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House goes back into production this week, paving the way for the series’ return on April 28 with a run of four new episodes. The final four episodes will conclude a strike-shortened season four. Season four originally was scheduled for 22 episodes, and with the Writers Guild strike taking a three-month bite out of the season, there will only be a total of 16 episodes shot. Beginning April 21, House moves to Mondays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time /8:00 p.m. Central with an "encore" (re-run) episode. New episodes start the following week.
Season four only really clicked into high gear in its last four episodes. The first eight episodes dealt with House rebuilding his diagnostic team, replacing Chase (who House fired), Cameron (who resigned after Chase was fired), and Foreman (who resigned and then was re-hired by Cuddy to spy on House) with three new fellows. So what does the remainder of season four hold for Dr. House and Princeton Plainsboro teaching hospital?
David Shore told USA Today last week that a two-part episode originally scheduled to run after the Super Bowl (“Frozen” with guest star Mira Sorvino ran instead) will now conclude season four. Shore said that House (played by the ever-brilliant Hugh Laurie) will be involved in an accident (Fall? Motorbike spill? Someone hits him and he hits his head?) and will suffer some short-term memory loss. House will try to recover those memories and their significance. According to Shore, “it’s going to be big.”
The show’s other head honcho, Katie Jacobs (she also directed the wonderful episode in season three called “Half-Wit”) spoke to an audience at Princeton University. The Daily Princetonian reports that next season House and his best friend, oncologist James Wilson (played by Robert Sean Leonard), will take a “a road trip that will reach into House’s past.”
Jacobs also promised more developments in the adversarial and sharply sexy relationship between Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) and House. Last season, the show suggested a past relationship in the episode “Top Secret,” and it’s very clear that House has more than an employee-employer interest in her. And despite their constant sparring, who did Cuddy take into her confidence when she wanted to attempt in vitro fertilization to get pregnant? Not the surficially reliable Wilson, but House. Jacobs teased the audience. What would happen if they did end up in bed together one night? "That’s kinda interesting,” she offered.
Let the speculation begin.
