House, M.D. scribe Kath Lingenfelter tells Blogcritics the latest scoop on season eight and more.
Kath Lingenfelter has been writing for House, M.D. since last season. She wrote “You Must Remember This,” and then with long-time House scribe Peter Blake wrote the controversial season seven finale. Active on Twitter, she is known to be accessible to fans. I interviewed her twice last season, and earlier this week, we chatted by phone the other day in advance of her next episode, the mid-season premiere “Better Half,” which premieres Monday night at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX.…
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— go to most recent comments26 - rjw
I'm really looking forward to the episode.Not just because it's been 2 months since the last one,but because Kath Lingenfelter wrote it (I absolutely loved last season's "You Must Remember This"). Also, Alzheimer's has made its devastating mark on our family.
27 - housemaniac
Agreed Casper #25 and others. I'm so disappointed to hear of Dominika's return. One of the things I liked best about this season so far was the fact that they had dropped that wretched storyline. Also, I can't imagine how they could use it well except to comedic effect, which we have had quite enough of this season, IMHO. And, no, they do not *have* to bring her back. One can always take care of these things through dialogue. I think there is a bit of a grasping-at-straws quality to this season so far. I wish they would just move the story and the character forward just a bit. Otherwise, DS's motto should be: TV series don't change!
Anyway, I'm in this 'til the end, whenever that might be, even though I am not thrilled with this season. And I will miss the show and this blog when it is over. Thanks again, Barbara.
28 - tahina
Can't give any merit to someone who wrote such atrocious season finale.
29 - lola
is really no mea culpa for her and her colleague with the season finale of season 7
30 - Djesus
@housemaniac
yes I think we have enough of comedic eps now, it's time to start something with House, but we don't feel any dramatic tension for the moment. I also don't like dominika's return, this character is a big cliché, her portrait as a slave wife, gentle and submissive is really not very pleasant to watch.
I only watch this season because I knew that House's mother will be back (and I hope we'll also see his bio dad).
His childhood is something that should be discussed in more depth now, I miss the tortured guy.
31 - suzmum
In some of the episodes of Season 8, there has been the sense that House is seeking redemption. The issue is raised directly by Adams in Twenty Vicodin; it is driving him in Transplant, when he needs to solve the case for Wilson; he sends Thirteen on her way to be happy; and he takes crazy risks to solve the mystery of the dead boy in 'Dead and Buried' so that the child's father can move on in his life. I am hoping that this will be the final arc of the series, because the 'people don't change' theme is getting tired: it's only true up to a point, and we all know of lots of examples of people who did change after experiences such as prison or cancer, etc.
I came to this series late, and I confess that I find most of the medical stuff pretty boring...but I've now watched all of the episodes several times. I find it fascinating to see the growth of the actors from season to season: the problem with the newbies is that their acting chops are back at the level of the other members of the cast in Season 1 - a little bit wooden and awkward. I became a big fan of Huddy, and I was appalled by the cheap way in which the writers closed the relationship - someone as intelligent and determined and as deeply in love as Cuddy would have addressed the issue of why House runs away from pain very directly - she would have dragged him to therapy, and insisted that he deal with the issues created by the abuse that he experienced in childhood, etc. She would not have simply thrown in the towel...and the show is a lot less interesting now that LE is not a part of the cast.
32 - buborek
I really don't see why some of you are so angry after the character of Dominika. For me it's clear that what said House about domestic slavery was sarcastic... It's House... Sarcasm is part of this show.
This green card marriage is an arrangement. Just that. It's clearly said that she has a boyfriend...
And about the kiss... How a normal woman could not be attracted by House ? He's sexy, smart, funny, and with Dominka, absolutely charming...
33 - Josie123
House did not go through with all the arrangements with Dominika--he couldn't bring himself to sleep with her. After he married her, he realized the gravity of the situation--how unseemly it was.
34 - @buborek
They're angry at Dominika because they're bitter huddy, that's why. Don't forget that the posters on blog are/were made for the 99% by huddy
35 - soxse
Suzmum
Agree with your comments wholeheartedly " your observations re: the theme of Season 8 so far mark you as an insightful viewer of the show " viewers like you are a fast-dwindling group. Probably most readers of Barbara’s blog are those who still enjoy teasing out the overarching themes to find meaning beyond the crazy House antics or case of the week. But to me those threads have gotten scarcer, it takes more effort to find something interesting in the theme or characterization. Instead we’ve gotten more of the “ka-booms” which I’m guessing come from a FOX edict that the show do something to appeal to the younger demographic, and fewer of the rich, multi-layered, quietly powerful episodes that House was known for in its early years. I hope the upcoming episodes will be “meatier” than what we’ve seen to date " and the synopses I’ve read sound promising.
