Blogcritics Comments on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Comment by Tanya on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Fri, 9 May 2008 11:35:47 EDT

Dear Barbara, thank you for your review! Here some questions I would like you to ask Garrett Lerner and Russel Friend: 1)Have they some inside description of every character which would help writers in their work or they can change the image of House (and other characters)for free, without any limits? 2)Do they have a conception for each entire season which can influence drama of the episodes (for instance, 1 season - acquaintance with characters, 2 season - House and his love, 3 season - House and his addiction etc.)? Or the writers develop all drama lines at random? Sorry for my grammar, I'm not an American.

Comment by cad on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Mon, 5 May 2008 05:04:38 EDT

Firstly Barbara, thanks a lot again for your insightful reviews. They always open up so much more than I could find out on my own. I could do good with an episode every two weeks because there�s so much to chew on, isn�t it? You said: /What if (and I know this is going to sound like a fan wank, and maybe it is, but maybe not) this (his "not caring," his apathy and extra-snarkiness are a part of how he's dealing with the team's loss. Remember we all thought he was doing fine, smoking a cigar with the patient's husband, getting a new guitar after making that separation. What if he's not having as easy a time with that as we thought?/ In S4 we�ve actually seen him ask Cameron (in Guardian Angels and oh! the snarky deflection as she says no.) and somewhat covertly wanting to know the same from Chase (in The Right Stuff whether they�d want come back in his team. They don�t and he�s trying to cope with it for as we know he�s "not good with change." It would have been odd if he had been the same House as we know him fomr the previous three seasons, wouldn�t it. But I�m full of confidence that everything�s balancing out because the new team actually starts standing up to him and that, besides his drugs, is what he needs to function, too.

Comment by Barbara Barnett on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Sun, 4 May 2008 08:34:05 EDT

Thanks, Connie, for your comments. I wonder, as some people have speculated, that everyone was getting their game back just a little after the long hiatus (much, much longer than summer break). And, for the writers especially, the summer break really isn't much--but this was three months without writing as opposed to just a couple of weeks. Suzy, I don't think House is walking better. I think he was trying to overcome the pain by bowling--reaching out to someone as he saw the possibility of losing Wilson. He took a vicodin after his bowling frame. His limp is as bad or worse than it had been last season. When he's not using the cane, he's often clutching his thigh when he has to move. Looking forward to tomorrow's episode.

Comment by suzy on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Sun, 4 May 2008 06:21:18 EDT

I just wonder why no one has commented on the fact that Dr. House seems to be walking better. Bowling? I seem to rememeber in a past episode where he couldn't even stand on his leg.

Comment by Sue on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Fri, 2 May 2008 19:58:47 EDT

From the comments here, House has the same attachment to the old team that a lot of fans have. I still don't understand the scene where Foreman gives House his review of him. House's response that he has to humiliate Foreman for the new team to respect and listen to him did not make sense to me. Having the new team fear him did make sense. That is really a reflection on how House feels about himself. This scene is the most revealing about House as a person and a doctor. I heard in an interview that the cast members only know whether the medical terms mean something good or something bad. I have a doctorate degree in medicine, and I can tell you that they deliver the lines with perfect conviction, as if they totally understand what is being said and they are really doctors saying those things. This is what makes the program so convincing. The old team is better at this than the new team is. Tincture of time. I found this medical situation boring. House was not really invested in the outcome. He was too nice, too even-toned with the patient. I did not care if the patient lived or died. I think House is attracted to Amber. It may be the "game" of sparring with her that is behind it. He likes challenging women. Cameron was never challenging. Stacy and Cuddy are. I too miss the zinger moments when House comes up with a comment that is the moral issue of the episode. Often, it is something I had not considered. One example is from Informed Consent, when House says, 'you either help him live or you help him die, it can't be both." It was there in Don't Ever Change." It was sorely lacking in the beginning of this season. I still go back to Wilson's words when he said he thought House would hire people he really didn't care about to keep from getting attached. Did House really do that? The brilliance of Hugh Laure was missing in this episode. I didn't really feel House was there if full. The only time I really felt he was House was when he was reading Cuddy's review. There was an understanding between them at that moment that made me feel the characters were psychically connected.

