Is House being a "big baby" when Cuddy takes some time to be a mom to her own new baby girl?
First and foremost, I must offer my congratulations to Hugh Laurie on his Screen Actors Guild Award for “best actor in a television drama series.” Laurie earns that award every episode, creating a deep, complex character who is both infuriating (and sometimes frustrating) and completely sympathetic. It’s a challenging role and Laurie makes it look so easy that it’s easy to overlook just how difficult it is to play. Surely the award from his peers (which I’m guessing Laurie values more highly — especially being his second — than any thus-far eluded Emmy award) recognized his achievements particularly in episodes like last season’s penultimate episode “House’s Head.”…
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26 - Buds
Awesome review, BB. Took a little time, but it was well worth the wait.
First of all, congratulations Hugh Laurie for once again winning a much deserved award. I just wish that RSL had received a best supporting actor's award as well.
I was surprised as well that you didn't mention the House-Foreman conversation. House actually advocating that love makes people do stupid things was a huge shock. Where did that come from?
Things I liked in this episode -
*House-Cameron: very very nice to see them getting some screen time together again (not that I am a Hameron/Huddy/Hilson or any other fan) it was just fun to see them sparring with each other again like in the old days.
*House-Cuddy: At the time when House lets loose his tirade on giving the baby away, I feel Cuddy was just trying to run away from her current situation. She needed to hear that from him in order to face reality. The scene in House's office with Rachel was also very beautifully done.
*Chase-Foreman: It was cool to see how the old ducklings have bonded so well. Even the short scene when Foreman asks Cameron for advice was awesome.
*Cuddy was just amazing in this episode.
Things I didn't like -
*No House-Wilson scene at all in this episode (or the previous one for that matter). I miss their casual, fun banter :(
*The 13-14 thing is starting to get really annoying and totally unbelievable now. Its amazing how they actually managed to put the two most irritating characters in the series together and ended up giving them more screen time. I just hope this arc ends soon.
*We had been promised more clinic patients!!! Where are they? They are some of the most hilarious scenes in the earlier seasons. Bring them back, please.
27 - byzantine
Dear Barbara,
Thank you for your wonderfully thoughtful review and for the opportunity you give us here to express our opinions about the complicated and multifaceted character of House.
While watching “Big Bay” I thought that one of the episode’s themes was about matters of the heart v/s matters of the mind. House has always tried to scientifically explain people’s feelings, especially when they are positive"there is a chemical reaction, a genetic predisposition, a paraneoplastic syndrome, there is something rational, and very often life-threatening, behind all that goodness…Remember “No More Nice Guy.” I am not certain, but perhaps it was not coincidental that he thought that the patient of the week, Sarah, had a problem with her brain, the seat of our rational thoughts (in the most generic way of thinking, of course), and it turned out that she had a heart defect. When Cuddy brought Rachel in his office and attempted to describe to him her bonding with the baby, he immediately defined it as a chemical reaction, and a genetic predisposition. And yet at the end of the episode he was given food for thought that may be not all good things that people feel for each other, whether love, affection, or compassion, can be identified with chemical formulas and genetic combinations. His patient, now diagnosed and perhaps already being treated, still liked, or perhaps even loved, the young autistic boy even though he spilled juice all over her. She did not have a fit, she hugged him instead. At that moment House looked into her room, face thoughtful and even startled. Is he wrong about the scientific formulas which he tries to apply to everything? Could he scientifically define his own, slightly amused reaction to the fountain of Rachel’s puke? I doubt it.
28 - Lisa G
Hello everyone
Barbara - Thanks for once again giving us a good article on House and a place to read everyones thoughtful and interesting oppinions. On the my first viewing I enjoyed Big Baby as the "balanced Episode" it was. On my second viewing I found so much more in it and really fell in love with it. I agree with your take on the show - which many of your readers echoed. Some in a very interesting way - so I will not get into everything I loved about this epi. But I do want to discuss the title as applied to House. It is true that House ( thankfull) did not act like a big baby with Camaron. This was done very well. But I think where Cuddy was concerned House was a big baby. During most of the episode he continued his jealosy toward Rachel and resented how much of Cuddy's time he lost becaues of her. I think that is where the cold comment to Cuddy about giving her baby back stemed from. I have to agree with Sheelagh's take here. But on the other hand I do not think that it was done to intentionally hurt Cuddy. To me it seemed like House was giving a narrow, but logical assesment, of the situation keeping in mind his own benifits. You can get rid of the baby and things can go back to normal. I do not think he would have givin the same advice if Cuddy had gone to him for help or if he had witnessed her true emotional distress himself. I think in that case he would have overcome his selfishness and given her a fuller assesment of the situation. So I don't think he was being mean - just acting like an extreemly intellingent, genius baby.
