They haven't aired the 4th season over here yet, but I'm seriously depressed thinking about the lack of Chase in the series :( He's always been my favorite character, I hope they give him more screen time in future episodes...

On the Spoilers Thread (don't worry there's actually no spoilers here...) Taiga posted this comment: on the show there's never been any indication that we're supposed to think he's a House-like genius. On the contrary, we've been beaten over the head with the idea that Foreman is the next House. I don't think that Chase is a House-like genius, but I think it's undeniable that he was the fellow who was better prepared to work by himself. House fired him because he had learned everything he could. From how to stand up to House and how to think outside the box, to not to be afraid of mistakes or risky treatments without losing his confidence (not even when your boss hits you!). He is a better diagnostician than Foreman and Cameron, because House, himself, said so and acted on it. I don't think we've been beaten with the idea that Foreman is the next House. Foreman thinks he is the next House, and he has been proven wrong since season one.

on the show there's never been any indication that we're supposed to think he's a House-like genius. On the contrary, we've been beaten over the head with the idea that Foreman is the next House. I actually think that there is a difference between being a "House-like genius" and being "like House". Of the three fellows Chase has displayed the most House-like genius. He's clearly the most intuitive and the most creative. Foreman, on the other hand, is the most like House in terms of confidence and disposition. I don't think that Foreman will ever truly have that gift for picking up that random clue and solving the case that House clearly has and Chase has shown from time to time. By the same token, Chase will never likely solve the number of cases on his own that House does simply becasue he does not have the confidence or the disposition to railroad people that House and Foreman have.

By the same token, Chase will never likely solve the number of cases on his own that House does simply becasue he does not have the confidence or the disposition to railroad people that House and Foreman have. Melly, you raise a good point. I think we saw in "Finding Judas" that Chase is able to stand up to House for his diagnosis, but whether he is ready to railroad other people remains to be seen. Now THAT would be a good reason to return him to House's fold; House needs to help him complete the last piece of the puzzle and learn to run roughshod over others to get what he wants.

By the same token, Chase will never likely solve the number of cases on his own that House does simply becasue he does not have the confidence or the disposition to railroad people that House and Foreman have. Along those same lines, I've never seen Chase as being someone who wants -- or needs -- to be a leader, unlike Foreman and Cameron, to an extent. It's not that he lacks ambition or anything like that, but rather that he has no desire to tell other people what to do. So to a certain extent, it makes sense for the character that he'd seek out a learning position with another department, rather than take Foreman's path of starting his own team (either at PPTH or elsewhere).

Along those same lines, I've never seen Chase as being someone who wants -- or needs -- to be a leader, unlike Foreman and Cameron, to an extent. It's not that he lacks ambition or anything like that, but rather that he has no desire to tell other people what to do. So to a certain extent, it makes sense for the character that he'd seek out a learning position with another department, rather than take Foreman's path of starting his own team (either at PPTH or elsewhere). I agree we've not seen Chase seek out leadership opportunities, and he doesn't have the same kind of ambition Cameron and Foreman have. I think, though, that we saw him step forward and learn to fight for his position when he believed in it, in a way Foreman didn't do. He was able to fight House on the next procedure in the ep with Drano Girl. I thought he was ready to find a space where he has the ability to do the job he wants, because he's ready to stand on his own. Whether there's a place to do that and yet not be leading a team, I don't know. I'm also not sure that he would be unwilling to lead a team if doing that allowed him to do the job he wants. I don't think, though, from my reading, that he's going to be a perpetual student because he doesn't want to be a leader. I think he was stepping up to the plate and leading when he needed to last season. Maybe, though, to tie into Namaste's reading, he's looking for a space where he can do the job he wants but not be required to lead a team, because that's not his interest. That would leave us with the question: what is the job he truly wants? Is it diagnostics or is it surgery?

What I find confusing though is that, according to Katie Jacobs anyway, Chase IS in a leadership position since he's head of the surgical department. So are we supposed to believe that this whole time he had aspirations for leadership that we didn't know about? I do think we've seen a growth in Chase in taking the leadership role. I remember when he had the idea to save the kid's eye, he approached House alone. Sure he had just thought of it, but he also came across kind of timid about it even though his idea was good. By the end of Season 3, we saw him acting with more confidence around Cameron and Foreman too, not just around House. He did take a bit of the leadership role in Insensitive and he knew to keep going to find the answer after they'd given up in Half-Wit. But none of this ever screamed out that Chase had any designs on being a department head, only that he was a competent doctor who had learned to believe in his own ideas.

I really don't think Chase is the head of the surgical department, at least in the show it's never mentioned. And becoming Head of a department, wouldn't be "just a step down" which how House described Chase's new job, Chase said he was part of the surgical team not in charge of it, and you would think he would lord it over House, they being equals now. I think KJ either misspoke or was misquoted.

Yes, that's my take, too. Until the show specifically shows me he's a department head, I think he's just part of the surgical team, because that's the impression I have so far. Katie Jacobs also said Cameron was head of ER, but Wilson said she was senior attending, so I think KJ just misspoke that day.

I think they're both attendings. They're definitely no where near the level of Department Head yet, especially if they're changing departments.

You know, if she had said it once, I would also tend to think she misspoke. But she said it twice. She'd had to be pretty trippy to miss something that big twice. And how is it for Chase to be head of a department? ..... Right now, we're just exploring how Cameron and Chase running different departments either helps or hinders House. It's so unbelievable that they're in the ER and surgery in the first place, they why wouldn't they expect us to believe they could both be department heads? They also had Foreman go from "fellow" to "department head" which is ridiculous, only not as ridiculous as going from fellow in one area to department head in another. I think it's a bad move and a silly move, but she said it... twice. *shrugs*

But were both instances were the same interview, so the same loopiness is involved? I don't remember. But the KJ tends toward loopiness in her answers. She's not a word person (unlike Shore) and doesn't pick her words wisely, which leads to (I believe mistaken) expectations that she's a ditz. Personally, I think she just comes off as flighty, and it's the reason why I don't put as much weight behind her interviews as I do Shore's. I've got a question, though. Beyond whether the fans want Chase back in the department, or even if House wanted him back ... have we ever been given any sign that Chase wants to return? Cameron has said she misses it, Foreman appreciates what he can do with House, but I don't recall any clue that Chase wants back. Am I missing something? He seems to have adjusted well to the change, perhaps feeding back into House's declaration that he was ready to leave, whereas the others may not have been at that same point.

I think Chase's scenes that bookend season four so far for him are very telling. In his first with House, he gives that very definite headshake to House's unspoken question about coming back. Chase has emotionally moved on. I think we're supposed to think he was indeed ready to fly. In his last scene, he nevertheless indicated he was ready to work with House if House needed him. I don't think he's pining for his old position. I do think he now knows his worth and doesn't mind House showing that he sees it, too. And Chase has always been able to focus on giving what was needed to a case. I can see him working with House on a consultant basis. I don't see him wanting to rejoin the department.

ITA - Chase seems to be pleased with where he is - happy to help out when asked, but unwilling to put up with crappy treatment and daily drama. Going back to House would practically guarantee both, in spades.