I don’t doubt the writers are giving it their best shot " but a show in its 8th year naturally runs out of creative steam. Yes, you can inject new writing talent into the process, and certainly Kath Lingenfelter fits the bill " in addition she brings fresh enthusiasm to the show and is gracious with fans " almost a one-woman PR machine " which sadly is something FOX and the House show runners do very little of at this point. I think the handwriting is on the wall that this is the last season. I do wish that David Shore and Hugh Laurie had unilaterally determined at the end of season 7 that this was going to be the final season, so that every episode could have been written and crafted with that ending in mind. I guess we can all speculate as to why they didn’t do that
And I too miss Lisa Edelstein " her departure and the handling of her character over the past couple of seasons still leave a bad taste in my mouth. Cuddy certainly had her detractors, but the show seems to me to be out of symmetry somehow " the counterbalance of the Wilson and Cuddy characters (Cuddy to a lesser extent than Wilson) to House is crucial, and Foreman just cannot fill her 6-inch heels.
36 - martha
Barbara, thanks for this glimpse into the writers' and show's "thought process".
With the knowledge that this may be the last season comes, for me, the feeling of knowing that the patient is terminal - just not knowing when that time will be. In other words, there is the recognition that one has to start letting go. Part of that is trusting that, if the "creator" is still in charge, the ending is not about us, but about that. Time for us to let go, and choose to participate as best we can and with hearts that care deeply about the show and story.
It sounds as though, in bringing some of these fringe characters back, the writers are working toward tying up loose ends and making all the puzzle pieces fit, as House's character would piece together a diagnosis. I look forward to this.
I truly hope that it is true that the writers and Mr. Shore "care very much." I, personally would prefer to see and ending that, though it may be a finale in some ways, it may also be a rebirth in a positive direction for a character to which we have all become so attached.
37 - Djesus
32 - buborek
No he also used her in his office and for his team, I don't like how they portrayed this russian girl.
38 - Christine
@Djesus
Ugh, seriously now, how did they "use" her? When she was giving willingly massages to House and Foreman? Have you never given any relaxing massages to your friends? She didn't seem like she was forced to do it, she was enjoying it, and she was good at it.
How else was she "used"? On that ping pong game? MY GOD, how dare they torture her that way? I mean it's inhumane for someone to play ping pong, we should call UNESCO for violation of basic human rights!
39 - Djesus
38 - Christine
I didn't know that Foreman was her friend.
Seriously she looked like a slave but it was a part of the contract so she had no choice.
40 - Reality Check
Did any of you Dominka haters ever consider that dealing with her is all part of House growing up and learning that there are consequences to his actions? He has never been held accountable for his reflective and reflexive actions until he attempted to parallel park in Cuddy's dining room. Now its time for him to deal with the very real issue of his wife and how she impacts his life. I, personally, hope he gives their marriage an honest try.
As for Cuddy's return: No. We have all done things in our lives to other people that we cannot take back and cannot make right, things that fill us with shame with no hope of redemption. The idea of House not being able to obtain closure with Cuddy or atone for his actions is the most honest philosophy of the man that David Shore and Co. can adopt at this point. What's important now is how House deals with future lovers - or wives - and the inevitable joy and pain associated with those relationships. That, by my standards, would be the truest measure of the man.
41 - Josie123
#40 - Reality Check
Well said!
42 - Still Waters
I don't quite see where you are coming from about House never having had to face consequences in life. The way I see it, House has spent a lifetime dealing with the consequences of his actions, deserved or not. From the time he was a small boy, he faced the consequences of John House every time he broke a rule. He faced the consequences of cheating in med school and was expelled and that was his second expulsion. According to him in KU, he also missed the opportunity to explore the possibility of a relationship with Cuddy as a result of being expelled the first time. He lost Stacy after his infarction and apparently couldn't get himself hired at a blood bank either after he became so querulous and disagreeable. Stacy married Mark and made a new life. His life , at this point, was so full of the results of the consequences of his actions that he was not only in physical pain but also emotional pain and finally addicted to Vicodin. He faced the consequences of his actions toward Tritter as well. Cuddy may have saved him from being convicted in the end but I see no point in this series where House was ever free from what he did. He even went to Mayfield s a completely broken man. Did you watch the scenes in Broken where he was restrained to his bed as he writhed in the pain of withdrawal and from his leg? I could go on but I think there isn't the need. The show I've been watching all these years shows me a man who is still suffering the consequences of everything that has happened to him in his life and everything he has caused as well. You may not disagree with the way the show has handled the issue of women who are in positions where they need to "sell themselves" to gain freedom from government or family but surely you don't believe that House had never suffered the consequences of his actions. At this point near the end of the series, I definitely want to see him be able to make some kind of amends with Cuddy and to regain Wilson and be able to offer him the kind of friendship that Wilson can accept. I care way too much for him to want to see him continue to suffer at that level. I prefer him to be himself but to have a small measure of contentment in his life. There are entirely too many things House has had to face that he can't reconcile. There will be no shortages of regret as he grows old. I can't imagine wishing him more emotional trauma. His history with Cuddy and Wilson is too long and complicated for him to be in a position to fail at establishing some semblance of contentment and friendship with the two people he has cared for and loved and who have cared for and loved him and have shared so much with. Of course we can't all agree.