Which brings me to why I adored the scene between House, Cuddy and the baby. It was written just perfectly. House's initial babyish "you can leave now" comment. Cuddy ignoring the comment and asking House to move his legs so she can sit. And then House actually holding the baby. Making an attmempt to not be a baby himself. The way he not only didn't get upset about the puke but instead turned it into a minilecture on evolution was perfect. Also the way he quitely inserted a compliment to Cuddy about her hips was quite nice. You know he must have been noticing the way she looked in pants these last two episodes. And then to top it off the fact that that moment lead to his solving the potw 's medical mystery was great.
I love how House is evolving this season and yet he is still so House-like. What a great season it is turning out to be.
Cuddos to Hugh, the writers and especially L.E. - what a magnificant performance this week. She deserves her own award.
29 - Lisa G
byzantine - i love your take on House looking into the patients window at the end of the episode. You are right House does try to explain people's feelings in scientific terms and she doesn't fit. You have given me one more thing to think about concerning House. Maybe he is starting to realize that not all feelings can be explained away as a defect or survival trait. Could House have possibly bonded with Rachel in some very small way? probably not.
30 - barbara barnett
Hi all. Real Life intervenes and has kept me away from the column since I it was published yesterday afternoon. My daughter has just become engaged and things are fairly insane for the moment. Good insane, but insane.
Thank you for all of your comments. I did write a narrower review this time (sometimes I do that) as Cuddy's motherhood issues really rang a bell with me. I was remiss in not talking about the scene between House and Foreman, so I will talk about it here.
It was a fabulous and telling scene. It's interesting that Foreman finally (and lastly) went to House. He'd already gone to Chase and Cameron and felt that he'd get validation of doing something to help 13 from House, who is the master at breaking, bending and ignoring ethical rules.
He asks Foreman to make a calculation and to look into the future, weighing the costs vs. benefits of his actions (long term). Is helping 13 get another year or two out of her life without actually curing her worth his career? If not...then no. It's not worth it.
And Foreman accepts House's advice (although I suspect he wasn't going to listen to it, as it didn't play into Foreman's view of the world). But then House stops. "Unless you love her...then you do the stupid things." This is something that House has said or otherwise articulated several times before. And it points to House's (rather quirky) romanticism and romantic soul. If you love someone, you do things that are stupid because it's all you can do.
I loved that small but significant scene a lot.
31 - mychakk
Hello :)
I'm usually a lurker here (I read all of your great essays, and even written a few looong ones on my own in the past, but now I lack the time...) anyway I just wanted to say THANK YOU to you for sharing your personal experience at being mom with us. I'm not a Mother (hopefully one day I'll be :) ) but I love children, and being a somewhat idealistic person, I tend to believe I'll be this super mom that conects with her child instantly. I couldn't relate to Cuddy in this episode. I was so disappointed in her and I didn't exactly understood the climax of the cring scene. I think I need to re-watch it once more... anyway your retelling of your experiences has brought a new light to this episode and I want to say thank you for this :) I'll re-watch this episode with it in my mind :)
I have a question. Do you think that Cuddy'll keep the baby or not? Somehow the last shot of Cuddy makes me lean onto the other option... What's your opinion? (I'm still two pages short of finishing your essay, so ignore it if you've given an answer to this problem...)
Once more thank you :)
32 - barbara barnett
mychakk--(and all of you new commenters)--welcome!
do I think Cuddy will keep Rachel? I honestly don't know. If she does, RAchel will be kept in the background and become part of the series fabric like Foreman's parents. There, but not there. We seldom see Cuddy at home, so if she has a nanny to take care of her, she could keep her and have her fade away from the story narrative except in subtle ways.
