Barbara (#25), I have to disagree. I think the quality of writing has gone bad, too. The dialogue has become repetitive and heavyhanded, and themes are too obviously presented, IMO. "Family Practice" had a nice script, though.
27 -
Nada
Jun 04, 2011 at 2:50 pm
What House did is not out of character, he could explode a mountain (ok with no people on it lol) that it wouldn't shock me, the problem is the way it was filmed, they just made a mistake (ok a big one).
28 -
Johnathan
Jun 04, 2011 at 2:59 pm
Are you all delusional? The script was written a long time ago and granted, it is possible they could change things here and there but change an entire script would take forever, not to mention the overrun cost of production. I don't think they actually knew LE was leaving until she factually did. The finale clearly states that Cuddy doesn't want House anywhere near the hospital, so they planned on her staying and House going.
29 -
Nada
Jun 04, 2011 at 3:00 pm
26 - But wait1
Yes I agree, I can rewatch season 1 to 4 again and again, dialogues and medical cases were amazing.
I think writers are not very inspired with romances, all the characters are more interesting alone than with someone.
30 -
kitkat
Jun 04, 2011 at 3:01 pm
Under the circumstances the story will definitely focus on House come season 8. That's a good thing. No more melodrama with Taub, Foreman, Chase and 13 which I dislike personally haha!
Jonathan--Me delusional? about what? Of course the script was written a long time ago--long before LE didn't re-up!
32 -
Amy
Jun 04, 2011 at 3:04 pm
It was a weak story season. House M.D. needs new writers that like the character House.
33 -
Luc
Jun 04, 2011 at 3:05 pm
The opionions are certainly not universal. The fans are polarized on this finale and there is not right ot wrong. It's just the individual take and how much the viewer is willing to take in rooting for House. You said it right: it was a huge risk for this late in the game when ratings were already dropping. To split the fan base is a risk for the creative team and the network.
The portrayal of Cuddy this season was an interesting choice too, in light of them saying they had every intention for Lisa to return. The fans are polarized on that front as well. She's either a villain or a victim.
I think the writers have been trying to portray House, Wilson and Cuddy as both villain and victim all along. They enable and support, they abuse and encourage. They have always shown House to only allow the emotional abusers and highly dysfunctional into his circle. It's part of the dynamic; the dychotomy of what is politically correct and acceptable vs inappropriate and unethical/immoral. These friends function in dysfunction. Yet, this finale seemed intent on destroying that dynamic.
In the context of what they are saying, maybe House needed that complete break, but that break changes House. DS says S8 will show House is still House, but this break says he can't be, otherwise the act was for nothing. If the motive was to clearly break from that pattern, then something equally destructive is to be expected with Wilson because clearly the normal self-destruction isn't enough. It's uneven writing, and the more it's discussed the more uneven it feels for many.
It's a weird place to be. If TPTB really believe he needs to make a clean break to move on, then it requires equal break from Wilson. To do this changes a fundamental relationships in the show. Having House grow is more about him accepting and the people in his life accepting. It's not really about changing.
This finale pushed the "House has to change" envelope. I wish we could just get off that treadmill after all these years and just start getting to the heart of House. I could write a paper on all the things the writers, DS and GY have said that suggest that won't happen. And with the clear direction of dealing with consequences, we are back on that treadmill, dealing with the results of his actions and not really getting to the root. We can hope that they will in S8, but really? With the consequences to address, then the normal deflection and fight and arrogance that must play out to keep House real, can they get to the root in one season? Won't it be rushed and weak? It honestly should have started in S6 and been a three season unravelling. But those were missed opportunites, IMO...and in the eyes of many critics.
Which leads us back to the point. Many are excited to see how they move on. Many feel they have been left with that promise too many times. To them, this finale was a real chance at moving on, but the last scenes only made the treadmill come clear. They want off.
Risky choice, indeed. I'm sure TPTB, network and the remaining fans hope the risk is worth it. Perhaps the won't lose many viewers. It's hard to say. The polls and forums are only small groups and pockets of the overall viewers, so they cannot be true indicators. However, if they can be looked at as sample groups, they are an indication that the polarization is a concern for the ratings.
TV history will tell...
34 -
Nada
Jun 04, 2011 at 3:12 pm
28 - Johnathan
"The finale clearly states that Cuddy doesn't want House anywhere near the hospital, so they planned on her staying and House going."
What? when I saw the last scene, it was obvious that her character has nothing to do anymore in this show. I think writers knew already about Lisa E departure since months.
Adios Cuddy! how can they still expect a return as a guest?
35 -
rjw
Jun 04, 2011 at 3:14 pm
I finally had the chance to watch the finale a second time,and found it excellent! Of course,the ending was shocking and upsetting (as it should be when someone crashes into a house).Watching a second time,it became clear that Cuddy and her guests were moving to the other room.House would have seen that,but there's no way he could know that someone didn't go back in.As the writers said in an interview,House has destroyed his life in his attempts to make a break.I will definitely be tuning in when it comes back to see what does happen.It's obvious that Cuddy will no longer with romantically involved with him (even before Lisa E. left).He is truly in a very dark place...darker than ever.
36 -
Johnathan
Jun 04, 2011 at 3:29 pm
@ 31 Barbara - I was addressing mostly those who thinks the script was originally written with LE leaving in mind as if to leave the writers an opening to continue next season without her. Sorry for sounding bitter, I'm a huge LE fan!
Johnathan--I didn't see the "all" at first. I understand!
38 -
Celia
Jun 04, 2011 at 3:40 pm
On the whole I agree with your comments. I think a controversial Finale was made even a bigger target by the resignation of LE. I too thought House was in total emotional chaos when he got back into the car with Wilson. I felt he ordered Wilson out both to spare himself a lecture, but also because he knew that he was loosing it,and ight harm Wilson. When House sped away from the curb, I thought he was going to go hurlding into traffic. Turning the car around in seething anger made terrible sense. House's self directed violence has been escalating all season and this one one of the two choices in 'next steps'for unresolved issues. He almost took out Wilson, anyone standing in Cuddy's room and himself. Crashing a car into a home usually causes physical carnage. I gave the writers dramatic license to let him walk away from it unscathed. The peaceful beach scene was not cathartic to me , rather deeply, deeply disturbing. At that point, I actually wanted to House admitted to Mayfield again.The way DS & Blake are shrugging the final scene off is ............may I say once again........disturbing.
Blake said to me that from what we now know, the final scene is real (the beach scene). I'm no so sure it is.
40 -
justme
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:00 pm
the way I interpret House before he crashed her house was that he saw her moved on and he is still hurting.
to explain it better: when my ex boyfriend and I broke up, he began dating other girls. I was still hurt about the break up . I thought he would grieve too but when I saw him with another girl two weeks later, All I could feel was hurt and thought"did I mean anything to him at all".I can't explain it but he moved on way too fast for me.I wasnt ready for another relationship but he was. I have decided to throw anything to do with him and erased him from my mind too.
I eventually moved on and found a better guy.
41 -
Sam
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:01 pm
I am graciously willing to forgive any and all ill emotions directed at the creative team IF they will reveal that it was all a publicity stunt including the bad finale and Cuddy will in fact come back for season 8.
Written by someone not it the TV business or a tad delusional himself because a team of writers could actually do it fairly quickly
43 -
Artgirl
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:09 pm
I did not and do not want to see a main character who commits domestic violence, and it disturbs me deeply to see the show's creators and writers laughing this off as if ramming a car into a woman's home while she and her family are inside it is somehow NOT domestic violence.
Just because something is arguably possible for a character, does not mean that it's a good idea from a storytelling standpoint. This, in my opinion, was a serious blunder. Shore has said that everything we saw was real; that House will face serious consequences; and that the show will remain essentially unchanged.
I don't see how all three of these things can be true. Any two, okay, but not all three. And it angers me that apparently no forethought was given, either about the wisdom of turning your protagonist into someone unrecognizable and unsympathetic to a large part of your audience, or to the corner they've painted themselves into. If the show is indeed to go on without massive disruptions, then either something we saw wasn't real, or there is going to be a ridiculous deus ex machina to keep House out of prison and in practice as a doctor.
Of the two available options, I'm hoping for the one in which Shore lied about the reality of what we saw. They've used it too much, but it's better than seeing House as being pleased with himself after nearly killing Wilson, Cuddy, and anyone who might have been inside that house.
Artgirl--It doesn't mean bad storytelling necessarily. Having a character do something stunning or terrible can be a classically good storytelling choice. People may hate the writer for doing it, but it doesn't make it bad storytelling.
The fact that House will face serious consequences puts House, by definition, on an altered path. It opens up a lot of creative possibilities for a series in its 8th season.
The fact is, they haven't written one script for Season 8 yet. They've just started talking story arc and dealing with LE's departure. They have some ideas from last season about the aftermath of the crash (the ep was intended to be #19 and not the finale at first). But that's it.
45 -
Derfel
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:18 pm
40 - justme, but I'm sure you didn't get married with someone and didn't do any horrible things to your ex boyfriend just after you broke up.
46 -
Joan
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:19 pm
I am still having a lot of trouble with this finale and how they apparently felt the need to go with a shocking ending in the last few minutes over writing some decent eps dealing with the fallout from the breakup. Yes, I liked House and Cuddy together and wanted it explored more and better but like many huddy fans I could have been ok with a breakup if it was handled better.
