Finally, after a two-week break and a World Series, House is back! And lucky for us, the writers packed in several juicy plot points to make up for the hiatus. This week's case involves a young teenybopper with an ego and compulsive lying streak to boot. Sounds intriguing, but personally, I was more wrapped up in all of the personal drama going on with House and a certain fellow female doctor.
Ready to cover the highlights? There's a major twist with a big reveal, so prepare for some spoilers when you read more.
- Right off the bat, the sexual tension between Cuddy and House is turned on full volume, what with Cuddy's low-cut shirt and House's leering looks. I found it to be a bit over the top, but I still have to give Cuddy props for this awesome comeback after House references her breasts as "Patty" and "Selma": "I feel bad I haven't named your testicles." Touche, Cuddy. Although, I sort of feel like she wears those revealing clothes for House, don't you?
- I knew this episode had to be good when I heard it involved a Wilson and House road trip and an '80s party, but House in an 1880's costume walking among guys in Devo hats is brilliant. And then, when things can't get any better, he dances with a Flashdance Cuddy to "Time After Time" and finally admits to her that he's always had feelings for her. What a fantastic scene! That is, until she walks out.
- Another high point of the evening for me: When House drugs a pants-less Wilson to keep him from giving a potentially career-ruining speech on euthanasia. Now, that's a solid friend. Were you shocked over Wilson's confession of delivering euthanasia himself? We always think that House is the one with all the secrets, but I guess Wilson isn't 100 percent on the up and up either.
- I definitely laughed when Wilson uses the term "friend-zoned" while talking about Cuddy. House is surprisingly open about his feelings for her instead of his usual denial, which I think is nice to see — do you agree? Or is House becoming too soft?
- Surprise! Were you taken aback by Lucas? (Lucas is the private investigator that Cuddy hired last season.) When House goes to Cuddy's room to prove to her that she can "count" on him (as she puts it), Lucas is there playing with her baby daughter. I think House and I both had the same look when that happened — huh??!
- Didn't this episode's diagnosis seem even more roundabout than usual? The doctors came across completely clueless — not to mention they did extra damage by giving the patient supplements. Perhaps it's just because House wasn't on the premises to pull the strings.
- Lucas's mention of House's sex hallucination with Cuddy = painfully awkward. But I don't think Cuddy is over House. Did you look at her face?!
- We can all breathe a sigh of relief, because Chase finally breaks down and tells Cameron the truth about the murder of Dibala. She's obviously stunned, but we didn't get her response before the episode ends. We already know that she's leaving the show, but what do you think will happen between them next week?
Please, please weigh in on the Cuddy and House saga! Do you think those two are ever going to get together? Or is Lucas's arrival going to muck things up for good? Tell me your thoughts in the comments, or click on over to the House! group in community.
Photos courtesy of Fox
Mark Davis
This episode was a solid F minus. Dreck. Drivel.
Cuddy was a disgrace. How can TPTB be proud of what they have done to that character?
Just awful.
1Thoroughly enjoyed the episode and personal drama as well. i find myself enjoying the show when the main focus is on the three older characters. It was definitely a welcome break away from PPTH! House and Cuddy, the writers have come to a place where they need to sh!t or get of the pot. i personally would like to see them to eventually (finally) be together.
2well i hope house and cuddy get together but if they do i really hope is doesn't ruin the show ... maybe they should put her with Lucas a little while and then house tries to win her back or something and then Lucas does this awful thing but in the end cuddy just has to see that house is much better for her then Lucas {just my opinion}
3cuddy and house belong together, they both need the straight to the point honesty and games, lucas... is just blah; I like him, but I'm a hardcore huddy fan; therefor lucas=bad because he's getting in the way of the huddy lovin'
4This episode should have been the one titled 'Epic Fail' - total disappointment from a show that has produced five excellent seasons. It really seems to have lost direction in season 6. There's no way House comes out of rehab and by episode 6 can get through a day with no painkillers and apparently no pain. Either he *is* an addict, in which case he should be hooked on ibuprofen now or he's *not*, in which case he should be in serious pain. Or, as implied before, the combination of both should still be creating some kind of chaos. Lucas' comment was dead on - he's been institutionalised and maybe the show too, since it's apparently shying away from dealing with his pain/pain management issues now. Seven weeks in an institute isn't a fix. All it seems to have done is trashed his personality.
