Act II—Les Miserables. As Act II unfolds, things spiral completely out of House’s control. He offends the wrong patient, a vindictive detective who sees House’s relationship with vicodin as a menace to society. House has found his own personal Javert. He sees Detective Michael Tritter (played by David Morse) simply as a bully. If you ignore a bully, House postulates, he will go away to harass an easier score. House’s refusal to deal with Tritter as a serious threat digs him into even deeper trouble, sweeping everyone around him into the maelstrom. But through this personal nightmare, House still endeavors to come to terms with the role of “meaning” in his life and in others’.
The episodes “Son of Coma Guy” and “Merry Little Christmas” are specific examples of House’s continued journey. In “Son of Coma Guy,” House helps a man (played by John Laroquette) make sense of his own tragedy by enabling the man to make the ultimate sacrifice. It's a poignant moment, driven not by ego or the solving a diagnostic riddle, but by respect for one person’s desire to make his death meaningful. House, who is often accused of not caring for anyone but himself and having no interest in a patient beyond solving a diagnostic puzzle, risks his career and his freedom by assisting the man’s suicide at a time when, had Detective Tritter found out, it would have ramped up House’s legal difficulties exponentially.
The second act of Season 3 also explores the value House places on being “normal,” picking up on a thread from “Lines in the Sand.” House decries being “inside the circle” and the “circle queens,” who endeavor to re-mold anyone “outside the circle” (as House sees himself) to fit inside it. House appears to revel in his uniqueness, his outsider status a badge of honor. In “Son of Coma Guy,” he romanticizes a Japanese Buraku (outcast) physician he knew as a kid living in Japan as his role model for becoming a doctor himself.
“Merry Little Christmas” is the first of several episodes where House helps give another outsider—another “freak” like him—the chance of a normal life. And it becomes clearer and clearer that this is something House seeks for himself. This theme echoes the Season 2 finale, “No Reason,” in which House ultimately decides to risk his genius for a “normal” life. The encounter with Tritter (and the nearly tragic events of “Merry Little Christmas”) lead to House’s voluntary stay in a drug rehab program. But we are led to assume, by House’s own words, that neither rehab nor his brush with the law have any effect on the good doctor.
Article comments
1 - Blech
Love the show, the acting the DVDs and the CD, but what has happened to the usual blogcritic? This article is all over the place. I cannot figure what she is trying to say. Please go back to the old format.
2 - marie
I thought this review was terrific ,its exactly the way I saw it unfold as the season progressed , I picked up from the original veiwing ...week to week ... all of what you saw and more, I particularly agree with the last paragraph about Hughs acting ,.... the whole House personna is believable because of Hughs incredible portayal week after week ....great review , thankyou.
3 - BoffleB.
As ever, Barbara, I like your ideas and most thoroughly agree with your assessment of the extraordinary Mr. Laurie. It is a devastating, meticulous and moving portrayal every time and in every scene. Someone once said to me, how are we supposed to believe House can juggle, deliver medical jargon in a foreign accent, interact with the rest of the cast and convincingly diagnose a patient? Well, you just saw Hugh Laurie do all of that: guess both actor and character are geniuses at their craft!
Just one thought, though: I do wonder if you should spoiler alert the beginning of your article for anyone who might not have seen some part of season three?
Congrats on your new gig!
4 - Barbara Barnett
Hi Boffle,
I'm glad you found me over here. And thanks for the suggestion about placing a spoiler warning.
5 - hl_lover
Sasmom,
You have accurately captured in your review the meticulous planning that must go into each season of 'House' by its writers and executive producers.
As most House fans know, David Shore, creator and executive producer, once compared the journey of understanding the complex psyche of Gregory House to the peeling of an onion, each layer slowly removed (and occasionally bringing one to tears in the process!) to reveal a bit more about this most fascinating of TV characters.
Each mini-arc within each season gives us a bit more to ponder, another piece of the puzzle, and you have described these mini-arcs and puzzle pieces brilliantly!
6 - Nancy
Very good review.