Shore said they were just trying to get back to the pre-relationship 'normal' but the fact is that they didn't write it to do that. I hated the way Cuddy broke up with him so abruptly after one slip in a moment of extreme stress and worry over her. But she too was very emotional and vulnerable when she did this. If House had ever stopped being an ass for the next several eps or completely avoiding her they might have had one of their good explosive fights, finally had a moment of honesty about the relationship etc. and gotten back to a working relationship with some added undertones. Frankly, House is Cuddy's achilles heel and if he had really done something to show he understood her reservations I think the door would have been open to reconciliation given their long history. Instead Shore insisted that they coould never ever ever get together and so we have those over the top eps with House going from hooker to hooker, playing with ridic toys and disrupting the hospital, hitting Cuddy with nasty cruel barbs whenever he can all culminating with marrying green card girl. See, he's married so they can't get together -- Isn't that moving on pretty damn far? I know, emotionally he's still tied to Cuddy. But Cuddy is still tied to him -- she loves him, feels guilty, hasn't been able to date as she admits to him in the finale. It almost looked like they were going to finally deal with the breakup in the last two eps -- in After Hours Cuddy came in the middle of the night to save him again and House admitted she's the only one he trusts....then the hallway finale scene was beautifully done and again could have paved the way to this 'normalcy' tptb say they want but instead they send him crashing through her house -- no need to parse exactly who stood where or whether someone, including Rachel could have entered the room, it was an act of serious reckless endangerment and malicious mischief to use legal terms. And because he saw her having dinner with some people? Where does he get off feeling betrayed by that after the hookers he shoved in Cuddy's face the day after the breakup?? I just felt it was sloppy writing to have him come undone from that and do such an awful thing to her home after she showed she still cares for him coming to his rescue only a day or so before. I think there were so many other ways they could have shown House' extreme state of mind that would have been less ugly than the way they chose. What would Cuddy have come back to do next year -- supervise his court mandated community service at the clinic in a state of cold or hot war with him til the writers effected some sort of forgiveness? It is a very odd place to put House in this late in the program. Shore claims he never likes to re-do but this is apparently a total reboot back to season 1 -- I wish I did have a better understanding of the House fandom other than the online groups because to me there are an awful lot of people who are not at all excited to be looking back at that. All the reviews I read were negative about the development (OR LACK THEREOF)in House and loss of Lisa as a real blow to the show, not an improvement. Are there tons of fans out that who want House to be an irredeamable and unchangeable jerk to the last?
47 -
justme
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:21 pm
of course not! they took a drastic measure. I hated that part and rather if they did it differently
48 -
Oversimplified
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Thanks for this Barbara. I think you've made a really valid point about Wilson and Cuddy as his enablers actually doing him no good whatsoever. I've discussed this on numerous occasions with friends who are fellow House fans and we've always said that they're a little like overprotective parents. They've sort of killed him, emotionally, with kindness and fed the narcissistic, self-serving part of his personality which makes him believe that there won't be any consequences to his actions. Don't get me wrong what they've done, they've done because they love him almost unconditionally, but that in itself is the problem.
That said I'm still not on board with what happened at the end of the finale. I get what the writers were trying to do, but by focusing on the 'shock factor' they lost sight of the fact that they were closing numerous doors, instead of leaving them open for season 8. (Actually that's the problem with a lot of season 7 for me.) David Shore's explanation and defence of what House did still astounds me to to be perfectly honest. I really think he needs to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and at least try to recognise why that scene angered so many people, because I don't think he does. Even now I don't believe he can see the wood for the trees, so focused is he on his 'vision'. Sure at the end of the day it's his show, but shows need audiences and you can't expect people to continue tuning in if they no longer connect with the protagonist. It's hard to empathise with a psychopath, or at the very least someone exhibiting psychotic behaviour. I just think there were so many other ways they could have made House break away from Wilson and Cuddy, but they did it in such a way that killed the character for so many people. Yes it's 'edgy', but it's also cutting your nose off to spite your face.
At this point I'm really not too optimistic about season 8, especially after reading the EW interview where it was suggested there will be numerous different Deans walking through the doors at PPTH. To me that sounds like House will be back and making their lives a misery leading to umpteen resignations, and I just don't see how they can legitimately hit the reset button at this point, which I honestly think was the whole reasoning behind this particular 'kaboom'. I guess they saw it as a way back to the show's roots when the medicine was at the forefront and the personal relationships were secondary the catalyst being because House has basically blown them to smithereens. GY has been going on about how 'game-changing' the finale is, but I can only see it changing the game for maybe 4-6 episodes because for them to push the ramifications of House's actions to their logical conclusions their lead character would be jobless, friendless and incarcerated for a significant amount of time. I really hope I'm wrong about this.
I'm still in two minds about LE returning at some point for a guest appearance. I'm glad in a way that she took the decision out of their hands because I can't under any circumstances imagine a situation where Cuddy could or should work with him again. It's just a shame that she's going to have to be the one who disappears. I would however like to see Cuddy appear at least one last time before the series end. Maybe in a chance meeting with House where he's forced to face up to what he's done, and there's one final moment of honesty between them before they part ways for good.
49 -
Artgirl
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:34 pm
"Artgirl--It doesn't mean bad storytelling necessarily."
The degree to which we as viewers couldn't see what we were supposed to somehow magically have seen (i.e. that House wasn't homicidal and that he somehow -- also magically, one presumes -- knew he wouldn't injure or kill anyone), tells me that, yes, it was poor storytelling and not very well thought through.
We've stayed with House through an awful lot of instances of him doing shocking and horrible things, but this, for me, is not at all the same and has left me feeling that any sympathy I have for him makes me sympathetic to a man who would destroy a woman's home and risk killing her and her family, over a breakup.
That isn't the House I knew and I don't think I want to.
Making a character do terrible things is not necessarily the same thing as making that character completely unsympathetic, and in a show that relies upon the audience's continued sympathy for the protagonist, I do consider what was done to House to be a very bad storytelling choice.
50 -
Andreina
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:43 pm
I just wonder what the writers indtended to happen after the finale? For the time being let's forget whether or not they knew about Lisa's absence on set next Season.
House crashes into her dining room in anger
not caring about the people inside, especially Rachel. Hard to explain next season in so many ways. Any yet... they must have had a vague plan for Season 8, including Cuddy and Wilson.
These are some possibilities they might have had in mind.
* House took too many Vicodin and is found in his apartment unconscious in the beginning of Season 8. This murderous drivng scene merely a part of his drug adled halucinations.
*He lost it and really did drive into her house, with let's face it, possible murderous intent. He ends up in court and pleads temporary insanity because of drug use.
*Season 8 opens with House coming out of surgery to repair the damage he did to his leg. He has dreamt the whole crash scene.
All of the above scenerios leave open the possibility of relationships continuing between House and Wilson and Cuddy. I admit if writers had these ideas in mind they would be cop outs. SO... I just think that the Finale was a mistake in that it puts our Hero in a not too explainable corner.
Any way I look at it, the writing did not reach the wonderful levels it has in the past. Oh well it has caused us to think and express our opinions. I just love the show and hope they can find an intelligent solution.
51 -
Artgirl
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:44 pm
"They have some ideas from last season about the aftermath of the crash (the ep was intended to be #19 and not the finale at first). But that's it."
Which, not to belabor the point, reads to me as: they did not think this through, or not very well.
You still haven't addressed the domestic violence issue, which I know is huge for a lot of fans. The writers have been talking about this in terms of "venting his emotions" and "making a clean break" (looks like the messiest break possible, to me) and dodging the reality of what House did and the fact that anyone who does such a thing belongs in a mental facility or in prison.
52 -
justme
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:46 pm
I am hoping it is just cuddy dreaming. because she invited a new guy in her house to quickly when they should going out and date to get to know each other. And House was really at the beach during the whole time
53 -
BeNotAfraid
Jun 04, 2011 at 4:59 pm
I agree with you ArtGirl. There's no way to get around it. House committed domestic violence. I haven't liked House for a long time. I hated Huddy. But there is no way in hell, Cuddy is responsible for House's feelings or what he does with them. I didn't watch S7 because I absolutely hated Huddy. It didn't make sense that a woman who had accomplished that Cuddy had would be in love with a drug addict, who had lost his mind, and regularly made her job a living hell. And she has a child. That didn't compute. Maybe in the fifties that would have worked as good TV but not in the 21st century. I watched the season finale because I wanted to celebrate the fact LE was not returning for S8. But after watching House nearly kill Cuddy, potentially kill baby Rachel, and nearly kill Wilson, I can say unequivocally I hate the character, House. There's only one scenario the writers could come up with that would work for me. It was all in House's head. Otherwise, there's really no place to go except to jail for House, the batterer.
54 -
Luc
Jun 04, 2011 at 5:19 pm
It's interesting that some say there are new doors opened and others the doors are closed. Polarized again.
New doors: consequences of his actions should result in a complete break, so he would a: start new with new job, new people, etc. (Which wouldn't be House, so can't happen), b: pay for his crimes at home, which means episodes dealing with rebuilding his life, which still doesn't deal with the root of his problem, or c: go somewhere to get help, but would then feel like long-term Mayfield and still takes away from House. Options aren't really a reset, hugh?
Looks like maybe some windows were open for some episodes and maybe interesting, even production-fun scenes, but the door has been closed to House actually growing. The story seems to be headed in circles, House destroys hope, House tries to rebuild, House makes small steps, but fails, House destroys all hope.
It would have been a greater challenge for this character to figure out how to help himself without destroying his life, the safety/ security of the woman he loves and the safety of his best friend. It would have been an open door to have House actually shock everyone (including himself) by declaring something key in his past that is causing this craziness in him and just have him run away after the reveal.
Kaboom! Yeah, it was a choice. Their choice. Now we await the fall-out.
55 -
pulguita
Jun 04, 2011 at 5:35 pm
I guess I have to be either a non-Huddy or Lisa's hater to love the season finale.
56 -
Lucy
Jun 04, 2011 at 5:43 pm
#53 BeNotAfraid and ArtGirl
Apparently some people feel it's not domestic violence since it only happened once. In fact, there's some heated responses about this very terminology.
Now, those same people see Cuddy as emotionally abusive throughout S7 and House a victim. I think we could pin point from S1-present how often House was emotionally abusive. In fact, everyone in his circle is emotionally abusive because he needs that to even let anyone in. Here's the thing - emotional abuse can be pushed aside and explained away as the "nature of our relationship" and "who we are," until someone drives a car into your home almost running someone over and endangering several lives. Then you have to rethink. I still find it interesting that the writer's who constantly place dialogue throughout the script to direct the viewer to many ways of thinking, wrote the cop identifying it as domestic violence. Meant to be a thought? And Cuddy said she was always expecting something (always afraid of when the shoe will drop), but this?
