Spoiler alert: Those who haven’t seen the April 6 episode may wish to skip this article.
The April 6 episode, “Simple Explanation,” represents everything that’s wrong with House this season: unfocused plots, unbelievable storylines, no character development, inconsistency, and now, plot twists strictly for shock value.
It’s official: House M.D. has jumped the shark.
In the first few minutes of “Simple Explanation,” Thirteen and Foreman discover Kutner’s body; apparently he shot himself in the head. The scene of Thirteen and Foreman sitting in Kutner’s blood, obviously in shock, features good acting by Olivia Wilde and Omar Epps. For the rest of the program, House (Hugh Laurie) approaches the event as a detective solving a puzzle; he arrives at the conclusion that Kutner was murdered. But try as he might, he cannot find any evidence to support his theory. Meanwhile, Taub, Thirteen, Foreman, Cuddy, and Wilson cope with the tragedy in various ways (as usual, Cameron and Chase make very brief appearances) while attempting to treat a dying patient and his wife. Essentially Taub, with some help from House, takes over the case, as Foreman and Thirteen seem too distraught to focus on anything else.
First, let’s focus on Kutner’s apparent suicide. No reason is given for the tragedy, and previous episodes leave few clues as to his depression. The act seems to come from out of the blue. True, not all suicides are easily explained, and signs aren’t easily detected — just ask the families of any suicide victims. But Kutner’s death, while sad, comes off as a tool for shock value. Why? Kal Penn was never given much to do, and we saw little of Kutner’s personal life. We knew that he had foster parents and lived alone, but otherwise he simply showed goofy charm and, like House, a willingness to take risks. Peter Jacobson (Taub) and Penn also had chemistry; they appeared as a comedic duo. Otherwise the writers relegated Penn to the background, wasting the opportunity to fully exploit his talent. Since viewers were never allowed substantial glimpses into his private life (unlike Thirteen or Taub), we could not become emotionally invested in the character. Therefore his suicide makes little sense.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - bob
Totally agree. This season is all over the map without a guide. Dr. House is doing his best to send me over to the Clinic.
2 - ABC
I agree for the majority of this season. You know what would have been truly delicious for this season? As much as I love Thirteen, killing her off because of Foreman switching her clinical testing placebo for the real thing would've been a BEAUTIFUL story twist. It probably would've put Foreman in jail (I love him, but like I said it would've been a beautiful story twist), and thereby reduced the cast by 2. Then when Kal Penn decided to go to the white house, it would've reduced it even more! But then we would just have a total cast of a bunch of white people, so that'd be kind of boring racially-wise.
3 - Kaleo
Actually, Mouse (as I took to calling it last year) jumped the shark a long time ago--in the episode where a boy was his own twin or some such.
The show started off well but after a while they probably got tired of the same set up and resolution--mysterious symptoms followed by multiple misdiagnoses ending with House's briliant summation. So, they started making the symptoms more odd and adding filler--House's addiction, What'shisname's wanting to quit, somebody's something.
I gave up on this show a long time ago. Sad to see the brilliant Hugh Laurie wasted like this. He will probably pull a James Caan after this season.
Sadly, my wife still watches this "bleep."
4 - Victor Plenty
No, House has not jumped the shark. If you think it has, I feel sorry for you. You are missing out.
The clinic case this week, with the child beauty pageant contestant, fit perfectly with the episode's theme. Just like Kutner's hidden misery and House's visible misery, that young girl's situation arose from parental expectations playing out in ways that fail to meet the child's real needs.
Some parents are abusive, like House's father; some well-meaning, like Kutner's adoptive parents; many fall somewhere in between, like the child pageant contestant's mother. Any of these can fail to perceive their child's deepest needs. The resulting pain always has real consequences.
The "patient of the week" case in this episode fits into the same theme of unfulfilled expectations. We fail to support the deepest needs of the people we love most, and an intertwining of love and guilt arises from that.
For any viewer who failed to see these connections, I am truly sorry for you -- not as a veiled insult, but in the sincerest sense of the words. Watching these themes unfold was a transformative emotional experience for me, and one I wish you could have shared.
5 - Bebe
No, it has not jumped the shark. Read Barbara's review it was a well written response to this episode.
6 - wackjob
I would just like to make one correction: the child beauty pageant clinic scene opened the episode after the teaser, so it was well into the beginning, before the discovery of Kutner's suicide. I think it was excellent timing, to have some broad comedy before the rest of the very heavy drama.
7 - Jenn
There's jumping the shark in terms of impossible medical cases, which the show has hovered on for a while, and jumping the shark in terms of bad story telling. This was the latter.
Somewhere in the middle of season 3, Shore lost the art of storytelling and of integrating the character of House into the whole cast. If he had to move the old fellows on (and I wish Foreman had been dropped too), he should have replaced a complex set of characters with another equally complex set. Instead, he reproduced House in both Foreman and Thirteen and gave Taub also a cynical, suspicious attitude. Kutner was the only one of the team to be at all enthusiastic about his job, the only one who seems to appreciate working for House. Then Shore spent the season on House/Cuddy (which is no longer entertaining in its dysfunction) and Thirteen/Foreman instead of using his whole cast or the clinic patients.