Comment by Barbara Barnett on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Fri, 2 May 2008 17:03:01 EDT

Thanks for your comments, everyone. It's interesting reading so many different takes on the season and the latest episode. In my opinion, House is, as Boffle said a man who knows more, sees more and feels more than everyone else. He has, in a sense, turned himself into stone to avoid what is probably an emotionally painful existence (as well as the physical). To me, the exploration of House's layers, his psyche and inner life are an essential slice of the series. Ann said: To me House is a man who has read a lot, thought a lot and experienced a lot and who has evolved out of it a serious personal philosophy which he tries hard to live up to. He lives at greater heights and depths than the other characters. This inevitably brings him into conflict with conventional society. It is Hugh Laurie's ability to let us see this which which gave the show its extraordinary power and which has been lost in much of series 4. I really like the way you put this. And I agree with it. What if (and I know this is going to sound like a fan wank, and maybe it is, but maybe not) this (his "not caring," his apathy and extra-snarkiness are a part of how he's dealing with the team's loss. Remember we all thought he was doing fine, smoking a cigar with the patient's husband, getting a new guitar after making that separation. What if he's not having as easy a time with that as we thought? Anyway, its a thought. I have liked this season, and I look forward to Monday's episode (and the finale looks incredibly good.) But I have to wonder if the House we're seeing is withdrawn so far into his castle, that all we're getting is the jerk. He let people get close to him, and they left (again)--even if it was his own doing. His constanstly testing of his relationship with Wilson has been so far unsuccessful in driving him away (not Cuddy either).

Comment by Veresna Ussep on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Fri, 2 May 2008 14:12:58 EDT

I have been disappointed in this season in general, but was very happy with NMMNG, although part of that may simply be the delight of finally having a new episode. On to my suggestions for questions: 1) Could they shed more light on the writing process for this show. I remember reading an interview with one of the writers who commented how different this show is compared to others. Writers are allowed to work on their own scripts individually, instead of continually being in a ' round-table' type of environemnt. And yet, there has to be some regard to the consistency, with major (Stacy,Vogler,Tritter) arcs and others (Cuddy's trying for a baby arc, bringing Amber back, etc.) For example: At the time that Foreman announced his intention to resign in season 3, were they already working towards having House lose all three members of the team, or vice versa (did the possibility of one of the fellows leaving lead to the decision to get rid of the others as well)? 2 As regards Houses's appearance: In '3 Stories', Hugh Laurie appeared clean-shaven and with more hair and different lighting to appear younger, but are we to assume that it also has to do with changes that occured after the infarction (the feeling that since patients don't want to see a 'sick' doctor that the general scruffiness is a deliberate attempt, along with not wearing the lab coat do NOT appear as a doctor)? Thanks for all of your wonder reviews, Barbara! I may run a close second to your HL-obsession and am currently enjoying both Fortysomething and A Bit of Fry and Laurie, and it's great to find a guy that even my husband will enjoy watching with me! Veresna U

Comment by Lilly on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Fri, 2 May 2008 11:09:59 EDT

