I suppose this commentary might be titled: “Why I Didn’t Hate This Week's House, M.D. Episode.” But it’s not my job to offer a defense of a series, even one that has fed my obsession for nearly seven years. Each person has to decide for him or herself whether the series is what you bought into whenever you began watching;
whether it’s better or worse; whether you still enjoy it or it aggrieves you to watch it. For my part, I’m on this ride for the duration (or until I’m not). I may not like every minute of that ride, or where the driver is taking us—but I won’t know until I get there (or get off).
This week's episode "Fall From Grace" ups the ante on House's (Hugh Laurie) increasingly out-of-control behavior. Last week, nothing seems to ring his bell until he jumps from his balcony into a swimming pool, leaving Wilson disgusted and frustrated that not even he can put a crack in House's newly-constructed (and probably lead-lined) armor.
He's a guy on a high wire (with not much of a net). Bringing everything from a Segway to monster trucks to a bride-to-be into the hospital confines, House hopes to get some sort of rise from Cuddy (Lisa Edesltein). Whether it's a subconsious (or intended) provocation to an argument (and then a finally serious talk about what happened) or simply a way to wound Cuddy as badly as she's wounded him (or a combination of the two), it doesn't really work until Wilson finally intervenes.
I know many people didn't like this episode (and frankly, I thought doing a differential diangosis in a monster truck was insanely over the top), House's behavior here reminds me of how he acts in Season 3's "Needle in a Haystack" and Season 4's "Whatever it Takes." In both cases, House is unsure of how to act; he's out of his element, challenged by someone who refuses to enter into the wild vortex of House's insanity. In "Fall from Grace," while he's not really being challenged meaningfully by anyone, he is in such dire straits that he's just grasping at straws. He's lost, and without the healthy coping mechanisms he had internalized when under Dr. Nolan's (Andre Braugher) treatment.
Stevie Nicks wrote a song in 2001 bearing the same title as this week’s House episode “Fall from Grace.” In the aftermath of “Bombshells” and the following two episodes, the lyrics seem to me so poignant and appropriate that I wonder if John Kelley, the episode’s writer, had them in mind while crafting this week’s script. The song could easily serve as narration to the story of House, Cuddy and Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) at this juncture.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Anna
House MD has indeed FALLEN FROM GRACE!
1) This show is now over the top SEXIST towards women. The writers should be BANNED from writing Female characters.
We're either:
Whiny
A bitch
Whore
and now personal slaves to men
2) If the writers are trying to alienate their female audience, they're on the right track! keep on making a fool out or yourselves writers
3) This show is dying a slow death with the ridiclous plot lines of a russian hooker, green card marraige, numb cuddy, Pastor Chase,confused Wilson, Ms. Perfect Masters, Midget Taub, OOC Foreman and a Pathetic HOUSE, the MAIN character!
4)And in 3 weeks serial Killer Thirteen will join
5)Fanfiction at it's best
Who will seriously tune in to watch this ludicrous storylines in 3 weeks, NOT ME.
2 - Mars
Yeah, I think we all need a break Barbara!
Thanks for the analysis anyway...I know this week's episode was a hard one to do. It just seemed so out there. I even watched it twice just to see if maybe I just perceived it wrong last night. I didn't haha! It was so bizarre to me. The DDX Monster truck??? The flying toy helicopters??? The BAD green screen spx??? Just a random episode if you ask me.
Having said that...I too am in this for the long haul. Gonna definitely finish the season and hope TPTB give me a hell of a season finale...they gotta have something up their sleeve. If I get 6 more epi's of THIS...well, it might be time to move on in my book.
End Note: Not a fan of Mrs. House! And all this talk about wanting to keep her on for the rest of the season and maybe next? I'm just confused on this one.