House doesn't have a history of it, but the beach scene with him feeling relieved and seemingly without remorse is disturbing. There's always a first time.
On a side note, the police and courts found it to be domestic violence when my father punched the wall, threw things across the room, shattered glassesn through knives and generally destroyed our home in a fit of emotional rage, a response to painful situations. Sometimes we didn't dodge the items, sometimes we got lucky. How can driving the car into the home not be in this category?
I'm not saying House is or will become an abuser. I am saying that it is not a ridiculous conclusion for some people to draw. It is open to interpretation, so there's no reason to get angry about that term being used. It was a possible take and the "think tank" of writers and researchers (and even the actors on some level) should have had someone raise their hand and say "wait a minute.". If someone did, and they were ignored or disregarded, then they can obviously do the "I told you so" dance and ask for a raise. Oh, wait, they don't have any money! Oh, well, at least give them an "I knew it" award.
57 -
Lucy
Jun 04, 2011 at 5:49 pm
#55 pulguita
No, you don't. It's easy to point toward a "ship" as being the reason behind peoples thoughts. The harder path is actually hearing objectively what is said without putting it through a "ship" filter.
:-)People are allowed to like it just because it resonated with them, or held interest for the future, or just because it was interesting. It's not always about ships; in fact, it usually does go deeper whatever way you feel about it.
58 -
Artgirl
Jun 04, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Hi Lucy.
You said, "I'm not saying House is or will become an abuser. I am saying that it is not a ridiculous conclusion for some people to draw. It is open to interpretation, so there's no reason to get angry about that term being used."
I'm not angry about the term being used; I'm angry that the writers of the show have, in their interviews, tried to pass this incident off as NOT being domestic violence, when by any objective standpoint (such as the ones that applied when it was your own family, and I'm so sorry you had to go through that), that is precisely what it was.
The fact that they don't see it or won't acknowledge it bothers me perhaps even more than the fact that they filmed it and expected audiences to be willing to accept the supposed hero committing this act.
I also agree with your response to the person who thought that only House/Cuddy 'shippers hated this particular piece of writing. I never wanted the romance to happen in the first place, and I thought it was out of character for Cuddy especially to ever go there. The way it played out bored me, led to some of the worst writing I've ever seen on the show ("Two Stories" especially made me cringe), and it couldn't end soon enough for my taste.
And yet I deplore this new! Shocking! Twist! because I think it was all for shock value and no care was taken over what it actually means for the characters and for the storyline of the show going forward.
59 -
Cardiac Monitor
Jun 04, 2011 at 6:05 pm
My fellow bloggers' good opinions notwithstanding, I'm just enjoying watching DS implode as he desperately back-peddles and rationalizes the big "kaboom!" Its been more entertaining than the show itself.
Speaking of "kaboom," GY has been uncharacteristically quiet since the fallout hit the fan, hasn't he? Anybody got any 411 on him?
60 -
BrokenLeg
Jun 04, 2011 at 6:18 pm
I've said all I want to say about my thoughts, the characters and the last episode in previuos threads,the one about the meeting with scribs, the other LE departure, etc.. in this same blog, so I do not repeat myself again.
But I really believe TPTB wanted to finish with the famous KA-BOUM or bang( their risky option),and designed to it all the second half of season, the worst part with "After Hours" exception,without evaluating correctly the further consequences.
And now things have gone too far and too much out of their hands.
So they are doing a lot of interviews as lately DS one with EW,attempting to remedy it, ridicously praying fans to stay and remain with faith, follow them, etc..
And choruses in such pathetic way by one of the writers of the season final "Moving On", that fantastic mind that wrote it such way (I think really bad)and let so many loose ends in it, that many viewers saw something very different to what he wrote.
Helped by a Ka-Boum GY direction and very bad editing ( watch the chandelier of Cuddy's house after the crash, at first takes at the floor, late ones on the ceiling...!!)
To me, when someone has to explain so many times his/her job, it only means the job was not well done,simply that.And the first step to ammend the situation is forget arrogance, and recognize own mistakes.
But frankly, I believe every time DS and Co opens their mouth things get worse.
I think someone, not necessary DS and the gang, but upper network executives, now have take good notice that the way the show ends recently it's not a good one, and that now [H] is in a difficult way to recover,mantain or increase viewers( and with so, are risking their money bussiness)
And the alarm bell finally has sounded!!
DS is the creator of the show, but it's not its owner.A show creator need someone's money to produce it, a show needs an audience, and TV stations make money with shows. No audience, no money, no TV show!!
And thank you Barbara for this blog and the debate you let us. But I must say you that this time I do not agree fully with your point of view. I share all your questions, but not most of your answers.
61 -
Betty
Jun 04, 2011 at 6:19 pm
Barbara brought up a couple of key points for me and they are House feels too much and the writers took a risk in the ending. I can now see where they were trying to go w/ this, but the last few eps all felt like a setup to this shocking ending to help reset the character and the show. It all felt contrived including the POTW's and the dialogue between House and Cuddy/WIlson. I think I'm in the minority and didn't particularly care for "After Hours". What the writers failed to foresee for the finale was the backlash of the crash. Why it didn't seem to occur to them that some viewers would see that as domestic violence is beyond me (the police officer even said "domestic situations"). I just don't think they were thinking of the possible repercussions much like House the character. I keep nodding in agreement w/ many of the comments posted. What then happens after the beach scene? Again I don't think the writers were really thinking about the aftermath when they wrote the script. Plus DS felt the need to explain and backpedal about the crash in interviews which shows to me that they did not expect such a reaction from part of the audience.
What would have worked better for me anyways, is a clear indication that no one was in the house at all, like a shot of Cuddy, Rachel, etc. in the driveway about to get in the car to go out for dinner and House just driving up to see this. The impression I got was that House never intended to do any kind of harm until he heard say Wilson to let it all out or the like and that w/ Cuddy saying the same thing probably kept repeating in his head. And House reacting impetuously. The thing that bothered House the most from what I got out of the scene was not so much Cuddy was seeing another guy but that he felt like an outsider once again, and he wanted to get back at her on a personal level. This character has been known for his loneliness and I think that has contributed to some extent to his misery and misanthropy. But I believe that a person can be alone (i.e. not be in a romantic relationship) and yet not feel lonely. The flip side can also happen whereby a person can be married for thirty years and still feel lonely. Stacy had a similar feeling w/ House and ultimately that drove her away from him. But after "Broken" when he made a connection w/ Alvie, Lydia, et al. House felt he could be in a meaningful relationship w/ Cuddy.
What would be great to see at this point imo is House standing on his own two feet emotionally w/ no enablers and be ok w/ being alone and not feel lonely but feeling content and at peace and still feel that his talent has not been compromised. But as we've seen w/ the writers I don't think they're brave enough to go there. "Broken" is about as brave as they are willing to go. It seems to me that DS and co are being awfully myopic in their vision. It just wouldn't surprise me as some have commented previously that there will be little exploration of the consequences of House's actions in S8. But I will be watching to see what they come up w/.
62 -
nitemar
Jun 04, 2011 at 6:37 pm
So House crashed his car,a 1990's Dodge into his ex's-house, and the car had no dent, and his occupant came out with no bruises...hmm what's wrong with this picture?
63 -
BrokenLeg
Jun 04, 2011 at 6:41 pm
59 @ Cardiac Monitor
You're right!!It's so funny to see him that way. I's new!1 Really entertaining.It seems someone has given him a good "scolding".
I bet you this season he has wages according objectives ( he has renewed contract this season too):-))))
If it serve to redirect things in the good way!!
64 -
BrokenLeg
Jun 04, 2011 at 7:01 pm
62 @ nitemar
That is both,a detail of bad writing and bad directing!!Along with not even foresee people reaction about possible DV, let failures or lapsus in the storytelling that if not existed will let understood better the last 10 minutes (House had no way to know Rachel was not at home, for example; Cuddy was hurted too hours before because the "wall scene", so it's difficult to have fun in a dinner or party after that, etc..)
But it's a god demonstration of HL driving skills!!
65 -
Rollit
Jun 04, 2011 at 7:05 pm
Everyone is just repeating the same opinions over and over and over and over and over and over............zzz
66 -
Jen
Jun 04, 2011 at 7:11 pm
Oh my, it's just a tv show guys and after two weeks you're still here complaing about the same old things! If you don't like it don't watch it anymore, that's what I did when the asinine huddy thing started! For how long are you going to whine about it?
GET A LIFE!
67 -
Jen
Jun 04, 2011 at 7:15 pm
And please Barbara, when you wrote you opinion use "I" not "we" because I don't recognize myself in that "we" you kept using. Thanks
68 -
Meena
Jun 04, 2011 at 7:28 pm
Barbara,
It's been AGES since I've commented on this website - and I hope you're still reading the comments this far down - but I really like your take on the finale this season. The betrayal idea was an angle I definitely didn’t pick up!
The reason I haven't really written anything here (though I read you religiously) is that I haven't felt like there was anything to really ponder or write about, since the ending of Broken, way back at the start of Season 6. Honestly, that scandalized me more than the ending of this season - I thought it a tepid panacea for what was a complicated, interesting, morally-ambiguous start to season 6.
Since then, the direction of House has been all too predictable. I figured out right then that House and Cuddy would be together by the end of the season. I could tell that the Help Me POTW was going to die by the first frame. I found it powerful & beautifully done, but not ponder-able, which is why I'm having a hard time conjuring other episodes from that season in my head (though I could give you a play-by-play of every season’s episodes up until then).
Season 7 was even worse. I felt the House-Cuddy pairing needed to happen (full disclosure: not a ‘shipper’ in any regards whatsoever) but it honestly had no spark. They should have never left the bed that first day, or said a word to each other " that would have been interesting, a silent dance. There was more metaphorical sex in Ugly and Who's Your Daddy than in any of their actual relationship - now, those scenes revved the engines a bit (no pun intended).