HATED the Tritter arc....HATED.
LOVE Hugh Laurie.
He is AMAZING!!
Enjoying season 4 very much so far.
I like the older guy who really isn't a dr.
I wish they would keep him.
7 - NLP
I'm surprised your somewhat-comprehensive review of House's life & growth throughout the 3rd season mentions all his interactions with various women -- except for Cameron. Her interactions with him have affected his life changes too. And leaving all else aside, that kiss said a lot.
8 - Barbara Barnett
There was so much going on in that episode (Half-Wit)that I thought it all pretty much eclipsed Cameron's kiss (and House's return of said kiss.) I took that kiss as Cameron trying to distract House in order to get the blood. House, wary at first of even returning the kiss, gave in (I think he would have done the same thing had it been Cuddy or any other female, for what it's worth,) only to have his wariness proven correct. Cameron says to House "you kissed back." But I don't think that the kiss was any more than returning the kiss of an attractive female to whom he was physically attracted. But, as pretty much everything in House, it's open to interpretation.
Barbara
9 - NLP
I'm surprised your somewhat-comprehensive review of House's life & growth throughout the 3rd season mentions all his interactions with various women -- except for Cameron. Her interactions with him have affected his life changes too. And leaving all else aside, that kiss said a lot
10 - denise
sasmom, wonderful review as are all your comments.
my Hugh love knows no bounds. this man is an outstanding talent!!!!!! and the joy of watching him work (or play musical instruments) is heaven for me!
11 - Barbara Barnett
Denise--Thanks. I am really looking forward to seeing where the season and the character are headed. I feel that we are in a bit of a transitional period right now for all of the characters. You will get no argument from me regarding the amazing Mr. Laurie!
barbara
12 - Mary
Thanks for this insightful analysis of the various arcs of the third season. As somebody else's comment noted, the writers on "House M.D." must put an incredible amount of thought into planning the way in which we are learning, episode by episode, about the layers of this unforgettable and oddly admirable character.
But what we learn of him is not just in the renowned witty dialogue, but in silent moments when we can observe House reacting with his eyes and body language to what he has just experienced. For example, after That Kiss in "Half-Wit," there's a shot of him in his office where he touches his lips with his fingers, as if he were trying to analyze what he had just experienced there. In "Fetal Position," after the fetal hand-to-House's-finger contact, when he goes home on "vacation," we see him once again brushing his fingertips together in a contemplative way.
I don't know if these silent meaningful moments came from the script, the direction provided, or just come from Mr. Laurie's actor's instincts, but they are part of what makes "House M.D." a must-watch program for me. By must-watch I mean I actually watch every single moment of it, looking for those silent clues to House's character. Having Season Three on DVD means that I get to enjoy them over again.
13 - nickel
I just re-watched Family and realized that Foreman is EXACTLY what he thinks that House is. (Thinks is the important term here). However Foreman's narrow-minded judgment makes him a miserable person. Foreman refuses to learn anything from his mistakes, doesn't gather information for later use, doesn't put his patient above himself or allow the possibility that anyone else could be right. Foreman wants so much to be a "World Famous Diagnostician", but unfortunately he is either too stupid or too cowardly to recognized his own reality. He wants House's fame, but doesn't have the medical chops to pull it off. He would probably be a good Neurologist, but he will NEVER be even a mediocre Diagnostician. This episode also makes me realize that Wilson is a terrible patient advocate, as he also puts his own feelings ahead of the patient's. If I needed to make a life or death decision I would certainly hope that my Doctor has the BALLS to tell me which decision I should make, since he/she went to medical school and all.......
14 - nickel
I also have one more question...since when did revealing someone else's medical information (Half-Wit) or dosing someone with anti-depressants (without their knowledge) become ethical behavior?
15 - Barbara Barnett
I agree, Nickel, that Wilson has not always been House's best ally, but House clearly loves him (platonically, IMHO) and seems always to forgive him. I think some of that has to do with H's self-esteem, but part of is that in some ways, Wilson does understand and accept him--although not in all ways.