Some quick thoughts on tonight's "House" coming up just as soon as you get rid of my crow's feet... Wow, that one angered me.
I will say upfront that I don't give a toss about Cameron. Didn't care about her attraction to House in the early years, nor her relationship with Chase. Wasn't trouble by her two years wandering in the Sinai while House assembled his new team. Wasn't ecstatic when Cuddy reassembled the original team early this season. Nor am I that bothered that Jennifer Morrison is leaving the show for a while, possibly forever.
My issues with "Teamwork" are entirely about how awkwardly the show strained to achieve the outcome, and how many characters had to act out of character in the process.
The House of this episode bares zero resemblance to the guy we've been watching this season. It was like "Broken" never happened. He had something he wanted - in this case, keeping as many past/present team members close to the vest as possible - and even if you can ascribe that to his newfound need to make emotional connections, what we've seen this season is a House who's (slightly) less ruthless, (a little) less obnoxious, and (a whole lot) more compassionate as he's tried to do that. This was just House being a jackass, all so the writers could punt Cameron and bring back 13 and Taub.
For that matter, I don't buy Chase choosing the team over his marriage, no matter what kind of psych-ops House ran on him. I don't buy 13 going back to work for House, and/or with Foreman, under any circumstances. Nor do I buy that House would let Cameron rip into him about him having "ruined" Chase when Chase was a spoiled brown-nosing rich kid when the series began, and whatever growth he had as a man came as a result of working for House.
Couple that with Lucas mostly being a pod person since he returned last week, and what you have are a whole lot of creaky machinations by the "House" writing staff. n the best drama writing, the plot should be dictated by what the characters might d; here, the characters were doing things in order to support the plot.
And while I don't really care that Cameron is gone, there's a certain chemistry to the original recipe team that she's taken with her, and in her place are 13, who's still boring, and Taub, whose relationship with House overlaps too much with Chase's.
One bad episode isn't enough to overturn the goodwill created earlier this season, but I'm not feeling very kindly disposed towards the show right at this moment.
What did everybody else think?
I wouldn't say it angered me, but it obviously was a step back from the forward progress House had been making. Too much overconfidence over -- as he said -- getting his license back, his sanity back, etc.? I'm hoping that we'll see repurcussions, and this may be part of the process of two steps forward, one step back.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting to see.
I was kind of outraged by Chase and Cameron unrelentingly passing judgment on the patient's life.
ReplyDeleteIt would be one thing if they kept to the point that his job may be imperiling his life, but is it ever appropriate for doctors to argue with a patient about morality? About whether their marriage is better than his?
I know this is Princeton-Plainsboro, not the real world, but cheech!
I think I've seen the medical component of this episode already
ReplyDeleteCameron's behavior didn't really bother me, but it was pretty disappointing that they didn't use the opportunity with casting changes than to do anything more clever than bring back dull retread characters.
they could have done absolutely anything and i would have been thrilled as the end result was sanctimonious, judgmental, obnoxious cameron is GONE! we've waited a lot of years for this. End totally justified the means. Don't let the door hit you on the way out...
ReplyDeleteI think this was a Jennifer Morrison swan song, relatively poorly executed, but it's House, so I'm confident it will be fine next week. 80% of the time it works every time.
ReplyDeleteTaub and 13 are proving to be zombies that can’t really be killed—they keep coming back, much to my disappointment. I did like Cameron’s character and don’t think she and House are done. His whole psychotic break started during her engagement – he tried to kill her fiancé and was institutionalized when she got married. Now his “regressive” behavior during this episode (noted in the article) resulted in splitting them up. I think Cuddy is the red herring, the false object of his desire. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think the writers ever resolved the romantic tension of House + Cameron from many seasons ago and she’s more of his shadow than any other character to date.
ReplyDeleteIt was absolutely a step back for Greg House but I think he realized that at the end which is something he'd not have realized a year ago. I also thought Cameron's final speech to House was particularly moving and I've never cared for her character.
