As House, MD approaches its 100th episode, here's part one of a new guide to the 20 most important episodes of the series.
House, MD will celebrate its 100th episode on Monday, February 2. It’s an achievement that the series creators and star Hugh Laurie never imagined when they first endeavored to thrust this difficult, complex character into prime time network television. The fact that House is the only non-cable series up for a drama series Golden Globe award, and that Mr. Laurie is the only non-cable drama series star to be nominated for best actor, reminds us that House is unique among network television shows: a wonderfully detailed and textured character study wrapped in a medical procedural wrapped in a mystery.…
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26 - JL
Thankyou as always for a wonderful article, Barbara! I keep checking your site, just in case I find a new gem waiting for me.
I do really appreciate the opportunity to look back over the series and regain perspective on House - with all the big changes going on recently and the speculation on where things will go, it's nice to be able to clear one's head.
And I totally agree with Orange (on House and crassness and Wilson's comments) and with EveK (on House's Aspy tendencies and not disliking being touched) - it's nice to discover the comments I'm forming in my head have been expressed better by someone else before I have to bother struggling to articulate them coherently ... ;)
27 - Kyrpio
Whatever it takes I thought was very interesting, House was taken out of his comfort zone (ppth) where everyone knows him as a brilliant jerk, and taken to an unknown place where he has very little power over what he can know (and knowledge is what he strives for), they bring a second diagnostician who he would not believe he needed, and any idea he comes up with has to go through someone else. So what does he do? He makes sure he maintains control over himself. Control, for House, is so important, so instead of slipping into what everyone else would do (come on, u'd call them Ma'am and wait for permission to speak... or I certainly would), he becomes a jerk, out and out, and spends the episode overrriding the second doctor's diagnoses to gain the 'brilliant' bit of his normal title.
Thats how I saw the episode anyway; he is a hugely flawed character (I mean intentionally flawed, o/c, and I for one wouldn't watch the show if he was a mcsqueakyclean nice guy), and he has to stay in control by any means. His arrogance is just multiplied because he's not in his comfort zone - if we're talking autistic qualities here, this is a great big display of putting on a show to cover up social awkwardness... and the reveal at the end (stuttering and stammering when she actually took him up on the offer, albeit the job one, not the other one) showed that it was never his intention for his jokes to lead anywhere, it was a defence mechanism. Of course, that is all just my opinion :)
28 - Kyrpio
Sorry - meant to say I agree with EveK about the aspergers; it is, after all, a spectrum disorder, who's to say he wouldn't fall into the milder end of it?
29 - barbara barnett
Kyrpio--This is what I mean when I said that there were no episodes I really hated. There's always something to redeem them. I disliked that episode because of how House was behaving in much of it. I liked his childlike Walter-Mitty-ness and wonder at being actully IN the CIA. I didn't like his over-the-top behavior around the other doc and Terzi. But that's House. He was out of his comfort zone. And that can explain why he was acting so out of character. But he was out of character for much of the episode. In the grand scheme, it's an episode that--if it was missing--I wouldn't miss it. But it has some absolutely great scenes in it.
My review of the episode touches on why it is good in its own way, and what it tells us about House.
Thank you everyone for your very kind comments about my blog ;)
30 - Amie
Sorry to bother but, not being american, can someone explain why it is of importance that House and Hugh Laurie are the only non cable TV nominees?
31 - barbara barnett
Amie--
For many, many years, network television was the only thing available and cable, once it appeared was sort of considered to be not very good. Over the past several years, cable (first the premium channels like HBO and Showtime, and more recently other cable networds) shows have been able to put out higher quality, edgier commercial-free programming free of the restrictions imposed on network television. It has been felt by some that network televsion dramas have a hard time competing with cable insofar as quality, content, etc.
32 - Amie
Thanks for your answer!
33 - Alessandra
Hi Barbara, and Hi to all! I was just collecting the eps you can't miss and then your article appeared.
Wow!
About Season 4 ep.6: well, in my opinion that wasn't so bad. It has been an interesting study of what House could be, out of his cradle, the ppth. I found very amusing the CIA kidnapping and the upset Wilson, and everybody in search for House. But I didn't like the medical misteries. The CIA's one was far less medical (I imagined such a strange and exotic disease, and then...), while the ppth's one...that wasn't a medical mistery at all! That time I hated the new team, the survivors arc, the Ducklings left backward, and their incapability to solve the case annoyed me so much. I have to admit that that situation had its place at THAT point of the show, and now I like the episode more than then.
34 - Shaz
I think another pivotal moment in I think it was in the pilot (but am not sure) is Cuddy's insane speech. Its the one in which she stated she knew she had hired a doctor that would do insane things and it would be insane of her to stop him doing insane things; so instead she ensured there was a budget to pay for the suits that would happen when he did insane things.
35 - barbara barnett
Shaz--that was in Detox (I think), not the pilot
36 - Amie
It's "DNR" (1x09).
Hahaha "so far you've come in underbudget!" Love it.
37 - barbara barnett
Of course. Did I type Detox???? I meant to type DNR, of course. When House was accused of violating the DNR, he was charged with assault. My fingers did not cooperate with my brain.
38 - Ben
Love the show! I hadn't heard those awards it was up for. Now I wanna go back through the first two seasons :)