Kutner's stunning death sends House searching for "A Simple Explanation."
At the end of last night’s House, M.D. episode “A Simple Explanation” (I mean the very end), the producers inserted a public service announcement for the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) about suicide. It’s not the first time in its nearly five-year history that House has dealt with this and other serious mental health issues. The central character Dr. Gregory House (played with a nuanced and exquisite fragility by star Hugh Laurie) is a poster child for emotional problems. Elementally unhappy, a child abuse survivor, and in constant chronic pain, House is addicted to Vicodin (whether or not you believe he's an “addict”), using the narcotic painkiller not only for his physical pain, but also to numb himself again a relentless misery.…
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— go to most recent comments26 - Suzanne
Barbara - Excellent review and analysis, as always, and thrilled you got it up so quick!
This episode through me for a loop so fast - I hadn't read spoilers, I didn't know about the death and just tend to kind of let the episodes happen as they happen - that it was hard for me to keep up. So, I watched it again.
Even now, I can't get out of my head that scene at the end with House, stooped over the pile of photos and so near to Kutner's blood stain (ew, by the way), it was almost pathetic. Knowing that he won't find anything and knowing that he won't stop. It actually was painful to watch. Similarly difficult was Wilson's reaction to House. I found it odd that he wouldn't immediately go to House. Of course, Amber's death clearly changed their relationship, but wow, to the point that he wouldn't be the friend his ethical responsibility and social contract require...? It seemed unnatural, and I suspect (or hope) we haven't seen the last of that.
Cuddy's response was predictable, so was Taub, Foreman and 13's, but in my opinion, neither Wilson nor House's was at all. I would have guessed, had someone told me a suicide was pending, that House would cast it aside as an idiotic action, from an idiot. But the guilt he felt, as if he weren't using his powers for good, was amazing. And yes, you could see it in House's eyes. Simply amazing...
Somewhere up above, Eve K noted that this episode seemed 'real' and I can't possibly agree more. We know these characters well, really well, and not to not know why this happened or whether it could have been stopped (with your standard TV-drama cliches) made me angry and feel hurt.
As for reality, I am absolutely thrilled for Kal Penn. Seriously, that was a classy, conscious, and remarkable decision. Good for him...
So, great review and from everyone, great comments!
PS - No, House hasn't jumped.
27 - Eve K
byzantine - I agree with you about House being full of himself. But I think that is a part of this seasons project. To tear down Houses wall.
I must say that all the episode through I hoped that House never found out why Kutner killed himself, and I was really impressed that TPTB left it hanging there. If he had found some reason, THEN they would have jumped the shark.
28 - ns
House will assume the most responsibility for Kutner because House is the one who always knows what's going on with everyone around him, knows what's in their heads, etc., and likes to mess with them by using that skill and intuition that he has. It is the biggest blow for House that this would happen and go totally unnoticed by him. He starts to become angry with the rest of the team for not having noticed anything wrong, he even tries to blame it on the parents, but he is really most angry with himself because he knows he, of all people, should have seen some sign of this coming, and while his colleagues can be excused for letting something slip, he will never be excused in his own mind.
So, House is the one who is going to be hit the hardest by this.
As for seeing a psychiatrist....I liked it best what House said in the last episode after seeing a psychiatrist..."it doesn't work."
Hopefully, House will come to terms with this in his own way and not through the "pop an anti-depressant and forget your troubles" method.
29 - barbara barnett
Trying to comment between appointments here. I've been following the discussion and appreciate everyone's comments. No, I do not think House has jumped the shark. I respectfully agree to disagree with my BC colleague Kit. I think SEason five is one of the strongest in the series.
This season has gone by so fast, I can hardly believe we're down to the last four episodes. The image of the last scene is completely indelible. I can't get it out of my mind. That and the look on House's face as he tears his eyes from the computer, rubbing them, the second time Cuddy comes to see him. I think both cuddy and wilson are horrified that House has turned the simple explanation of Kutner's suicide (he killed himself) into a mystery because he can't accept that Kutner has done it and that he could do nothing to prevent it. It's an insane leap, but one that protects House from himself, but I don't think he even believes it after awhile--hence the final scene. Wow. That is all.
30 - Orange450
Wnkybx, I'm sorry that I didn't respond to your post on the Fox forum last night, but the craziness there got to me, and I logged off the site.
"My final thought is about the title of the episode. House seemed to be looking for a "simple explanation" for Kutner's death: murder, clinical depression, something plausible to make it all make sense. I'm wondering what you all think ... is the irony that there isn't a simple explanation? Or is that last photo of Kutner, looking deeply sad, the simple explanation?"
Good question. I think there's no such thing as a "simple explanation" in a case like this. There may be an explanation, ultimately, but it won't be simple. That's the irony. The photo of Kutner provides some insight but it's only the tip of the iceberg.
31 - Eve K
From the aritcle in Time magazine :-)
"Earlier this season, the writers seemed to acknowledge that the (episode-starting)formula was wearing thin. They wrote a (starting)scene in Episode 518 in which House is goofing off with matchbox cars in his office"one of which he literally causes to jump over a toy shark."
I didnt notice that, TPTB have self-irony.
32 - shortonthecobb
I've come across this blog a few times before, but this episode has moved me to make my first comment.Barbara, your insight into the show is simply detailed, compassionate, and simply awesome; I've bookmarked this page for sure!
It's great to read others' thoughts about House, and this episode especially moved me. Like others, I noticed that the lighting was essentially extinguished in the scenes after news of Kutner's death reaches the office, and I think that this mirrors the relative lightness that Kutner brought to the diagnostic room. Without his lighthearted approach, I think maybe the mood surrounding the next few diagnoses will be a tad bit more heavy handed than they would have been with him there - a testament to Kal Penn's impact on the show.
Like XJW, I spent most of the episode very worried about House's mental state, and wishing he had someone to pull him out of the emotional quicksand surrounding Kutner's death. Wilson should be that someone, but I agree that his constant view of House in the worst possible light can be very damaging here. If his best friend doesn't believe that he is in mourning and feeling partially guilty, than who will? He'll just end up returning to Kutner's bed to sit there, alone.