43 - Christine
@Djesus
Very good analogy, she was enslaved because Foreman wasn't her close friend. I mean, she didn't appear to enjoy giving him a massage not even for a moment...
44 - Oversimplified
@ 32 buborek
I'm not angry at Dominika at all. She was in a situation where she wasn't in a position to say no to anything that House asked of her, be that sex, pedicures or otherwise. She was also completely ignorant of the fact she was being used to hurt Cuddy. What would have happened had Cuddy stopped the wedding, however unlikely that was? I abhor this storyline because it reflects badly on House, who for all of his flaws, had never stooped this low before. It's one thing to have sex with hookers, but asking someone to give to up any amount of their freedom because they're desperate to have a better life is slavery plain and simple, and that's just despicable. Whether he could go through with having sex with her or not is sort of immaterial. He was still prepared to use one woman as a weapon against another and that is deeply misogynistic. Maybe he should have to deal with the consequences, but from what I can gather about this upcoming episode it's basically light relief.
Why do some always reduce other people's opinion based on which 'ship' they supported? Those who were behind Huddy were so because the writers wanted them to be. Why else would they have spent 7 years building up their professional and personal relationship and saying time and again that Cuddy was the only one was prepared to employ him, that House 'needs' her in his life and even, if I remember one interview with Shore circa Season 5 correctly, that if he could make a relationship work with anybody it was with her. Therefore it's hardly surprising that a significant number of people are having a hard time swallowing this effective reset when at the same time the writers are still peddling the 'nobody changes' mantra. For a show that used to almost make a fetish of logic and reason that makes no sense at all. It's not just a case of people being upset that their ship is no longer on the show, it's the fact you have to ignore so much that's happened in the past to buy what's going on now, and therefore the integrity of the series' narrative as a whole is undermined.
@ 40 Reality Check
By all means you make an incredibly valid point, but then why approach the storyline with his Dad now (which seems to be where they are heading) if redemption and forgiveness are impossible? I do put the abuse he suffered as a child on a similarly destructive par with what he did to Cuddy. In my mind he can try to convince himself he atoned for what he did to her by going to prison, but in his heart he's always going to know that she probably craves some sort of a sincere apology in the same way that all he ever wanted from his Dad was to be told 'You were right.' That's why when Foreman came to bail him out in 'Transplant' his first response was to admit coming face to face with Cuddy was something that had been plagueing his subconscious for months. In real life quite often people who commit crimes are made to or ask to face their victims or their victims' family, and it's not unheard of for even murderers to be forgiven by those they've hurt. Why? Because it's cathartic for both parties to let go of guilt and anger which are incredibly crippling. For me now, his role as victim and aggressor dovetail with one another and the resolution of one should preclude, at the very least, the appetite to resolve/atone for the other. Because of who House is, I think there would come a time when he'd want to tie up loose ends and were circumstances able to allow it, I believe that could make incredibly compelling television. At this point I think it's way too late in the day for them to embark on another romance convincingly without it seeming forced and out of character, especially if he hasn't dealt with his emotional baggage properly.
45 - Susan (from Brooklyn)
I just read through this in 10 seconds looking for info on if Cuddy will come back. Depressing.....People were commenting that they thought she would return and I was looking forward to it. Well, on to "Downton Abbey", at least David Shore has nothing to do with that.
46 - Djesus
43 - Christine
Ok she's a happy slave.
I can understand that her portrait seems quite normal for some latin countries.
47 - Djesus
44 - Oversimplified
"especially if he hasn't dealt with his emotional baggage properly."
Word! that's why I really enjoy their upcoming storyline with his mother and maybe his dad!
Let's set the record straight in order to help House to move on.
48 - Reality Check
Oversimplified: Your very name proves my point. At no time did I say that redemption was impossible. What I was trying to say, and perhaps I was being too subtle, is that redemption for House should not come in the form of an opportunity to apologize to Cuddy. Rather, his "redemption" (for lack of a better word - its late) will come in the form of his future relationships - with friends or lovers - and the man he allows himself to be with them. That is, IF the writers actually ALLOW him to step up and, finally, be a man. I don't agree that a contrived scene where House, on (metaphoric or literal) bended knee offers Cuddy a personal heart-felt apology for his egregious behavior would be at all satisfactory. Although that would be a very neatly and prettily wrapped package, would it not? However, forgiveness often teaches us nothing and does not necessarily lend itself to salvation, and, David Shore being who he is, would probably have it written so that Cuddy tells House to stick his apology up his arrogant ass.