33 - Lisa G
Congratulations on your daughter's engagment Barbara. Lots of luck to her and your whole family :)
34 - nate
First, let me just say that this is by far the best site for House. Barbara, I love your theories on house, and feel that this site is a place for people to have real, adult discussions. I, like many am not a shipper. It would be interesting with House and Cuddy, just for an arc. I'd be fine with House and Cameron as well. But, I don't watch the show waiting for these hook ups. I watch because of House. Also, I like many people miss the old team.
But, Barbara I have a theory. No one else seems to agree or reply on other sites, so I thought i'd do it on here.
My theory is Chase will euthanize thirteen by the season's end. I'm one for observation, like you, and think that thirteen's increasingly large amounts of screen time is so everyone gets drenched in her story, so her death will have an impact.
I really don't want to say this, but a big part of me wants thirteen to die. I don't mind the character, but I would rather have Chase and Cameron back in her amounts of screen time, instead of her. It's nothing against the actress, I actually really liked her on the Black Donnelly's, but I find her story to be overshadowing house. What do you think? Do you think that the writers are feeding us thirteen, so in the end her death will be unforgettable? Or do you think that thirteen will be on the show for more seasons to come?
35 - Alessandra
One of the best episodes of this (beautiful, anyway) season: it is touching and catchy and surprising without being House's Head or No Reason.
A little piece of (very) good writing and (very) good acting wrapped up in the normal episode's paper: that's why I appreciated it so much.
Not to talk about the scene with House and Rachel: I expected something more...sentimental...or at least I expected House to say something, I don't know what. Something rude to Cuddy, something thoughtful, something. And fortunately this came to be a true, touching scene without any need to talk. Just sights: House to the baby, Cuddy to House, House to Cuddy, Cuddy to the baby. All of them connected by their eyes and no words. I found this a brilliant gateaway from a scene that could have been kind of dull...
As always, bye Barbara! I'm looking forward to the 100th episode! ...and your review.
36 - Sue
Barbara,
Mazal Tov!
When women have babies, their bodies secrete hormones, I think one is prolactin, that cause the woman to bond to her baby. Adoptive mothers do not have this hormone running through them, so bonding is harder.
To comment #23 Aussie-go to www.watchhouseonline.com to see any episode of House up to the current one on American tv.
37 - NancyGail
House holding that infant must have been nice for HL having three kids, although I suspect it's been a bit beyond puking by now.
Barbara, could you suggest sometime USA rerun episodes SAME NIGHT as when they appear on FOX? The week plus delay is ridiculous.
38 - Orange450
Barbara, mazal tov on your daughter's engagement! Much bracha v'hatzlacha to all! I know what you mean about good insane - my son became engaged 2 weeks ago, and even tho' it wasn't a surprise, we kicked into high gear, and went from 0 to 60 pretty fast. I hope you enjoy every minute of the ensuing time - that's what I plan to do :-)
"Unless you love her...then you do the stupid things." This is something that House has said or otherwise articulated several times before. And it points to House's (rather quirky) romanticism and romantic soul. If you love someone, you do things that are stupid because it's all you can do."
I think that this also highlights one of House's significant challenges as a highly cerebral individual, in that love can make a person act in ways that are directly in conflict with what that person knows "intellectually" to be the right or appropriate thing to do - exactly as we see Foreman do.
This must be especially difficult for House, as a - I want to say "prisoner", but that's not really the right word - as someone so controlled by his intellect that it becomes almost a physical hardship for him to let emotion have its sway.
39 - barbara barnett
Nate--and everyone. Thank you so much for your very kind words about this space. Addressing your specific comments about Chase euthanising 13. Hmmm. Interesting idea, since we know that Chase doesn't have an issue with euthanasia. Foreman is opposed to it (but he could still do it, since he's "in love" and might do those "stupid things" that House says people in love do.)
My guess is that 13 is headed for a crash and burn. But I speak not from knowledge but gut feeling.
Sue--thanks for the mazal tov.
NancyGail--because USA is owned by NBC/Uni and Fox licenses the series from NBC, there must be a contractual thing about how soon after first airing USA can do it.
40 - Danielle
A crush and burn as 13's going to be written off the show?
41 - barbara barnett
Orange--todah rabah! NancyGail--I could see it happening, but I have nothing at all in the way of knowledge to support it. In other words it's one plausible scenario. But anything else is just as likely (including that she stay)
42 - Sue
You can watch episodes on the Fox website 8 days after the show airs. You can see any episode online at www.watchhouseonline.com. I am not sure how soon after it airs you can find it there.