Again, great column and I can't wait to see what the next weeks will bring.
33 - JL
As I haven't seen the episode, I can't comment very much. Thankyou, Barbara, for being aware that people needed to talk and for accordingly posting so quickly.
I've noted several comments on here that people were glad they had not been spoiled. I'd like to disagree on that one - I'm rather glad to have several weeks' speculation and one week's notice before having to deal with the episode itself. I'm diligently trying not to spoil those around me who won't see it for another week; yet, thinking of how I would have reacted were I unspoiled, allowing them to experience that shock feels somewhat cruel.
I think that's a big risk Fox have taken. In real life, the shock of sudden death, and especially suicide, can cause trauma for those affected by it. In this instance, spoilers have actually emotionally protected the fans somewhat. Those fans who haven't been spoiled are potentially traumatised.
One could suggest that Fox owe a duty of care to their fans, and that, having taken the decision to expose them to shock, posting the memorial site was very important in allowing them an outlet of grief (I'm probably being much too forgiving - that site is just... eurgh).
I'd like to bring up the 5 stages of grief, which have been mentioned previously on 'House'. They are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and, finally, acceptance.
I'm interested to see how these might correspond to people's reactions to Kutner's suicide - both the characters of 'House' and also the fans.
I think the strength of one's reactions would correspond both to one's emotional maturity and to the amount of emotional investment involved. It's not surprising that many fans are expressing great anger at Fox. It's exactly what one would expect.
Barbara, I disagree that House was refusing to deal with his grief. Grappling with the issue and trying to find an explanation is his way of grappling with life's issues (cf. the 'hope it will go away' response to Tritter, for example). He moves through things painfully slowly, though, as we've seen in his struggle to come to terms with his own situation.
Anyway, I'll continue reading about others' thoughts on this with great interest.
34 - XJK
Eve K- I totally agree with you that I didn't want them to find out why he killed himself. It wouldn't have been such a strong episode had they revealed it.
A quick comment on Taub - he didn't show anything to Kutner's death until he let himself at the end of the episode, someone already commented that its partly his previous suicide attempt, but how much do you think is guilt? Could they have found him in time had he not been such a 'friend' and covered for him in the morning?
I also (on rewatching) realised why the potw was so discordant... its because it actually was. Usually there is a certain degree of mirroring of what is happening in the lives of the lead characters (for example, the episode name escapes me, but with the agoraphobic patient going out while House tries to tell Cuddy how he feels). But here, on an ordinary day, fter an ordinary clinic session, with an ordinary (for House) case, the unthinkable happens. Those who have lost someone know that life does the remarkable thing of carrying on, no matter how much you want the earth to stop turning. That is why (I'm sorry, I can't find the comment I'm referring to above) someone commented that the potw was distracting... Imo, it was supposed to be.
35 - shortiee
i loved this ep for its darkness. i think it was appropriate for the story line and played well with the emotions felt both by the characters and im sure the wider audience.
im one for the music, and i looked up the lyrics for the song that was played in the closing sequence, and i read one perosn's interpretation on what the song means:
"I think this is about Pete (the song writer) ending a budding relationship before it gets serious enough to hurt him. He knows that eventually he and this girl will have to seperate, possibly so that he can work on one of those problems that he has to work out on his own. He knows if they get closer, she'll end up falling into whatever that problem is and so he wants to end it before that happens to her and before he gets attached. he's apparently done this before and even though this girl could mean a lot to him she becomes just "another thign" Does this sound like anyone we know? (i know it doesnt have much to do with the charaters this ep, unless u can stretch it to incluse how kutner was feeling and how this impacted everyone, but i thought id just point it out)
Hugh did a simply amazing job. i know from reading the other posts that im not the first to realise this, but im sure i wont be the last =)
thanks babara for another amazing piece and for helping me put my thoughts in order.
laters
36 - Wnkybx
Hello, Orange! Good to read your thoughts ... I agree, it got way too insane on the forum last night.
JL, it's great you remind us of the stages of grief. Which episode was that from? Those stages are also well known in psychiatry, but in real life those stages would take place over months. Last night I only went through 3: anger, depression, and acceptance. Not enough time for bargaining, and whichever spoiler I read before kept me from being in denial. ;p
37 - JL
Hi, Wnkybx (I always think that's such a cool username!) - House tells Cameron the stages of grief in the first episode of Season 2, "Acceptance", when she's refusing to tell a patient that she has terminal lung cancer.
38 - Ak
aye fellas chek it i found a mistake in the epi/website lolz, wen foreman calls the ambulance (ryt afta him + 13 find k's ded body) he tells em that k is 28yo bt in the official house websyt, in k's obituary, it sez hez 33yo! w00t
39 - Lisa Solod Warren
Oddly enough I felt much better as soon as I found out earlier this morning that the actor Kal Penn was going to work for Obama. I don't know why but I did.
Great article, though, Barbara. Just great.
40 - Chrisden
Barbara of all your reviews on House episodes this one is definately one of, if not your best. You absolutely nailed everything there was to explain about "A simple explanation"
I thought the writers/producers/actors did an excellent job of portraying how differently people deal with grief.
With personal experience of a sudden death (not suicide) of a very close family member this episode especially rang true to me how differently people DO deal or try to deal with grief. I can say even the supposedly strongest of people (who think they are dealing with it) will and do break down at some point.
I think the writers have got to be heading down this path with House.
As it has been said, House has had to deal with a lot of emotional issues this series and this final blow amounts to, -well actually- goes beyond what he's already had to deal with because he couldn't figure out "why". He's got to break at some point.
I also think the patients death will have an impact on his emotional state because he/they didn't diagnose sooner resulting in her death.
Even though all the others will accept she died as they didn't diagnose sooner because they were distracted with trying to deal with the shock of Kutner's suicide i don't think House will. Cuddy gave him the chance to handover the case to another Doctor so he/they could deal with their grief but he wouldn't and she let him keep it to try and support him but now the patient has died. A patient dying when he could have saved her would/will never settle lightly within House's complex diagnostic mind. As somebody stated above "Esther, All In".