With Kutner gone, the team is stale, flat and uninteresting. The most entertaining cast members last night were Wilson and Cameron. Shore needs to finish the Huddy storyline, concentrate more on the House/Wilson relationship, send Thirteen and Foreman off somewhere and bring back Cameron and Chase to work with Taub.
He also needs to finally hold House accountable for his actions for more than two episodes before sweeping it under the carpet again.
8 - Jim
There's actually a spot in the Obama administration that Kal Penn is leaving to fill.
9 - Kit O'Toole
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, everyone. After my article was published, the news came out about why Kal Penn left the show. I wish him all the best in his new career!
Of course, you can also read my esteemed colleague Barbara Barnett's response to "Simple Explanation" and another review.
10 - Jim Ryan
Two points to keep in mind which may or may not let you sleep better at night:
* So far, the producers have resisted the obviois gimmick of having Rowan Atkinson play a patient; once that happens, then HOUSE is officially chum, which means that before this painful moment occurs the debate can rage on
* Hey, it beats the crud out of how they ended the American version of LIFE ON MARS...
11 - ross
House is not a show for those seeking instant gratification. The fallout from the suicide is the storyline, not the suicide itself. If you don't, or can't, understand that then do real fans a favor and concentrate on your music reviews. Those are actually on target. I agree, there are too many characters. But, the show is called "House" not "The Cam & Chase Hour".
12 - Jair
I couldn't disagree more with this review, starting with my investment in Kutner. I loved his character, so the writers and Kal Penn were doing something very right in the way he was developed. He was my favourite duckie tied with Chase, another character who had a slow burn development that led to a rich characterization. I was extremely moved by his suicide, so much so that hearing Kal Penn wanted out and the writers had to accomodate that helped me come to terms with his loss.
I also think that given suicides in real life do not always happen with clear pointers telling the loved ones why, it's fine for the writers to use this scenario to explore how everyone at PPTH will process this blow, especially House. This is another take on House's need to pin down answers and what happens when he can't. We've already seen how he chafes at religion when it intersects with his practice, but in that case, he's not so invested he can't walk away. This time, he is invested--very invested. And yet he's not going to get his answer. I think it will be fascinating watching him try to accept it.
I'm also astonished at citing the cartoony Vogler arc as an example of the type of writing to return to. Kutner not leaving a suicide note and not letting anyone in on his pain--and he had reasons to have pain, he just appeared to have handled them--pales in comparison to businessman Vogler interfering in the medicine and being able to take over the entire board as if he were a dictator. The exploration of the intersection of big business and ethics was not at all subtley done. Fortunately, the acting was excellent as always, so the show got past that.
13 - Getbusylivin
Does anyone think Taub killed Kutner, based on the previous episode?
14 - Rhywun
I'm an on again, off again House viewer. I haven't seen much this season, and this episode is the first I've seen since the beginning of this season. And I loved it! And I was shocked and a bit sad to see Kutner gone. That said, I thought House's way of dealing with the situation by cranking up his analytical predilection was brilliant and I fully intend to keep watching to see how it turns out.
15 - TV Writer
Obviously, Kumar actually died by overdosing on too many White Castle sliders. I expect a new M.D. to replace him, named "Harold Lee" [actor John Cho]! Otherwise, HOUSE just Jumped The Shark!
Working on a new HOUSE script . . . he wakes up a bit dizzy one morning, interacts with same characters throughout special two hr. episode, though some in different roles, like a black janitor's helper instead of doctor. But medicine thinks House is a nut, a mad scientist, wearing new invention-type sneakers . . . because it's now year 1933 at Princeton-Plainsboro!
16 - Nate
This article just goes to show why Barbara Barnett is a much better writer, and understands complexity in subtle things. House is a show about subtlety, and I'm sick and tired of people saying that it has jumped the shark. All house has done is gotten better and better. Simple Explanation was heartbreaking and real. That is the whole point of it, to make the happy guy the most miserable. Even though there weren't clues to his future, you could tell that he was a guy who didn't know where he belonged. And when I saw his body, I was amazed at how real it was. We never see Kutner's face, or get to say goodbye because that is what it is like in real life. People rarely leave notes. Usually, they take their life for reasons unknown. In my opinion that episode just proves why nothing else on TV can beat it. House is for smart people who like a smart, intricate story. House is for people who want to experience something, and not just watch it.
17 - Debbie
Jumped the shark...just not my type of show anymore..
18 - Robert M. Barga
Penn is now working for Obama, so i am sure the suicide was a quick out for his character
19 - Geishacat`
I for one, found this episode to be one of the better ones this season. The writers had the guts to treat Kutner's suicide in a realistic way. I wish Kal Penn all the best in his new job.