43 - nate
I'm not pulling the euthanasia out of the air. In an interview Chase (Jesse Spencer) said the writers were giving him something concerning euthanasia. From then on, I began to wonder, and right away I came to the conclusion that thirteen was going to die by the end of the season.
I'm not sure if anyone has seen Six Feet Under, but if you have, take Lisa in place of Brenda. It seemed weird and like she was getting all the time, but then suddenly disappeared, and soon was found chewed up on the shoreline.
I think another reason that the opening isn't different, is because not all the cast is set yet. I think, come season six, Kal Penn, and Peter Jacobson will be in the credits, but Olivia Wilde will not. I may be wrong, but it seems that she is part of a long, extended arc. Kind of like Tritter, Vogler, or Stacy, but instead of six or seven episodes, she gets a couple of seasons. I guess I would love to see it, not only because Chase and Cameron would return, but because it would be an amazing thing to see. Just imagine it:
A distraught, and broken thirteen lies in the bed, her eyes glistening, while Foreman sits out in the lobby, knowing of her decision, and respecting it. Some amazing music comes in the background, and Chase inserts a needle filled with morphine, or something fatal into her blood stream. As the song continues, you flash to House standing outside of the glass door, resting his weight on his cane, wide eyed, and speechless. As the season ends, her eyes close, maybe flashing a few scenes from her past, and then the credits roll.
As you can tell, I have thought about how poignant it would be, and how the show would return to House without a background character being front and center. Katie Jacobs, and David Shore have said they may get rid of one character by the end of the season, but aren't going into detail. I doubt they'd cut Foreman, and they already promised that Chase and Cameron return next season, finally with something to do. So, it would have to be either Kutner (I hope not), thirteen (it'd be nice), or Taub (he has grown on me.) Whatever way you look at it, it has to be one of the new three. Getting rid of anyone else (like Wilson, or Cuddy) would cause many people to abandon the show, I wouldn't, but many people would.
Finally, to get to the episode Big Baby. I thought it was great. It felt very even, and I loved seeing Cameron take Cuddy's job. I noticed someone else said what I was thinking about her wondering why Cuddy didn't put her in charge of house instead of Foreman. I thought it was interesting, and exactly what I expected from it. The banter was playful, yet tense, and awkward. Lisa Edelstein did a great job in this episode, it all seemed very real.
To be honest, I usually don't review episodes, I rather speculate on what's to come. And as usual, something amazing is on the way. I feel it.
44 - j.i.m.
Orange, I very much enjoyed your summary of House's inner struggle. You wrote,
"I think that this also highlights one of House's significant challenges as a highly cerebral individual, in that love can make a person act in ways that are directly in conflict with what that person knows "intellectually" to be the right or appropriate thing to do - exactly as we see Foreman do."
I've been rereading "Persuasion" this weekend and your comments, Orange, about House's struggle to eliminate emotion and sensibility from his life and rely exclusively on reason reminds me of Anne Elliott at the age of 19. But 7 years later the narrator of "Persuasion" could observe of Anne, "She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequence of an unnatural beginning".(Ch.4)
But it's anyone's guess if House will ever follow in Anne's footsteps and act on his natural romance which he continually forces into unnatural prudence. Three years ago, with Stacy, House relied on reason to determine his life choices. Recently, with Cuddy, he has made a similar decision based on rational thought. But his romantic sensibilities torture him, physically and mentally. Good! It is the natural result.
Judging by the baby puke scene, Cuddy is not going to react like Captain Wentworth and resent House and his rejection of her for 7 weeks, much less 7 years. Her resilient bond of more than 20 years with the cold intellectual doesn't make any sense, but it is real and it is still there, to which I believe House feels profoundly grateful.
45 - Wnkybx
Nate, that is some interesting speculation. The problem with euthanizing 13 is that it's illegal outside of the Pacific Northwest and certain European countries. I don't see Chase throwing away his career and risking jail time for 13's sake. I could see the euthanasia storyline revealing more about House's continued struggle with pain as well as 13's thoughts of moving away for that option. Regardless of whether 13 actually gets written off the show, I bet she won't be around as much next season because the cliche of having a hot bisexual girl high on drugs and sass really backfired. Just out of curiosity, when did Chase express his neutral views on euthanasia?