I also think Cameron has added to his eventual/inevitable mental breakdown (not intentionally) by crushing his belief that Kutner was murdered so he wouldn't have to deal with the fact that he could have done something if it was suicide.
I also think the same of Wilson's comments.
I thought Barbara did an excellent job of explaining the way Cuddy tried to support House.
On a lighter note AGAIN - I'm giving up on my House wearing spectacles/glasses theory of being of any significance because he was wearing them again and Cuddy saw him this time and didn't bat an eyelid. Spectacles/glasses wearing theory finished :).
On a lighter note AGAIN AGAIN - Good luck to Kal Penn on working for Obama, i don't read spoilers so have only just found this out.
41 - Amie
A very moving episode, even if I regret having being spoiled... (I won't read spoilers anymore I won't read spoilers anymore I won't read spoilers anymore...) I remember haven't being spoiled for the end of season 4 and was sitting at the edge of my seat "no, they're not going to kill her!?" and wondering till the end. Unfortunately, I knew Kutner was doomed, but was surprised it happened so soon in the epi.
I loved how everyone was in character : Cuddy being all professionnal and taking care of everyone as "mother" of the hospital, Wilson reminded of a recent death being too upset to deal with House (thank you for a little continuity!), Taub working hard on the case not to think about it, House not working on the case to find answers.
I even liked the 14 storyline!
I loved how the simple explanation is that there is no explanation.
I loved how they showed that Cuddy understands House and try to find ways that work for him ("I'll find you another patient") (which I think she does since season 1).
I didn't like how once again the solution was an everybody-lies-I-cheated-on-my-spouse issue
I love that the TPTB are messing with House.
I loved that they realized they were dealing with something sensitive that isn't to be taken lightly (this is entertainement after all) and showed that NAMI announcement at the end.
and as always, I love your review, Barbara, and everyone's comments. Thanks for putting it up so soon.
I may be a minority here but for once, I wasn't moved by House but rather by Taub. When he eventually gave in at the end, it really got to me. Kudos to PJ. I liked how he seemed really affected by that "good thing you got some (help)" House said, reminded that he attempted suicide once.
I think the parallel between the PoTWs and Kutner's death is "wanting to die" and "guilt". Eddy wants to die to give his liver to his wife (out of guilt for not being there for her); Charlotte wants to die to give her heart to her husband (guilt for cheating on him in Rio).
Kutner wanted to die.
And Taub feels guilty. For not seeing it coming? for not being so nice to Kutner lately? But his line "you can't feel that much guilt without love" seems to show how much Kutner meant to him.
And as Charlotte's death has no meaning (Cuddy :"it will give her death some meaning". Taub:"no. it won't" ), Kutner's death has no meaning, no explanation...
And it's killing everyone...
42 - Jair
Barbara, wonderful review. I felt punched in the guts with this one, but it was so well done. I would never have chosen to trim the cast with Kal Penn, but given that he wanted to leave, for understandable reasons, the writers did a fantastic job making that exit really affect the story.
43 - Debbie
I never hated an episode of House until last night. This came out of nowhere. But I guess that was the point they were trying to make (sometimes you just don't know when someone is depressed/suicidal).
I was hoping this was all a dream/hallucination and we would found that out in the end, but they've already done that in No Reason and they wouldn't have given a suicide PSA at the end.
And I agree, Barbara; I think the producers' idea of putting an obit for Lawrence Kutner on the website was tacky. Making an obit for a fictional character takes away the importance and significance of obits for real people, imo.
I think House will still be obsessed next week (as he should be) but will realize that it was just what it seemed, suicide and not homicide.
I couldn't possibly have cared less about the POTW and her husband. (Or the POTW and his wife. I didn't really know which was which, and, as I said, don't care.) And I can't believe this is the episode the writers chose to have Meat Loaf as the guest star. The front story totally put the patient(s) on the back burner and it didn't really matter who played the husband.
And as much as I love clinic patients, it had absolutely no tie into the main story (as most of them do) and it looks as though they could have filmed it months ago and just threw it in there, for God knows what reason.
Having said all that, that it angered me means that Katie and David did their job and they did it well. It (Kutner's suicide) came out of nowhere but like I said, that was the whole point, to throw us for huge loop.
This is what I love about this show. If it had been Taub that committed suicide, it wouldn't have shocked us as he has been in dire straits both personally and professionally recently. Would we have been angered and saddened? Probably. But not shocked.
And I agree again, Barbara; Hugh Laurie continues to slay me week after week. What he can convey in one heartbreaking facial expression is worth a thousand words.
On an entirely different note, I think the promos for next week purposely provoked suspicisions about Cameron still holding a torch. I think it is a catalyst for things to come between House & Cuddy.
44 - Debbie
P.S. Having read the reason for writing Kutner out of the show, I commend Kal Penn for following his heart and his passion. And I comment Katie & David for taking advantage of it and giving us a powerful episode.
I know in my post above I contradicted myself by saying how much I hated it/loved it. That just goes to show how awesome K&D are in provoking so many diverse emotions with their creativity.
45 - barbara barnett
"I've come across this blog a few times before, but this episode has moved me to make my first comment.Barbara, your insight into the show is simply detailed, compassionate, and simply awesome; I've bookmarked this page for sure!"
Welcome and thank you for your kind words, come back often! I think a lot of us were worried about House's mental state after Kutner's suicide.
JL--I got an inkling of the need to talk on my personal blog. I usually get 100 hits a day or so. Within two hours of House last night, I'd had more than 200 in 2 hours and I hadn't even posted anything new to it. The traffic to my BC articles also spiked and I really wanted to crank something out quickly, but I wanted it just right. We all need to discuss this. It's a major turning point for the show and the fallout will be incredible.
JL-I don't think he's "refusing" per se. He's just unable to cope with it. It's how he deals with his problems.