But, the ending of season 7, I am thinking over this now, though it wasn't the car crash that got me. It was the tiny smile that House, after returning the hair brush and walking out the front door (and I believe assessing that everyone was physically ok, at the very least), gave to Wilson as he almost strut by.
People do bad things all the time, knowing they are bad. In my past, I've had a parent drive me home from a friend's house on a Friday night, when maybe they'd had one glass of wine too many - and they are wonderful, caring, good parents that I feel blessed to be raised by (a long time ago). I’ve done a few things I’m ashamed of, like anyone, but I am certain no one would describe me as a bad person in the slightest.
But when does this cross the line? At one very foul deed? At ten? Do good and bad deeds cancel each other out? How can one bad moment color everything, and should it? What is the difference between redemption and atonement? Hmm…
I completely get why people won't be watching the show next year, but I am really interested to see where they take this (and please, make next year a solid final year!). If at the very end House turns out to be the Staten Island serial killer, though, to what end? This show is a fable, after all...not just an excuse for nihilistic plunder of a witty, ambiguous, enigmatic and charismatic character.
I will say that I do think the pacing was off on this episode - more an issue of editing than writing. The only thing, though, regarding the writing that would have made me even more incredulous, with a hat-tip, is if he returned her lipstick instead of the brush.
69 -
bigHousefan
Jun 04, 2011 at 7:29 pm
If we get a chance in Season 8 to see House deal with his pain, life, loss, etc without Wilson's nagging and lecturing and Cuddy's hovering and mothering (they genuinely had his best interests at heart, but often did more damage than good) it might finally give us a new perspective and a new chance to learn more about House's past through an unfiltered lens. Son of a Coma Guy is an example of one of those great episodes where as the story unfolded we got a great glimpse at how House views himself, and how he perceives he is viewed by others. Wouldn't that be awesome?
Thanks for stepping in with your comments. Interesting observation about that wan smile. I'll have to take another look.
Jen--I'm in no way presuming to speak for anyone but myself. My use of "we" was in context of what I believed the producers/writers of the show expect us to see. I thought I had made it very clear that I was speaking only for myself -- and perhaps others who saw it the same way I did.
71 -
Blacktop
Jun 04, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Barbara, thank you for the clarity and compassion of your observations. As always, they are clarifying.
These are my questions:
I wonder if the writers, Director Yaitanes, and David Shore actually intended that the ending of the finale would be so ambiguous? Did they hope that a large portion of the audience would believe that House had turned into a violent, destructive threat to the people he loves?
Or did they believe they were presenting a clear depiction of a heroic individual pushed past his limit and snapping violently in a justifiable effort to break free of the damaging emotional clutches of his friends?
It seems to me that Shore and Co. Wanted us to see the latter position only. Their stunned reactions to audience outrage suggests to me that TPTB were expecting us to see it their way. They seem never to have seriously considered the other possible interpretation.
If I am correct, this seems to me to be a terrible indictment of the creative processes in the House writers room. A solid, probing examination of both the script and the edited film might have enabled the show runners to make changes that would have tightened their presentation of the story.
They could have clarified House's mental state as he drove into Cuddy's dining room. They could have sharpened the editing of crucial elements of that scene to indicate clearly that Cuddy and her family had left the house and were not in danger when House plunged through the window.
The fact that they did not take these critical steps to sharpen their message means that either TPTB thought things were clear enough...or they did not care to make us see it their way. In my view this is clumsy storytelling. We should not need repeated and lengthy exposition from Shore and the writers in order to understand the meaning of that final scene.
The lack of foresight is also disturbing in what it suggests awaits us next season. By choosing the most violent possible rupture to House's relationships with Cudfy and Wilson, Shore has closed off many of the most plausible story lines for season eight. What is left is yet another examination of House serving out a debt to society or restlessly confined to rehab again. Given the premise of the show (doctor in hospital solving cases with a team) we are not going to see House away from PPTH for long. Nor will he be separated from his team for more than an episode or two.
Having to spend valuable storytelling time with House facing some kind of harsh repercussions, means that we will lose opportunities to get deeper into the inner workings of House himself. We need to see him honestly confront his physical pain, his drug addiction, his emotional avoidance issues, his trust issues, his parental issues.
I had hoped we would get into this meaty exploration through the device of House's relationship with Cuddy in season 7, but Shore and Co chose to ignore or deflect from these vital questions in favor of more shallow and shocking twists.
Seeing how they handled the opportunities of season seven with a heavy-handed reliance on distasteful ploys designed to shock rather than illuminate does not make me excessively hopeful that this same creative team will delve deeply or sensitively into House's character in the upcoming season.
I hope I am wrong. But I have the sinking feeling that " Kaboom" will once again be the favored motif for season eight.
72 -
Gabby
Jun 04, 2011 at 7:50 pm
@ 61 - Betty:
I second your opinion except for the detail that I love the episode "After Hours".
For me House is not homicidal and not a domestic abuser. I think that he finally snapped was a result of the anger and letdown about the people in his life, which he has gathered through his lifetime until back to his childhood days.
With this action, he wanted to throw Cuddy out of his life so that she will never hurt him and his heart again.
By the way, I have seen the episode the same way the writes did explain in Barbara Barnett’s and David Shore’s interviews, even before I have read them. It only has been a confirmation about my opinion regarding the events in the episode.
Yes, House should face consequences, for what he did. IMO, he needs to go back to some kind of therapy and / or do some social work.
But, please don’t forget that Cuddy has hurt House during the series over and over again, too.
Before the series even started, she respectively her team of doctors ruined his health / leg via malpractice and treated him against his wishes, while he was in a medical induced coma.
In season one, episode Detox, she forced him into cold turkey with a bet. Yes, it has been Wilson’s idea, but Cuddy was the one who accomplished the Mission. And as House’s boss, she should have stopped the action immediately when House has broken his fingers out of pure desperation because of his excruciating pain.
In season two, episode Skin Deep, she tricked him with a placebo and after he comes to her the second time, she didn’t help him at all with his pain.
At the beginning of season three, episodes Meaning and Cane and Able, she lied to him about the treatment regarding his patient and that at a moment, where he has already been in a vulnerable state. Yes, it has been Wilson’s idea again, but Cuddy was the one who accomplished the Mission again. And since she was House’s and Wilson’s boss, she was responsible.
I won’t even start a list about Cuddy’s behaviour during the Vogler and Tritter arc.
She temporary has given his parking space to someone else.
Then she replaced House’s Vicodin with Laxatives and forced a man, who has trouble walking and for whom every single step is a painful task, to go to the men’s room over and over again.
In season five she continued with her pranks, she stole his cane, installed a tripwire, set the elevators out of order and placed a stink bomb in House’s office. And her support regarding the methadone therapy has been non existent at the beginning. She only began to support House as he quits his job at PPTH.
In season six, she broke the doctor patient confidentiality with telling Lucas about House’s Hallucinations and time at Mayfield. After that she sent him on a six hours long thanksgiving goose chase to a wrong address.
In season seven she lied to him several times. The biggest lie has been that she didn’t want him to chance. During his relationship with Cuddy he has done everything to please her and he twisted himself into knots to do so. And instead to be happy about the fact that House has done something against his pain, which didn’t involve narcotics or other pain medication, Cuddy even has the guts to forbid him to go to the massage therapist, who helps him the best with his leg pain. Then she left him after his FIRST relapse, which he has done in order to be there for her.
And then she began to make him false hopes regarding a reconciliation with the letter in “After hours” and later in “Moving on” only to date some else as soon House has said to her, that it was not her fault in the hallway of the PPTH.
Until “Moving On” House has never done something that could harm her physically. He only has attacked her verbally, while Cuddy has attacked him physically many times.
Yes, what House has done in “Moving on” was over the line, but if you put together what Cuddy has done to House over the last seven seasons, then I think that they are almost equal.
@Barbara Barnett: Please continue to review House M.D. in season 8!
73 -
bigHousefan
Jun 04, 2011 at 8:08 pm
Blacktop 71
I always enjoy reading your comments, and I echo the following:
"I had hoped we would get into this meaty exploration through the device of House's relationship with Cuddy in season 7, but Shore and Co chose to ignore or deflect from these vital questions in favor of more shallow and shocking twists."
Its as if they made a point to avoid it! I'll never understand why these very creative and longtime writers of the show took that path. The relationship and planned breakup could have been told and sold in a more plausible way through stories that reflected their long and 'uncommon' friendship. Yep, still bitter...
74 -
2Lightworker
Jun 04, 2011 at 8:24 pm
68-@Meena
"it wasn't the car crash that got me. It was the tiny smile that House, after returning the hair brush and walking out the front door (and I believe assessing that everyone was physically ok, at the very least), gave to Wilson as he almost strut by."
Yes! That's what I referred to in my post on the writers' interview about Hugh's comic brilliance, reminiscent of ABOFAL - just needed Stephen Fry to finish him off.
33-Luc
"This finale pushed the "House has to change" envelope. I wish we could just get off that treadmill after all these years and just start getting to the heart of House. I could write a paper on all the things the writers, DS and GY have said that suggest that won't happen. And with the clear direction of dealing with consequences, we are back on that treadmill, dealing with the results of his actions and not really getting to the root. We can hope that they will in S8, but really? With the consequences to address, then the normal deflection and fight and arrogance that must play out to keep House real, can they get to the root in one season? Won't it be rushed and weak? It honestly should have started in S6 and been a three season unravelling. But those were missed opportunites, IMO...and in the eyes of many critics."
THIS!!
Fewer B-stories and distractions, more focus on House's process. When I rewatched "After Hours" in rerun, I found the other stories annoyingly distracting from what was happening with House, even with the parallels to his process and situation. Hugh will rise to superb performance of whatever the writers give him, but I am not as confident as I would like to be about the content of future scripts. He deserves far better than what's been dished out of late.