Sheelagh - I liked your comment about Wilson. Although Wilson broke a pattern in falling in love with Amber, I wonder if he's going to return to his days of trying to woo needy women.
46 - L.Lilly
Nate, as much as I would be glad to see Thirteen disappear forever, I can't imagine the euthanasia scenario so soon. Unless the new drugs cause her health to quickly deteriorate, we've been told (or WARNED, depending on whether you like her or not) that Hadley has at least 10 years before things start to get very bad. Perhaps I misunderstand something; I refuse to watch these Thirteen-centric episodes again, so I may have missed something. I can't imagine Chase or anyone else being able to euthanize her if she still has a number of good years left, especially when she still looks young and attractive.
47 - barbara barnett
Chase expressed his opinion about euthanasia in "Informed Consent" in Season three. Foreman refused to even consider it due to the potential to tank his career; Cameron waffled and ultimately it was she who ended Ezra's life.
The only way I can see it coming to that state with 13 is if something goes really awry with her clinical trial and she suffers irreparable effects from it and circles the drain early rather than 10 years from now.
48 - nate
That's what I was talking about. I think thirteen will have some effect from the drugs that makes her incapacitated, and unable to practice medicine. I think she'll go down the drain until deciding that she just wants it to end. Again, it's only one possibility I think could get her off the show. Then again, maybe she'll quit house's team. I'd like to hear what other people's predictions are. It'd be interesting to hear.
49 - Eve K
One of the reasons that I like this blog is that it has been spoiler free. It has also been prediction-free to some extent. I think its more interesting to comment on episodes already made. It enough material and different layers to discuss in the episodes already made isn't it?
Or else we may find ourselves way over in fan-fiction land?
50 - Orange450
j.i.m., how pleasant once again to discuss House and Co., in the context of classic literature!
In an interesting contrast to Anne Eliot - I think that House may actually have been more likely to act on his emotions earlier in his life. We know that far from being solely a cold intellectual - he hides so much feeling under his surface. The circumstances of his life have probably proved to him time and again that he's safer going with pure reason. And Anne was very much influenced by Lady Russell when she was younger - it was only after she learned to trust her own decision-making abilities rather than those of her chief persuader that she was able to come to her happy conclusion.
Maybe House needs to take some input from Elinor and Marianne Dashwood of "Sense and Sensibility" :-) Before they could achieve happiness, each had to learn to temper their primary characteristic with a portion of the opposing one. The notes in my edition of the novel include the phrase: "the novel is about a kind of moral perception that includes both feeling and judgement". It's House's challenge to learn to combine the two. Right now, I think Cuddy is doing better at it than he is.
51 - Kyrpio
Eve K - thanks for that last comment, I agree with you about commenting on previous episodes being more interesting, and I like to find out things as the writer's intend - ie House and Cuddy's kiss caught me by surprise!
J.I.M. - you made a really interesting (for me) comment on House's inspection with his hand - I failed to make the link between that and 'the itch' - thanks for pointing it out, I'm gonna have a re-watch now!
A lot of people have commented on Foreman and Chase's conversation, my personal favourite line was Chase's (disapproving) 'she's started dressing like Cuddy'. I miss Chase, and I'd like to see Kutner and him share some screentime, I've said before, but I think Kutner is under-used, and while I don't dislike 13 as others do, think his is a more interesting character, rather than a character driven primarily by the situations written for her. Does that make sense? 13 is quite bland day to day, a few sarcastic comments here and there, and all the character development takes place within the larger situation - hostages, drug trials, girlfriend collapsing. Without anything dramatic happening, Kutner has a strong, consistent character. I don't think I'm expressing this particularly well, but if they'd given 13 a persona other than 'the mysterious one' during the survivor-arc, I might find her more engaging. This week, she suddenly expresses a wish to have children, which felt like a plot contrivance, whereas Kutner stands up to House for what he believes is right, something that rings true based on his past (treating a patient outside the hospital to allow her some fresh air, giving an electric shock to a patient who wasn't dry enough because they were running out of time). Anyway, I'm sidetracking. I guess I feel 13 is like Tritter or Vogler - written in to perform a task in the series, and the big reveals about her past feel like trying to hard to fill gaps in her characterisation.