Chrisden--thanks so much (and to everyone's kind words). LOL about the glasses. I just think he's beginning to need them. Like me ;)
Jair--I also felt sucker punched after this episode. And I feel it's the first of several to come.
Debbie--we were supposed to "hate" what happened, and we were supposed to be stunned just like Kunter's colleagues. As they reacted differently, do we. Hugh Laurie is, indeed, an acting genius.
Answer to Orange's off-topic question. No, I don't run a synagogue seder. It's enough work to do my own! Gefilte fish is made and in the fridge. Yummy.Just like my grandmother used to make it. Next up is the vegetarian chopped liver (mushroom/walnut/onion pate)
46 - Jaim
One thing that stood out to me about Kutner these last few episodes is how happy he was and how well he was doing in his job. I remember reading once that many times when people decide to kill themselves they enter an emotional state of almost euphoria where they have accepted that they will take their own life, thus fully enjoying their last few weeks before that. I mean in "Locked In" he made all the right suggestions for the patient, and House knew this. In "Here Kitty" he and House played pranks on one another and in the end he bested House. The last few episodes I feel like he was enjoying his last few weeks with his colleagues and even trying to have a good effect on them. He made sure to help Taub out and to always encourage Thirteen and Foreman's relationship by saying "You have to grab whatever happiness you can," in "Unfaithful". He protected House from falling into a coma state in "The Softer Side". I think he was making sure that once he did finally take his own life that he left a positive mark on the lives around him.
My opinion is that since the episode "Birthmarks" and every episode from then on, he has been privately thinking of suicide. "Birthmarks" brought up all his own feelings about being adopted and losing his biological parents. He loved his foster parents, but I think he felt like he was living an inauthentic life. I definitely felt that in "Joy to the World" when he apologized to his past classmate for bullying him, he was starting the path to tying up his lose ends. I don't think he wanted to die with huge regrets weighing him down. He wanted to start making amends for past hurts.
I think that Taub is going to feel like he really screwed up as a friend to Kutner especially because in "Here Kitty" he basically told him they weren't really friends.
House will feel like crap mostly because I think Kutner was everything he wished he, himself, could be. Kutner always was seemingly happy and hopeful even though he didn't have much to feel happy about. House probably envied his ability to move past his pain. Now that House knows what was really going on under the surface I think he will once again think that being openly miserable and angry is better than tempering himself as he tried in "The Softer Side." But what I hope he gains is that his misanthropic and nihilistic ideas are just as much of a mask as Kutner's eternal optimism was.
Wilson getting mad at Cuddy struck me. When he said, "You couldn't give a crap about me. You just want me to take care of him," was really harsh. I started to wonder if he resents Cuddy's unyielding loyalty to House. She cares deeply about them both but maybe not in the same way. Wilson has said something similar to this in "Dying Changes Everything," during the 'couple's counseling session' when he said "She has to say this to me so that she looks like she's on my side," in reference to her reprimand of House's emotional blackmail of him to stay at the hospital.
My feeling is that Kutner did show very subtle signs that he was in agony but each of his colleagues were too immersed in their own problems to notice. House was focused on his pain,Cuddy, and all his own emotional baggage. Thirteen and Foreman are focused on each other most of the time now. Taub was drowing in his own shame and guilt. I think that they were all in their own tunnel vision making it hard for them to notice a subtle sigh, a sad faraway glance, or a suddenly quiet mood from Kutner.
47 - Michael
I was cruising the 'net looking for info. on this episode and happened upon this site.
Firstly, kudos to the author for a well written piece. Sadly, we don't find much of that these days on the 'net.
I am not a huge "House" fan, but try to watch it when I can as I find the writing and acting to be very good.
I saw in this episode the suicide and how different people react to it. There is rarely any "sense" to it, even if there is a note and signs.
There was also a connection to the Meatloaf character and his willingness to die (commit suicide) for his wife, but I won't examine that arc at this time. Let me just say it seemed to me to be much more in the style of the stereotypic Hollywood formula for "sacrifice."
So often Hollywood loudly bellows that they are imitating life to justify too many stupid things, but in this case I thought this was an excellent "imitation of life."
Suicide is a reality. It is rarely, if ever, understood. The living are left to deal with the aftermath.
Yeas ago, when I was still a teenager, a cousin of mine committed suicide. There were explanations and theories. There was remembrance and tears, but in the end, he was dead and nothing we could do or say could change that. Sort of like the weather. It just "is" or in this case; "was."
Taub's reaction near the end was very well done. Sobbing, but we didn't hear the sounds. An effect used very well in Godfather III with Pacino's initial reaction to his daughter's death. Also a similar effect during the funeral scene - no dialogue.
Less is more. Silence truly is deafening.
It wasn't lost on me that a non Judeo-Christian death and funeral was handled with great respect on a U.S. television network, especially FOX, without even a hint of a reference to terrorism. Perhaps we truly are in a new era of understanding.
To me, this episode felt the most "real" of any tv drama I have seen in a very long time.
48 - barbara barnett
Hi Michael. Glad you happened upon this site and my article. I can't say enough how well the producers and writers at House handled the difficult issues. It would have been so easy to give the episode a pat ending; so simple to kill off Taub in this way. It was very realistic for the portrayal of friends/family reaction to suicide. There were moment I almost felt like a voyeur. What a fabulous hour of TV.
49 - Meena
Wow, this was an incredibly moving episode - so wonderfully written, acted, and executed.
I admire that we never saw Kutner's face, that the PsOTW were a blur, and that each person who knew Kutner not only had a distinct, personal reaction to his suicide but also reacted to each other's reactions. I feel so strange saying this, but the suicide scene itself was the most moving I've seen on television, so beautifully rendered with respect, shock, awe, disbelief, and unbelievable sadness. And so very real.
