Now we have the flip side. We've got House clearly in a better place mentally, socially and emotionally, which may be affecting him physically as well, and a lot of people (I have no idea if it's the same folks or different ones) are getting themselves worked up over House light. And, much to my amusement, they're looking back nostalgically at Season Three, which many seemed to loathe as it was unfolding, claiming it was ruining "their" show. I don't think that people are objecting to the humor. House has always been funny. IMO, they're are objecting to the fact that much of the humor just isn't that great. Most of House's lines in the past (even the sexual ones) have been clever and witty. Now they are neither. "There's a postion available on my penis." I cringed when he said that.

I laughed out loud when House offered MM a position on his Little Greg. He was trying his best to outrage and turn-off this gorgeous woman whose presence was unsettling him. His efforts at being disgusting were comically designed to distance himself from someone who represented what he believed was an impossible target for him. Instead, she easily read through him, gauged his awkwardness, laughed off the rudeness and played along with him. And we know that a strong, smart woman (Stacy, Cuddy) who knows how to play is like catnip for House. In this season as a whole so far, I think we have seen House exercise atrophied parts of his character: empathy with the dreams of a patient, instructional remorse at Thirteen's fatal blunder, generosity toward Foreman's struggle for professional identity, joyful glee at besting Cuddy as alpha dog, now straightforward acknowledgement of his sexual side through fierce flirtation with a beautiful woman. House is cautiously, fitfully exploring aspects of his character and personality that we have not seen before. He is taking the baby steps back into the world that Wilson prescribed for him at the end of "Half-Wit." In this regard, I loved the scene in "Whatever It Takes" of House almost bounding up the stairs after the CIA agent. The tremendous energy, optimism, literal lightness, and eagerness for adventure in that moment was thrilling to behold. Will House become an extrovert? No, but we are seeing the outline of the more buoyant, energized, engaged, and open man he might become. I think that this season has been rich, rewarding, and highly entertaining so far and I am eager to see where we -- and House -- are going to land next.

It seems to me that every year people complain about the season. There were complaints that House was too harsh in Season Two, compared to Season One. Complaints of darkness in Season Three. Complaints that it's too light in Season Four. Now, obviously, there are characteristics within each one of those seasons that people can point to as "proof" to back up their feelings. In my own completely unscientific, highly opinionated theory ... I think that every summer, during the hiatus, people digest and rewatch and theorize on what each character is and who they should be. The thing is, they're looking at their favorite moments to back up each one of those theories -- as if everything about Stacy can be summed up by the final two scenes in "Honeymoon" and ignore the fact that House was so obsessed that he broke into the shrink's office and stole her file. Or that everything about Chase can be explained by the moments in "Cursed" or "The Mistake" and ignore the Vogler situation. So people develop these idealized mental images of who these people -- and these situations are. Then along comes the real show and whacks away at the idealism and says: "You know what? These people are really, really screwed up. Here's how." So instead of a reaction of: "Wow, that was totally unexpected. Maybe I never considered that aspect of that character before." the reaction is "Hey, you're screwing up my characters/show." It was like the Cameron fans last year who bitched that Cameron would never, ever get involved with the FWB arc. My response there was that obviously, she did, and it's canon. She's not "your" character to create and invent. She belongs to David Shore. You may not like that aspect of her, you may not like what David Shore did with her. But it is a part of who she is. So as it relates to this season, for me, it looks like House is not the brooding, angsty loner that we thought he could be. He's actually having some fun. (Maybe this is the guy that Wilson first met, not the guy who'd forge his best friend's signature for a Vicodin prescription -- though of course they're both the same guy.) Me, I'm loving seeing this new perspective, seeing new life breathed into "House" the show and House the character by changing his -- and our -- world view. I like having my assumptions challenged. But maybe I'm just weird that way, but all I know for sure is that I'm watching the shows with a smile on my face. Perhaps, since they're intent on not changing who House innately is -- as David Shore et al have said in interviews -- they're giving us different aspects of who he is.

For me, there are too many characters running around and I'm not invested in any of them. The writing overall seems weaker to me, too. It's hard to pinpoint but all I know is that I don't care about the characters and their actions the way I have in the past - either the "guest cast" or the regulars. The show used to make me tear up, or wrestle with issues, and the humor seemed more intrinsic to the people.

namaste, your entire post spoke my mind perfectly, but I particularly appreciated this: So as it relates to this season, for me, it looks like House is not the brooding, angsty loner that we thought he could be. He's actually having some fun. (Maybe this is the guy that Wilson first met, not the guy who'd forge his best friend's signature for a Vicodin prescription -- though of course they're both the same guy.) Me, I'm loving seeing this new perspective, seeing new life breathed into "House" the show and House the character by changing his -- and our -- world view. I like having my assumptions challenged. But maybe I'm just weird that way, but all I know for sure is that I'm watching the shows with a smile on my face. It seems to me that the whole point of "House" is to challenge our old assumptions -- about what a TV character looks and acts like, about how romantic relationships develop on TV, about how a strong female character behaves, about how plot points and arcs are elaborated. Being disconcerted and discomfitted is precisely the point of House the character and "House" the show. Long may they both rule!

I think we have seen House exercise atrophied parts of his character: empathy with the dreams of a patient, instructional remorse at Thirteen's fatal blunder, generosity toward Foreman's struggle for professional identity, joyful glee at besting Cuddy as alpha dog, now straightforward acknowledgement of his sexual side through fierce flirtation with a beautiful woman. ITA with this. It's interesting to see parts of House's personality that we haven't' had the chance to before. Sorry, I know this is pretty stupid, but which arc does the FWB arc refer to?

chickleta, FWB is "Friends With Benefits," and refers to the several episodes during Season 3 in which Chase and Cameron (at her instigation) had sexual encounters which were supposed to remain at the level of friendship rather than a romantic involvement.

My position is rather different from the Namaste Manifesto--unless I am misunderstanding it. I just don't buy that anyone who doesn't like something that happens on the show or which a character does is just whining because their expectations/wishes weren't fulfilled on David Shore's show and that anything Shore wants to do is by definition Good. Whatever happens on the show...happened on the show and I reserve the right to decide for myself whether I like it or not, whether it does or does not live up to my expectations (both those I simply happen to have for what I watch on tv as well as those I have made based on my previous watching of the show) and I resent the subtle implication that anyone who dares say the quality has gone down or such and such is out of character, etc. is just not sophisticated enough to appreciate and enjoy what The Amazing Shore has offered us. To each his own and all that but if we are obliged to simply swallow what we are handed and like it without criticism or negative comment, count me out.

MaryIsobel, I understand your point - there are aspects of the show that make hiss in impotent frustration. We all perceive the characters differently. That only makes for interesting debate and I rather enjoy that. However, there's a difference between saying 'I don't like this and find it implausible/unrealistic/annoying as hell according to my interpretation' and saying 'it's objectively wrong for the character to act this way because it conflicts with my interpretation'. If a character does something then it can't be OOC. It's canon and we must incorporate it into our interpretation of the show – but that doesn't mean that we have to like a character or the choices the writers take. Does that make any sense whatsoever? Oh, and all of that it different from pointing out factual errors, which is fair game IMO.