Finally, previews for tomorrow's episode show House cardioverting a patient without first making sure everyone was at a safe distance from the patient. After firing the paddles and nearly zapping Foreman into the next zip code, he says (rather snottily) "Clear." Tell me, if you will, do you think he would be less of a dangerous egomaniac if Cuddy had said, "I forgive you" or if Daddy would've said, "You were right?" Or, do you think he will always be a selfish douche bag, regardless of forgiveness for his sins or affirmation of his genius? Or vice-versa? And what consequences will he "endure" for his reckless and inappropriate behavior in that scene, other than Foreman very likely calling him an ass?
49 - 20V
@44 - Oversimplified
"He was still prepared to use one woman as a weapon against another and that is deeply misogynistic."
This reeks of double standards. If House had done something similar with two men, would he be labeled a self-hating man? Of course not. The fact that the two "victims" in that scenario are women is completely irrelevant to the point.
What I would do if people would stop making these things about gender...
50 - lobentti
Hey, everybody!
Many nice and interesting comments up to now!
@Still waters 42 - I totaly agree with you, and based on what you said, I should add that I understand the last scene in season 7 ( the car crash) as positive (please, we´re discussing a show, I´m against any kind of violence - domestic, social, racial,religious, international, etc etc !) - but I understand it as a natural and healthy move from the character. It started when House shot Harald (The dig), than when he broke Wilson´s stuff and poster, and in consequence did this terrible thing to Cuddy. He was not jealous, he felt betrayed, because she´d said she was not dating anyone. His behaviour untill then was to get drunk and look for a fight (Baggage) to be hurt and punished; so yes, it was terrible, but a change, anyway.
As for Dominika, she knew she was paying a price to be there, and she had a boyfriend to whom she went just after the 'marriage'. I don´t believe that House really had sex with her any time.That was ment to 'shake' Cuddy´s feelings, it didn´t work, and he was even more depressed (The dig)...IMO.
And for the ending of the show, it doesn´t matter to me. The 'old' story is gone, there´s a new one, not so good IMO - if it was 'my' story it should be completely different, but it´s not; I wonder why the team (Creator, writers, producers, etc) took this path among so many other options, but ...
Well, that´s going too long , let´s stop here.
51 - Christine
@Djesus
Again, why? Because she gave a massage? Is that really an equivalent for labor?
52 - Blue
The rudeness, sarcasm and disrespect for other posters is evidently here again.It's too bad when people aren't able to disagree politely. It doesn't make Barbara's blog very inviting.
53 - Barbara Barnett
Blue is right, guys! Let's tone down the rhetoric towards each other, please. Disagree, debate, argue--but please do not make it personal to anyone.
54 - Djesus
51 - Christine
Take the portrait as a whole, what a nice picture seeing a woman crouching under a desk and dealing with males by offering them massage and manicure.
I hope she'll have a more flattering and nuanced portrait in the upcoming eps.
55 - buborek
But Djesus, House is described since the beginning of the show as a man who uses people. It's part of the character. He made this contract with Dominika and i suppose, because he's smart, that he chose a masseuse because he needs one for his leg.. It's a win-win contract and she seems very happy with it.
We are very far from "Crossing over".
And I think that Dominika understood the motvations of House during the time of the episode. And I think she was sad for him too to realize how sad he was to do such cruel things to Cuddy. That's why she tried to console him with affection and kindness and even a sex proposition. I found it very natural and very touching. ( Even if I liked Cuddy and House as a couple )
56 - Djesus
"And I think she was sad for him too to realize how sad he was to do such cruel things to Cuddy."
But she knew nothing about them.
I'm not saying that this woman is horrible, I have nothing against her, but the portrait that the writers have done is pretty outrageous, I just hope that she'll be less submissive, it's more interesting to have a character than just a toy.
57 - buborek
But we don't know if she knew nothing about them. That's why I think the episode with her could be interesting, and funny. I would have been frustrated if they had erased this marriage like it never existed.
58 - The Other Barnett
34/55# buborek
I like your posts about Dominika. She is a pawn for House, but it is interesting what kind of pawn she became. He was able to help someone, while also visiting pain upon Cuddy.As last nights's episode shows, House looks at all angles. While it has been advanced that house is a user of people, I'd suggest that he has done it much less since he came away from Mayfield.Or may I say, he has done it much less only for his own benefit.