3 - barbara barnett
Anna,
may I respectfully direct you back to the rants and raves open thread. I'm really hoping to keep the conversation beneath this article more related to understanding the episode and what it means for the characters, etc. thanks :)
4 - Jaim
Sorry, but I don't want to see Dominica become some kind of hooker with a heart of gold that he falls in love with in his tough times. Gag. This show is just really becoming a joke. The last two episodes have been really over the top and ridiculous. There was very little about this episode that was even watchable.
5 - barbara barnett
Jaim--I agree that there were parts over the top (helicopters and monster trucks in particular). But think back to season four and the hiring arc (Survivor challenges--remember Cuddy's Thong?) "Whatever it Takes" and House's foray into the CIA? A lot of people sounded the series death knell then. And then came House's Head and Wilson's Heart, two of the best episodes in the series history.
In season three, I thought "Airborne" was cringe-worthy for House's behavior, as was "Needle in a Haystack." Both of those portrayed House as out of character.
Bombshells, Out of the Chute and Fall from Grace are no worse (and actually, in my opinion, better) than a lot of what we saw in Season 4's hiring arc.
Every season has episodes we like or dislike. But your mileage may vary. These are opinions: mine and yours.
6 - Epix
@Barbara
It goes without saying that you possess an incredibly keen ability to cut through the quick and easy passions elicited by this show and offer instead the longer, more informed view of a scholar/researcher.
I may be the only one who saw it this way, but I thought House was acting the way he did in order to help get Cuddy past her guilt which had made her incapable of doing her job as far as relating to him. He was being mean to be kind, or if "kind" is too strong a word, to get things back to "normal" and to move on.
If anything, House has felt guilty about the breakup not only because going back on Vicodin was a major factor (or the chief excuse), but also because he knew since that first night in "Now What" that their relationship was not going to work. His declared self-image to Cuddy proved to be prophetic. But he gave himself to the (false) hope that she offered him that day, and it all ended up crashing around him. House's ego refuses to let him see himself as anything but the ultimate agent responsible for this entire mess, and the nicest thing he could do at this point was to help Cuddy get past her own guilt.
And I did not see the end scene as an expression of his missing Cuddy as much as it was his wanting to make it clear to his "bride" that their "marriage" is a business arrangement and nothing more. He uses hookers to avoid hurting women, which in many ways is much kinder. He does not seduce women only to give them the equivalent of the "I'll call you" sendoff. Add in his own natural reluctance to enter into an "emotional" relationship at this time, and it was the logical thing to do. I am not saying there are no feelings of regret, but it was only one factor.
Furthermore, despite his statements to the contrary, House needs boundaries and for those around him, especially Cuddy, to fight him back. In this episode, his team literally played along with his antics. In the earlier seasons, TPTB explored how House groomed his fellows to not just agree with everything he said, but to come up with their own ideas and challenge him. We also know that he needs Cuddy to control him on the job -- something Cameron couldn't handle in the past, and Masters couldn't handle this season. Cuddy is much better at choosing her fights, and they both often seem to enjoy their brand of brinkmanship. Their romantic relationship was making it difficult for both of them to maintain the balance, and now the break up is causing a similar problem. They need to find their footing with each other on unfamiliar ground. Part of his relationship with Cuddy, even before they were together, had always been made up of challenges and battles of wills, and I think House honestly craved for it to return. Wilson was right, he was pummeling an opponent who didn't fight back, but House wanted Cuddy to respond back.
By the way, the writing of that POTW was actually very carefully crafted. He was a metaphor. House may have been abused and he may have done something in the past that harmed people, but I think this is leading ultimately to redemption for those actions or absolution of guilt in some way. Some of the episodes that have echoed this theme this year point to accidents that were not anyone's fault. But the guilt remains. This chaotic situation is going to result in a very, very powerful ending. I can just feel it. And Hugh Laurie better get his long overdue Emmy this time around.