Barbara, thank you for your excellent review and your thought-provoking remarks about the changes in Dr. House. If your friend had asked me whether I would be invested in the show after viewing only Season 4 episodes, my answer would surely have been negative. I barely recognize this show compared to the brilliant first two seasons. It seems to be less "CSI" and more "Scrubs" these days, only Turk and JD care more about the patient than House does. Perhaps House = janitor? After watching the marathon the other night, I was surprised by how many times House said "I'm sorry" in a genuine manner. He had some dignity, which seems to be entirely lost this season. House in a do-rag? Would Season 1 House have done that? I can understand the need to keep things fresh, but surely this could have been accomplished by adding a character such as Amber or Kutner to the old team. To take the #1 drama show and make HUGE changes completely boggles my mind! Many of us felt that Chase and Cameron contributed to the show's success, but their noticeable absence is only a part of my dissatisfaction this season. I loved the old team from their first episode, but simply cannot bond with or like the new one, with the possible exception of Kutner. I don't care about Thirteen's "mystery" in spite of the efforts of TPTB to shove it in my face. I find House's favoritism and patience for her to be completely inexplicable and out-of-character. Most importantly, I find the changes in the character of House to be the most upsetting. He's been a frat boy all season and I had had enough of it by the third episode. The only thing worse than turning House into Mr. Rogers is turning him into a buffoon, and a vulgar buffoon at that. Hugh Laurie's dramatic talents are not being showcased, and I can't see an Emmy nominee in the whole sorry lot, unless they enter in the "Comedy" category. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" seemed like another "fluff" episode to me, but perhaps I was spoiled by watching the Season 1 Marathon on Sunday. It's like comparing a Van Gogh to a child's paint-by-number set. I miss the old show. This new version is no longer a "must-see" for me.

Comment by ann uk on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Fri, 2 May 2008 10:53:31 EDT

How I agree with Boffle that House is a man who " ..knows more, sees more and .. feels more than others " To me House is a man who has read a lot, thought a lot and experienced a lot and who has evolved out of it a serious personal philosophy which he tries hard to live up to. He lives at greater heights and depths than the other characters. This inevitably brings him into conflict with conventional society. It is Hugh Laurie's ability to let us see this which which gave the show its extraordinary power and which has been lost in much of series 4. I hope you can use your interview to make this point to the writers.

Comment by Lilah on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Thu, 1 May 2008 16:51:54 EDT

I would really love it if someone talked to Lerner and Friend about ship-pandering. I mean, we know they do it, we know why they do it, they know we know they do it, etc. But my question is, do the writers come to a concensus each episode or story arc on which House relationship they want to focus on? When a line is tossed out to placate or excite certain viewers, (like the House/Cameron shippers with the "Did you sleep with him?" question in "No More Mr. Nice Guy" or the House/Wilson shippers in "Don't Ever Change" with "Oh my god-- you're sleeping with me"), is it a reflection of the specific writer's feelings on who House has the most chemistry or unresolved sexual tension with? Is it an agreement among staff writers that every ship should minimally be catered to each episode, or is it something that's up to the individual writer to decide? How much is at their discretion and how much is formula? What does it tell us about where the show is going? Please feel free to revise/edit/rephrase this tangled question for clarity, but I hope something at least vaguely provocative and informative is asked and answered when you get the change to interview them! Thanks.

Comment by Jair on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Thu, 1 May 2008 11:26:57 EDT

Barbara, nice review. I did have a couple of thoughts that came to mind. In Half Wit, House's blood was never tested, so the old team doesn't know whether House could have syphilis or not; they just know Mr. Luke N. Laura did. Also, I read a very nice suggestion on another forum that this episode was all about relationship contracts and breaches of them. We saw House and Wilson's (we'll each continue to be who we are) and Wilson breach it; we saw House and Amber trying to make one over Wilson and Cuddy enforce it; we saw House ostensibly try and wiggle out of his employer contract with the reviews; (I think we saw him perform his own kind of review with the blood switch--he wanted to know which of his team would move past seeing personality as separate from the organic and able to be seen as a symptom. His sharp "Which one?" when informed that someone on his team tested him showed his real interest in the game). We saw Foreman want to change his employment contract and Chase and Cameron negotiating their relationship contract. And possibly House and Cuddy as well. It was interesting that the only paper review House put any thought into was hers. I liked the ep. But then, I think the season could be subtitled The Year of Relationship Contracts. We're seeing a lot of House exploring his relationships. I don't mind and expect the balance to shift back again to more inner turmoil. Though I've always felt House is not on a redemptive journey to heal himself of what makes him not fit in, but rather a man who accepts that he doesn't and won't compromise because he thinks society's norms are just as capable of being wrong. I'm not sure he's as angst filled on the subject as some of his viewers expect.