I agree with you that there are lots of Cuddy fans (for some reason I've never been under her spell...except for the scene of her dancing in that school-girl outfit) who are villifying Dominika for the role she played in House' wounding of Cuddy. The fact she offers sex to House looks like the actions of someone who was in a desperate situation that feels that she could loosen her morals to pleasure a man she sees is in pain and is (as you said) a handsome man.
This interview left me thinking that the writers know what is going on, but have been threatened within an inch of their professional lives by Shore to keep it all on the down-low. Otherwise, she is creating some more buzz and suspense to ramp up viewership, when they know that they are coming back. This is a big enough show that the writers would be preparing for two sets of shows at the end; one that proceeds to a 9th season and one the wraps things up. Thomas Schlamme of the West Wing said that they had the writers preparing two separate storyline outlines for the final six shows of the 6th and 7th (and final) seasons, knowing that NBC was looking to usher the show out. If Shore is not thinking the same way, he should never have another show produced on network or cable TV.
59 - Djesus
57 - buborek
ah you know, I'm only waiting for some dramas now, I think it's time to start something with House.
when will his mother be back? someone knows?
60 - Still Waters
@ The Other Barnett It isn't helpful to try to reduce every negative comment about Dominika to unhappy Cuddy fans. There are viewers who are not Cuddy or Huddy fans who find this story distasteful. It cheapens your opinion when you try to negate an opinion by attributing the idea to a particular portion of the fandom. There are many people who do not like the story that Dominika represents and with opinions that have nothing to do with Cuddy. As much as some people would like, it can't be reduced to a negligible point of view by attributing it to Cuddy fans.
@Barbara I agree with Blue It's unpleasant to come here when you know people will be disrespectful to other opinions. I don't think you can blame Cuddy fans either as much as some might suggest. And really, when do fans get to the point that they not only know what certain groups are thinking but also exactly how the writing should progress and whether or not Shore should ever have another show produced on network or cable TV. I'm not sure why you bother anymore. Everything House related seems to up the conflict in this fandom. It's sad that there are are so few comments about the show here, on TV sites and in forums. It seems to turn ugly, either outright or in small ways.
61 - Oversimplified
@ 48 Reality Check
I think we're going to have to agree to disagree here, but I'll try to elaborate on and clarify what I meant. You can't make amends for something that you did unless it's through the actual person that that you wronged, otherwise it's like slapping someone in the face and apologising to the person stood next to them. Treating another woman who comes into his life correctly isn't by any means going to rectify what he did, and I'd honestly question the sanity of someone else getting involved with him at the moment or in the near future because he hasn't faced all of the real consequences of his actions yet. That includes realising the impact the crash had on his victim. Whilst Cuddy is vaguely in the distance and he's 'imagining' she's having some sort of 'better life' he can ignore the implications of his actions and effectively run away from what he did. That's not 'moving on', that's deflection, repression and cowardice and so far that hasn't served him well with what happened with his Dad. The fact remains what he did, however wrong anyway, was born out of a misconception: she didn't lie to him. Does he even know that now, or indeed does she know what spurned him onto do what he did? I suspect not. I disagree about how Cuddy would react and what an apology could achieve. Maybe anger would be an initial reaction, but were it to be anywhere near realistic then her response would be so much more multi-layered than that. Relief would come into the equation, as would the need for an explanation, which she more than deserves and is something that he of all people would understand. You talk about him manning up. For me that would be it, and with Cuddy knowing what it would have taken him to summon up the courage to apologise I do think she'd eventually come to respect him for it. Do I want things to be tied up in a neat bow? Not at all. I'd like to think they could resolve this (part of their) relationship with a number of questions left unanswered, but nevertheless an apology would be an essential portion of his growth as a character in my mind. It is the case though that tv series have beginnings, middles and ends and generally set up dramatic questions to later answer them. It's a craft in the same way that carpentry is, and you wouldn't leave a fourth leg off a table without spoiling its overall aesthetic and stability. For me the crash was too big an event in the show to entirely ignore the emotional repercussions for both parties involved and would destabilise the integrity of the show if now entirely forgotten about.
What I would like to see is some of the drama in House once again stem from well thought-out, sincere and truthful character study, rather than the next shock and awe plot that seems to grab the attention of those in the writersroom these days. The kind of writing that I really admire comes from the ability to walk around in the characters' shoes and see things through their eyes, rather than banally moving them around like chess pieces for your own amusement.