On a separate note, as much as we dedicated fans enjoy the angst and art of [H]ouse, it is a business. Add to that the simple fact that every arc is going to have special appeal to certain parts of the fan base, then any transition from one arc to another is going to look like a realignment of fan support. It is natural. Hamerons were happy for a while and then not. Huddies loved the beginning of this season, not so much the Non-Huddies. It will continue to shift back and forth, and if your major investment in the show is your ship, then there will be disappointments.
7 - barbara barnett
Epix--thank you for your kind words :)
I agree that people who are only invested in one "ship" or another are going to be sorely disappointed. As you say, it happened to the Cameron/House fans and also with the Wilson/House fans. There are bitterness threads abound extolling the hate some people have felt during this Cuddy-House focused arc. Personally, I love the House-Cuddy relationship. But I also know that breaking them up can give us some pretty powerful drama, which is what I'm anticipating as the season begins to draw to a close.
8 - Liz
Question: why does House always need to 'test drive' his emotions after getting hurt? Having sex with Lydia, and now with Dominica. For all we know Dominica will stay a maid or assistant to him, and won't have any connection with him, or just be a casual confidant.
I am beginning to tire of the assumption House has to get close to a stranger in order to get closer to the person he really wants.
9 - Jaim
Barbara,
This is actually the first time, since I started watching this series in season one, that I felt that the show was going in the wrong direction. Every season has its moments that I may not like, but this season has especially seemed over the top, out of character, and heavily sexist. The last two episodes were very poorly executed and just made me dislike House, which I never have. This episode was not good. The writing was juvenile at best and it appears that all of this is to appeal to a younger male demographic. This use to be an adult show with complex characters. So far, I've seen a degradation in quality. It saddens me. I'm hoping Thirteen's return may improve the situation but even this arc makes me nervous. They could either really do that character justice or go down another ridiculous route.
10 - sherlockjr
For some, perhaps, this episode wasn't all they'd hoped for. (I'm reminded of the people who hated the Vogler, Tritter, "Survivor" and other arcs, as well as individual episodes in every season.) I hope those folks who need to rant will follow Barbara's advice and go to her previous thread, which is a good place for people to rant and rave.
For me, I'd rather get back to analysis of House and his environment and situations.
It's not unreasonable for House -- who has always had moments of being totally over the top -- to use extreme behavior to sort out how to deal with his extreme hurt at being dumped by Cuddy. At least with Stacy, he saw it coming. This time, after months of working so very hard at his relationship with Cuddy, followed by the intense emotion of her illness and his fears about losing her, he's been blindsided. It's happened so suddenly, he's got to be feeling completely off kilter.
I think Barbara has hit the nail on the head when she talks about how he's spent the last two years trying to improve himself, trying to play by the rules, trying to be the good boyfriend, trying to reach out to other people. And what was the point of it all? And where does he go from here?
I always figured that when Stacy left, he hid himself away and refused to deal with the world at all. Certainly, at the beginning of the series, his fellows are shocked when he actually goes to see a patient, and there's conversation about how they go long periods of time with nothing to do because he can't get it together to take on a case.
This time, he's trying the opposite. He's playing at being very social, even if it's a superficial sociability. He's not hiding from the world; he's confronting it, pushing against it, daring it to knock him down again. He's putting on a tough veneer to hide his wounds.
In a sense, he's mocking everything he'd tried to accomplish, because the end result of all his efforts was that no one gave him much positive reinforcement, and in the end he got very badly hurt, he's back on the Vicodin and he's no better off than before.
I mentioned on the other thread that I think a primary motivator for his current behavior is a terror of going back to being alone. If Cuddy's not going to be there for him -- and if he can't provoke her into a confrontation that might (in his mind anyway) get her to open up and come back to him -- then he'll find someone to fill at least some of that void.
And speaking of the woman who is now sharing House's home, I've thought a lot about the comments about the role of women in the show, and it seems to me that this has been a long-standing weakness. But I also think no woman on the show is ever going to get the approval of all the fans. When Cameron was still a regular character, although some fans really hoped for a relationship between House and Cameron (one I never could quite understand, but that's a different issue), I read really horrendous comments online about both the character and the actress who plays her. I've seen similar comments about Cuddy, Thirteen, and now Masters and Dominika.