Comment by melly on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Thu, 1 May 2008 10:05:12 EDT

Excellent review. While I didn't hate this episode and even really liked certain aspects of it, I thought that it lacked gravity and drove home the fact that the cast is too crowded. It used to be that the audience learned about the main characters through their interactions with the patients, and it worked wonderfully because we got to spend time with characters that we loved and got invested in the potw in the process. Now, in order spend time on characterization they are forced to take the story away from the patient, and if they focus too much on the patient/ddx part of the story then they are spending too much time with new characters that much of the audience either despises or is indifferent to at best. Not a good position to be in. I think they're eventually going to have to own up to making a mistake by adding all these new characters and let some go, or put all their marbles behind this new set of drones and let Chase and Cam go.

Comment by melly on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Thu, 1 May 2008 10:04:41 EDT

Comment by Mary on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Thu, 1 May 2008 09:01:57 EDT

DrGregHouse.com has a link to a Canadian Press interview with David Shore, who says that all of this year's characters will be back in the 5th season. So much for my speculation that this year's finale will see the loss of one of the fellows, either the originals or the new crew.

Comment by Barbara Barnett on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Thu, 1 May 2008 08:02:53 EDT

I do think the pendalum is going to start to swing the other way starting with the finale and Season 5 may be a little heavier than Season 4. Perhaps the writers thought Season 3 was too dark, and as I recall there was a lot of grumbling over it, so they wanted to lighten it up this year. I'm one that likes a combination of angst and humor. I also wonder if TPTB believe that Hugh and RSL do comedy well together and want to explore that. RSL has been in a lot more scenes this year and that seems to be how their relationship works. A little plug of my Huddy love-I loved that final scene between the two of them. I do wish we had more scenes of them together and less of the newbies. Hi Sdemar--I hope you're right. One of House's most attractive attributes (and it counterbalances his flaws) is his soulfulness. When it's missing, I find the character less forgivable. He's just a funny jerk. I watch House because that's not all he is. that's not all the show is. It's why my least favorite eps from years past are episodes like Spin and Airborne. House's soulfulness and introspection redeem otherwise ordinary episodes and make the beautifully crafted episodes (which is more often than not) soar. He's a doctor so I'm certain he is just practicing preventative medicine to avoid prostate cancer. LOL! You must be right. And as he said, he's ambidextrous in his...er...preventive medicine :) You're right, Houserocket, about Cameron. If he was as much of a tomcat as he pretends to be, (and given that he's an arrogant jerk--again image) he would have had no issues with sleeping with Cameron, or even that girl with the crush. Fact is that he has a strong sense of right and wrong--and a strong sense of justice. They're both so sophisticated and finely honed, that convention, convenience and self-preservation do not prevent him from adhering to it.

Comment by houserocket7 on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Thu, 1 May 2008 02:10:06 EDT

"Clare--big cast, too little time on House himself. sigh. They will need to do something since this is not an ensemble show. Good question for the writers--do they think that writing for a big cast is to the detriment of the exploration of House's character--or do they want to slow that down (since there are probably three more seasons to cover?)" This is one of the key questions I hope you'll address with Lerner/Friend. "But you're right about the end of Distractions and what it says about House, his self-esteem and his relationships with women (including hookers). I think House uses them occasionally, but I believe that most of the time he takes care of his own needs (if you get the meaning)." He's a doctor so I'm certain he is just practicing preventative medicine to avoid prostate cancer. "I don't think he takes any relationship casually, male or female-based." If he did, he would have slept with and used Cameron without a second thought. It would have been alluded to as opposed to the many allusions to the fact they have not slept together.