I also admire the writers for not pandering to over-the-top drama, or what Kutner must have been feeling (deep down and behind closed doors) but focusing, quite realistically, on how the people remaining are taking it. Watching House, almost dutifully, try on different ‘diagnoses’ of why Kutner killed himself was so sad to watch, and yet so in character. At the end, when it seems he's realized he's just chasing his tail, that he'll probably never know, broke my heart. The overshadowed sets and darkened atmosphere on any other show would have come across as contrived, but in this episode the direction fit so perfectly.
I thought it interesting that the PsOTW were also both 'suicidal', in a more logical way. Each POTW wants to take his/her life in order to produce (or at least help to produce) a certain, noble outcome: saving the life of their partner at the expense/sacrifice of their own (I think there is an element of atonement in this as well). The wife actually tries to kill herself on her own, overdosing on some meds, thinking her death and her husband’s life to be mutually exclusive. But when her husband’s diagnosis changes and he isn’t going to die of cancer, the act goes retroactively from being noble to being foolish. In the end, the wife, stuck with the consequences of her drastic actions, ends up dying a senseless death, just like Kutner.
It seems that actions are simple and direct, but explanations can never be.
I have to say I was touched by the little details throughout the episode, but none moreso than the dried bloodstain on Kutner’s floor, just like the stain House has on his office carpet from when he was shot in season 2. The way that House looked at it " as if it were familiar, but then also as if it were something otherworldly " took my breath away.
Finally, the Ordinary People poster in Wilson's office makes so much more sense now - I think it's been there since Painless...
There is so much more to say…I am amazed at how, with one episode, the writers managed to not only change the direction of the remaining episodes of season five, but to also cast a new light on the preceding ones as well. I really didn’t like Here, Kitty, but now feel compelled to rewatch the episode.
50 - Sheila
Although I do admire DS's attempts to be innovative with his wildly successful House format and appreciate his creative fire......I think I admire his guts more than his achievement in this last episode.
The whole Kafkaesque thing got to be very self referential , very quickly. The suicide of Kutner was a brilliant idea and could have stood on it's own as a script without the added traffic jam of the dual POTW. Some judicious editing would have helped the episode. The POTW were distracting and their case too complicated for an already uber heavy plot line.
Hugh Laurie proved yet again how he rises above the noise of any script and makes every scene he is in, just sing.
If you ever get to interview him Barb, please ask him if he fills himself with the emotions and let the viewer see them or if he portrays the emotions and reflects that image back to the camera. I've always wanted to know. The former would seem more costly to the actor.
I am sorry Kal Penn has left the show, but for what an opportunity ! Good for him and best wishes.
51 - Sera G
Hello, Barbara,
Wonderful, heartfelt comments from all. I don't have much new to add to all that has been said, but I wanted to comment on a few things:
I was drawn into the spolers (again!) and knew that a death was coming. While it didn't surprise me, it was startling that it happened within the first few minutes. For some reason I thought it would end the episode after some 'event' or harshness from House. This way was much more emotional, powerful and inexplicable.
The darkness, as a matter of fact the whole 'feel'of the scenes/lighting made me think of how I felt when my father died unexpectedly. I felt as if I was moving through a cloud, almost dreamlike. That was the same quality I got from the episode.
A friend's fiance commited suicide. For years she clung to the belief that it was murder. (Even after a police investigation, etc.) A person looks for signs, wants there to have been something they could have seen or done. Tragically, there often is nothing.
That was a wonderful observation made by Jaim that perhaps Kutner was tying up loose ends, saying goodbye and making things right, even if only he knew that was what he was doing.
I felt Wilson was protecting himself and not acting selfishly; this must have brought back too much of what he endured with Amber's death, barely a year ago.
I loved Cuddy. She understands, worries about and will always protect House. Those scenes show so much about her deep, protective and loving feelings for him.
I know it was a bit over the top to have a 'memorial' for Kutner, but as we know, spending hours analysing a TV show, these characters become very real for us and there needs to be a way to say goodbye. For younger viewers, that might be a way to channel anger and grief.
"Simple Explanation" has stayed with me all day. Powerful writing and amazing acting. TPTB did not take the easy way out. They promised pain and they delivered.
52 - Meena
As an aside, as someone with a South Asian/Hindu background, Kutner's funeral was not a traditional Hindu ceremony, though there was a Brahmin priest/ swami (can tell by the markings on his head) and an implied cremation at the end. (BTW I am assuming Kutner is Hindu because Muslims, as a rule, do not cremate their dead.)
However, the building it took place in looked much more like a mosque, complete with a Perisan dome, rather than a Hindu temple. Also, in a typical Hindu funeral, there would not have been formal pallbearers per se at the end, but rather family members would carry the body in the beginning to the funeral pyre. And, during the cremation, the priest, family and co. would have been standing closer to the funeral pyre to perform the rites, and usually all this occurs outside and/or near a body of water.
I wasn't sure if they were just taking dramatic license, being purposefully vague / overlapping religions, or just uninformed. Part of me would have wanted them to show a traditional Hindu funeral ceremony because most people in this country have never seen one before (you'd be surprised how many people don't even know what Hinduism is). Especially for a show this smart about so many different religions - this is my only slight gripe about this episode. But yes, I guess I should rejoice that the swami wasn't strapped with C4 or carrying a gun:)
53 - JL
Meena - Do you think that having a somewhat-mixed-up Hindu funeral (apparently mixed-up - I'm going by your description above) could be a reflection of Kutner's mixed-up upbringing, as noted by House? His adoptive parents weren't Hindu (I believe) and might want Kutner's funeral to reflect aspects of their own culture (eg. having pallbearers).
54 - mandy
Thank for such a thoughtful review, Barbara.
One of the things about House MD is that is always makes me think, and last night was no exception. I was really touched by Wilson's statement that, "it's okay not to be okay", that people don't always have to put on a brave face after something horrible has happened.
I thought they also were respectful with regards to the suicide issue. To me, a person who has been impacted by such events, it seemed realistic. Sometimes, you just can't know why--and it's a hard thing to accept.
The episode also did a good job of conveying grief. Often, when someone dies, especially in a tragic way, we are left with regret and a lot of "what ifs". The cast conveyed that sense of regret, in that they wish they had known him better, etc. Taub especially felt guilty, as he only recently told Kutner that they weren't friends.