At moments this episode hit the nail on the head. Cuddy is right, she and House don't work together. They both need 'wives', not other people with the same obsession with work and lack of time for one another. And no, I don't buy that House could miraculously become responsible. If Cuddy's little bookstore story is anything to go by, he's been the way he is for most of his life, it's not an affect of the Vicodin. A few sessions talking to a shrink and taking over the counter pain meds doesn't turn him into someone else. House conforming to the rules is not House. He shouldn't have changed this much and definitely not this fast.
The House/Cuddy chemistry is great, but for heaven's sake, they will not work as a couple. Cuddy was right on when she said House isn't the man for her, especially not with a baby. People are capable of making rational decisions about emotional things - especially two people who have previously prided themselves on it (take a hint from CJ and Danny in the West Wing - no nookie until *after* you're not working together, if at all). The potential is what works here, not the actuality. The Cuddy/House thing would blow up faster than the House/Stacy thing - there are a lot of personality parallels there, which is why it both works and wouldn't work.
Also, the House/Wilson dynamic. Should have been good - less good when the Greek homosocial bonds trump all connection there has to be constantly undercut by the reminders that the characters are straight. Yes, got that. Why would two supposedly heterosexual males constantly have to reassure each other of it? These two are quite often the most important thing in each others' lives; there's no need to turn that into a 'omg, but we're not gay!!!' It's far more entertaining when they're making cracks about breaking up with each other or going on a date to Fresno.
And the writers clearly have no idea what goes on at a conference. Wilson let House find out far too easily what he was presenting on and the title of the paper gave a clear hint. This suggests he had to submit an abstract in advance, to be accepted by the conference, thus it is a subject that can be discussed generally and just bringing it up wouldn't get him fired. (Since the topic makes the press, the professionals must discuss it). If the problem was that he was personalising it and admitting to murder, then that could be a problem. But I find it hard to believe that an expert in the field would write such a drivelling woe-is-me annecdote rather than researching and presenting a clear argument on the subject, referencing medical practices and ethics debates that have been going on for centuries. Given the paper's title, it implies he'd been thinking about it for a while, not made a spur of the moment decision based on a patient dying the morning of the conference. So even if he did use the annecdote, it would have had to have been an add on, not the sum of the paper, and could have been done carefully enough not to blow up his career. Wilson's reason for presenting the paper was weak too. He looked on the brink of self-destruct last week - this would have been an ideal opportunity to show him self-sabotaging everything in the wake of Amber's death and/or because of the pressure looking after addicted House had put on him over the years, whilst vehemently denying that's what he was doing. Needing a pat on the back from House about something difficult was a lame reason for giving that paper.
The whole episode didn't hang together and tried to deal with too many big issues too fast (H/C, H/W, the statutory rape that wasn't, euthanasia). It seemed like the actors weren't convinced about the scripting either - from three brilliant actors (Edelstein, Laurie and Leonard) plus a previously amusing minor character (Lucas), the whole thing seemed flat and forced.
Note to the writers: must try harder. There's seasons' worth of potential left in this show. Don't drift off into romantic cliches and whitewash House's drug abuse.
5Love the show.
6House...I love it. Sometimes it disappoints me other times...not so much.
The whole Cuddy-House thing is silly and unrealistic. This season they will either lose me all together or make me watch like it is a train wreck.
Me...I watch the show to count the metaphors they use.
My all-time favorite: "Don't move! I've got to get a plastic surgeon to put that twinkie back in the wrapper!"
On a another note......I don't think I have seen SO many Anonymous comments in a thread about something so superficial. Why hide?
House will not search you out and make you recant your opinion. He is just a character.
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