he did "Bones." He said he was in talks to a guest spot but then they had to do the whole Tritter arc. It's very cute, Stephen enthuses about how brilliant Hugh is and how great the character of House is and talks about the show very much as a fan. I think lately Stephen has said that the show is such a huge hit and Hugh is doing such a bang-up job he would be intimidated to do it now (he's also of course very busy with his own projects).

Well, I''m not sure that this is what I want for season four or that this is the right thread, but if we have to come to terms with the season being over, then the writers eventually will have to come up with some reason for the long hiatus in the show (well, really they don't, but let's just say they do). So it turns out the female test pilot from The Right Stuff has a seizure in flight over the Atlantic and crashes right into PPTH on a day when there's only a few doctors in the hospital, say the newbies. ;->House, Cuddy Wilson and CCF are at a required conference elsewhere (or having fun in Atlantic City or scattered around the globe). So they have been rebuildling the hospital and all the docs have been elsewhere having adventures, but at the start of season 5, the hospital is reopening with quite a few changes. Could be lots of surprises about the new staff structure, the new building, and how core relationships might have shifted in the intervening time, say Huddy...

Agreeing that my wish for season 4 would be to get the remaining 12 episodes. But as that prospect looks very dismal at this point, I guess for season 5, an idea I've had for a long time is for them to do something like a Doctors Without Borders type episode and send House, Wilson, Cuddy off in the middle of nowhere to do that for a week. I love seeing House out of his element. There's a fan fic on another board where House is sent to the Appalachians to work in a clinic in a dirt poor area of WV as part of his punishment for various things, and I have to say that would also be a really great idea I wish the show would do someday. He's not only out of his element completely, working in less than ideal conditions, dealing with quirky people (think Northern Exposure), and it's like he's having to do clinic duty all day long. I love that.

On the other hand, I'm not a fan of the taking House out of his element and continuously dropping him somewhere new. He's in a plane 40,000 feet in the air! He's at the CIA! Boat people are risking their lives on choppy seas to come see him! These are the kind of shenanigans that pull me out of the compelling drama. Now why'd you have to go and bring up Airborne and Whatever it Takes? :) Not sure Human Error falls into that same category, but I get what you're saying, and it's not that I want them to take him out of his element continuously...but I'd like them to try it again. I know this isn't the right thread for an Airborne discussion, but besides faux Chase, the only parts of it I did like were House on the plane trying to make do without the right equipment, and do an LP and almost surgery. If they did a Doctors without Borders type thing for one episode, and there's no hysterical Cuddy, or Chase and Cameron sexcapades, but just him totally focusing on diagnosing whatever bizarre illness he comes across in a foreign country with limited medical resources and equipment, that would be compelling drama. And if Wilson just happens to go with him, it could be a road trip episode like SoaCG, which was an excellent "out of his element" episode.

I'd be happy if House was in a bar and SF was the bartender, just a brief encounter...and how appropriate to have him serve HL a drink. They did this on a Canadian show, 'Corner Gas'. The lead character Brent says that he likes a certain show "except for that one guy who has to do a cameo in everything". Then that guy walks by and says "Hi, Brent" and Brent responds "Oh hi, Dave" (not his real name) and that's it. It was funny. Otherwise I don't really think I want SF on the show, it's becoming the Hugh Laurie show too much already for my taste. I like HL fine but I watch the show to see House, not HL. I want to see more ethical conflicts. I expect Thirteen will be cast in the ethical watchdog role now, but Taub would be great in that role too.

Seeing her on Dancing with the Stars reminded me of how much I love Marlee Matlin - now she's a guest star I would love to see on House. I've seen her on everything from Picket Fences to The Practice to West Wing to Law & Order: SVU to My Name is Earl and she's always fantastic. IMO she's one of those actors who, when they guest on a show, everybody steps up their game.

Don't we need to change the title of this thread to "What You Want for Season 5" now? Or start a new one... I don't know. :?

Good thought, girl. It was a holiday weekend here in the US, so we're just getting back up to speed and recovering. I'll start one shortly.