“You can’t keep going like this. Something has to change.”
“I know.”
This last exchange in "After Hours" between House (Hugh Laurie in a brilliant performance) and Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), for all it’s familiarity, is noteworthy for House’s lack of push-back against Wilson’s nagging. House knows it’s true, perhaps truer than at any other time since we met him.
“After Hours,” is the penultimate episode of House’s seventh season, and after all of this season's pyrotechnics, production numbers and high-wire acts, it really comes down to this simple exchange. “Something has to change.”.jpg?t=20110514152751)
Garrett Lerner and Russel Friend’s straightforward, yet heart-stopping script ties together three separate stories, which never intersect, themselves, but which elaborate on a familiar House theme. The simplicity of the story lines belies the complexity of emotion in this study of cause and effect. Oh how I have missed Friend and Lerner’s wonderful scripts this season. (This is their first since last season's finale.) From “House’s Head” and “Wilson’s Heart,” to “Broken” and, of course “Help Me” (often in collaboration with Peter Blake, and sometimes David Foster), this writing team is great at mining the series core themes and getting to the real emotion of House’s story.
I’ve liked much of Season 7, but I’d yet to watch an episode this season that's left me breathless at the commercial breaks (although fortunately I didn’t have to watch the episode with commercials—Phew!). Until now, that is.
To House, everything goes back to The Leg. From Season 1, he insists that all of his pain, torment and sadness originates in Stacy’s single decision, made without his consent. All control over his own future was ripped away when she made the decision to have Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) do the debridement on his leg. And everything from that moment on was dictated by The Leg. His undiagnosed illness led him to diagnostics; the chronic pain led him to dependence on narcotics. Chronic pain changes you, I'm told. Everything becomes about that one thing that now rules your physical and emotional life. And the decisions made in direct contradiction to his wishes destroyed whatever trust he may have had in medicine and in people.
Of course, we know that House’s trust issues go much deeper than that—to his relationship with his parents certainly and whatever he suffered under John House’s roof. And another person might have reacted differently to the realities presented to House post surgery. But House’s damaged leg is the albatross around his neck; it affects everything else; every consideration.
.jpg?t=20130517094513)
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Stacy Scabin
No matter what house does wrong he always finds a way out too many ppl care abt him and I finally and truly believe he has nothing but pure love and intentions for Cuddy and the baby I think he is finally growing up. Can't wait for next season
2 - MusicandHouse
This was one of the best episodes of the entire season! Hugh Laurie was amazing and I have to agree that the House/Rachel scenes were some of the best. I hope you are right that any resolution between House and Cuddy will come through Rachel. It seems like this episode brought them closer together again, but based on the promo for next week, that may soon become undone.
BTW You must be really excited about House being picked up for another season because you wrote Season 8 twice when you ment season 7 :)
3 - barbara barnett
Indeed I must. Fixed now, yes, with Season 8 on my mind.
4 - Kayla
For once during a House episode lately, I didn't get bored. Lately the plots have not been the same as they usually are, but tonights episode was amazing. It was full of great acting to gut wrenching scenes. The scene of House in the bathtub had me at the edge of my seat. His acting was superb. As long as the other two small stories on the side. I am glad to see some sort of bond between 13 and Chase. I just hope both of them end up happy. Finally Taub is being a man. Owning up to the pregnancy and wanting to have the baby. I hope the season finale will bring back the feel of the old House episodes we know and love. Can't wait for next week!!
5 - Joy
This is a great episode. Hugh Laurie in an award worthy performance. That bath tub scene was just acted with brilliance. I believe that House, despite being difficult as he is, do care and have a heart. He is troubled in so many ways, in which "showing care" is a great challenge for him. I like the fact that Cuddy was the last person he called. Cuddy on the other hand, was very cold but you can tell she cared. What i saw with Cuddy too, was she was challenged by her emotions on whether be this caring person that she had been for House for all the troubles he had in the past, or build a wall between the 2 of them. Just superb acting from Lisa too.
Rachel and House received the biggest "aww moment" of the night. The pirate talk? The couch scene? The letter which screamed "From Cuddy"...just great moments....On the other hand, The House self surgery earned my "puke bucket" moment as it did trouble to my GERD...."
