Lisa Edelstein, House's Dr. Lisa Cuddy, chats about the series and the the upcoming season finale.
The strike-shortened season of House draws to a close with what looks to be an exciting and emotional two-part finale. Part one, “House’s Head,” airs Monday night and concludes May 19 with “Wilson’s Heart.” The two-parter was originally to air following the Super Bowl, but was put off when the writers’ strike hit. (“Frozen,” guest-starring Mira Sorvino aired in its place.) In advance of the finale, Lisa Edelstein (Dr. Lisa Cuddy) chatted about the double episode, the series, and the compellingly sexy, yet adversarial relationship between dean of medicine Cuddy and iconoclastic diagnostician Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie).…
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26 - Susanne
This is an excellent discussion and review.
I am indifferent to House/cuddy but I am waiting to see the execution of the whole arc.
To be really honest I do not see House being in a relationship with cuddy or any other woman at all. I always felt that that one night was a mistake and has drawn an invisable line that they don't want to cross and are just very good friends who have sincere affection for one another who shows admiration and respect to one another even though the way it is shown by House is a little twisted. I feel that House will end up alone. I just don't see him in a stable relationship with anyone.
However I will be keen to see Cuddy as an individual. It would be good to know that she has a life away from House the same as Wilson. To be honest I have been getting tired of the same repetitive thing over and over between the two different relationships and I am keen to see something a little different and more in-depth like in the last episode.
House/cuddy are just one of the many Tv and movie couples that show love and affection through sparring and arguments. Which to be quite honest is a little cliche the same with the other relationships. I have seen this type of stuff go on since the late 60s on tv and movies. I would also like to move away from the romance aspect and just focus on the medicine and character/society study.
This season in particular I have felt that the relationship has become a little juvinile well until the recent eps. Like the panties and the swaping of House's pills. It seems to be that the more people talk up the romantic possablities between House and potential women it just seems to get degraded a bit. Maybe it was just due to the execution and the strike.
I am a lit uneasy about the House/cuddy relationship exploration but I am more than willing to see how it will be played out.
27 - Barbara Barnett
I just don't see him in a stable relationship with anyone.
I would agree with this Susanne. House is so badly damaged, emotionally, that any relationship would be fraught with difficulty. But some of the most interesting relationships in literature are about very emotionally tormented men and the women who ultimately redeem them. They are a lot of work, but in the end they do help to soothe their hurt. It is the essence of romantic literature (and should never be in House until the very, very, very last episode--if even then!)
28 - Clarice
Your last response is such a perfect synthesis of the House/Cuddy discussion I almost hate to add something below it! Absolutely!
In response to the other comments about House's behavior degrading women -- well, yes, precisely! He's House. He is outrageous and a nine year old boy emotionally. I think one reason that some of us don't quite like Foreman is that he can never quite get it that House pushes the hardest against people he respects the most. With women, the insults are defense mechanisms, too.
Barbara, as you have pointed out several times, Wilson had NOT always acted in House's best interest. That friendship has given and take on both sides.
29 - sue
The build-up to a relationship between characters and the let down after they get together is the classic "jump the shark" situation a lot of shows fall into. Maybe that reflects what happens in real life, and why the divorce rate is so high.
Before House, I had not seen Lisa E in this kind of dramatic role. In the beginning, I had a hard time not seeing her as the comedic actress with the big laugh and exaggerated reactions. I think she is much better as a dramatic actress. She and Hugh work brilliantly off each other, and that chemistry contributes greatly to the success of the show. She has the challenge of responding to an incredible actor who can be vanilla one second and chocolate the next, and she nails it every time. It takes an actress who can finesse her performance to make it real and natural and convincing every time. In some sense, she has a harder job than Hugh has. He can be as outrageous as he wants to be, and it is always believable. The other actors have to react to many levels of outrageous, and make it believable. This season, the inability of the new team to react has been blatant. It makes me appreciate the great actors on the show much more.
I see the House/Cuddy relationship as first one of mutual respect-her for his talent, and him for her authority. I don't see it as abusive. If Cuddy thought it was, she could put a stop to it. In House's review, she mentioned the sexual comments, but she never told him to stop them.
Two people can show affection for each other in many different ways. There can be love and understanding, along with the knowledge that there is no place for a relationship between them. If either was involved with someone else, the banter and innuendo would have stricter limits. But, like a romantic sexual relationship, their romantic banter could come to an end some day. If there was no banter and sexual tension, their dialogue would be flat and boring. Often, the banter explains why they do what they do regarding each other.
One thing I don't like about the writing is that they build up something, and then it falls flat. Last season, House was pursuing Cuddy in several episodes, and then we didn't hear anything about it again. It is not good to leave the audience hanging.
30 - ann uk
I very much agree with Blacktop that House and Cuddy's " dance " of attraction and repulsion is a fascinating element of the drama and handled so subtly by Shore and co.
I suppose the fundamental question we are all asking is : do we think House CAN be happy- do we even WANT him to be happy ?I suspect House would regard the pursuit of happiness as an unworthy aim for a human life....
Can't go any further with this at the moment as I am not sure what I think !
31 - Sara
Lisa Edelstein probably was drunk during this interview.
Come on, we all know that House is just physically attracted to Cuddy. The Epidose "House's Head" is very clear for everyone.
The all thing between him and Cameron is deeper and there's so much more to explore.