I also miss Wilson and House having screen time together, though Wilson and Cuddy are getting some really nice moments together - I loved his 'this is how she'll look' speech, which was nicely revealed to be him lying to try and help her - it would have been way too corny otherwise!
Thanks for the great review, barbara, looking forward to the 100th episode!
52 - Kim
Hi everybody!
One more time I’m here Barbara to thank you for your great review. I enjoyed it as much I enjoyed the episode “Big Baby”. The writers are doing such a good job and I hope they will continue in this line so we’ll have material to come here and share together.
Few comments about the last episode. I think I am the only one who thinks that the teacher and student were more than that. They were House and Cuddy in the way we should see them. I mean, the teacher is a grownup like Cuddy and House a special kid. And if we take a second look to the conversation the Teacher/Student have in the first scene you will understand what I see.
Student: Why do people get married?
Teacher: Because they love each other.
S: Why aren't you married?
T: I haven't found the person I love yet, because I spend all of my time loving you.
S: Does that mean we can get married?
T: Well, love comes in many types, and there's lots of it to go around.
It is like a House/Cuddy real situation, isn’t it? She’s not married and she spends all her time babysitting House because she loves him. But they cannot be a “thing” because they are in different levels just like the teacher and the student.
If we move to the scene where the ice bath tests was going on. We see how the teacher explains Kutner what she has done for Jonathan to come out and how he lets her to enter into his world. Later, we have the confirmation from Johnny’s mother that he talks to Sarah and makes eye contact so he looks like a regular kid. But when Sarah isn’t there he goes back away from them.
All this remind me that Cuddy is the only one House allows entering into his own space and how she knows what is going on just looking into his eyes. They have this special relation where they don’t need to say a word to understand one another. Also, since Cuddy spends more time with baby Rachel, House is going back away and we notice that because of the lack of conversations between House/Wilson in the last episodes ‘Painless’ and ‘Big Baby’.
In the House/Cuddy/Cameron conversation, I don’t think that House is being mean to Cuddy. In some way he wants to express that he feels hurt because lately she is more confident with Wilson than with him and he wants her to trust him again. And this leads us to the House/Cuddy/Rachel scene where Cuddy goes first to tell House (instead of Wilson) that she is keeping the baby. I agree with all of you that this scene was beautiful. I also love it the way Cuddy presented Rachel to House. Like a mom does when a new baby comes along and a lot of the attention is diverted to that baby, the older child feels left out and jealous. So she encourages him to hold the baby making him feel included and part of the same group as well. It was just perfect.
Nobody has commented about the ending song of the episode from Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons " On My Side. The song was perfectly integrated and meaningful with the things going on with House/Cuddy, Cuddy/Rachel, Foreman/13 and the Teacher/Student.
I’ll see u in the next review.
Kim
53 - Val
Kim--What a thought-provoking connection of themes and characters...I am going to have to watch it again. Thanks!
54 - nate
--Eve K--
As I think about it more, and read your entry I agree. I'm not one to tell of future episodes, or predictions often. It's just one thing that has been on my mind, and I wanted to talk about with others. But, now that I've said it, I'll keep to either the past and present episodes, and wait to discuss future ones.
55 - Alessandra
Kim: that's brilliant! And it actually fits.
56 - Sheelagh
Kim: I really like your points on the student/teacher relationship and dialogue in ' Big Baby'. I got so fixated on the teacher's condition that I managed to miss looking at the mirroring of that relationship with that of House's & Cuddy's.
I do respectfully disagree that however, that House only lets Cuddy into his personal space. I think we saw this year how bereft House was when his "best friend" Wilson withdrew from him.Wilson hasn't gotten a lot of screen time lately, but conversations between him and House are alluded to.
The writers often use children in the story lines this season to mirror House's close relationships, In the episode 'Emancipation' with the two little brothers particularly in the older brother's fear that his sibling " will hate me !" mirrored House's fear with Wilson, while Foreman's reassurance that even when you make a mistake, your brother will forgive you under-scored Wilson's forgiveness of House. The female emancipated minor was also used in the same episode to mirror House's ongoing guilt over the accident that claimed Amber , in the look of deep empathy House exchanged with the teenager as she spoke of believing her parents saw her "kill their son /her brother again each time they looked at (her)".
