(Warning: spoilers for the episode that aired March 28)
The synopsis for "Clueless" that had been on the home page of FOX’s House website for weeks prior to its broadcast told you everything you needed to know about the medical mystery:
"House fights to find proof of how a woman is trying to kill her husband with gold."
See, promo people, it was supposed to be a surprise that the affectionate wife is trying to kill her devoted hubby, and that she uses hard-to-detect gold to poison him. Your first clue? It's not raised as a possibility until the 40-minute mark.
When creator David Shore introduced the episode before the William S. Paley Television Festival screening, he said he’d gone on the site to get an idea for how he might briefly explain the plot, was horrified to find out it revealed the solution, and figured he’d just say (to misquote him from memory): "It’s a new one. Enjoy."
Fortunately, I regularly avoid the Fox site, which I once slammed by misquoting an early Housism: "This job could be done by a monkey with a copy of Dreamweaver." It’s significantly improved since then, but still.
Wait … what am I analysing here? Oh yes, the episode, not the website. So anyway, I was happily unspoiled for this week's medical mystery that hints at crime procedural territory enough to more than hint at (bias alert) how much more engaging this show is than the CSI clones it’s partly modeled on.
In fact, I thought they might have accidentally started playing one of those clones, because the episode opens with a teaser of a masked man grabbing a woman from her bathroom and dragging her screaming to the bedroom, in quick-cut scenes shot in cool grey lighting. When he starts sputtering and turning blue and Potential Rape Victim says "Bob? Bob, what's wrong?" I knew we were definitely in Houseland.
Maria (Samantha Mathis) is perhaps not the cleverest murderer around, since delaying the 911 phone call might have furthered her evil plot to kill him. But then she would have had to go on one of those forensics shows, and we'd be watching a whole different episode of House, one that probably wouldn't have slipped in so many examples of clues versus proof.
Article comments
1 - Amrita
Diane - i'm a huge fan of spoilers but really, that website is pathetic. i can;t wait to see more house/wilson although i think he and cameron should just give in already... the pride and prejudice lets-draw-out-the-tension thing is stretching past its shelf life imo. i loved this episode. but then, i loved every other episode. :)
2 - Diane Kristine
I don’t know, I’ve never felt they were even close to the “just do it already” stage. I get that they’re drawn to each other, but not so much that they’ve got very much chemistry together, or that they’re right for each other in any way. Plus I thought the nail was in the coffin after she blackmailed him for a date and it went so badly. But I’m OK with the flirtation always being there, since it’s like she’s our fangirl stand-in. She sees his flaws, but is inexplicably attracted to him anyway.
3 - nanfont
I thought this was one of the nasty-House episodes. He seemed snarkier than is sometimes the case, especially to Wilson. But I'm a "he really does have a heart" fan. The company watching with you does make a difference, and I was watching with a non-fan, which probably made it less enjoyable for me.
Other random thoughts: Loved the juggling; wish I had caught that Blackadder was on the Tivo! Why doesn't Wilson put the labels on things he only wants House to eat?
4 - Diane Kristine
I bet I wouldn't have caught the Blackadder listing on my TV screen, either, which was another advantage of seeing it in a theatre - it was harder to miss when it was that big. (OK, *now* I'm being insufferable, right?)
5 - Joanie
Congrats! This article has been placed on Advance.net
6 - housetango
Diane:
Your synopsis is absolutely perfect for this episode--Also, I completely agreed with and adored your review!...You should be writing the synopses for the official Fox website! I'm only sorry I couldn't be at the Paley Festival to watch the episode there with the cast & crew...It would have been amazing to applaud them for all their fabulous work! I look forward to reading more of your writing...have you ever considered TV scriptwriting on the side?!
7 - Diane Kristine
Thanks, housetango, you flatterer, you! I could never be a TV writer - part of the reason I always try to acknowledge the writers is that I'm in awe of what they do. I could, on the other hand, whip that Fox website into shape ;-)
8 - maineac
Just curious as to HL's response to the show: did he watch it? With his eyes open? And did anyone point out the Blackadder Tivo listing?
9 - Diane Kristine
The panelists weren't in the audience; they came out from backstage. It was the non-David Shore writers and other behind-the-scenes people who were in the audience. But the cast didn't arrive until after the screening had started, since they had to rush from the set.
No one pointed out the Blackadder TiVo listing as a question to the panelists - there were a lot more questions than there was time. I pointed it out to my friends, if that counts! (But even so, I had to double check when it was broadcast to make sure I was right.)