In answer to your rather tongue in cheek question yes I do think acceptance from his father, and then forgiveness from Cuddy would have/ still could affect who he is and indeed the way he treats other people. Is he going to be an entirely different person? Nope, but both instances would have/could provided peace of mind for someone whose actions and (self-)destructive behaviour are often driven by the need to be right and feelings of guilt and rejection. There's this anomaly with the character and the show itself, which panders to the fatalistic mantra that 'people don't get what they deserve, they get what they get' and yet it presents a protagonist who has criticised his patients, colleagues and friends from the get go about their lack of agency. It's the easiest thing in the world to situate yourself in a mystical universe where you have no control over anything, but much, much harder to accept your place in it and how the way you behave affects your fate and other peoples'. Shore needs to stop perching on the fence and decide whether the character he's probably going to be most remembered for will ultimately lay down on the ground and give up, or finally get his act together and stop repeating destructive patterns which includes finally being able to face up to his past AND his proclivities head on.
@ 49 20V
You're right. My wording there was suspect, but the fact remains that House choosing a younger woman (in a vulnerable position herself) to hurt his ex wasn't incidental and that is misogynistic. Him running off to New York to marry a young male masseuse wouldn't have had quite the same effect would it? Just because he's indiscriminate in who he insults generally it doesn't mean that when he references the colour of Foreman's skin in a biting comment that it's not any less racist. Am I saying that House is a misogynist? Maybe not, but the act itself preyed on both women's vulnerabilities as a result of their gender.
62 - Reality Check
I think the character Greg House enjoys being an @sshole more than he wants redemption. The former is entertaining; the latter is not. Which is kind of a spin on the show's "fun to watch; boring to diagnose" philosophy. He feels bad about Cuddy and his old man, but there's nothing he can do about it, so... f*ck it; lIfe goes on. Don't bog yourself down by giving the man more depth than he has earned. And I think you have an absolute right to expect that David Shore will make certain that House, the man, goes out with his middle finger extended.
63 - The Other Barnett
Still Waters #60 -
I never said that all negative feelings about Dominika were due to Cuddy or Huddy fans. I said that "there are lots" of Cuddy fans...not all Cuddy fans are not liking Dominika or her storyline. But I think a prominent portion are emotionally driven to dis-like the storyline (and maybe the character) because of the role it had in hurting Cuddy.
As for the storyline itself - it is unpleasant, and I did read the posts that do not like it on the principle of how it reflects upon House's character and I also have issues with it on how easily the writers chose an eastern-bloc (kind of cliche) to advance a minor story.
Since it seemed like such a minor story thread, I'm curious why Dominika has to be brought back into the picture, but it makes sense to see this (hopefully) "new House" deal with his actions from the past.
@Barbara, need I defend myself and others who are just as unleashed in their unbridled opinions?
I'm a fan, Still Waters. If I think I have an idea about where the writing should progress, I should feel free to express it, without expecting the writers to follow my every whim. A Dodgers fan wants Prince Fielder on their team, a Lakers fan wants Dwight Howard traded for....fans want what they want. And any good fan also has a logical explanation behind it...which should be expressed, too to make the wish more substantive. And some flippant comment like I made about Shore is the same as fans I hear who say that they never want to listen to Bob Dylan after he went electric. They have the right to express such and then to still comment upon the music he produces even today. This does not take away from the enjoyment.
I wish Broken Leg was around to give his two cents...or Maria Eleni, too. Do I have an amen from the congregation?
64 - The Other Barnett
And
#40 Reality Check....
Great post, a full and sustained "AMEN" for all you wrote....
65 - The Other Barnett
#61 Oversimplified
I had to re-read your post to Reality Check....
I see where you are going on this with House. You want to see a glorious redemption. And maybe that would be a lovely way to close the series - though I'm still rooting for the show to do ten years and I fully believe they have the cast and (hoping against all reality) a rejuvenated writing staff.
But Reality Check made a good point about the House/Cuddy non-closure. It would be the most real way to close the subject to just let the Cuddy episode go away and fester in House like a bad wound that never heals. God bless the human being that does not have regrets that gnaw at them a bit or a lot.....even generations after! However, I have a different view on the father side of this for House.
Everything that has shaped the damaged House can be tied to his father. My friend Still Waters, did a good job in #42 post in going over the retribution and hard times House has dealt with in his life (though I'm not sure I agree fully on how they view the end with Stacy). House' problems with his father probably explains not only his lack of respect for authority, but also his inability to be a good boss (remember how the dad had no subordinate come to the funeral?).
Maybe what we have seen this season in his treatment (awkward and kind of asinine in most cases) of Adams, Park, 13 and Taub is his way of trying to at least build his ability to positively deal with humanity - at first - with those who are subordinates. If he can encounter the problems with his father and finally emotionally address that; maybe greater healing can proceed.
I am sure most psychologists could acknowledge that a messed up background with parents creates a more messed up person than a messed up relationship.