75 -
housefriend
Jun 04, 2011 at 8:27 pm
The House Cuddy "relationship" could have beed explored and wrapped up in one or two episodes,The whole tedious beginning of the season drove many viewers away and for the first time I was bored by House.Say anything you want about the finale but it was NOT BORING, DS finally getting the show back on track Last few episodes have been exciting, Despite it all the only real relationship here is House and Wilson,That has always been the love story in the classic sense,But no matter how you view it ,its already been established(by the writers) as the most important relationship House has, At the end of the finale we see Wilson in shock but again ready to help.Cop wants to know where House is and Wilson concerned-"are you going to arrest him?" I believe he purposely steered them wrong A place to match his mood? Wilson knows him better than anyone,He saw House immediately after ! He may not know where he went but its not some hole in the wall bar!! Next season is looking good!!
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments26 - But wait1
Barbara (#25), I have to disagree. I think the quality of writing has gone bad, too. The dialogue has become repetitive and heavyhanded, and themes are too obviously presented, IMO. "Family Practice" had a nice script, though.
27 - Nada
What House did is not out of character, he could explode a mountain (ok with no people on it lol) that it wouldn't shock me, the problem is the way it was filmed, they just made a mistake (ok a big one).
28 - Johnathan
Are you all delusional? The script was written a long time ago and granted, it is possible they could change things here and there but change an entire script would take forever, not to mention the overrun cost of production. I don't think they actually knew LE was leaving until she factually did. The finale clearly states that Cuddy doesn't want House anywhere near the hospital, so they planned on her staying and House going.
29 - Nada
26 - But wait1
Yes I agree, I can rewatch season 1 to 4 again and again, dialogues and medical cases were amazing.
I think writers are not very inspired with romances, all the characters are more interesting alone than with someone.
30 - kitkat
Under the circumstances the story will definitely focus on House come season 8. That's a good thing. No more melodrama with Taub, Foreman, Chase and 13 which I dislike personally haha!
31 - barbara barnett
Jonathan--Me delusional? about what? Of course the script was written a long time ago--long before LE didn't re-up!
32 - Amy
It was a weak story season. House M.D. needs new writers that like the character House.
33 - Luc
The opionions are certainly not universal. The fans are polarized on this finale and there is not right ot wrong. It's just the individual take and how much the viewer is willing to take in rooting for House. You said it right: it was a huge risk for this late in the game when ratings were already dropping. To split the fan base is a risk for the creative team and the network.
The portrayal of Cuddy this season was an interesting choice too, in light of them saying they had every intention for Lisa to return. The fans are polarized on that front as well. She's either a villain or a victim.
I think the writers have been trying to portray House, Wilson and Cuddy as both villain and victim all along. They enable and support, they abuse and encourage. They have always shown House to only allow the emotional abusers and highly dysfunctional into his circle. It's part of the dynamic; the dychotomy of what is politically correct and acceptable vs inappropriate and unethical/immoral. These friends function in dysfunction. Yet, this finale seemed intent on destroying that dynamic.
In the context of what they are saying, maybe House needed that complete break, but that break changes House. DS says S8 will show House is still House, but this break says he can't be, otherwise the act was for nothing. If the motive was to clearly break from that pattern, then something equally destructive is to be expected with Wilson because clearly the normal self-destruction isn't enough. It's uneven writing, and the more it's discussed the more uneven it feels for many.
It's a weird place to be. If TPTB really believe he needs to make a clean break to move on, then it requires equal break from Wilson. To do this changes a fundamental relationships in the show. Having House grow is more about him accepting and the people in his life accepting. It's not really about changing.
This finale pushed the "House has to change" envelope. I wish we could just get off that treadmill after all these years and just start getting to the heart of House. I could write a paper on all the things the writers, DS and GY have said that suggest that won't happen. And with the clear direction of dealing with consequences, we are back on that treadmill, dealing with the results of his actions and not really getting to the root. We can hope that they will in S8, but really? With the consequences to address, then the normal deflection and fight and arrogance that must play out to keep House real, can they get to the root in one season? Won't it be rushed and weak? It honestly should have started in S6 and been a three season unravelling. But those were missed opportunites, IMO...and in the eyes of many critics.
Which leads us back to the point. Many are excited to see how they move on. Many feel they have been left with that promise too many times. To them, this finale was a real chance at moving on, but the last scenes only made the treadmill come clear. They want off.
Risky choice, indeed. I'm sure TPTB, network and the remaining fans hope the risk is worth it. Perhaps the won't lose many viewers. It's hard to say. The polls and forums are only small groups and pockets of the overall viewers, so they cannot be true indicators. However, if they can be looked at as sample groups, they are an indication that the polarization is a concern for the ratings.
TV history will tell...
34 - Nada
28 - Johnathan
"The finale clearly states that Cuddy doesn't want House anywhere near the hospital, so they planned on her staying and House going."
What? when I saw the last scene, it was obvious that her character has nothing to do anymore in this show. I think writers knew already about Lisa E departure since months.
Adios Cuddy! how can they still expect a return as a guest?
35 - rjw
I finally had the chance to watch the finale a second time,and found it excellent! Of course,the ending was shocking and upsetting (as it should be when someone crashes into a house).Watching a second time,it became clear that Cuddy and her guests were moving to the other room.House would have seen that,but there's no way he could know that someone didn't go back in.As the writers said in an interview,House has destroyed his life in his attempts to make a break.I will definitely be tuning in when it comes back to see what does happen.It's obvious that Cuddy will no longer with romantically involved with him (even before Lisa E. left).He is truly in a very dark place...darker than ever.
36 - Johnathan
@ 31 Barbara - I was addressing mostly those who thinks the script was originally written with LE leaving in mind as if to leave the writers an opening to continue next season without her. Sorry for sounding bitter, I'm a huge LE fan!
37 - barbara barnett
Johnathan--I didn't see the "all" at first. I understand!
38 - Celia
On the whole I agree with your comments. I think a controversial Finale was made even a bigger target by the resignation of LE. I too thought House was in total emotional chaos when he got back into the car with Wilson. I felt he ordered Wilson out both to spare himself a lecture, but also because he knew that he was loosing it,and ight harm Wilson. When House sped away from the curb, I thought he was going to go hurlding into traffic. Turning the car around in seething anger made terrible sense. House's self directed violence has been escalating all season and this one one of the two choices in 'next steps'for unresolved issues. He almost took out Wilson, anyone standing in Cuddy's room and himself. Crashing a car into a home usually causes physical carnage. I gave the writers dramatic license to let him walk away from it unscathed. The peaceful beach scene was not cathartic to me , rather deeply, deeply disturbing. At that point, I actually wanted to House admitted to Mayfield again.The way DS & Blake are shrugging the final scene off is ............may I say once again........disturbing.
39 - barbara barnett
Blake said to me that from what we now know, the final scene is real (the beach scene). I'm no so sure it is.
40 - justme
the way I interpret House before he crashed her house was that he saw her moved on and he is still hurting.
to explain it better: when my ex boyfriend and I broke up, he began dating other girls. I was still hurt about the break up . I thought he would grieve too but when I saw him with another girl two weeks later, All I could feel was hurt and thought"did I mean anything to him at all".I can't explain it but he moved on way too fast for me.I wasnt ready for another relationship but he was. I have decided to throw anything to do with him and erased him from my mind too.
I eventually moved on and found a better guy.
41 - Sam
I am graciously willing to forgive any and all ill emotions directed at the creative team IF they will reveal that it was all a publicity stunt including the bad finale and Cuddy will in fact come back for season 8.
42 - El Bicho
"change an entire script would take forever"
Written by someone not it the TV business or a tad delusional himself because a team of writers could actually do it fairly quickly
43 - Artgirl
I did not and do not want to see a main character who commits domestic violence, and it disturbs me deeply to see the show's creators and writers laughing this off as if ramming a car into a woman's home while she and her family are inside it is somehow NOT domestic violence.
Just because something is arguably possible for a character, does not mean that it's a good idea from a storytelling standpoint. This, in my opinion, was a serious blunder. Shore has said that everything we saw was real; that House will face serious consequences; and that the show will remain essentially unchanged.
I don't see how all three of these things can be true. Any two, okay, but not all three. And it angers me that apparently no forethought was given, either about the wisdom of turning your protagonist into someone unrecognizable and unsympathetic to a large part of your audience, or to the corner they've painted themselves into. If the show is indeed to go on without massive disruptions, then either something we saw wasn't real, or there is going to be a ridiculous deus ex machina to keep House out of prison and in practice as a doctor.
Of the two available options, I'm hoping for the one in which Shore lied about the reality of what we saw. They've used it too much, but it's better than seeing House as being pleased with himself after nearly killing Wilson, Cuddy, and anyone who might have been inside that house.
44 - barbara barnett
Artgirl--It doesn't mean bad storytelling necessarily. Having a character do something stunning or terrible can be a classically good storytelling choice. People may hate the writer for doing it, but it doesn't make it bad storytelling.
The fact that House will face serious consequences puts House, by definition, on an altered path. It opens up a lot of creative possibilities for a series in its 8th season.
The fact is, they haven't written one script for Season 8 yet. They've just started talking story arc and dealing with LE's departure. They have some ideas from last season about the aftermath of the crash (the ep was intended to be #19 and not the finale at first). But that's it.
45 - Derfel
40 - justme, but I'm sure you didn't get married with someone and didn't do any horrible things to your ex boyfriend just after you broke up.
46 - Joan
I am still having a lot of trouble with this finale and how they apparently felt the need to go with a shocking ending in the last few minutes over writing some decent eps dealing with the fallout from the breakup. Yes, I liked House and Cuddy together and wanted it explored more and better but like many huddy fans I could have been ok with a breakup if it was handled better.