I suggest the writers to wake up, give us back Cuddy from the first season ("this" Cuddy is really embarrassing), and come back to HAMERON!
32 - Laurel
Oh my gosh how old is Cuddy, doing a striptease, my gosh can they make her out to be more of a whore than she is? I have never seen a hospital admin with the clothes she wears. That's because most professional business women (unless your talking about those that use the bed as their business) don't wear the clothes that she does, they have more self respect. Katie and Lisa are good friends and it just shows, how a show can be manipulated , the last couple of seasons have been pure crap, and have turned so many off watching. Now we have to put up with seeing a 50 something ewwww strip ewww, sorry but I'm turning off and so are my friends, we all had a laugh, have you ever heard of the saying 'mutton dressed as lamb'. Thanks for turning a great show into crap 'Katie'. One last ewww before I turn off.
33 - michelle
I may not be a fan of Huddy (or any ship for that matter), and I would agree the strip tease did seem rather gratuitous and unecessary.
However, LE seems a beautiful person person both inside and out. I have no problem with her wardrobe. Women half her age would kill to have her bod, and I say if you got it flaunt it.
34 - Barbara Barnett
Cuddy's striptease was a conflation in House's confused mind between having found himself in that strip club dazed and traumatized after the crash. His vision of cuddy is informed by the trauma and the strip club. The seductress/dark haired woman is probably another aspect of the whole.
35 - Veresna Ussep
Barbara, feel free to delete this post if needed, since it isn't directly to do with this article, but I am just dying to know when you will post a review of "House's Head"? Or will you wait for both halves of the finale?
36 - Barbara Barnett
Veresna. Thanks for asking. Got delayed by my interview with Friend and Lerner. So I'm just working on it now. I hope to have it up later today. And on Monday morning my interview with Garrett Lerner and Russel Friend!
37 - Sandra
"The all thing between him and Cameron is deeper and there's so much more to explore.
I suggest the writers to wake up, give us back Cuddy from the first season ("this" Cuddy is really embarrassing), and come back to HAMERON!"
Thanks, Sara, you took the words right out of my mouth!
38 - Barbara Barnett
Sandra--that's what is so good about House. Lots of differing possibilities. I've never really liked the idea of House and Cameron. I do think there's always been an affection between them, but I also think that House (and this has been consistent)won't become involved with someone as young as Cameron. House likes tough, assertive women, who can go toe-to-toe with him. Cameron's not quite there. House isn't a "fling" sort of person, so that's not possible either. Of course YMMV (Your mileage may vary!)
39 - Pat
Sue said: "I see the House/Cuddy relationship as first one of mutual respect-her for his talent, and him for her authority. I don't see it as abusive. If Cuddy thought it was, she could put a stop to it."
That's what I find disturbing about their relationship, that it is borderline abusive in terms of what he does to her at work and yet she not only accepts it, she seems to welcome it because she thinks he's such a wonderful doctor and sexy person.
I don't think he shows any respect to her at work except the occasional lip service when she's saved him again. He fired two candidates because they saw her authority as greater than his and he was willing to risk her getting fired not to save a patient but so that he could get a larger TV.
If they want to write a relationship between House and Cuddy, they need to give her back her backbone and self-respect first. She may start out going toe-to-toe with House but she folds every time.
Since Cameron has been standing up to him lately, maybe they are going to make Cuddy the sexual attraction fling and keep Cameron in reserve for a more equal relationship.
40 - Pat
Sue said: "I see the House/Cuddy relationship as first one of mutual respect-her for his talent, and him for her authority. I don't see it as abusive. If Cuddy thought it was, she could put a stop to it."
That's what I find disturbing about their relationship, that it is borderline abusive in terms of what he does to her at work and yet she not only accepts it, she seems to welcome it because she thinks he's such a wonderful doctor and sexy person.
I don't think he shows any respect to her at work except the occasional lip service when she's saved him again. He fired two candidates because they saw her authority as greater than his and he was willing to risk her getting fired not to save a patient but so that he could get a larger TV.
If they want to write a relationship between House and Cuddy, they need to give her back her backbone and self-respect first. She may start out going toe-to-toe with House but she folds every time.
Since Cameron has been standing up to him lately, maybe they are going to make Cuddy the sexual attraction fling and keep Cameron in reserve for a more equal relationship.
41 - Laila
This is to comment number 32...Lisa E aint 50 something...she's just into her 40's...and ANYONE would kill to be able to pull of something like that at her age...she did it so well...not everyone can do that...
And Cuddy is very confident with her appearance, and is comfortable wearing nice clothing (even if they are revealing). I have no problem with her wardrobe at all...If she looked like some Business woman, there would be NO appeal at all. Especially since House's comments are mostly about what Cuddy wears or how she looks.
She's a beautiful smart person. And i dont think Lisa E would manipulate or be manipulated to do something. She's a good person. And cuddy is a fun, confident, sexy character who is interesting to watch.
Another thing. House/cameron fans, LOL its over between them, nothing will happen. House so is not going to get with someone half his age...Even though Cuddy is smaller than him...atleast they arent more than 10 years apart. They have a chance of getting back together. But even that might be a stretch because they have history and it might create a conflict of interest if they got together. She's his boss, and that employer employee relationship wont work if they were in a relationship. Personally they would make a good couple.