ReplyDeleteI can see why this one might not appeal to everyone but I enjoyed it. However, if House continues acting like he did in this one I'll be irritated. Him sliding back for one episode is fine; everyone slips back after getting better every once in a while. Just don't make it a habit.
I think the earlier part of this season on House and over the same period on Grey's we witnessed the TV equivilent of what the Sports Guy calls the "Ewing Theory". When a key player leaves the team the remaining parts excell to fill the void. On Grey's it was when Merideth and Izzy where gone and it had a solid month or episodes. This week it went back to bad habits. House was the same way. Now that 13 and Taub are back, back to the bad habits.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't angered, but I do think the writing wasn't as layered for House as it should have been. I expect we will get more of House processing this, but it would have been nice to see some little hint that he will need to.
ReplyDeleteI was also put off by Cameron's sanctimonious little speech being allowed to stand. It didn't make any sense. Cameron's morality has in fact been harsher than House's--he's always the one saying their job is to solve the puzzle, not judge the patient. Chase's actions in no way reflected the environment House sets up. They were closer to Cameron's, who in fact counseled Chase he shouldn't have stopped the first murder attempt and then deliberately mischaracterised Dibala's mental condition to incite his men to murder. Her judgementalism has always been part of her character and certainly not something she picked up from House. Chase's deep concern with morality and equal ability to make poor choices has always been part of his, and as you say, he's grown under House, not regressed.
I am, however, looking forward to the newly reconstituted team. I love Chase, like Taub very much, think Thirteen is getting more and more interesting and--well, Foreman is still Foreman, but then, he always been.
Lucas I'm on the fence about. I did like that he's finally revealing his colours. I don't mind that they seem to be dark. He's supposed to echo House, not Wilson, and House certainly has dark colours.
Why is 13 breathing our air? Someone please make this character go away.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of season 3 when the original team left, David Shore said the show wasn't going to change. I don't think he could have lied more.
ReplyDeleteI've been increasingly disappointed since season four and by the end of last season there was little reason for me to watch. The show is no longer about the characters or the medical procedural, it's about the agenda. And the agenda is House/Cuddy, Thirteen, Foreman and Taub.
This episode completely re-wrote the character of Cameron in order to justify getting her off the show. Cameron was never judgmental about people, forgave Foreman for stealing her article and sticking her with an infected needle, forgave Chase for trying to get her fired in season 1, ethanized a patient herself and thought a threesome was healthy for a marriage. That Cameron had no connection with the Cameron in this episode.
Re-writing the character of Cameron to justify getting her off the show is further evidence that the writing for this show has tanked. There are soap operas that make more sense than this show does right now.
If Shore thinks that getting rid of Cameron is going to make me love Thirteen and root for Huddy, he'd better think again.
Wow! Really hated that episode and not just because JMo left. I agree with Alan. Everything just felt soo out of character and contrived. Characters are supposed to move the plot not the other way around. I didn't care about the POTW, the Cuddy/Lucas storyline is such an obvious contrived Huddy roadbump it's beyond pathetic. I thought JMo/HL did great with what they had and I've always loved their chemistry but I think they should have made the Chase/Cam more of a focus or had it stretched out for two episodes because it all felt rushed. And I don't believe Chase would stay with House and I don't believe House caused Chase to kill his patient. I do think he creates a toxic work place environment. He was quite nasty this week a la S4 House and I didn't like it. All because House couldn't have Cuddy and wanted his team back? Ugh. Wilson as Huddy Whisperer yet again. Sigh. Everything felt so contrived and rushed. Just soo not the House I enjoyed in the past.
ReplyDeleteHis whole psychotic break started during her engagement – he tried to kill her fiancé and was institutionalized when she got married. Now his “regressive” behavior during this episode (noted in the article) resulted in splitting them up.
ReplyDeleteThat was House in seasons 1 and 2, not Hiouse in season 6. That would require better writing and better construction than the show has been producing these days.
Sadly, now what you see on the surface is all you get. No wonder the ratings have dropped off so much since the season premier with only House and Wilson.