Shore said they were just trying to get back to the pre-relationship 'normal' but the fact is that they didn't write it to do that. I hated the way Cuddy broke up with him so abruptly after one slip in a moment of extreme stress and worry over her. But she too was very emotional and vulnerable when she did this. If House had ever stopped being an ass for the next several eps or completely avoiding her they might have had one of their good explosive fights, finally had a moment of honesty about the relationship etc. and gotten back to a working relationship with some added undertones. Frankly, House is Cuddy's achilles heel and if he had really done something to show he understood her reservations I think the door would have been open to reconciliation given their long history. Instead Shore insisted that they coould never ever ever get together and so we have those over the top eps with House going from hooker to hooker, playing with ridic toys and disrupting the hospital, hitting Cuddy with nasty cruel barbs whenever he can all culminating with marrying green card girl. See, he's married so they can't get together -- Isn't that moving on pretty damn far? I know, emotionally he's still tied to Cuddy. But Cuddy is still tied to him -- she loves him, feels guilty, hasn't been able to date as she admits to him in the finale. It almost looked like they were going to finally deal with the breakup in the last two eps -- in After Hours Cuddy came in the middle of the night to save him again and House admitted she's the only one he trusts....then the hallway finale scene was beautifully done and again could have paved the way to this 'normalcy' tptb say they want but instead they send him crashing through her house -- no need to parse exactly who stood where or whether someone, including Rachel could have entered the room, it was an act of serious reckless endangerment and malicious mischief to use legal terms. And because he saw her having dinner with some people? Where does he get off feeling betrayed by that after the hookers he shoved in Cuddy's face the day after the breakup?? I just felt it was sloppy writing to have him come undone from that and do such an awful thing to her home after she showed she still cares for him coming to his rescue only a day or so before. I think there were so many other ways they could have shown House' extreme state of mind that would have been less ugly than the way they chose. What would Cuddy have come back to do next year -- supervise his court mandated community service at the clinic in a state of cold or hot war with him til the writers effected some sort of forgiveness? It is a very odd place to put House in this late in the program. Shore claims he never likes to re-do but this is apparently a total reboot back to season 1 -- I wish I did have a better understanding of the House fandom other than the online groups because to me there are an awful lot of people who are not at all excited to be looking back at that. All the reviews I read were negative about the development (OR LACK THEREOF)in House and loss of Lisa as a real blow to the show, not an improvement. Are there tons of fans out that who want House to be an irredeamable and unchangeable jerk to the last?
47 - justme
of course not! they took a drastic measure. I hated that part and rather if they did it differently
48 - Oversimplified
Thanks for this Barbara. I think you've made a really valid point about Wilson and Cuddy as his enablers actually doing him no good whatsoever. I've discussed this on numerous occasions with friends who are fellow House fans and we've always said that they're a little like overprotective parents. They've sort of killed him, emotionally, with kindness and fed the narcissistic, self-serving part of his personality which makes him believe that there won't be any consequences to his actions. Don't get me wrong what they've done, they've done because they love him almost unconditionally, but that in itself is the problem.
That said I'm still not on board with what happened at the end of the finale. I get what the writers were trying to do, but by focusing on the 'shock factor' they lost sight of the fact that they were closing numerous doors, instead of leaving them open for season 8. (Actually that's the problem with a lot of season 7 for me.) David Shore's explanation and defence of what House did still astounds me to to be perfectly honest. I really think he needs to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and at least try to recognise why that scene angered so many people, because I don't think he does. Even now I don't believe he can see the wood for the trees, so focused is he on his 'vision'. Sure at the end of the day it's his show, but shows need audiences and you can't expect people to continue tuning in if they no longer connect with the protagonist. It's hard to empathise with a psychopath, or at the very least someone exhibiting psychotic behaviour. I just think there were so many other ways they could have made House break away from Wilson and Cuddy, but they did it in such a way that killed the character for so many people. Yes it's 'edgy', but it's also cutting your nose off to spite your face.
At this point I'm really not too optimistic about season 8, especially after reading the EW interview where it was suggested there will be numerous different Deans walking through the doors at PPTH. To me that sounds like House will be back and making their lives a misery leading to umpteen resignations, and I just don't see how they can legitimately hit the reset button at this point, which I honestly think was the whole reasoning behind this particular 'kaboom'. I guess they saw it as a way back to the show's roots when the medicine was at the forefront and the personal relationships were secondary the catalyst being because House has basically blown them to smithereens. GY has been going on about how 'game-changing' the finale is, but I can only see it changing the game for maybe 4-6 episodes because for them to push the ramifications of House's actions to their logical conclusions their lead character would be jobless, friendless and incarcerated for a significant amount of time. I really hope I'm wrong about this.
I'm still in two minds about LE returning at some point for a guest appearance. I'm glad in a way that she took the decision out of their hands because I can't under any circumstances imagine a situation where Cuddy could or should work with him again. It's just a shame that she's going to have to be the one who disappears. I would however like to see Cuddy appear at least one last time before the series end. Maybe in a chance meeting with House where he's forced to face up to what he's done, and there's one final moment of honesty between them before they part ways for good.
49 - Artgirl
"Artgirl--It doesn't mean bad storytelling necessarily."
The degree to which we as viewers couldn't see what we were supposed to somehow magically have seen (i.e. that House wasn't homicidal and that he somehow -- also magically, one presumes -- knew he wouldn't injure or kill anyone), tells me that, yes, it was poor storytelling and not very well thought through.
We've stayed with House through an awful lot of instances of him doing shocking and horrible things, but this, for me, is not at all the same and has left me feeling that any sympathy I have for him makes me sympathetic to a man who would destroy a woman's home and risk killing her and her family, over a breakup.
That isn't the House I knew and I don't think I want to.
Making a character do terrible things is not necessarily the same thing as making that character completely unsympathetic, and in a show that relies upon the audience's continued sympathy for the protagonist, I do consider what was done to House to be a very bad storytelling choice.
50 - Andreina
I just wonder what the writers indtended to happen after the finale? For the time being let's forget whether or not they knew about Lisa's absence on set next Season.
House crashes into her dining room in anger
not caring about the people inside, especially Rachel. Hard to explain next season in so many ways. Any yet... they must have had a vague plan for Season 8, including Cuddy and Wilson.
These are some possibilities they might have had in mind.
* House took too many Vicodin and is found in his apartment unconscious in the beginning of Season 8. This murderous drivng scene merely a part of his drug adled halucinations.
*He lost it and really did drive into her house, with let's face it, possible murderous intent. He ends up in court and pleads temporary insanity because of drug use.
*Season 8 opens with House coming out of surgery to repair the damage he did to his leg. He has dreamt the whole crash scene.
All of the above scenerios leave open the possibility of relationships continuing between House and Wilson and Cuddy. I admit if writers had these ideas in mind they would be cop outs. SO... I just think that the Finale was a mistake in that it puts our Hero in a not too explainable corner.
Any way I look at it, the writing did not reach the wonderful levels it has in the past. Oh well it has caused us to think and express our opinions. I just love the show and hope they can find an intelligent solution.
51 - Artgirl
"They have some ideas from last season about the aftermath of the crash (the ep was intended to be #19 and not the finale at first). But that's it."
Which, not to belabor the point, reads to me as: they did not think this through, or not very well.
You still haven't addressed the domestic violence issue, which I know is huge for a lot of fans. The writers have been talking about this in terms of "venting his emotions" and "making a clean break" (looks like the messiest break possible, to me) and dodging the reality of what House did and the fact that anyone who does such a thing belongs in a mental facility or in prison.
52 - justme
I am hoping it is just cuddy dreaming. because she invited a new guy in her house to quickly when they should going out and date to get to know each other. And House was really at the beach during the whole time
53 - BeNotAfraid
I agree with you ArtGirl. There's no way to get around it. House committed domestic violence. I haven't liked House for a long time. I hated Huddy. But there is no way in hell, Cuddy is responsible for House's feelings or what he does with them. I didn't watch S7 because I absolutely hated Huddy. It didn't make sense that a woman who had accomplished that Cuddy had would be in love with a drug addict, who had lost his mind, and regularly made her job a living hell. And she has a child. That didn't compute. Maybe in the fifties that would have worked as good TV but not in the 21st century. I watched the season finale because I wanted to celebrate the fact LE was not returning for S8. But after watching House nearly kill Cuddy, potentially kill baby Rachel, and nearly kill Wilson, I can say unequivocally I hate the character, House. There's only one scenario the writers could come up with that would work for me. It was all in House's head. Otherwise, there's really no place to go except to jail for House, the batterer.
54 - Luc
It's interesting that some say there are new doors opened and others the doors are closed. Polarized again.
New doors: consequences of his actions should result in a complete break, so he would a: start new with new job, new people, etc. (Which wouldn't be House, so can't happen), b: pay for his crimes at home, which means episodes dealing with rebuilding his life, which still doesn't deal with the root of his problem, or c: go somewhere to get help, but would then feel like long-term Mayfield and still takes away from House. Options aren't really a reset, hugh?
Looks like maybe some windows were open for some episodes and maybe interesting, even production-fun scenes, but the door has been closed to House actually growing. The story seems to be headed in circles, House destroys hope, House tries to rebuild, House makes small steps, but fails, House destroys all hope.
It would have been a greater challenge for this character to figure out how to help himself without destroying his life, the safety/ security of the woman he loves and the safety of his best friend. It would have been an open door to have House actually shock everyone (including himself) by declaring something key in his past that is causing this craziness in him and just have him run away after the reveal.
Kaboom! Yeah, it was a choice. Their choice. Now we await the fall-out.
55 - pulguita
I guess I have to be either a non-Huddy or Lisa's hater to love the season finale.
56 - Lucy
#53 BeNotAfraid and ArtGirl
Apparently some people feel it's not domestic violence since it only happened once. In fact, there's some heated responses about this very terminology.
Now, those same people see Cuddy as emotionally abusive throughout S7 and House a victim. I think we could pin point from S1-present how often House was emotionally abusive. In fact, everyone in his circle is emotionally abusive because he needs that to even let anyone in. Here's the thing - emotional abuse can be pushed aside and explained away as the "nature of our relationship" and "who we are," until someone drives a car into your home almost running someone over and endangering several lives. Then you have to rethink. I still find it interesting that the writer's who constantly place dialogue throughout the script to direct the viewer to many ways of thinking, wrote the cop identifying it as domestic violence. Meant to be a thought? And Cuddy said she was always expecting something (always afraid of when the shoe will drop), but this?