Comment by RealDeal on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Thu, 1 May 2008 01:26:56 EDT

Loved this episode. RSL and HL are just so awesome together. There was a lot of meat in this episode. I think it's better when HL is in fewer scenes. 13 was great. And Taub, the politically saavy member of the team did a great job explaining to Foreman that House gave him authority to keep him in his place. Kutner was a little goofy this week but he still has that needy quality which I found so annoying in Cameron. Cuddy was pretty good this week. She actually behaved like an administrator. I wonder if she was pissed because House was using her to keep Amber from taking Wilson from him.

Comment by sdemar on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Thu, 1 May 2008 00:08:11 EDT

Great review, Barbara. I really liked the episode even though it seemed to go at such a fast pace that I had a hard time keeping up. Noone else has commented on this but this didn't feel like a DS written episode to me. I know he wasn't the sole writer but it still didn't feel like anything he would write. I do think the pendalum is going to start to swing the other way starting with the finale and Season 5 may be a little heavier than Season 4. Perhaps the writers thought Season 3 was too dark, and as I recall there was a lot of grumbling over it, so they wanted to lighten it up this year. I'm one that likes a combination of angst and humor. I also wonder if TPTB believe that Hugh and RSL do comedy well together and want to explore that. RSL has been in a lot more scenes this year and that seems to be how their relationship works. A little plug of my Huddy love-I loved that final scene between the two of them. I do wish we had more scenes of them together and less of the newbies.

Comment by Barbara Barnett on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:59:00 EDT

Jena--I agree. I'll have to watch the scene again, because it passed me by completely (bad me!) But you're right about the end of Distractions and what it says about House, his self-esteem and his relationships with women (including hookers). I think House uses them occasionally, but I belive that most of the time he takes care of his own needs (if you get the meaning). I don't think he takes any relationship casually, male or female-based.

Comment by jena on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:51:08 EDT

re the "screwing" comment (since everyone else has weighed in on it, and i want in too), i felt as though the writers did that to tease, rather than to make a point; i think it makes most sense for it to be "screwing with the team". if house was in any type of relationship, even of the most casual kind, there would be some difference in him; we've seen women to whom he's attracted, even if only physically, affect his behavior throughout the series. and he's so reticent about absolutely everything that it would make no sense to me if his constant talk about hookers was an accurate reflection of his life. to enlarge upon that, one of the most difficult scenes to watch in the whole series, for me, has to be the end of "distractions", in which house lets the prostitute into his apartment. he's obviously ill at ease and ashamed of what he's about to do, and his demeanor is such that it suggests that his own opinion of himself, never very high, is diminishing with each passing instant. in all it doesn't look like something he's accustomed to.

Comment by Barbara Barnett on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:30:23 EDT

House's best comment in Poison to Georgia was when he convinced her to take the meds because they wouldn't stop her "feelings." He added that he wouldn't give up her flirting with him (or something like that). She agreed after his words of assurance to her (and very sweet words at that!) i will have to watch NMMNG again for all of these tidbits a bit later this evening!

Comment by hl_lover on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:15:29 EDT

*slaps forehead* So Georgia did take the meds after all? I still feel, however, that the essence of my point still stands. After reading several opinions concerning the 'screwing' comment from Wilson to House, it only makes sense, then, that, after hearing House declare that he didn't have syphilis 'yet', then logically Wilson is asking House if he would stop screwing prostitutes while he was still ahead of the game. House responds that he will continue being his usual self, ie, taking chances with prostitutes. Does this make sense? I certainly don't see House with Cameron, not at all.