Alan, I agree with just about every point you raised but in some ways I think you may actually have been too kind. First, I'd like to note that I actually did like Michael Weston in tonight's episode, while Lucas has certainly been toned down he and Cuddy work.
ReplyDeleteAddressing the rest of the episode needs to be done on a character by character basis so lets begin with Cameron. Unlike you, I've always found Cameron the most engaging of the full time team members. I preferred the doe eyed Cameron of earlier seasons but I understand that people grow up. Morrison has a depth that few others on the show do and she was able to showcase that tonight in her goodbye scene with House but if that is really the last we'll see of her I'm disappointed.
Foreman was just there tonight and most of the time that's how I feel about him, though in light of today's news about Orlando Jones maybe that will change. Likewise Cuddy and Wilson didn't really have much to do this episode and that was fine because the remaining characters were visages of their former selves.
When 13 left it was dragged out for several episodes and then continuously mentioned yet when Taulb left he basically faded into the shadows. Their returns weren't really welcomed by me. Taulb leaving his job again to come back to House isn't realistic and 13 even less so. When fans begged for Cameron and Chase to return it took years for Katie Jacobs and David Shore to get around to it. I don't think anyone was missing Taulb and 13 that much and yet here they are working for House again.
Then there is the matter of Chase. Jesse Spencer hasn't impressed with his acting ability throughout this arc and between he and Morrison I would have far rather he left. But tonight it wasn't Spencer who was the problem, it was the writers who made Chase into a bumbling idiot. The idea that he would so easily give on a marriage he spent the last several episodes trying to preserve because House told him too is beyond me.
Finally, this brings me to House. I think we both knew that the House of "Broken" wouldn't last especially when Andre Braugher left to film Men of a Certain Age. Yet part of me hoped we would at least see shades of a new House and until tonight that's what we gotten. Tonight, however, felt like a 180 for the House character. He was manipulative and cruel for 40 minutes and then when I expected Morrison's speech to bring him back to reality, it didn't. Instead he skipped into Wilson's office to brag about his successes and the fact that he broke up a marriage. It was infuriating to me!
I'm not about to give up on House the way some are. I've invested way too much time of the characters but Jacobs and Shore need to fix these problems they've created. With 13 and Taulb's fellowship supposedly over at season's end will this team even last? I honestly don't think they know, hell Jennifer Morrison didn't even know if she was off the show for good when she spoke to Ellen the other day. All of this makes me worried and with a show like House, which I count on to be an A list drama, I don't like that feeling.
The Episode was meh, but could have been better. What I'd like to know is; what was that song in the end of the episode before the end credits of this episode?
ReplyDeleteI've been disappointed so often in the last 3 seasons, it's a relief to be able to finally give up on the show now that Cameron is gone and move on.
ReplyDelete"My issues with "Teamwork" are entirely about how awkwardly the show strained to achieve the outcome, and how many characters had to act out of character in the process."
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more, Alan. This was ridiculous. Yes, Cameron has always had a self-righteous streak, but this was magnified by 100, and all contrived just to dump her character. Chase chooses a job he has been saying he didn't want for two years over the wife he pursued for even longer. Lucas, who didn't seem like such a bad fellow last year, comes across as some adolescent punk so that the viewers will come to the mandatory conclusion that House is the better man for Cuddy. The writer conveniently forgot that Cameron euthanized a man three seasons ago, which should have been mentioned, and House was unbearable. Everything I liked about this season reversed itself tonight.
And Thirteen's back. She's like kudzu; you can't get rid of her in spite of the fact that she's been fired THREE times! Does a damnn building have to fall on her head before she's finally gone?
Sigh... The other thing that was poorly written for convenience's sake was the medical plot. The second the patient talked about how his overprotective parents never let him go out and do anything, that was the time for one of the brilliant doctors to realize he could have some sort of immune issue... not 20 minutes after everyone in the audience thought it. Given that the personal stories are almost entirely repetitious now, it would help if the hospital mysteries had a little more zip.