House doesn't have a history of it, but the beach scene with him feeling relieved and seemingly without remorse is disturbing. There's always a first time.
On a side note, the police and courts found it to be domestic violence when my father punched the wall, threw things across the room, shattered glassesn through knives and generally destroyed our home in a fit of emotional rage, a response to painful situations. Sometimes we didn't dodge the items, sometimes we got lucky. How can driving the car into the home not be in this category?
I'm not saying House is or will become an abuser. I am saying that it is not a ridiculous conclusion for some people to draw. It is open to interpretation, so there's no reason to get angry about that term being used. It was a possible take and the "think tank" of writers and researchers (and even the actors on some level) should have had someone raise their hand and say "wait a minute.". If someone did, and they were ignored or disregarded, then they can obviously do the "I told you so" dance and ask for a raise. Oh, wait, they don't have any money! Oh, well, at least give them an "I knew it" award.
57 - Lucy
#55 pulguita
No, you don't. It's easy to point toward a "ship" as being the reason behind peoples thoughts. The harder path is actually hearing objectively what is said without putting it through a "ship" filter.
:-)People are allowed to like it just because it resonated with them, or held interest for the future, or just because it was interesting. It's not always about ships; in fact, it usually does go deeper whatever way you feel about it.
58 - Artgirl
Hi Lucy.
You said, "I'm not saying House is or will become an abuser. I am saying that it is not a ridiculous conclusion for some people to draw. It is open to interpretation, so there's no reason to get angry about that term being used."
I'm not angry about the term being used; I'm angry that the writers of the show have, in their interviews, tried to pass this incident off as NOT being domestic violence, when by any objective standpoint (such as the ones that applied when it was your own family, and I'm so sorry you had to go through that), that is precisely what it was.
The fact that they don't see it or won't acknowledge it bothers me perhaps even more than the fact that they filmed it and expected audiences to be willing to accept the supposed hero committing this act.
I also agree with your response to the person who thought that only House/Cuddy 'shippers hated this particular piece of writing. I never wanted the romance to happen in the first place, and I thought it was out of character for Cuddy especially to ever go there. The way it played out bored me, led to some of the worst writing I've ever seen on the show ("Two Stories" especially made me cringe), and it couldn't end soon enough for my taste.
And yet I deplore this new! Shocking! Twist! because I think it was all for shock value and no care was taken over what it actually means for the characters and for the storyline of the show going forward.
59 - Cardiac Monitor
My fellow bloggers' good opinions notwithstanding, I'm just enjoying watching DS implode as he desperately back-peddles and rationalizes the big "kaboom!" Its been more entertaining than the show itself.
Speaking of "kaboom," GY has been uncharacteristically quiet since the fallout hit the fan, hasn't he? Anybody got any 411 on him?
60 - BrokenLeg
I've said all I want to say about my thoughts, the characters and the last episode in previuos threads,the one about the meeting with scribs, the other LE departure, etc.. in this same blog, so I do not repeat myself again.
But I really believe TPTB wanted to finish with the famous KA-BOUM or bang( their risky option),and designed to it all the second half of season, the worst part with "After Hours" exception,without evaluating correctly the further consequences.
And now things have gone too far and too much out of their hands.
So they are doing a lot of interviews as lately DS one with EW,attempting to remedy it, ridicously praying fans to stay and remain with faith, follow them, etc..
And choruses in such pathetic way by one of the writers of the season final "Moving On", that fantastic mind that wrote it such way (I think really bad)and let so many loose ends in it, that many viewers saw something very different to what he wrote.
Helped by a Ka-Boum GY direction and very bad editing ( watch the chandelier of Cuddy's house after the crash, at first takes at the floor, late ones on the ceiling...!!)
To me, when someone has to explain so many times his/her job, it only means the job was not well done,simply that.And the first step to ammend the situation is forget arrogance, and recognize own mistakes.
But frankly, I believe every time DS and Co opens their mouth things get worse.
I think someone, not necessary DS and the gang, but upper network executives, now have take good notice that the way the show ends recently it's not a good one, and that now [H] is in a difficult way to recover,mantain or increase viewers( and with so, are risking their money bussiness)
And the alarm bell finally has sounded!!
DS is the creator of the show, but it's not its owner.A show creator need someone's money to produce it, a show needs an audience, and TV stations make money with shows. No audience, no money, no TV show!!
And thank you Barbara for this blog and the debate you let us. But I must say you that this time I do not agree fully with your point of view. I share all your questions, but not most of your answers.
61 - Betty
Barbara brought up a couple of key points for me and they are House feels too much and the writers took a risk in the ending. I can now see where they were trying to go w/ this, but the last few eps all felt like a setup to this shocking ending to help reset the character and the show. It all felt contrived including the POTW's and the dialogue between House and Cuddy/WIlson. I think I'm in the minority and didn't particularly care for "After Hours". What the writers failed to foresee for the finale was the backlash of the crash. Why it didn't seem to occur to them that some viewers would see that as domestic violence is beyond me (the police officer even said "domestic situations"). I just don't think they were thinking of the possible repercussions much like House the character. I keep nodding in agreement w/ many of the comments posted. What then happens after the beach scene? Again I don't think the writers were really thinking about the aftermath when they wrote the script. Plus DS felt the need to explain and backpedal about the crash in interviews which shows to me that they did not expect such a reaction from part of the audience.
What would have worked better for me anyways, is a clear indication that no one was in the house at all, like a shot of Cuddy, Rachel, etc. in the driveway about to get in the car to go out for dinner and House just driving up to see this. The impression I got was that House never intended to do any kind of harm until he heard say Wilson to let it all out or the like and that w/ Cuddy saying the same thing probably kept repeating in his head. And House reacting impetuously. The thing that bothered House the most from what I got out of the scene was not so much Cuddy was seeing another guy but that he felt like an outsider once again, and he wanted to get back at her on a personal level. This character has been known for his loneliness and I think that has contributed to some extent to his misery and misanthropy. But I believe that a person can be alone (i.e. not be in a romantic relationship) and yet not feel lonely. The flip side can also happen whereby a person can be married for thirty years and still feel lonely. Stacy had a similar feeling w/ House and ultimately that drove her away from him. But after "Broken" when he made a connection w/ Alvie, Lydia, et al. House felt he could be in a meaningful relationship w/ Cuddy.
What would be great to see at this point imo is House standing on his own two feet emotionally w/ no enablers and be ok w/ being alone and not feel lonely but feeling content and at peace and still feel that his talent has not been compromised. But as we've seen w/ the writers I don't think they're brave enough to go there. "Broken" is about as brave as they are willing to go. It seems to me that DS and co are being awfully myopic in their vision. It just wouldn't surprise me as some have commented previously that there will be little exploration of the consequences of House's actions in S8. But I will be watching to see what they come up w/.
62 - nitemar
So House crashed his car,a 1990's Dodge into his ex's-house, and the car had no dent, and his occupant came out with no bruises...hmm what's wrong with this picture?
63 - BrokenLeg
59 @ Cardiac Monitor
You're right!!It's so funny to see him that way. I's new!1 Really entertaining.It seems someone has given him a good "scolding".
I bet you this season he has wages according objectives ( he has renewed contract this season too):-))))
If it serve to redirect things in the good way!!
64 - BrokenLeg
62 @ nitemar
That is both,a detail of bad writing and bad directing!!Along with not even foresee people reaction about possible DV, let failures or lapsus in the storytelling that if not existed will let understood better the last 10 minutes (House had no way to know Rachel was not at home, for example; Cuddy was hurted too hours before because the "wall scene", so it's difficult to have fun in a dinner or party after that, etc..)
But it's a god demonstration of HL driving skills!!
65 - Rollit
Everyone is just repeating the same opinions over and over and over and over and over and over............zzz
66 - Jen
Oh my, it's just a tv show guys and after two weeks you're still here complaing about the same old things! If you don't like it don't watch it anymore, that's what I did when the asinine huddy thing started! For how long are you going to whine about it?
GET A LIFE!
67 - Jen
And please Barbara, when you wrote you opinion use "I" not "we" because I don't recognize myself in that "we" you kept using. Thanks
68 - Meena
Barbara,
It's been AGES since I've commented on this website - and I hope you're still reading the comments this far down - but I really like your take on the finale this season. The betrayal idea was an angle I definitely didn’t pick up!
The reason I haven't really written anything here (though I read you religiously) is that I haven't felt like there was anything to really ponder or write about, since the ending of Broken, way back at the start of Season 6. Honestly, that scandalized me more than the ending of this season - I thought it a tepid panacea for what was a complicated, interesting, morally-ambiguous start to season 6.
Since then, the direction of House has been all too predictable. I figured out right then that House and Cuddy would be together by the end of the season. I could tell that the Help Me POTW was going to die by the first frame. I found it powerful & beautifully done, but not ponder-able, which is why I'm having a hard time conjuring other episodes from that season in my head (though I could give you a play-by-play of every season’s episodes up until then).
Season 7 was even worse. I felt the House-Cuddy pairing needed to happen (full disclosure: not a ‘shipper’ in any regards whatsoever) but it honestly had no spark. They should have never left the bed that first day, or said a word to each other " that would have been interesting, a silent dance. There was more metaphorical sex in Ugly and Who's Your Daddy than in any of their actual relationship - now, those scenes revved the engines a bit (no pun intended).
But, the ending of season 7, I am thinking over this now, though it wasn't the car crash that got me. It was the tiny smile that House, after returning the hair brush and walking out the front door (and I believe assessing that everyone was physically ok, at the very least), gave to Wilson as he almost strut by.
People do bad things all the time, knowing they are bad. In my past, I've had a parent drive me home from a friend's house on a Friday night, when maybe they'd had one glass of wine too many - and they are wonderful, caring, good parents that I feel blessed to be raised by (a long time ago). I’ve done a few things I’m ashamed of, like anyone, but I am certain no one would describe me as a bad person in the slightest.