6 - spoilerchicka
sorry but I do not see Cuddy feeling good about House in anyway after After Hours. She sees him as her albatross and he's not making her life better. He's haunting her. Until House gets himself together, she's right to keep him out of her life. If House snaps in the finale and hurts Cuddy as the promo indicates, Cuddy will have been proven right to avoid House at all costs. The damaged man needs to fix himself before inflicting himself on innocent people around him (Cuddy, Rachel, Wilson). I found myself wondering if anyone else was finding House way more high maintenance that he's worth? Seriously, why not call 911? At this point he called everyone but Cuddy yet he trusts her. house doesn't want her to find him like that but he thinks she'll finish the operation? How f-ed up is he? Cuddy seemed emotionally drained, exhausted and sad to be involved with House and unless this guy has a damn good reason to run a car into her home and terrify her, I think House may have become too dangerous to be around anymore. The only thing left for this to be explainable is perhaps the lab-rat meds have left one more tumor in House, most likely in his brain. Any other reason for his rough behavior toward Cuddy is unacceptable.
7 - Joy
Spoilerchicka, exactly my thoughts abt the next week's promo. That tumor or whatever "experimental" stuff he shot himself would cause him serious Neurological damage...
8 - Julia
Run a car into her home? Does he really or is this speculation?
9 - BakerStreet
I recommend renting Martin Scorcese's movie "After Hours." This episode borrowed much from it, in terms of storylines, tones and visuals.
10 - bigHousefan
Wow! What an amazing episode AND AWESOME REVIEW! What a tremendous script, brilliantly directed and stunningly played out by all but especially, the truly incredible Hugh Laurie! The bathtub scene was gut-wrenching and the pirate scenes between Rachel and House were gorgeous! I wish we could have seen more of that during the season.
I loved the scene between House and Wilson, especially where House knocks Wilson's hand away when he tries to support him and then finally admits he's right. They are so cute together and sometimes remind me of an old married couple!
I'm also so happy that we haven't seen Dominika since FFG.
Did I mention the awesome review? Thanks so much for posting so quickly! Wow all around!
11 - Jess
Best episode of the season in my opinion. Can't wait for the season finale, it looks promising.
And great review!
12 - MusicandHouse
@Julia
That is speculation based on what people have seen/heard
13 - Val
Great review as always Barbara!
The episode, however, left me bored again. Aside from House's own storyline the rest didn't have me interested about the other characters and w/o any PoTW (I didn't really consider 13's "friend" a PoTW) I felt the team was definitly lacking.
Was glad to see that House did have an affect on Rachel. He did "bond" with her in his own way. Mr. Laurie and House's story (RSL and LE included) was the best thing about tonight's episode hands down.
I am determined to stick with the show until the end, but it's a bit difficult these days. Something's missing...
14 - Audrey
I agree with those here who say it was one of the best episodes of the season. The House/Rachel stuff was wonderfully done. The House/Cuddy stuff made me hopeful again for the first time in a long time. That is, till the finale promo.
Looking forward to your interview with Garrett and Russel later in the week.
I too have missed Garrett and Russel this season. I'm so glad they came out of hiding and wrote an episode. And what an episode!
I'm torn about watching next week. It's the finale and I really want to know what's going on with House and with House/Cuddy. Him slamming her against a wall. Her telling the cop she doesn't want him near her again. Things look dark in Mudville today.
15 - BeeJ
Oh man, just finished the epi and came straight over. For once I'm NOT late to this analysis/discussion lol!
I really loved this episode. I found myself watching it like a mini movie or something...it felt like it could've gone on for another hour and I wouldn't have cared. This director, Miguel Sapochnik does some really amazing work on House.
All the stories were really strong even though once again Foreman was left out in a major way. I know Foreman isn't the most popular character, but TPTB have to give him something next year...poor OE lol. I feel like he's just collecting a paycheck sometimes.
I also think this was the start of a final resolution to the House and Cuddy relationship. And in the season finale we get the final nail. Although I loved them together. It's over! Like really over! I agree with 6- Spoilerchicka above, Cuddy is drained and House is the weight holding her down. No matter how much she loves him, she under any circumstance can NOT allow him that close to herself or Rachel until he shows months or years of improvement. I see it as a positive step forward only in the way that they now both know it's REALLY over, and House needs to take his physical/emotional well being more serious if he wants to find some happiness or stability in life. A bittersweet episode indeed.