ReplyDeleteCameron is my favorite character next to House, always has been, always will be. I'm outraged and sad how stupid this is. The way they get rid of her, ruining the old team, ruining the last bit of hope I had for the show. I love House and old team-interaction, the new team is SO boring, just like Huddy is (not only boring but also annoying and implausible).
ReplyDeleteLike you said: "This was just House being a jackass, all so the writers could punt Cameron and bring back 13 and Taub." The only scene I really love, and that really reminded me of the old House I loved so much, was Cameron and House's final scene together. So much chemistry... No surprise they had to get rid of Cameron to make Huddy look better. Well, no old team instead Huddy and Boreteen - that means, no House for me anymore. Saying goodbye is hard, but watching that crap they provide lately is harder.
This episode was strange but I´m really happy that Cameron finally moved on. I´m sorry for this but JMo is a very weak actress and her last speech was poorly done. It was kind of emotional but only because you know she will be gone for good after that. Too bad they are not using Lisa Edelstein in a better way. She is the only female with acting skills in the show and they are destroying her character
ReplyDeleteWord, word, word and a few more words.
ReplyDeleteI'm also someone who has very little interest invested in Cameron, and yet it is how the writers wrote her out of the series that's making me want to switch off the show. This is a character they've invested at least 3 seasons worth of time on, and it is disheartening to see how they've just trashed her entire character in order to write her exit. And I cannot agree more with how out of character every character (including House, who has always been the saving grace of the show; However bad the show is, at least House is awesome. This episode? Not the case. Everyone was acting batshitnuts against their own characters) was in order to fit the plot, which is just crappy writing.
I know House is a show primarily about House, but even a character as interesting as House cannot sustain a show for this long. The writers' inability to write for any other character development (maybe except for Wilson, but even Wilson/House seems a bit tired after they overused that relationship to write for season 4 and 5 to compensate for the new team), and add to that this abysmal episode showcasing their lack of care in their writing to build actual story arcs concerning the exit of Cameron without making her out to be the most unCameron like we've ever seen, hell, even just a throwaway story arc in the first episodes of how the old team and House feels being back at status quo to better this exit and the re-entry of the new team will do, has turned me off the show, once and for all. (Who knew it would be Cameron who'd be the cause of this?)
I've come to realize, for real this time - New team, old team, what does it matter? The writers will no doubt squander those opportunities to write real stories for them to give us another installment of some crap about Huddy (and this is someone who would like to see them together, just not at the expense of the other characters) or Foreteen (yawn. Who cares?).
Yes, this episode also angered me, to say the least. Sorry about the rant. I've no doubt I'd go back on my word and still sneak in an episode or two, if the reviews interest me and I still love Hugh Laurie, but I can't watch it regularly anymore. It's too aggravating to watch the writers trash their own show.
And finally, I'm not even sure if House warrants regular Alan posts anymore (if Dexter no longer qualifies, why should House?) :D
I'm with Helene Harris. The only thing that would have been better would have been a voiceover explaining that Cameron was killed journeying back to her home planet. Someday someone will have to explain the worshipful fandom for this drip of a character to me.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWow. I couldn't have put what you said Alan better myself. In fact I tried to and failed. I have zero stake in Cameron (or Chase or Foreman-- to be perfectly honest I don't mind Taub or Thirteen) but I was angry watching this.
ReplyDeleteIn a web column I write, I called shenanigans on the House-can-change thing from "Broken" (http://tinyurl.com/yfyhwrf
) and as much as I knew such changes to House would never stick, and even though I've written at length that House as a character is incapable of change, the promise of "Broken" was so great I found myself angry to see myself proved right.
I am so tired of every character on this show, I can't believe that I still watch it. The show is strictly on autopilot, and I guess I am, too. House is back to being a total ass with no redeeming qualities, and no one else has a spine. I was never a fan of Cameron, but here's hoping she will be the one who finally follows through and walks away from this mess for good.
ReplyDeleteBlech. Hated it.
ReplyDeleteHate the team drama. Hate Thirteen. Hate Taub. Hate that they made Chase kill a guy. Hate the House literally would have let a patient die to play his team games--no, scratch that, hate that the writers posit that House would have let a patient die to play his team games.