I won't repeat much else, other than kudos to HL and PJ for their outstanding performances, respectively. Both of them conveyed so many emotions with either their faces or their inflections.
PS: Anyone else notice that the Vicodin is back?
House took some before they went to talk to Kutner's parents.
55 - j.i.m.
On a seconding viewing of this episode, I loved the artistry of the first shot of House after he was aware of Kutner's suicide. His face in profile was a perfect match for the photo of Kutner that House was holding at the end of the episode and which he found so disturbing. Both House and Kutner were pictured with heads bent down and shadowed eyes that were impenetrable and lifeless.
It is clear now that not only House was saddled with unbearable pain. But in contrast to Kutner, House is a bull in a china shop, spreading collateral damage freely. Kutner sought to bring peace and comfort to those around him eventhough he suffered. As House misses nothing, he couldn't fail to draw the parallel/contrast between himself and Kutner and find his own behavior wanting. The only thing House can be proud of is enduring his pain longer than Kutner while Kutner's weakness was not seeking help to try and relieve his emotional pain. Will House learn from this and seek help beyond his vicodin? Perhaps he will decide to make a second appointment with the psychiatrist.
56 - Meena
JL - I should start by saying that in my post I was just explaining the way I know Hindu funerals to be...I am sure there are many Hindus from different parts of the world that perform them differently.
I do agree with you, I think that it was probably a reflection of Kutner's upbringing being mixed-up, overlapping parts of his heritage/ religions/ traditions on purpose that would best explain his funeral (I didn't articulate that too clearly in the post above:)). I also like the idea of the writers being intentionally vague, so as not to distill any more information/speculation of who Kutner was.
Continuing your thought, it could also be that since it seemed no one had an inkling as to why he killed himself, maybe they couldn't know which type of funeral / good-bye he would prefer, or which he may have felt was more 'Kutner' (and maybe he didn't know the answer to that himself). Maybe the funeral was set up by his parents/loved ones to cover all the bases, so there wouldn't be a wrong choice. Who knows, sadly.
57 - mandy
j.i.m.--He took some Vicodin before he met with Kutner's parents.
58 - sdemar
Thanks for your wonderful review, Barbara. More than 24 hours later, I am still thinking about this episode. That's how I know it did what it was supposed to have done. Make me think.
Powerful episode and wonderful acting by all. I can't wait to see where Greg House is heading. I don't have a good feeling. But one thing I know. He has an incredible resolve to live. Time and time again, he has shown us he has a desire to live, which apparently Kutner did not.
59 - Jaim
Another thought came to me, this death probably affects House so much because once again someone so similar to himself was abruptly taken. Amber shared House's anything goes, vindictive, take charge philosophy of life and then ultimately she perished. Kutner, as Cuddy pointed out, shared House's enthusiasm for pushing boundaries and thrill seeking and he also perished. Thirteen is similar to House in that she has an incurable physical problem and she will ultimately die as well. Thirteen already nearly died during the hostage situation and from the affects of her clinical trial. A big difference here is that House was responsible for saving her life the second time.
Foreman is similar to House in that he can become very emotionally detached when dealing with patients and he always stays focused on the case instead of retreating into the personal. Foreman nearly died in season two but was saved in time.
It must really mess with House's mind to see so many versions of himself die or nearly die. I also think that this painful loss will only make him feel like he really has no real control over the events around him. He usually knows how to manipulate situations or people and expect a certain result, but Amber's death and Kutner's suicide have both blinsided him. I can see him gradually falling into a post traumatic nervous breakdown and ironically becoming as metally lost as Wilson's brother. It would be interesting to see Wilson handle House's eventual break considering his heaviest guilt comes from not being there for his own emotionally disturbed brother.
60 - GForce
Thanks Barbara for another wonderful review. I always read your thoughts after House and I always love your insight, but have to say you really nailed this one. I admire that you can write such coherent thoughts so soon after an episode such as this, I am still a mess. You wrote so much of what I have been trying to say to others - thank you.
61 - Reba
Dear Barbara.
Thanks again for a well-written review. I also think that the writers/producers have foreseen that this episode will somehow split the fans. I do think it was made because Kal Penn decided to go off to the Obama administration - and good for him! Brave move. But also I feel that it really reflects what is a reality, a lot of suicides seem to just happen - to people around them. I think Kutner's was planned (the message about the dog and so on). Two strong hints for me was the scene after Amber's death where everyone is struck by it, except Kutner who seems completely unfazed in front of the television. And the fact that he always seemed to share small facts (like the subscription on National Geographic) and maybe not the big facts. However, I will miss him. Kal Penn did a great job as Kutner. I really liked that character.
Reba.
62 - iryka
say. i just rewatched "here kitty", the ep im sure kutner had the biggest and most intrguing role in, and i discovered something.
at the time it seemed humorous becasue of kutner's apparent phobia of cats, but what if it was more than that? perhaps kutner hated to be around it since he feared it would predict his death and alert everyone to his suicide in but two episodes?
and does anyone remember how the cat zoned in on him numerous times throughout the ep, to a point where it was the cat and kutner staring straight at each other? how he just decided to leave the back way, which seemed humrous due to the music, but was it foreshadowing of the future?
and when house was messing with kutner at aiming the laser pointer at kutner's legs, so the cat would follow suit.
remember wat house said?
"oh no! the death cat is attacking your legs!
you're going to DIE"
that gave me straightout goosebumps when i watched it again.
63 - Mary K. Williams
Barbara --- nice, nice job. And kudos to the staff at House, writing, directing - and of course, acting.
We were interested in seeing the ep because my son is a big Meatloaf fan. And of course, they had hinted that it was going to be 'one of those episodes'.
What a shock.
64 - Wnkybx
I'm loving everyone's comments. They're so insightful.
I think Irkya's observation about "Here Kitty" is spot-on. That episode aired around the same time the spoiler leaked, and I figured the animal's intuition about and interaction with Kutner were foreshadowing his death.