Can't believe I missed the mirroring this time !It's why I love House: all things matter and you have to be paying attention. Thanks for your blog.
57 - j.i.m.
Hello Orange,
Yes. I see! Of Austen's characters, the "Sense & Sensibility" dynamic presented between Elinor and Marianne does resemble more of House's character, reason battling emotion, especially that he is so often divided and cut off from himself inasmuch as two people can be confused and out of sync with each other. I do think the pain that unnatural behavior causes, even though rational, as portrayed in "Persuasion", is a solid fit for some of House's misery. The difference is that House has persuaded himself.
Choosing from the whole gallery of Austen's characters, Cuddy is most like Anne Elliot in being capable, dutiful, and constant. House is Elinor/Marianne, and Stacy is the delightful Mary Crawford from "Mansfield Park". Wilson is trying to be Jane Bennet but he is closer to Elizabeth and sometimes Emma (clueless).
I am still engaged and charmed by David Shore's characters but some pity is starting to hold sway. I don't think that is a good sign...
58 - Jonesy
"I am still engaged and charmed by David Shore's characters but some pity is starting to hold sway. I don't think that is a good sign..."
It's not. It's been in the air since the beginning of the season. Let's hope they get it back to the track.
59 - Orange450
Hmmmm, j.i.m., this is an interesting exercise.
I think Cuddy has more sparkle and vivacity that Anne does. I'd be more inclined to compare her to Elizabeth. I think Mary Crawford's perspective was somewhat different from Stacy's. Stacy struggled in her dilemma, while Mary took her brother's pecadillos in her stride, and seemed to expect that everyone else (i.e., Edmund and Fanny) would do so as well.
Chase is turning into a fine Henry Tilney, though :-), and I think that Cameron has some of Fanny's characteristics - i.e., she started out insecure, timid and immature, and is steadily growing into herself, and becoming a valuable resource.
I absolutely love the idea of Wilson as Jane Bennet :-) That's a brilliant observation on your part!
60 - j.i.m.
Orange,
Henry Tilney! Thank you for reminding me of Him.
Cuddy's sparkle and spunk does call to mind Lizzie but Cuddy's life of duty and service springs from a different place. I mixture of Anne and Lizzie might be the best blend.
I bow to you in everything Stacy. I still remember your tour de force summation of her part in House's life.
Wilson as Jane with a chaser of Emma could be his correct concoction. He's such a player when he's not in pain.
Chase as Tilney and Cameron as Fanny are perfection. But could Henry Tilney and Fanny Price hook up? ;-)
61 - Anna
"Big Baby" was exactly what I expected it to be, but in a somewhat surprising way. I expected the writers to use the Cameron-taking-over-Cuddy's-job storyline to illustrate how wonderful and unique Cuddy is. That's exactly what happened, but I was surprised how respectful and attentive they were to Cameron. She wasn't written to be a foil, like I thought she would be, and we even saw some character growth. As someone who believes they've been thoroughly oversimplifying (as well as neglecting) the Cam/Chase/Foreman characters for the past two seasons, I was pleasantly surprised.
I was also expecting the writers to use House's interaction with Cameron as his boss as a metaphor for what would happen in a potential romantic relationship between them, to reinforce the idea that House and Cuddy make more sense romantically. Instead, they seemed (at least to me) to be offering an explanation to the House/Cameron fanbase of why they didn't choose to go down the House/Cameron path. She understands how he thinks and why he does what he does, is perfectly able and willing to play his games (and beat him at them). He enjoys playing with her, respects her (as much as he shows respect), is challenged by her. But, she was his student and a good part of who she is has been (and always will be) influenced by him.
I believe that a great deal of the plot points of seasons 4 and 5 were originally brought about to "excite the fans" or "make the fans happy." I expected this episode to be no exception. I expected the writers to put in lots of House/Cameron interaction to appease the House/Cameron fanbase and then end it with asserting Cuddy's superiority, appeasing the House/Cuddy fanbase. I was pleasantly surprised that there was some actual character development in between points A and B.
62 - Orange450
j.i.m., I could see Henry with Fanny better than I could see him with Catherine! And since neither Fanny nor Catherine have a sense of humor, the parallel still works :-)
63 - Kata
I love the episode, but I'm so tired that all in this show is about Cuddy and House.
And House as show and as character has been sacrifice.