HATE THE TEAM GAMES.
I swear to god, I have no idea what the writers are thinking. Who would want to watch the show they're creating now? My great love for Hugh Laurie and Robert Sean Leonard is not going to outweigh this crap. I am going to have to stop watching this show soon, and that makes me so sad.
They did it. They brought back Thirteen and Taub, the two worst characters on television. I'm half tempted to quit on House. Those two make the show painful, nearly unwatchable. Really sad when the first three seasons made it one of the best shows on television. Why can't House bring back that CIA doc he fired so quickly?? Anything to get rid of Thirteen, Taub, and to a lesser extent Foreman. Chase can stay, for now.
ReplyDeleteAlan, I agree with you to a certain degree. I was literally angry myself after I saw "Teamwork" last night.
ReplyDeleteThis episode put the entire show several steps back from before "Broken."
I am starting to lose interest in the characters or the ones that I cared about-not 13, Taub. House is back to his old machinations without feeling any consequence to the things he puts into motion.
I have to agree with what Kate and Wesley stated.
I never cared about the new team. Thirteen seems to be indestructible. Perhaps, she is kept on as the "hot" one. Her delivery and wooden personality are a complete turn-off. I could go endlessly about the characters on the show.
Last night's episode was absolutely terrible for reasons already cited.
I miss the clinic visits that House had to make-they were usually funny.
I've been uncomfortable ever since they started the House/Cuddy ship. I miss their breezy exchanges with tinges of friendship and caring.
Michael Weston (who I like as an actor) has been reduced to a puppet.
I do have to say that I like Jennifer Morrison. I was very disappointed at how they handled her departure.
It seems like Jacobs and Shore are destructing their own show.
The entire show was unbelievable last night.
It is such a disappointment when a show that showed strength and entertainment has been reduced to the mess that was displayed last night.
I will watch next week with great hesitation and wariness.
This episode for me was just another demonstration of the crap writing Shore is foisting on us. Who cares what the characters were originally or have done in the past, anything goes as long as it serves what ever stupidity Shore wants to dish up in the plot.
ReplyDelete"Broken"? Never happened. Wilson, forget being a doctor, he's just the Huddy whisperer & all around cheer leader for House's lack of humanity. Cuddy, sanctimonious hypocrite, meddling in Wilson & Amber's relationship & Cameron dating Chase, but ignores Foreman firing 13 and god forbid anyone mention that she's sleeping with an all around creep who's going though confidential medical records. Who cares about hospital security? lets do an irrelevant cute scene for Lucas with Chase.
I was particularly outraged because interesting characters such as Cameron & Chase were sacrificed to bring back the boredom that is 13, with yet more skin to titillate the male viewership (complete with gratuitous female pR0n stars).
The problem with having a lead character such as House is that make him too unsympathetic & you risk losing the audience. House crossed a line when he kept the patient sick in order to continue the destructive games he was playing with the team, doctors, even House, are supposed to do no harm. And then to be gleeful about the situation? This is a character without morals or integrity, who has lost the humanity he originally had and I simply don't care anymore.
The shark has not only jumped, he's been doing grand jetes on this show for quite awhile.
ReplyDeleteI turned it off after 20 minutes to work on a script of mine.
Much more satisfying evening than watching someone else's bad writing.
I guess I was the only one who thought House was affected, to a small degree at least, by Cameron's leaving? I don't think his "I won!" bit with Wilson was sincere. He seemed a little deflated by the realization of wht he'd done.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I agree with the prevailing viewpoint that last night's show was crap. Is Shore completely tone deaf to criticism of his show, or just stubborn as hell about his vision/lust for 13/whatever passes for "creativity" in his brain these days? I mean, last night's "Heroes" was better than this was!
And finally, I'm not even sure if House warrants regular Alan posts anymore (if Dexter no longer qualifies, why should House?) :D
"Dexter" really picked up with this last ep and looks like it will finish strong this season. "House," OTOH...bah.