I am glad that Jaim brought up the happiness seen in some people who make a plan to end their lives. I was rotating through a psych hospital, working with a physician in training who took her life. In the week prior to her death, she suddenly seemed happier, more at peace. No one, not even the psychiatry attendings, picked up the signs that she was depressed; no one batted an eye when her mood seemed different. Day in, and day out the psych attendings treat patients who have suicidal ideations, and they were flabbergasted by the news. Like House, they were tormented by the fact that they didn't pick up the signs. In Kutner's case (after having been spoiled), I was really struck by how happy-go-lucky he seemed at the end of "Locked In," when he allowed Taub to take credit for his ideas in the competitive and malignant work environment House created. It was as if he had nothing to lose. This is very much in contrast to how he used to compete with Thirteen in DDx sessions. Thinking back, I was also intrigued by why the POTW in "The Social Contract" kept calling Kutner's smiling creepy. It's as if the patient picked up on the fact his smiles were not sincere because he had to force them to appear pleasant. Appearing happy to mask his internal turmoil was Kutner's end of the social contract.
All these subtleties that are open to interpretation are another reason why I love this show so much.
65 - Suzanne
Wow, everyone's comments are really great - and to echo someone further up, it's nice to have this kind of outlet for the show. It's thoughtful, considerate and generally intriguing, plus the conversation that stems below is always great.
Anyway, good catch on the cat and House's reaction to him from 'Hello Kitty' - I mean, you want to talk guilt, yikes! But I'm not so sure it was a sign, at least not to Kutner. I get the sense, based on the very limited information given to us, that perhaps this wasn't exactly planned. But aside from the question of why, I want to know where did the gun come from? why today (or April 2nd, as indicated)? what happened on April 1st that sent him to do this? I know these questions aren't supposed to be answered, and I truly hope they never are, but it will definitely keep nagging at me.
Above (again, sorry, I can't keep all the comments straight but they are all really wonderful) someone mentioned Wilson's comment to Cuddy, the one about taking care of House, and I must agree. So harsh! What on earth set that reaction off? It was just...mean! Cuddy's reaction to House was as it would have ever been - protecting her asset/loyalty/whatever you want to call it. I did not found that out of character for her at all. But Wilson, wow.
Sidebar: It was almost unfortunate to have Meatloaf as a guest on this episode. It was completely backburnered. Though, comical that the underlying theme of his plotline was that he would do 'anything for love'....even that (sorry - I had to go there).
Thanks again to all for the great conversation. I love it!
66 - Donna
Barbara- While I feel less stung today than after first watching "SE" Monday it still has staying power w/me this morning. Still absorbing the content. Suicide and it's after effect on family, friends, coworkers. IMHO, very well done and realistic by the House staff. I'm curious how an even more unstable House will come out of this relatively (for House) healthy? Can he?
iryka- It's odd that you should mention you rewatched "Here Kitty" and here's something else to ponder from that ep. My niece was watching missed House eps while visiting last night
(beginning w/"HK" and ending w/"SE). I was more preoccupied w/completing my income taxes but listening to the dialogue in the background. I froze and looked at my television just after House bitingly commented to Kutner, "I thought your superstitions had to do with your folks being killed. But your stupid works just as well".
Might it be a comment House will regret saying (among other comments/actions)?
67 - nc
In a strange way, House almost strikes me as co-dependent. He needs to save everyone, needs to know everything, needs to figure everything out. Of course, it's his job as the court of last resort for seemingly hopeless cases, and it taps straight into his complex personality with its rigid refusal to need anyone. He just feels responsible for the world.
He's had to say "I don't know" too many times this season for someone with his persona and history: most significantly for me, to Cuddy on a personal level, and now about Kutner on a professional/personal level.
He looks haunted. Essentially, he is, since he never gives up on a mystery, medical or otherwise, and he never lets others too close, so he can't let his burdens be shared.
I get the feeling this is driving him toward Cuddy and away from Wilson, but that if he and Cuddy become intimate because he has sought her out in pain instead of in love, it could explode on both of them in ways that would redefine the classic season-ending episode.
68 - Mary K. Williams
Though, comical that the underlying theme of his plotline was that he would do 'anything for love'....even that (sorry - I had to go there).
I know! I picked up on that too.
69 - Eve K
Meena - interesting that you noticed an "Ordinary people"-poster in Wilson's office. It was there from the Painless episode? That movie is about a boy and his family struggling with the aftermath of a suicide attempt.
I remember so well his friend from the institution who seemed happy and well adjusted. And it was she who killed herself in the end, not him.
70 - Michael
actor Penn speaks about his recent move from House to the White House.
71 - Sheila
To Suzanne post #65: Wilson's reaction :
I think part of the Wilson/House dynamic shift is simply having different writers on each script who see the characters through their own creative prism.
I think Wilson was being truthful to Cuddy when he said about the situation " I can't deal with this and House too". I think Wilson was experiencing some post traumatic stress linking the death of Amber and Kutner. Both bright, young doctors working within House's orbit. Wilson has not entirely made his peace with House's role in Amber's death. RSL said recently of Wilson " every time he thinks of Amber , he thinks of House and every time he sees House , he thinks of Amber"; much as House himself feared in Emancipation as modeled by the young girl who feared her parents censor after accidentally caused her brother's death.
I noticed that House had rationalized a kinder reason for Wilson's absence. House felt Wilson didn't want to hover about him & wanted to let him work things out for himself. House simply can't risk acknowledging any further rejection from Wilson, it's too threatening to him. There was a note of relief in his voice when he took the unusual step of acknowledging Wilson's presence when he finally turned up at Kutner's apt. " It's good to see you."
House was correct when he said that Wilson is scared of loosing him (Birthmarks) and Wilson tacitly acknowledged as much when he said he " was terrified " as to what House might do if he lost his intellectual gift/his very self. Wilson loves his friend deeply as his troubled brother (IMO) but he is afraid of getting hurt by watching House sprial to his death ......Wilson was slow to respond in order to protect himself and out of residual anger , but in the end you can rest assured Wilson will be there for House.