Is it that we think no woman can be good enough for House? Is it that the female characters are not well-written (despite the fact that many of the show's writers and producers are women)? Do people dislike the casting? Or is it that you can't please all of the people all of the time?
Lately, and especially in the last couple of weeks, I keep hearing that people are nostalgic for the Cuddy of earlier seasons, that people miss the "strong" Cuddy. For me, she's never been a terribly strong character (except in the Cuddy-centric episode, which I thought really showed her strength). I've tended to find her inconsistent, shrill and domineering -- which carried over into her romantic relationship with House. But that's just me. Your mileage may vary... and probably does.
The short version (if there is one) is that women on the show get attacked by a lot of the fans. Even though the male characters have their fans and their detractors, I've never read comparable scathing remarks about Chase, Foreman, the late lamented Kutner, Taub or Wilson. Maybe their characters are written better... or maybe they don't bring out the same kind of strong feeling that the female characters do.
It'll be interesting to see where this goes from here. I'm sure there's more to say, but I'll give someone else a chance.
11 - tigerfeet
Hi Barbara,
I haven't commented in a long while, but I read everything you write. As much as I'd like House and Cuddy to have stayed together, the break-up also provides for a new side of House the character to explore. So far his reaction has been very "Housian" in my opinion. He does extreme things to numb his pain, rather than deal with it in what can be called av more grown-up manner.
There has been some very angry, bitter and sad comments on this site lately. It's somewhat understandable. The long built-up relationship was over too soon in my opinion. But the show runners don't owe us anything. House is their fictional character to play with however they want. And I am still very much in love with House, both the man and the show. So I can't see myself ever stop watching.
Thank you Barbara, for all your great reviews - especially after the break-up of H/C. You alway bring new layers and interesting insights, to my great comfort.
12 - sherlockjr
EPIX: Your comments were... epic! I agree with every word. Can't wait to see what you say next.
13 - ruthinor
Sherlockjr: The writers of this show are incapable of presenting a fully fleshed out female character, and they have been since the beginning. We know more about the life (current and previous) of Taub, Chase, Foreman and Kutner than we ever did about Cameron. All we knew about Cameron was that she married a dying man. We have no knowledge of her family at all or her previous history. 13 is bisexual and has Huntingtons. Do we know anything else about her? Likewise, Cuddy's been around for the whole series, and yet we knew pretty much nothing about her until this year. She was married? What happened? We only met her family this year and got a hint of how her mother treated her and her sister. Until 5 to 9 we never knew that Cuddy actually had a job outside of controlling (or trying to) House at his worst. No wonder the women always get the shaft in this series, and the misogyny runs rampant. We know House so well that excuses are made for his behavior, time and time again. Oh the abuse (of which there is very little of substance that has actually been told to us) blah, blah, blah. He's trying so hard, blah, blah. Personally, I'm sick of it. How can we explain Cuddy when so little is known about her outside of her relationship with House and Wilson? We have no idea of what she's lived through previously because the writers haven't told us. How can we understand a relationship when only one of the two characters has really been fleshed out? IMO, it's made this season pretty much irrelevant because the writers never really explored "Huddy" in any depth. And the break-up was far too pat. Sorry, I really disagree with those who believe that the episodes this year have told us anything new or of interest about the major characters.
14 - sherlockjr
ruthinor -
You're certainly entitled to your opinion. Sorry the show is no longer meeting your expectations and that you're so unhappy about it.