I can't decide whether 13 is the Kenny of this show (even when you think she's dead & gone, she shows up still alive) or Shore's Wesley Sue, practically perfect in every way (dying, bi, hot, boffing Foreman, Shore's avatar, mysterious, blah, blah, blah).
ReplyDeleteThe fact I'm even having this debate is I think a measure of the level of crap the character, the writing & the show has fallen too.
I'm in the camp of "Alan, why are you continuing to review this show?" Its degenerated to a piece of dreck, & I think its telling that Hugh Laurie, supposed all around genius & executive producer seems to not recognize the problem. I'm throwing in the towel on this show, its a sad state of affairs when Heroes is a better option.
Well, the fact that House went to such lengths to get Taub and Thirteen back on the team proves to me that he's still in need of many more sessions with Dr. Nolan.
ReplyDeleteIt was a disappointing episode. As for Huddy, I really don't have any interest in seeing them romantically involved. At the same time though, seeing her with Lucas is like watching her with some random pizza delivery guy. It just doesn't work. (I like the actor and I liked his character's relationship with House but I just don't buy Cuddy and Lucas together.)
Too bad Cameron's send-off was such a weak episode. Jennifer Morrison deserved better than that, in my opinion.
Dez,
ReplyDeleteKatie Jacobs has said (I'll paraphrase as I do not remember word for word) that she does not read/isn't interested in the fans reactions and wants.
Narcissism.....at it's worst.
It's obvious that Jacobs and Shore are happy as long as the show continues to produce large viewership. Although Jacobs was mistaken with some of her numbers in a recent article - http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/04/house-shore-jacobs-business-entertainment-television.html.
I am an angry House fan.
Also, the last episode of Dexter, "Road Kill" was infinitely better than "Teamwork" as Dez pointed out.
I'm glad that SOA is on tonight.
Olivia Wilde must be to one of the Powers That Be on House what Jon Seda was to Tom Fontana on Homicide (I'm still convinced they were lovers). Taub doesn't bother me, but 13 always have and the Chase-Cameron breakup seemed rushed and unreal. I thought for a moment that House was going into Wilson's office at the end to regret his actions, but no such luck. Can't Amber turn out to have a twin sister who is a doctor so we can get Anne Dudek back instead?
ReplyDeleteKatie Jacobs has said (I'll paraphrase as I do not remember word for word) that she does not read/isn't interested in the fans reactions and wants.
ReplyDeleteNarcissism.....at it's worst.
No. I don't like what Shore and Jacobs have done with the show lately, but I think bending to the whims of your fans is not a good way to run a TV show. You make the show you want to make. Sometimes, it will work. Sometimes, not. But creativity by consensus leads to watered-down, uninteresting product.
Alan, I believe there's a difference between pandering to the whims of fans and actively listening to thoughtful criticism. Shore & Jacobs have actively shown they have no intention of doing the later (Shore I believe gave an interview where he dismissed fans as not knowing what they want or what was best for them), but what you may not be aware of is they & Greg Yaitaines are currently actively pandering to online fandom segments via Twitter. And I do believe that there's narcissism run amok on that set, I have no other way to account for the casting of Katie Jacob's daughter given her limp "performance" last week.
ReplyDeleteRegarding this episode, one of the things that particularly outraged me was that House chose to keep the patient sick when he had the diagnosis in order to continue playing his head games with the team. This isn't the more normal plot situation where House isn't emotionally engaged with the PotW, its a situation where House actively prolonged the PotW's illness with complete indifference to his suffering. Chase & House both feel no shame over their actions, but a key difference is that Chase made his decision wrt Dibdala with the hope of possibly righting wrongs - House simply did it to get his own way when manipulating people & hang the consequences to the patient, he's just another tool to be used.
"Olivia Wilde must be to one of the Powers That Be on House what Jon Seda was to Tom Fontana on Homicide...".
ReplyDeleteOr what Evangeline Lilly must be to Team Darlton on Lost....