Comment by Barbara Barnett on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:35:12 EDT

I think, in a real sense, Clarice is right. With the larger cast, I think what's been sacrificed is not dialogue or situations, but the "moments" when the subtext becomes clear and we get to peek into House's head when no one at PPTH is looking. And without that, as she said, a lot of the story is missing (or just even more hidden). Some of us take the time to find it under the dialogue even without the "moments" of unspoken subtext, but many will not, which will re-inforce the notion that the character is all about the jerk and less about "doing the right" thing and telling truth to power. If for no other reason than to have back those crucial bits (and I think it's more that than "angstiness" per se), we need to see the cast reduced to a less-than-ensemble cast number. I have one quick question that i havent seen addressed either here or on other websites - why was Cameron dismissing Chase's questions about sleeping with House? thanks for your kind comments theronald ;) my take on this is that she didn't want to discuss it in front of the new team, and truly believes that it's none of Chase's business, so she's not telling (I think we all know that they did not sleep together--again, I think as attracted to her as House is, he believes that theirs would be an age-inappropriate, not to mention incompatible, relationship.) Sue--I agree that maybe that actors, HL included were "getting back into it," and that may have come across. This episode certainly has generated a good discussion here! Carry on! And thank you for all of you comments on both the column and the show!

Comment by jena on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:00:32 EDT

nitpicking! hl_lover, house convinces georgia to take her medication by telling her that the brain damage sustained thus far will be permanent. anyway, great article as always, barbara. i, too, was disappointed, even though i enjoyed the episode. everything about it was schizoid. it contained the elements that have made house a funny show in the past, which kept me laughing, but it didn't make up for the fact that i missed the moral and emotional depth that's made the series so worthwhile and rewarding to watch. once again i was confused and upset by house's newfound lack of interest in his cases, and how he's turning into a petty, conniving asshole, rather than a person of great morality and worth who tries very hard to convince the world and himself that he is a petty, conniving asshole. and worst of all was how they dropped the ball on house's evaluation of cuddy. something could have been made of that, but instead, it was a dim echo of his speech at the end of "humpty dumpty". my only hope is, as was mentioned above, that the defects of this episode were a direct result of cramming all the storylines neglected during the strike into a single episode.

Comment by sue on TV Review: House, MD - "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:01:59 EDT

This was the first post-strike episode, and it showed in several ways. I don't think Hugh was mentally back into character. He underacted House. There were many opportunities for snarkiness, and I didn't see it. He was too even-toned throughout the episode. He mumbled some lines, making it hard to figure out what he was saying. Had there been more extremes in House's character, the episode would have been more interesting. House's interaction with the patient was too even-keeled. The best part was Hugh's reaction to hearing he had syphyllis. Hugh did that masterfully. The show was too packed with dialogue. If a loyal viewer cannot absorb what is happening, what does a casual viewer think? In a show that is so smartly written, every word is essential to the story; losing lines interrupts the flow. I still don't understand the dialogue with Foreman about how House humiliating him would make the new hires respect and fear him. It seemed Olivia Wilde was trying harder in this episode. She seemed to be more expressive. They upped her wardrobe. She is still boring and wooden. Maybe the bad reviews on the message boards made a difference. Peter Jacobsen can only deliver his lines on way. We were supposed figure out that maybe his wife had cheated on him, and then feel sorry for him. I could not have cared less. It was the same when House found out that he cheated on his wife and left his plastic surgery practice. Go back and watch how he acted those scenes. There is no nuance in his acting. An interesting way to compare the new and old teams is to watch the reaction shots. When House delivers a line, they cut away to the team to show their reactions to what House said. The expressions and non-verbal resonses to what House says amplifies the impact for us. The reactions of the four team members this year are almost non-existent, and what there is is not effective. It was nice to see some variations in personality in Chase and Cameron in this episode. They had become one-dimensional and boring until now. Unfortunately, Foreman is still bland and like wallpaper . House was using him, and he had virtually no reaction to that. Why should we care if the character doesn't? Kutner is the only character with some color in his acting, but I just don't care about him. The best scene was when House gave Cuddy his evaluation of her. Lisa acted that scene perfectly. The writers nailed the dialogue about Cuddy's situation. Obviously, House has been thinking about Cuddy. Is he going to rescue the damsel in distress? I did not care about the POTW or his wife. The resolution of the case, while clever, did not matter to me. There were no high-highs and low-lows in this episode. It was too even all the way through.