15 - BeeJ
Been a few weeks since I commented on the board and checked out the fandom...and BOOM! Everyone has lost it lol! It just shows how much this show means to so many people IMO. I agree w/ Epix #6, so many of us see the show through our biases, whether they are ships or others. that's a hard damn thing to stop because to many fans, and they'll tell you, "That's why they watch the show!" So, I can't be mad at all the comments in the ranting and raving thread...their ships are personal, their love of characters are personal, etc. Frankly, I love the passion! I'm sure the indifferent, neutral, "along for the ride" fans like me are a little annoying haha.
I actually saw through all the antics and comedy in this episode and after rewatching it, found it very melancholy. I mean House is rather pathetic right now. He's grieving and wounded...he even looks a little disheveled and deranged. Everybody understands what he's doing is all an act right now. Cuddy also has been putting up a front the last two episodes but we finally saw her break in this one.
The looks House was shooting at Cuddy in the episode were very telling. The way he looked back at her when she signed the insurance form, the look when he was flying the helicopter, and the incredible staring at her as he said his "I do's" or in his case, "Yep!" That's why I'm a little perplexed at the House/Cuddy shippers who have given up...the Huddy arc is still very much alive and kicking! It has been the underlying narrative the entire season and I imagine will be so through the finale. It was NOT simply resolved in "Bombshells" as GY or TPTB want to lead you to think. That's their job to stir up the fandom and create buzz...no matter the hate Tweets or negative forum comments. Things have to get worse (in this case a little over the top and strange) before they get better. Energy and tension has not diminished since "Bombshells"...it's been building. My best bet is that House and Cuddy are on a collision course for the finale. I for one am excited for the finale! I just remember "House's Head"/"Wilson's Heart" and the fact the same writers are scripting this season's last two episodes. Something big is in the works I hope.
16 - Westell
I may be whistling in the wind by saying the following, but I honestly don't think House is back on Vicodin. To clarify, I think he slipped in "Bombshells" and continued on his intentional slide in "Out of the Chute" but went back on the wagon after that. Whatever he was popping in this episode was candy, aspirin or whatever Nolan recommend he use instead of his long-standing narcotic medication. When he's not on Vicodin, House's facial expressions and physical mannerisms tend to be vigorously animated and his vocal inflections aren't as flat. For example, when House finally decided to visit Cuddy right before she went into surgery in "Bombshells," his body language and facial affect were unusually self-contained and reserved (at least compared to his long-standing behavioral patterns) as if he were in the midst of narcotic-induced numbness. Later, Cuddy (correctly) called House on his relapse.
I think House was trying to get to Masters so she would go run and tell Cuddy, thus making her feel further guilt as the one responsible for his downward slide. It should be noted that the only time the audience saw him popping pills in "Fall From Grace" was when he was in front of Masters, and he probably knew he would predictably get a rise out of her. In fact, she even asked him not to do that in her presence. But other than those aforementioned moments, we didn't see him using Vicodin throughout the entire episode, which is highly unusual given his tendency to "turn the dial to 11" with virtually every aspect of his life. House knows how to get to her because guilt is to Cuddy as Vicodin is to House. I'm not sure what game he's playing, other than to give Cuddy and Wilson what they're looking for, but I don't think he's still using his favorite painkiller.
That's my story, and I am sticking to it.
17 - gg
#13 exactly.a charming greg is in and of itself a farce. and i think it's good that david shore is now mocking this fairytale crap to the bone.
18 - cath
"I want House and Cuddy to be together, if not on the same page romantically, at least on the same bookshelf."
I am with you. I hope someday the time comes for them to be at least in the same book shelf - level with each other.
But what I am most afraid is that it has taken them 7 seasons to reach the culmination of their relationship,
now that it's broken, how long will it take for them to clean it all up? I keep hearing from all the interviews from TPTB
that this show is about House and the Cuddy part of it is just part of knowing House. What then will we be able to expect
out of this? For a Cuddy-fan, I'm guessing whatever that's left will be just the same as that what we've seen the past few
seasons, seasons 1 - 4 to be exact; which is really practically non-existent.
