Maybe these lighter elements have been suppressed by the cumluative overlay of all the traumas of infarction, romantic disaster, addiction, shootings, ketamine failure, and legal persecution? Why is it so hard to believe that as a younger, healthier man House was not always the grim, brooding, angst-ridden figure we first met in season one? I had predicted that House would be more affected by the loss of his old team than he's been. But, I actually don't find these lighter elements to be OOC for House. Playful? I think they've shown House playful before, flirtatious, energized, etc. Spread out between more somber moments, but it's not like he's never shown any lightness and has been on one long unending journey of gloom and misery before this season.

I think the first six episodes of the new season have borne out House's initial self-analysis of his reaction to the dissolution of his original team. I think now that all the changes we have seen this first part of season four may reflect a shift in House's circumstances. Perhaps in fact he is lighter in attitude and outlook precisely because he is free of his team. Without the whining (Foreman), pining (Cameron), and supine (Chase) behaviors of his fellows, House is unburdened rather than bereft. So far this season we have noted that House takes fewer Vicodin pills, he is physically lighter and able to move more gracefully around the hospital and even up those daunting stairs. House is playful, flirtatious, energized by the demands of hiring new fellows, innovative in his teaching style, undaunted by the administrative challenges of the array of new personalities, and eager for adventure. On paper, this interpretation works for me; in actually watching the episodes, it falls apart a lot. A lot of the "playfulness" seems incredibly trivial and possibly dangerous and negligent; far too much of the "flirtatiousness" vulgarly unfunny; the "energy' frankly implausible (I guess you could call sticking a knife in an electrical socket "getting energized" but I found the experience of watching it rather unsatisfying). Somehow, seeing House remain "undaunted" by having laxatives switched for his pain meds is...just not that impressive or interesting and the innovation of killing a man by having your fellows too focused on the game to carry out his treatment but concluding that's okay because the fellow responsible "won't ever do it again" hardly makes him teacher of the year. I find it quite easy to imagine that when he was the legend Cuddy met at Michigan, or the young colleague Wilson first encountered, or the abrasive genius Stacy shot at the paintball war, House was much like we have seen him at the beginning of season four. I really don't agree with this. Do you really think the line Stacy fell for was anything like "I have a position for you on my pen's"? Or that House was a legend for being a boorish jackass? Silly me, I thought he had been a legend for his eccentricity, outrageous out-spokenness and his medical genius. I don't by any stretch of the imagination totally hate this season so far--there is still plenty to love--just not as much as there used to, as there could be. I'm afraid if this is House "okay", he far more interesting, intelligent, witty and intriguing "not okay". I don't need House in the bottom of the pit like in MLC all the time but these giddy juvenile heights are not doing it for me either.

I really don't agree with this. Do you really think the line Stacy fell for was anything like "I have a position for you on my pen's"? I doubt that's what anyone meant.

I really don't agree with this. Do you really think the line Stacy fell for was anything like "I have a position for you on my pen's"? Or that House was a legend for being a boorish jackass? Silly me, I thought he had been a legend for his eccentricity, outrageous out-spokenness and his medical genius. Considering that Stacy said that their first date was a complete disaster and she was never going to see him again ... I have no problem believing that he really was that crude to her. Which makes it all the more interesting that she moved in a week later. Or that CIA Doc showed up at PPTH after putting up with House at his ass-iest (though I don't think that's a word). What's interesting is that the House that Stacy met then, who fascinated her despite the disaster of his actions, and that the House CIA doc met apparently are the same guy.

Jumbling up adjectives and attributions may be mildly amusing; I find that the show deserves much more careful and insightful analysis. the innovation of killing a man by having your fellows too focused on the game to carry out his treatment but concluding that's okay because the fellow responsible "won't ever do it again" hardly makes him teacher of the year. I did not write that House's innovations included killing a patient. Actually, I found this moment to be one of the most moving so far this season. House took extremely seriously the needless sacrifice of the SMA patient and he correctly understood that this would be a turning point in the professional and personal development of Thirteen. To say he casually dismissed her error is to completely misread the scene, I believe. As we have seen over the past three seasons, each of the original fellows was responsible in a different way for the death of a patient and House the master teacher has used these as ocassions for instruction: Chase killed Kayla in "The Mistake" through his own inadvertance and neglect. Cameron killed Joel Grey in "Informed Consent" by reluctant design. Foreman killed Lupe in "House Training" because of fascination with an exotic and unsupported diagnosis. Now we have Thirteen adding a tragic new chapter to this inevitable aspect of learning to be a doctor. These breakthrough moments are where "House" the show and House the tough mentor excel. edited by arizonamyrie 2:06 pm CST to fix html tag

Jumbling up adjectives and attributions may be mildly amusing; I find that the show deserves much more careful and insightful analysis. Wow. That's so rude I must have hit a nerve. I did not write that House's innovations included killing a patient. Perhaps if you did write which innovations you meant I wouldn't have misunderstood. If you include the "surviver" innovation, I think an argument can be made, and has been made on the show--by Cuddy and Foreman--that the "game" did lead to the POTW's death and thus was not "inevitable".

I see a pattern in the ones I like... Like 1,so-so about 2, like 3, so-so about 4, like 5, so-so about 6... Does that mean I'll love 7?

We’ve been told that he is a world famous diagnostician, but not until recently have we been shown it (OK - -I could be wrong here, but this is how is feels to me). No, you're right. There have been hints in the past, like Carly the bigshot CEO coming to House because "I'm da man" and Cameron saying that House is world famous in 'Daddy's Boy', but this is really the first time we're seeing House from an outsider's perspective and getting confirmation that it's not just the Super Six who think that House is a genius. I don't know where this season is going, but I'm enjoying the ride; I probably wouldn't like it as much if I thought that all these extra characters were staying, but as far as I know the new fellows are being cut down to two or three.

I think this trend began with Airborne last season. House speaking at a conference in Singapore because it's important to the prestige of the hospital re: Infectious diseases; then the Cuban couple who had heard of the famous Dr. House, the astronaut (who although she came in through Cameron, maybe not as much); the race car driver who is "at this hospital because" of House and the CIA consult. House is famous (and I think, although he uses that sometimes) I also think he holds this fame as pretty irrelevant and looks on his own fame with the same lack of impressed-ness as he holds anyone else's fame (hence the comment about the other doc's book holding up his piano--which I'm sure it's not.)

I'm taking this to the Gregory House thread.

Taiga's right. Moved my reply.

I think I know what's my problem with season 4. other posters wrote about the change of direction - I actually don't feel any sense of direction at all. It seems to me TPTB gave up (or put aside) the show's course to the future - and with it, a great part of the past - and are just having fun (no wonder KJ used that expression so much in interviews) with the characters. It saddens me, because ever since the show got into gear in early/mid season 1, it always had direction, everything served a purpose, was meaningful, often in several ways, and added to the build of the character(s) and the show as a whole. Even the more obscure happenings fell into place eventually, and were part of the organism of the show. And whatever happened, it was almost always an interesting watch. The Tritter arc was way too dark for me, but it made internal sense. Now, IMO, the show doesn't make sense anymore, and worse - it lacks interest. I alternate between cringing and yawning and I don't recognise House anymore. I really wanted him to be happier this season, not to lose him and get someone else instead. This was all very badly worded, I apologize. It's a frustrating feeling. I just hope it's temporary and I'll get my show back.