Lastly...that promo OMG! How OOC for House to push Cuddy like that and possibly crash a car into something...??? IDK, something's awry here, I feel it.
16 - bigHousefan
After watching again, I loved that House was comforting Rachel during their pirate conversations recognizing the state he was in would be frightening to her. Cuddy tried to keep Rachel from looking at him, but House's means were much more effective. Just beautiful.
17 - HouseFaNN
I loved this episode. Thought it was one of the best this season. It was just what house fans needed!
I'm a little torn if i want to watch the finale. I am a big Huddy fan and I want to see how the season plays out, but that promo does not look promising for a happy ending.
18 - Jamie
I think we will get the real House/Cuddy breakup next week after House wakes up from being in a coma, he will break it off because of all of this stuff which has been going on in his head. The question is how long he has been out of it - my guess is he never made it to Cuddy's place at the end of ep 14. There is just too much that doesn't add up in the episodes since then, and surely it can't just be bad writing.
19 - Emily D.
I usually lurk on here but I have to ask what are they doing with House & Cuddy? The episode tonight was enthralling and moving but the ad for next week's episode was jarring to say the least. Have we heard anything about what they have planned for their relationship? The two so obviously belong together I thought that they'd find a way back to each other somehow after their breakup but after seeing that ad and knowing it's for the finale of the season, I'm starting to worry a bit that they might leave them apart for good.
20 - Eloise
Amazing episode, had me on the edge of my seat with the House surgery thing! The promo for next week looks interesting and does not surprise me that he shows anger they need to do some resolving he and Cuddy.
But what programme are people watching if they expect a happy ending? not House thats for sure, the one thing they dont do is happy endings!
21 - dvbfan
What a great episode ..... I really enjoyed watching this episode and this is the best episode of season 7 .
I do not know what is going to happen for House but I hope , somehow he can find the right way to become a little happy .
22 - Ibsen
Hey, Barbara, after seeing this episode you said you thought it was something positive for Huddy. I agree with you. But after seeing the now infamous promo, do you still think Huddy has any hope? It looks like it's on its way to obliteration. I think House will make a postive move to make better choices in life in season 8, but I'm wondering how that will impact his future with Cuddy. I'm curious as to what do you think might happen? The sorts of things we saw in that promo seem to destroy what little relationship they had left. I don't see how they could be anything but enemies after this. Which is horrible to contemplate for the two characters we love and for the show's future. I hate it when they're at odds with each other, the show loses something big. But this--this is ten times worse. :/
23 - Jacksam4eva
Great episode, great review, great promo. That scene when he pushes her hardly against the wall, I still can't get it out of my head. Especially since I spent most of After Hours hiding my eyes under splayed fingers.
Anyway, I was wondering about Taub (yeah, I know, everybody hates him except for me but anyway): In season 5 (or maybe 6 I can't remember) there had been a scene with Rachel in which they talked about having kids and if I recall correctly, Taub was definitely trying to make her change her mind, saying he didn't really mean it when he had said at the beginning of their relationship that he didn't want kids and wondering if they could somehow have a real family. She turned him down, asking him "do you think you can deal with the fact that I don't want to be pregnant?" or something like that. I'm a little bothered by the fact that the writers seem to have completely forgotten that conversation. I mean, I know that having children with your wife and children with your girlfriend of the moment isn't even remotely close but still, I was a bit annoyed that Taub seemed so opposed to the idea of getting a baby.
But really, don't get me wrong, I loved the episode nonetheless, it was a just a comment I needed to make. I loved the House/Rachel interactions, the emotional scenes with Cuddy, etc. That scene before the operation where he asked her to be there was just... Beautifully prefect. I can't wait for next week.
24 - Lucie
Count me in as one of those who have that promo part where he pushes Cuddy against the wall stuck in my head. It was frightening and sad. What has happened to them? I've missed some episodes but it seems like it has gotten pretty bad. Yeesh!
@#23-Jacksam4eva: I don't think most people hate Taub, they just think he's really boring from what I've ever heard. I liked him in "After Hours".
I agree that House and Rachel's interactions were quite touching. They were just right, imo. And that scene where he asked Cuddy to stay that you pointed out was the most poignant of the episode.
25 - Josie
Finally they gave Jesse Spencer some good and deserved screen time! When Chase looked so sad, while asking Thirteen to come and drink a coffee with him, was my favorite scene.