72 - Emayla
First of all, beautifully written. I've been reading your columns about House for a while now and every column is really well written.
When I heard the rumors on the internet that there will be a suicide on House, I immediately thought of episode Painless, where Taub expressed how repulsive the thought of suicide seemed to him. And after watching this week's episode, I have remembered Kutner's words: "So if you were being burned to the stake and someone handed you a gun..." "I'd shot the guy with the torches," responded Taub. But it made me wonder. Did Kutner felt like he was being burned to the stake (not literally of course)? How important actually is the episode Painless? Since I have already known that Simple Explanation is going to be very important I spent some time on the internet (before the episode aired)trying to find the person who's going to die and it all pointed to Kutner (especially those promo pictures for next week's episode, Saviors), but that where it all ended. I posted my conclusions on a House forum and no one really listened. Cause no one really expected Kutner, the guy who brought humor into the series, to kill himself. And that brings us to the question House has been dealing with this whole episode: Why? What happened?
He couldn't have lost somebody: his parents were already dead, and as far as we know he has no siblings.
I thought that over and over and I'm coming up blank. But after I read interview with Kal Penn, Katie Jacobs and David Shore, I'm thinking: what if not even the writers don't know why it happened (not that they don't know why THEY did it but that they don't know why the character did it)? It's a long shot, but if I'm not mistaken, they just needed someone to do a suicide, so Kal Penn's wish of leaving the series came in just the right time. So that means it doesn't matter who dies, as long as someone does. And it doesn't matter why he dies, as long as it affects the rest of the episodes.
Well that's just my humble opinion. I'm probably mistaken about the writers not knowing why he did it so you all might as well ignore that if you please.
73 - carolyn
I feel this season's theme has been the question, "Does everything happen for a reason?" House's answer has always been yes, and his gift is finding a reason or cause that no one else can see. But with the situations presented in episodes like "Unfaithful", "Here Kitty" and "Locked In", and now "Simple Explanation", House has been unable to find a number of reasons. Is he loosing his gift? Or do somethings just really have no explanation? If that's the case, House is questioning the core of his philosophy. How he handles this, how he develops as a character could be the turning point of the show.
How could they ever say it's jumped the shark! Granted, I wish they'd pick up some of the story lines - the desk for one, then the baby naming ceremony, and even House meeting Wilson's brother . . . I'm really sorry if I've repeated what's already been said, or didn't really say anything that important at all, and not to sound like a broken record, but the thoughtful comments and review really help so much. Episodes always make much more sense after reading them!! : )
74 - Debbie
I've been wracking my brain trying to think of anything that may have given us a clue to Kutner's state of mind. A lot of dialogue from Here Kitty comes to mind. And, like a lot of commenters here, I thought for sure there were some. But I just read the following in an article on www.houseisright.com. The article title is Kal Penn: Front House" to the White House, dated April 7th:
"By the way, David Shore was very clear that there was no foreshadowing on the show. There were no hidden clues and anyone who tries to read them into the previous episodes will only be doing what House has done, try to get answers that aren't there."
It's clear they definitely wanted this to feel like it came out of nowhere and allowed the audience to reel, just like House.
75 - Suzanne
Sheila - Thank you. Your thoughts definitely prompted another look at their interactions and another time around. Now, by about the umpteenth viewing I think I had desensitized just enough for it to make a decent amount of sense. It's definitely true that Wilson isn't over Amber, and I fully believe that he just is not able to deal with House's mania and the tragedy, but still...I can't help to think Wilson's comment to Cuddy was just mean. Hmmm, very curious as to how this unfolds with the last couple of episodes.
Something else I noticed on this recent re-watching...when House goes to talk to Cameron about (presumably) the patient, he says to her that he "needs an incurable romantic to talk to an incurable romantic..." Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but Cameron jumps in to talk about Kutner and changing House's mind regarding the murder. To her, House is the incurable romantic? I mean, in my purview, TOTALLY, but to her? I wonder if he means to be self-referential here, knowingly or otherwise. (By the way, this also prompted a great response, which I hope to incorporate into my vernacular: "did you deduce that by removing your sunglasses to the strains of a Who song?" And, CSI: Miami, really David Caruso?)
Now, by this 7 millionth viewing (insomniacs have to do something with their time), I had to look up the song at the end. The way the lyrics hit each scene was amazingly perfect (tthough, yes, clearly well-planned). Before I get into that, here are the lyrics from Pete Yorn's 'Lose You,' which played the last few minutes:
"I’m, Taking a ride, Off to one side, It is a personal thing, Where, When I can’t stand, Up in this cage I’m not regretting.
I don’t need a better thing, I’d settle for less, It’s another thing for me, I just have to wander through this world, Alone.
Stop, before you fall, Into the hole that I have dug here, Rest, Even as you, Are starting to feel the way I used to.
I don’t need a better thing, Just to sound confused, Don’t talk about everyone, I am not amused by you.
'Cause I’m gonna lose you, Yes, I’m gonna lose you, If I’m gonna lose you...
'Cause I’m gonna lose you, Yes, I’m gonna lose you, If I’m gonna lose you, I’ll lose you now for good."
To the production team at House - great choice! So remarkably fitting. Here's why (disclaimer, I read way way WAY too much into this): the first line above cuts to each of them, at the funeral - as it relates to Kutner, they're all on their own; next line, cut to Eddie/POTW - talk about settling for less, and then to House at Kutner's apartment - he's (as always) alone; the next line feels like a warning - again, cut to each of them, including House and save for Taub; next line, cut to Taub with the 2xPOTW; and for the last two lines, crescendo into everyone losing everyone else - POTW, Kutner, House's sanity/gift/un-obsession, Taub's control, an explanation on Kutner. Powerful stuff.
Ok, I'm going to quit while I'm too far behind. Curious if anyone else saw any of this.
PS - Debbie: totally agree. Success at complete shock with this episode.