But when does this cross the line? At one very foul deed? At ten? Do good and bad deeds cancel each other out? How can one bad moment color everything, and should it? What is the difference between redemption and atonement? Hmm…
I completely get why people won't be watching the show next year, but I am really interested to see where they take this (and please, make next year a solid final year!). If at the very end House turns out to be the Staten Island serial killer, though, to what end? This show is a fable, after all...not just an excuse for nihilistic plunder of a witty, ambiguous, enigmatic and charismatic character.
I will say that I do think the pacing was off on this episode - more an issue of editing than writing. The only thing, though, regarding the writing that would have made me even more incredulous, with a hat-tip, is if he returned her lipstick instead of the brush.
69 - bigHousefan
If we get a chance in Season 8 to see House deal with his pain, life, loss, etc without Wilson's nagging and lecturing and Cuddy's hovering and mothering (they genuinely had his best interests at heart, but often did more damage than good) it might finally give us a new perspective and a new chance to learn more about House's past through an unfiltered lens. Son of a Coma Guy is an example of one of those great episodes where as the story unfolded we got a great glimpse at how House views himself, and how he perceives he is viewed by others. Wouldn't that be awesome?
70 - barbara barnett
Meena!!! So good to hear from you again!
Thanks for stepping in with your comments. Interesting observation about that wan smile. I'll have to take another look.
Jen--I'm in no way presuming to speak for anyone but myself. My use of "we" was in context of what I believed the producers/writers of the show expect us to see. I thought I had made it very clear that I was speaking only for myself -- and perhaps others who saw it the same way I did.
71 - Blacktop
Barbara, thank you for the clarity and compassion of your observations. As always, they are clarifying.
These are my questions:
I wonder if the writers, Director Yaitanes, and David Shore actually intended that the ending of the finale would be so ambiguous? Did they hope that a large portion of the audience would believe that House had turned into a violent, destructive threat to the people he loves?
Or did they believe they were presenting a clear depiction of a heroic individual pushed past his limit and snapping violently in a justifiable effort to break free of the damaging emotional clutches of his friends?
It seems to me that Shore and Co. Wanted us to see the latter position only. Their stunned reactions to audience outrage suggests to me that TPTB were expecting us to see it their way. They seem never to have seriously considered the other possible interpretation.
If I am correct, this seems to me to be a terrible indictment of the creative processes in the House writers room. A solid, probing examination of both the script and the edited film might have enabled the show runners to make changes that would have tightened their presentation of the story.
They could have clarified House's mental state as he drove into Cuddy's dining room. They could have sharpened the editing of crucial elements of that scene to indicate clearly that Cuddy and her family had left the house and were not in danger when House plunged through the window.
The fact that they did not take these critical steps to sharpen their message means that either TPTB thought things were clear enough...or they did not care to make us see it their way. In my view this is clumsy storytelling. We should not need repeated and lengthy exposition from Shore and the writers in order to understand the meaning of that final scene.
The lack of foresight is also disturbing in what it suggests awaits us next season. By choosing the most violent possible rupture to House's relationships with Cudfy and Wilson, Shore has closed off many of the most plausible story lines for season eight. What is left is yet another examination of House serving out a debt to society or restlessly confined to rehab again. Given the premise of the show (doctor in hospital solving cases with a team) we are not going to see House away from PPTH for long. Nor will he be separated from his team for more than an episode or two.
Having to spend valuable storytelling time with House facing some kind of harsh repercussions, means that we will lose opportunities to get deeper into the inner workings of House himself. We need to see him honestly confront his physical pain, his drug addiction, his emotional avoidance issues, his trust issues, his parental issues.
I had hoped we would get into this meaty exploration through the device of House's relationship with Cuddy in season 7, but Shore and Co chose to ignore or deflect from these vital questions in favor of more shallow and shocking twists.
Seeing how they handled the opportunities of season seven with a heavy-handed reliance on distasteful ploys designed to shock rather than illuminate does not make me excessively hopeful that this same creative team will delve deeply or sensitively into House's character in the upcoming season.
I hope I am wrong. But I have the sinking feeling that " Kaboom" will once again be the favored motif for season eight.
72 - Gabby
@ 61 - Betty:
I second your opinion except for the detail that I love the episode "After Hours".
For me House is not homicidal and not a domestic abuser. I think that he finally snapped was a result of the anger and letdown about the people in his life, which he has gathered through his lifetime until back to his childhood days.
With this action, he wanted to throw Cuddy out of his life so that she will never hurt him and his heart again.
By the way, I have seen the episode the same way the writes did explain in Barbara Barnett’s and David Shore’s interviews, even before I have read them. It only has been a confirmation about my opinion regarding the events in the episode.
Yes, House should face consequences, for what he did. IMO, he needs to go back to some kind of therapy and / or do some social work.
But, please don’t forget that Cuddy has hurt House during the series over and over again, too.
Before the series even started, she respectively her team of doctors ruined his health / leg via malpractice and treated him against his wishes, while he was in a medical induced coma.
In season one, episode Detox, she forced him into cold turkey with a bet. Yes, it has been Wilson’s idea, but Cuddy was the one who accomplished the Mission. And as House’s boss, she should have stopped the action immediately when House has broken his fingers out of pure desperation because of his excruciating pain.
In season two, episode Skin Deep, she tricked him with a placebo and after he comes to her the second time, she didn’t help him at all with his pain.
At the beginning of season three, episodes Meaning and Cane and Able, she lied to him about the treatment regarding his patient and that at a moment, where he has already been in a vulnerable state. Yes, it has been Wilson’s idea again, but Cuddy was the one who accomplished the Mission again. And since she was House’s and Wilson’s boss, she was responsible.
I won’t even start a list about Cuddy’s behaviour during the Vogler and Tritter arc.
She temporary has given his parking space to someone else.
Then she replaced House’s Vicodin with Laxatives and forced a man, who has trouble walking and for whom every single step is a painful task, to go to the men’s room over and over again.
In season five she continued with her pranks, she stole his cane, installed a tripwire, set the elevators out of order and placed a stink bomb in House’s office. And her support regarding the methadone therapy has been non existent at the beginning. She only began to support House as he quits his job at PPTH.
In season six, she broke the doctor patient confidentiality with telling Lucas about House’s Hallucinations and time at Mayfield. After that she sent him on a six hours long thanksgiving goose chase to a wrong address.
In season seven she lied to him several times. The biggest lie has been that she didn’t want him to chance. During his relationship with Cuddy he has done everything to please her and he twisted himself into knots to do so. And instead to be happy about the fact that House has done something against his pain, which didn’t involve narcotics or other pain medication, Cuddy even has the guts to forbid him to go to the massage therapist, who helps him the best with his leg pain. Then she left him after his FIRST relapse, which he has done in order to be there for her.
And then she began to make him false hopes regarding a reconciliation with the letter in “After hours” and later in “Moving on” only to date some else as soon House has said to her, that it was not her fault in the hallway of the PPTH.
Until “Moving On” House has never done something that could harm her physically. He only has attacked her verbally, while Cuddy has attacked him physically many times.
Yes, what House has done in “Moving on” was over the line, but if you put together what Cuddy has done to House over the last seven seasons, then I think that they are almost equal.
@Barbara Barnett: Please continue to review House M.D. in season 8!
73 - bigHousefan
Blacktop 71
I always enjoy reading your comments, and I echo the following:
"I had hoped we would get into this meaty exploration through the device of House's relationship with Cuddy in season 7, but Shore and Co chose to ignore or deflect from these vital questions in favor of more shallow and shocking twists."
Its as if they made a point to avoid it! I'll never understand why these very creative and longtime writers of the show took that path. The relationship and planned breakup could have been told and sold in a more plausible way through stories that reflected their long and 'uncommon' friendship. Yep, still bitter...
74 - 2Lightworker
68-@Meena
"it wasn't the car crash that got me. It was the tiny smile that House, after returning the hair brush and walking out the front door (and I believe assessing that everyone was physically ok, at the very least), gave to Wilson as he almost strut by."
Yes! That's what I referred to in my post on the writers' interview about Hugh's comic brilliance, reminiscent of ABOFAL - just needed Stephen Fry to finish him off.
33-Luc
"This finale pushed the "House has to change" envelope. I wish we could just get off that treadmill after all these years and just start getting to the heart of House. I could write a paper on all the things the writers, DS and GY have said that suggest that won't happen. And with the clear direction of dealing with consequences, we are back on that treadmill, dealing with the results of his actions and not really getting to the root. We can hope that they will in S8, but really? With the consequences to address, then the normal deflection and fight and arrogance that must play out to keep House real, can they get to the root in one season? Won't it be rushed and weak? It honestly should have started in S6 and been a three season unravelling. But those were missed opportunites, IMO...and in the eyes of many critics."
THIS!!
Fewer B-stories and distractions, more focus on House's process. When I rewatched "After Hours" in rerun, I found the other stories annoyingly distracting from what was happening with House, even with the parallels to his process and situation. Hugh will rise to superb performance of whatever the writers give him, but I am not as confident as I would like to be about the content of future scripts. He deserves far better than what's been dished out of late.
75 - housefriend
The House Cuddy "relationship" could have beed explored and wrapped up in one or two episodes,The whole tedious beginning of the season drove many viewers away and for the first time I was bored by House.Say anything you want about the finale but it was NOT BORING, DS finally getting the show back on track Last few episodes have been exciting, Despite it all the only real relationship here is House and Wilson,That has always been the love story in the classic sense,But no matter how you view it ,its already been established(by the writers) as the most important relationship House has, At the end of the finale we see Wilson in shock but again ready to help.Cop wants to know where House is and Wilson concerned-"are you going to arrest him?" I believe he purposely steered them wrong A place to match his mood? Wilson knows him better than anyone,He saw House immediately after ! He may not know where he went but its not some hole in the wall bar!! Next season is looking good!!