No. I don't like what Shore and Jacobs have done with the show lately, but I think bending to the whims of your fans is not a good way to run a TV show. You make the show you want to make. Sometimes, it will work. Sometimes, not. But creativity by consensus leads to watered-down, uninteresting product.
ReplyDeleteOh Alan, you should follow Greg Yaitanes, House producer, via twitter, here http://twitter.com/GregYaitanes you couldn't be more wrong
Assuming that you're referring to Yaitanes' interactino with fans,I think you take what he says on his twitter way, way too seriously. Ignoring that his Huddy/Hameron/Hilson breakdown is both tongue in cheek and a little "okay, please stop asking me this", that he high fives "Huddy" fans isn't pandering, it's a break from the "YOU'VE RUINED MY SHOWWWW!!!1" flouncing that comes in daily. The way I read his suddenly public account and the way he welcomed in all the fans to ask him questions and interact with him was that he was attempting to streamline all the noise into one place where he would be the "voice" of the writers on twitter. Given that I have seen the most *random* complaints to him about things that he has no control over, he's a good man to take one for the team that way.
ReplyDeleteRe: the whole idea of bending to the masses...I'm still not sure what the masses are, so how *could* they bend to it. There are a lot of House/Cuddy fans out there, sure. There also appear to be a lot of House/Wilson, House/Cameron and Cameron/Chase fans out there. Looking in at some of the responses that people like Mo get when they dare to critisize the show, there are people who are both in love with Hugh Laurie and totally sick of Hugh Laurie. There's nothing that's going to satisfy everyone and given that the show still does very well, whatever they're doing is working for some while others are either too dedicated or too lazy to leave. It's not narcissism to run the show the way you want to and actively ignore the fandom. Especially when the fandom is loud and scattered and has no central POV.
Once again, didn't love it, didn't hate it, it was just kind of there. I did enjoy Lucas a bit more, if only because the Lucas lounging around the breakroom trying to manipulate Chase was closer to the dude we met than the dude we saw last week. Also, guess I'm in the minority, but I *like* Taub. Quite a bit.
Every show, even the best of them, has bad episodes. This was a very bad House episode.
ReplyDeleteAs someone with no connection to House but some experience behind the scenes in television, this episode smacked of "we have to get from point A to point B, so let's just throw logic out the window." For whatever reason, the show wanted to make some cast changes (overdue ones, in my opinion) and someone on the writing staff was saddled with trying to concoct a justification, probably under a tight deadline.
I can almost hear the conversation in the writing room: "We have to move all these pieces around, and do it so quickly that the audience doesn't stop to ask questions. And none of it will look great in a promo. What can we do to spice it up?" "I know - let's make this week's patient a porn star!"
I also wonder if they didn't contrive a reason to break up Chase and Cameron because the actors themselves are no longer in a relationship. It must be painful to have to act like you're in wedded bliss with someone when in real life the opposite is true.
The strength of this season's early episodes make me think there's some hope left for the show. But the sooner they move past this, the better.
Alan,
ReplyDeleteI agree, you do not need to bend down to the masses. I should've made my point more clear. Creativity should not be held back even if it means some uncomfortableness among fans.
It's in the attitude that the showrunner's are taking as of late. And also the pure, unadulterated laziness of last night's script. It was not believable, I didn't buy it. House has morphed back into old House. Cameron blames House but kisses him and offers her hand while leaving Chase. Lucas is reading confidential/private hospital notes of a doctor while acting like a puppet, 13 (really? Is this taking a risk by keeping her? I suppose so, since it appears that many fans dislike the character.
I agree with the poster who stated that there are some lagging episodes in shows. I don't expect greatness with every showing (although being spoiled by Simon, Chase (at times) Weiner, Sutter, Gilligan and others has left me greater expectations even if they are on cable). I know it's not going be perfect but last night was just one hot mess.
I went on a rant to my fiance after it ended.
Jennifer Morrison deserved a better exit. The actor is even confused as to where she stands relative to the show.
I'm trying to think of the last patient I cared about beside House himself while in the hospital in "Broken"...perhaps Mos Def in "Locked In"?