20 - Kit O'Toole
Again, thank you very much for commenting on my article. It's great to have sites such as Blogcritics where we can engage in civilized, reasonable discussion about a particular topic. Obviously this episode polarized viewers, and I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't have an opinion about the show.
Just to clarify a few things:
--The news about Kal Penn's career change came out after my article was published. I wish him all the best in his new job. That does not change how I feel about how the writers handled his departure.
--When I mentioned that I wished the writing would return to Season One's quality, I was not referring to the Vogler storyline. DESPITE that ridiculous arc, the rest of the season had solid, complex storylines.
--I have been a fan of "House" since the first season, which is why I feel so passionate about these unfortunate turns of events. I loved its narratives about morality (mainly that easy resolutions do not exist in the real world) and the difficult decisions doctors make every day. Of course the real reason for the show's popularity is House himself, played so admirably by Hugh Laurie. He, as well as the rest of the cast, deserve better material.
--Yes, I do write about music and technology, but my interests extend to other areas as well. Like you, Barbara Barnett, and other writers on this site, I have opinions about "House" and feel compelled to write about them. Whether you agree with your opinions or not--well, that's what rigorous, reasoned debate is all about.
Finally, I urge you to read two "Chicago Tribune" articles written by TV columnist (and former avid "House" fan) Maureen Ryan, who shares in my opinion.
Thanks for reading and sharing your views.
21 - Krin
Couldn't disagree more. Penn left for a job in the government, so he had to be killed off. This was a good way to do it because it went along with the mystery of the show.
22 - Jair
Maureen Ryan's views are no more compelling than any other fan's. Just a few short months ago she was all for cutting Chase as the most useless character--and she's never liked him for as long as she's been reviewing the show--and she was fine with cutting Cameron as well. She's quite open on the Wilson and House friendship being her only real interest in House. I'm not big on Cameron, but I am on Chase, so I've never had the same views on House as Mo Ryan.
She had two main criticisms of Simple Explanation: not showing build up means it was just a stunt and no one is invested enough in Kutner to care, anyway. To the second point, I give only a snort. He was my favourite team member, and I haven't noticed a lack of affection for this character in net reactions to the episode. Very much the opposite.
To the second point, suicides do not always have clear pointers. That's reality. I've read many many posts from viewers who've dealt with someone close committing suicide and those posts say how realistic this episode was in showing the many emotions you go through when there are no answers, only shock. And you never get the answer. They died with the person. The episode put us in the position of the characters and we went through what they went through. I think that's good television. No easy, schmaltzy storyline with everything wrapped up tidely. These occasions aren't tidy. I give kudos to the House writers for avoiding a simple explanation and going for emotional truth instead. From Hugh Laurie's look of shame when House stands up to leave Kutner's parents to Peter Jacobson's curling up in a ball to cry at the end of the episode, this show had some fantastic moments from each actor. I expect we'll get even more over the rest of the season as the characters continue to grapple with this.
23 - GMF
I have to totally disagree. House has not jumped the shark, (and I have to say i just really hate that saying). Monday nights episode was one of the most powerful episodes I have ever seen of the show, and yes I have watched and loved this show since S1 E1. The show set out to do what it was supposed to do. Have the viewer feel the pain of the characters, in how a sudden and unexplained suicide can affect you. It was raw and emotional! The main person affected is House, he can not come to terms with it just being a suicide, no he would of seen somthing in Kutner before hand, it has to be murder!! House can not deal with this. Now we wait for the fall out, and I belive it will be heart wrentching in every sence of the word. House the show has done nothing but amaze me in its five seasons, there have been episodes I have not liked but then along comes an episode that totally drags you back in. Hugh laurie is nothing but amazing week after week, and I more than expect we will see this acting master amaze us again in the next four episodes as this season draws to a close.
24 - cadeira
Your complaint about the allegedly unfocused and bizarre clinic scene alone shows me that you don´t seem to understand a single thing about the gem that is the storytelling of House, M.D.
This is not meant as an insult of any kind, I just think it´s staggering how so many fans fail to see the subtle nuances the writers employ to tell the miseries of their main characters. And sometimes, yes, there are a lot of jokes (point taken: more of them in past seasons) in it but never EVER have I run across one that was a throw-away line only. Always, just as the main character likes to talk, scenes, character, tragedies are merely metaphors and symbols for House´s own suffering. House is not a show for instant laughs and coffe-table entertainment.
So if you don´t see House for half an hour in the show, I assure you, you´re looking the wrong way.
And yay for Kal Penn :-)
25 - blacktop
No, this show has not jumped the shark. I urge you and others interested in this remarkably moving episode to jump over to Barbara Bennett's detailed and thoughtful review. There you will find insights into the subtleties of acting and writing in this courageous episode from Barbara as well as a truly inspiring string of comments from sensitive viewers who have uncovered the meaning-laden and powerful details in this episode that you (and Maureen Ryan) seemed to have missed.
As someone who has been a devoted fan since the pilot, I feel strongly that this season of "House" has been by a far margin the most coherent in theme and well-crafted in terms of acting, writing, and cinematography.