I am not jumping ships or TV shows yet. I still love this show. It's just that the past couple of episodes is effectively
breaking my heart. It has come to a point where it is already most painful to watch. House may not be a sadist but I am no
masochist either, maybe it's also time for me to stop causing pain to myself. I'm not saying that I don't trust TPTB anymore,
it's just that I seem to have been very trusting lately, and now that I have been hurt, it's only naturally for me to be protective and guard myself against those that cause me pain. I hope you get what I am trying to convey here. It might sound like an overly emotional fan's reaction, but I guess this is what happens when one gets too invested.
19 - LadyA
What bothers me is not the breakup...People in love break up for good or
bad reasons all the time...As much as I hated the timing and the reasons I can live
with it. What bothers me is the "mistakes" made in the last episodes :
1. House popping Vicodin publicly with noone in the hospital saying a
word about it...He lost his licence because of the drugs in S6 for God's
sake !
2. Chase performing weddings !!!
3. The monster truck ! Don't people get arrested while driving that ? And
how can House get in and out ?
4. Cuddy attending her ex's wedding !!! Even GY says it's odd (check his
twitter)!
5. The team who doesn't care that their boss is back on drugs and getting
married a week after his break-up to a complete stranger to fraud the
gvt...
All these details are hard to explain...It's kind of a mass hysteria we
are looking at...
As much as Hugh Laurie was amazing in Out of the Chute (the episode was
good even if I hated the hookers parade...),I hated his performance in
Falling from grace...It seemed too much, too childish...it lacked depth
and I can only excuse him with the dialogue he'd been given.
This being said, I am too curious and I won't give up on the show till the end of this season !
20 - Sarah
Barbara, thank you for attempting to preserve this space for thoughtful comments rather than just ranting -- there aren't many impartial places to discuss House these days -- a testament, at least, to the power of the show and the importance of it in people's minds.
Epix, thank you for your words. And BeeJ, I agree that this is certainly going somewhere. I can't really expect a long-lasting romantic reconciliation between House and Cuddy, if any at all, but I want to see where they're taking it.
There wasn't a lot to like, IMO, in Monday's episode, but I think that's purposeful -- again, I agree with BeeJ, House is currently deeply depressed and getting perilously close to pathetic (YMMV if he's already reached that). What's different for me about this time from the other times when he's been out-of-control, over-the-top, etc. is that he seemed to get some hope or at least a moment's enjoyment from his antics. Hugh Laurie made a comment in the intro to one of the House books about how, for an atheist, House's jokes are a spark of the divine, a way of spitting in the eye of convention and expectation, a way of laughing at death itself. The difference to me now is that I see no spark in House in "Fall from Grace"; the jokes, however over-the-top they might be, give him nothing. In "Out of the Chute", his balcony jump seemed to enliven him a little, but it was telling how quickly "My Body is a Cage" chimed back in, even in the midst of his "celebration" in the pool. The ailments of the POTWs and their backgrounds also grow darker and more violent -- depressed boy blowing things up, rodeo guy trampled on, serial killer/cannibalist with an abuse history. The next episode looks to continue this theme with 13 having done jail time for something and a POTW who may or not have body parts around his home. They are definitely building to something with all this.
As for the bride storyline, I also think that House would've loved more reaction from Cuddy, somehting to show that he was worth it to her to do something to stop that wedding or, at least, to be more visibly affected. At the point that she walked away, House looked resigned to me, resigned that she didn't call his bluff and that he had to go through with what he'd promised Domenica. I'm uncomfortable with the premise of him being somehow saved by this woman, but it also feels somehow as though House has built in a safety valve for himself -- he's not going to be sitting in his apartment alone with his Vicodin (which, Westell, it's an interesting theory -- what has struck me, especially when he was newly back on Vicodin in "Chute" was how super-clear he seemed in the ddx's, not at all muted like he was at Cuddy's bedside and having been off the pills for 2 years, it'd be hitting him a lot harder now than it did in the past). It may become very useful for House to have an impartial person to point out to him when he's really losing it as Cuddy can no longer do that for him and Wilson's sympathies seem to have shifted almost entirely to her. Since most of his team literally played along with him this week, Masters is leaving, and 13's stay/influence is unsure, he doesn't have really anyone else to help pull him back to center.