I'll get over it and I will watch next week because I like HL & RSL in particular.
There are a few shows that I still watch that you would want to examine my head for still being an active participant for simply tuning in so House and I are not done. We are moving towards a trial separation though if there is not some marked improvement after last night.
I want creativity. I want the showrunner's/writer's/director's, etc., to think outside the box. Thinking outside of the box can make a show superlative at times.
I'm new to this forum and would like to say that I appreciated reading the thoughtful and articulate comments about this latest House episode. I felt somewhat confused and letdown by this recent episode but couldn't quite pinpoint what bothered me until I read your comments.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have only recently started watching House (just tuned in during the latter part of Season 4) I was immediately drawn in by the excellence of the show overall. I was totally blown away by the premiere of Season 6. Though this latest episode did not even come close to the potential of the season 6 premiere, I think it would be difficult to sustain it. I am hopeful that the show is just going through growing pains while the cast and crew are trying to get their bearings and that the high caliber of the show will come back in full force as this season progresses.
yeah, definitely a lead balloon after the brilliance which was "Broken." I groaned out loud upon seeing OW's name in the credits. I wish I knew what fascination she holds for TPTB, because the rest of us are utterly bored with her.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did have one good laugh. The patient's wife, also a porn actress, was played by Jolene Blalock, who was the T&A character T'Pol on "Star Trek: Enterprise."
In one infamous scene in ENT's premiere, T'Pol and the chief engineer are almost entirely naked in the decontamination chamber, which is lit with glowing blue lights, rubbing gel all over one another while having an argument. And the first time we see the porn actress/wife is when the POTW is getting his UV treatment... in a room lit by glowing blue lights. Hubby turned to me and said "I've seen this before!" I paused on Blalock's blue-lit face and said "You're not kidding -- you really have!"
The House of this episode bares zero resemblance
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unless he's stripping again.
I'm still reading. hopefully I can add something worthwhile. I'm a bit late. I watched like 6 or 7 shows Monday night. (thankfully, you only wrote about 2 of them. (though Big Bang would have been nice. I had silly gripes with it))
thank yo for reminding me what Chase was like in the beginning (even if I never bought him as a surgeon)
ReplyDeleteI have not liked Lucas, I only hate him slightly less since his discussion with Cuddy. He seems slightly more mature, but still... still don't like him.
I will miss Cameron and I am sad that the only couple who can stay together on this show are Cuddy and her baby. What does TV have against marriage? Marriage can be dramatic, without being the main plot of a show.
(would it be okay if I mentioned my desire to throw a hissy fit on Private Practice when Addison considered committing adultery *yet again*? (after it worked out so well for everyone involved, the first time. and after she counseled Izzie not to do it with George??)
Anyway, Cam was my favorite duckling. I'll miss her.
13 was less boring this year, but I bet she will be boring again soon enough.
Perhaps the President could hire Jennifer to keep her from coming back again? ;-) (i'd rather he hire Taub and 13)
ReplyDeleteWatching this show is now the equivalent of hearing the alarm clock going off on Monday morning, shaving, getting in the car to go to work at a job you despise. Complete lack of humor or fun. It is collapsing under it's own weight.
ReplyDeleteI'm repeatedly asking these days "Why, oh why, of all the charactesr, did they kill off Kutner and Amber?"
ReplyDeleteI mean, yeah, I know, there was impact at the time...although you wouldn't know it nowadays.
At least they were capital-I Interesting characters. I really only care about scenes with House, Wilson, and Cuddy. And lately, a lot less then usual. I thought this was going to be a banner season, it started off so strongly. But none of the character arcs are all that compelling to me right now. I'm still watching, always will be, but not with my former enthusiasm. And knowing it's not just me doesn't really make me feel any better.
When I first heard about this storyline, I hated it. When I watched it unfold, I hated it. Up to 5 minutes before the episode ended, I hated it. But that last 5 minutes totally sold me. I agree that characters acted oddly to bring it about, but the ending and potential impact was so entertaining that I don't mind.
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