66 - Still Waters
@ The Other Barnett I appreciate your reply. Thank you for taking the time. Let's agree to disagree.
67 - Reality Check
@The Other Barnett: Domo arigato.
68 - lobentti
Hey :)
@The OtherBarnett & alt
I´m sure psychologists should say much more than that about this show and the characters ...
69 - The Other Barnett
lobenti #68
I agree....Every one of us are dysfunctional in comparios with what the psych manuals would say. Heck, the Lord almighty knows it, too. Maybe the big question about House, is who is the most dysfunctional (now that Huddy is gone) character in the show....my vote goes to Foreman now, after House holding the 2nd place title to Cuddy for years. :) What say you?
70 - The Other Barnett
#66 Still Waters - We can certainly do that :)
#67 Reality Check - The one thing that I had doubts from your post (#40) was the rooting for the marriage to be given a try. The realist in me would like to see House offer Dominika the opportunity (after she has been dumped by her boyfriend) to maybe make some go of it in a marriage. Maybe a small storyline that spans (thinly) over a few episodes showing House and Dominika tryingt o make a go of it domestically (awkwardly_) and then a bittersweet parting with Dominika saying "You have too much to work out in your life for me to make any real commitment to you, I am better now, you are still healing...I must move on, but thank you." It would be a gentle slap on the back of the head (I watch NCIS) to House, without being demoralizing.
71 - lobentti
:))
@ 69the Other Barnett
I´d say there´s a match, and as creative as life can be, it will never find such a bunch of dammaged people to put together :))
Only our human imagination can do it! For our entertainment and, some times, to learn something about life, relationships, friendship, unusual diseases, share some ideas etc etc and, of course, make some virtual 'friends' !
72 - maria-eleni
@ 63 - The Other Barnett
I am here and have more than two cents to give. More like a hundred!
By the way I have answered your question of http://blogcritics.org/video/article/house-md-2011-the-great-the/comments-page-3/#comments.
Needless to say I mostly agree with you.
One thing only: I do not consider Domenica such a minor thread. Not a main one certainly, but how to sweep her under the carpet? H. was clear: “live-in-maid, personal assistant, cook, massage therapist, whore” (although he have not seen the last part but who knows wht the future and TPTB keep in store for us!). So unless he gets a divorce we are bound to meet her. In fact, I would have found a quick divorce too much of an easy and cheap solution of H. avoiding the consequences of his act.
My head is spinning by the backlash against House for exactly what he was from the very beginning of the series and moreover what [H}] was loaded for being: POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
For which I say:
“Bravo” to 62 - Reality Check
@ 23 " BrokenLeg
Before I go on to disagree with you, greetings! I am much better but I hide it to preserve my status of invalid whom everybody is rushing to help!
“…the green card wife affaire was, and is, simply misogynist and offensive (to women, immigrant people, etc..) even to a person as myself, attached to the series in a great part (HL acting apart) due its political incorrectness.”
Green card wives have nothing to do with misogyny; you also have green card husbands. Furthermore, green card marriages are actively sought by immigrants who pay through the nose for them and there are always people to oblige them. It is a regrettable fact of life, but nobody forces immigrants to it.
P.S.:Did you forget why he hired Cameron?
@ those who denigrate Domenica as a cheap cliché:
I do not suppose H. hatched the idea of a green card marriage and went searching to find a pretty immigrant and blackmail her so that he would hurt Cuddy. I rather think that during the “pampering at the 5 star hotel” he met Domenica and found that she wanted a green card. He thought he could kill 2 birds with one stone, typical convoluted H.
And yes, being a pretty Russian beautician is definitely a cliché and that is why it was used: To mock the cliché in the usual tongue-in-cheek of the writers. Could it have had the same effect to Cuddy, and us, if she were a dumpy, spotty Greek… er…cook …or …a rotund Egyptian masseuse? Or would it have been possible for H. to be in a situation to meet a pretty Croatian marine biologist in need of a green card marriage? And do not attack me for racism or cliché-ism: I am a (non dumpy, spotty) Greek Egyptologist!
The whole thing was perfectly suited to [H]/H. of the moment, at a par with monster tracks, hookers and balcony jumping.
@ those who saw Domenica as a the portrait of slave wife, gentle and submissive:
Are you not jumping to cliché conclusions with no evidence?
Domenica evidently, and not surprisingly, likes H. All along, it has been shown that women (when he is not calling them morons) find him attractive and likable, enjoying his playful side. On his side, H. involves her with his team and she is quite happy fabout it. Did she seem to you that she was coerced to play ping-pong or fix the new TV? Or that she unwillingly planned for their marriage?