21 - Jeena
I just started watching House. I don't know all of the old episodes. I quite like it though. He has a very odd, strange personality that kind of keeps me guessing from one minute to the next where that ride is going to take me. So far, it has had quite a bit of drama for me, which I like. I guess in the end, drama is what makes or breaks a show for me!
22 - Ladidah
I think House was looking for a reaction from Cuddy with regard to the marriage (though I don't think it was the only reason he did it - fear of loneliness was also a factor) - he seems disappointed at her lack of jealousy in the health insurance scene and obviously reacts when she walks out. I think he wants to know she still feels something for him, other than guilt/pity. And of course, House is House, given any uusual degree of liberty/ kindness he has to test it's boundaries, to know exactly how far he can go before being smacked down.
Did anyone think that the reason House pushed Dominika away at the end was because she said she liked him? In his mind, that can only lead to her having expectations of him and eventually rejecting him when he doesn't meet those expectations. Hmmm.
Barbara, what did you think of the POTW story? I was interested in how he seemed to manipulate the team (minus Taub). Playing up the victim/ wannabe med student to Masters, religious hopeful to Chase, he even seemed to hit buttons with House as regards the Daddy issues talk (I find it interesting House called off the search for his identity after talking to him... was it only for medical reasons, or did he identify with POTW'S need to avoid his dad?) I wonder how much of what POTW said was actually true. Do you think Master's is going to become hardened after the patient she connected with turned out to be a sociopath? (I'm starting to really like Martha. I don't want her to leave!)
Sherlockjr & ruthinor: Female characters often get a worse rap than male ones in internet fandoms generally. Even when they are well written. I think there are valid criticisms to be made regarding how women are written on House but I disagree that we neccessarily know less about them than the male characters. After all, we know a lot about Taub's marriage, a little about his student career but nothing about his childhood. We know a lot about Thirteens Huntingtons issues, a fair amount about her relationships, a bit about her childhood, nothing about her student career (I actually think we know a lot more about thirteen than we do about most of the cast.... we've even seen flashbacks to her childhood which is more than we've had for House even). We find stuff out about people based in the storylines the writers want to write - not their gender IMHO. (Although I agree with ruthinor, Cameron's backstory could have been explored more fully...)
23 - barbara barnett
HI Jenna, and welcome :) There is drama!
I like the idea of Dominika as someone there to pull him back from the edge--impartial and not involved emotionally (at least from his end). Interesting too about the Vicodin, but I'm unconvinced so far.
I'm wondering if House's desperation to find 13 (sorry for the mini spoiler from the promo) has to do with him trying to anchor himself to someone who knows him, won't take his BS and whom he sees as another wounded soul. (Just as patients have seen him in that role--almost instinctively)
24 - huddycat
Interesting article!
Well, you're apparently a Huddy fan, and I'm very glad of it. I'm a huge Huddy fan and I really hope that your theory about the role of Domenica as a sort of valve for House's anger will be true.
I hope that Cuddy and House will grew on their own way and so be able at the end to be together, to form a real couple, to have a real, intense and tender relationship. But I think the road will be long. Hope not too long because I really miss Huddy in his good moments.
Maybe with the return of 13 who doesn't know for House and Cuddy, House will find someone to help him. 13 looks broken and House seems to care, he can thus learn from her and so be ready to get back at Cuddy.
25 - fatOlady
Best review I have read. You are "spot on" with this one. It should be required reading as a companion to the episode (if you want to understand the episode anyway).
The review actually was way better and more enjoyable than the episode. BTW, I loved the song, fits very well.