However, and more significantly, the image of H., the wife-slaver, boggles my mind. In fact one of his redeeming characteristics is that he likes and/or sympathises with women patients or relatives more than he does with men. As for hookers, they are persons not objects to him with whom he has professional transactions, like say with a florist. He also becomes friendly with some of them. Clearly he shares a bond with them as he perceives himself to be a social pariah as they are.
So, quite frankly, I find all this talk of MISOGYNY and SLAVERY TO BE SIMPLY NITPICKING.
Maybe some of you are tired/bored with the show and do not find H. attractive enough to swallow his behavior any more. Or, again some of you feel quite hurt about the way [H]/H. behaved to Cuddy. Fair enough but a little analytical objectivity would not go amiss.
73 - BrokenLeg
61 @ Oversimplified
As always, I agree with all your post, specially on that part you answer @Reality Check
63 @ The Other Barnett
I’m just here, with a great amount of work, a big cold and fever, and with my head not clear enough to give my “two cents” with quality as you’ve demanded. (On an unrelated note: I’m a woman, so, next time please, use “her two cents”).
I’ve just watched ep.9, hoping much more of it than I’ve found (or may be is my sick mood…)
I only know that this season is quite “softer” and that I miss many things ( the introspective House, his moments alone at home with his music, a real-real H-W friendship, Cuddy…) To me the show has lost a step and the qualities that once made it, at least to me, so awesome and so different than anything else out there, and GH character hast lost many of his soulful and dark intensity that made him so completely interesting and different. At the end of all, I feel that the DS mantra ( nobody changes) has been denied, and with so we cheated a little, making a great change in the same pilot character.
About Dominika’s affaire, I’ve said all to be said in my @23 post. And has nothing to do with Cuddy, or with the pretended use of her to hurt Cuddy. Not even the “green card wedding” in itself. It’s simply about the use of a cheap cliché that is offending to women, Simply that. And dramatically, next chapter “Man of the House” in which she re-appears has nothing to tell that the duo Depardieu-MacDowell told years ago.
72@maria eleni
I’m glad that you’re better. But be cautious, a really fully broken kneecap is hard and long to be fully recovered, and much more if you’ve been on surgery. And ,with all due respect, and friendly, as always, I fully disagree!! And, what has answered @The Other Barnett to tour “acceptance” of marriage proposal?? BTW, It will not be a green card one, isn’t it??Best regards, as always....
74 - Maria-Eleni
65 - The Other Barnett
“I am sure most psychologists could acknowledge that a messed up background with parents creates a more messed up person than a messed up relationship”
Unfortunately true.
Which is why successful relationships are quite rare as few of us manage to overcome the burden of early life messes.
However later experiences (good &bad) in life should not be underestimated. They can be both traumatic and formative either by exacerbating character drawbacks or minimising virtues and the contrary.
H. is as good example as any.
After infraction he definitely became worse (not changed) due to pain and betrayal. Losing Stacy was probably the lesser evil.
Lydia combined with Nolan gave him a different life view-point and so directed him towards improvement.
And now, I feel H. was not devastated as much by losing Cuddy as by failing to succeed in a relationship and thus being condemned to eternal loneliness (so he is convinced).It is quite probable also that the self operation, the car crash and the imprisonment have touched him more in his perception of himself than the break-up with Cuddy.
Strangely enough, I get the feeling that those latest events in his life, although devastating, probably forced him to look more honestly into who he is and so added to the above direction towards improvement. Hence his being less tense and introspective to the detriment of our enjoyment of the show. Boy, are we not sadists?
69 - The Other Barnett
Well, in a very roundabout way, I manage to say how much I agree with you, about H. being the no 2 dysfunctional character after no 1 Cuddy, who has never met Nolan! And it would be sacrilege to put Lucas along with Lydia!
And yes, my vote as well goes to Foreman. After aspiring to be top dog all these years will he finally find it a pyrrhic victory, and that H. has the better end of the stick?
And to conclude,
@ 71 - lobentti
my bunch of friends ,myself not excluded, make the whole PPTH look almost commonplace (well apart from the Dibala case).
75 - Maria-Eleni
@ 73 - BrokenLeg
Better is a way of saying, my friend! Just by remembering it took me 3 years last time to get supposedly full use of the knee….. Ugh!
The marriage proposal is a joke from the summer. The Other Barnett and I usually have the same views on [H] so in one of the “Moving On” aftermath discussions I got an answer in a bloggy way to my comments with the preface “will you marry me?”. So, you see, I had to respond. Interesting, though, that you went to the trouble to see what I wrote before The Other Barnett!! Our time zone is probably more compatible , my Mediterranean friend.
As for green card or otherwise, marriage is overrated. Vive l’amitié!!!
Don’t worry I also fully disagree with you! But then, I must admit that I usually disagree with the best of my friends which leads to many till-early-morning passionate discussions.