“Bombshells.” I can’t think of a more appropriately titled episode for tonight’s episode of House, M.D. Although the episode focuses on Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) and her health after she discovers blood in her urine, the series core has always been about the journey of Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie, in a fabulous performance). And while Cuddy's kidney cancer scare provides for her a moment of clarity about what she wants and needs from her relationship
with House, it also provides an opportunity to see how far House has come in the past year socially and emotionally.
"Bombshells” asks whether love and happiness have removed enough of House's barriers to allow him to deal with pain and grief. Is he strong and secure enough to deal with the serious illness a loved one?
Last season, House finds it nearly impossible to "be there" for Wilson when he undergoes a liver surgery. House can only see the potential loss of his best friend through the lens of his own grief. “If you die,” House confesses to Wilson, “I’m alone.” So, telling Wilson he can’t be there during the operation, House can’t face the notion that he might lose his best and only friend. In the end, House does come through, gets over his own pain to focus on Wilson's troubles.
If Cuddy dies of cancer, however, it might be an even greater loss for House. He has finally opened up to someone again; he's happy (enough); she is the love of his life; he needs her. Her loss would be a devastating blow to him. He cannot deal with that, so, in denial for the first part of the episode, he worries .jpg)
apart from Cuddy, in his own way. It's almost as if by saying it—acknowledging it by facing her—her loss might be too real. If he stays away, it can’t be true that she will die. So he stays distant, but plagued by a nightmare: a horrific scenario in which he cannot get to Cuddy in time to save her as she’s being devoured by zombies. (It's a great homage to horror movies.)
House is great at the grand romantic gestures. But here, Cuddy doesn’t need romance; she doesn’t need Mariachi bands or romantic breakfasts under the bed. She just needs House to be fully present and at her side, fighting her illness together. But,in his subconscious, House realizes, as his nightmare suggests, that he might not be able to be there when she needs him—no matter how much he may want it. And he does want it. No matter how hard he fights his demons (or zombies), they will win in the end. The zombie dream provides a neat foreshadowing of the episode's end.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - MusicandHouse
I agree about the flow of the episode. The hallucinations all just came out of nowhere. It would have made mroe sense if they all just happened one into the other while Cuddy was under, perhaps with little breaks to House and the team or something. The whole episode just felt choppy, but the ending definately is what mattered here.
I am sad that House and Cuddy are over (and Shore says that while he won't say they will be apart forever, the breakup will stick for the time being) but I am excited to see where this is going to go. This season had been so light and fun but now it has just taken a turn in another direction.
2 - barbara barnett
MusicandHouse--it really had to slingshot back to be true to itself and the character. I love House and Cuddy--and I adore the idea of their being in love, but starcrossed. The dramatic possibilities are endless--lots of angst...
3 - MusicandHouse
agree
4 - RobF
Ay yi yi.
I liked the dream sequences, but was "meh" about both the patient/Taub and House/Cuddy parallel stories. I liked the dark tone of the episode, which (combined with the title) let you know they were going to hit us with something big. Even with all that, I wasn't feeling invested in how it was playing out.
...until the ending. Then it all made sense. That ending turned a pretty-good episode into an excellent one.
A big part of the reason not everybody has bought into the House/Cuddy relationship is that (as Wilson has been straight-out saying for a while) House is not relationship material. He's not going to change. He's not even close to being a good choice for husband and father.
Sometimes, no matter how much you think somebody "has a good heart", no matter how you connect with them and want to help them fight off their demons, it's not going to be enough. Sometimes you can't make them better, and you eventually have to make the decision not to be part of the train wreck.
Taub figured this out in one episode. Cuddy has taken years, but she got there in the end.
5 - Dmckoy
Thx Barbara, excellent as always..
I'll start by saying...OMG! Was sooo was not expecting that. However, after I came down off of the mind-numbing shock, I started to see things clearly. I believe Cuddy did the right thing. I agree with u when u say that her experience in this ep really caused to her to open her eyes. The honeymoon has been over for awhile now and she seriously has to consider who House really is and make some tough decisions.
Think about, it took a drunk House to really profess his deep feelings to Cuddy in recession proof. Granted he said the words in Now What, but in recession proof I felt that he dug a little deeper. I mean is this a relationship? Can't he deal with raw, deep emotion without substance? Obviously he has an issue there, and as much as I'm rooting for Huddy, Cuddy had to make this choice, for House's sake. She cannot keep enabling him, and staying with him altho she knows this truth about him, will be enabling....
That being said, don't think its truly over..there is a deep love between these two that won't go away that easily..
I thought this ep was pretty good, and next week looks like it will also be heart wrenching...HL is made of awesome!
6 - Dmckoy
Well said RobF...
7 - barbara barnett
House's interior wounds were never healed, so no matter how much he would like to have thought that he could be in a relationship and an partner, he has a very long way to go.
As Cuddy says, "I thought I could..." She knew in Help Me that she wanted the relationship, and she's tried. But House is high maintenance. Can't wait to see where they're going...
8 - Frustated
I say this with all due respect, but David Shore is a world class pessimist who has never acknowledged that anyone can rise up, overcome limitations, and achieve some resemblance of stability in their lives. It makes me sad to think that the only ultimate destination he can see for this character is misery, addiction, and pain. I think House has grown, and to take him back to square one does feel like a huge "Screw you!" to the people who have followed him through this journey. I will never understand why writers think that they have to reset everything to tell the same stories all over again. So now we are back to essentially the pre-Mayfield days. Now we get to spend 2 years recycling old storylines instead of developing new directions for this amazing character.
For me, although I am a Huddy fan, it isn’t just about the end of the relationship. Shore basically pulled a Dallas â€" House just woke up in the shower and the last 2 1/2 seasons were a dream? What an unbelievable cop-out. Was this episode beautifully produced? Yes it was, and it was a riveting hour of television. But I believe this was the death knell for the show. There is nowhere to go but right back along the same path of self-destruction and recovery or straight towards his death by overdose or some other horrific means. I expected better, but like so many showrunners before him, David Shore looked at the uncharted path ahead, and ran back to the comfort of the familiar. It would have been nice to see the road less traveled, but I shouldn’t be surprised that House will never walk it. This show was once so groundbreaking.
9 - RobF
@Frustrated(#8) -- it would be just a little too pat for someone who had been a confirmed drug addict for years to suddenly be "cured".
That's not how addiction recovery usually works in real life, and it would be dishonest of the writers to have House become suddenly free of addiction just so the show can take a new direction.
I definitely don't want the show to keep going over the same ground, but where it's going now seems like an honest development of the character.
10 - barbara barnett
I think it's realistic for House to backslide--especially at such a devastating blow. This is a new road: Can House ultimately deal with being apart from Cuddy, working for her and dealing with his obvious grief? How will he deal with his new situation? We've never seen him in it before.
I think it could be pretty compelling.
11 - DebbieJ
Having just had abdominal surgery on Thursday, physically I feel like my guts have been ripped out. Tonight, I feel like my heart was just ripped out! Bombshell indeed! While I'm not surprised there would be a bump in the road in their relationship (and man, what a bump!) I never even considered House relapsed and took Vicodin! My heart broke because of that fact. And his plea for her not to go. Ugh! (Are you watching, Emmy?!)
I always thought that he would go back on Vicodin after their breakup - if it was to happen - not the reason for it. I know it's not the pills, but what they represent, but still!
And Barbara, thank you for explaining how Cuddy put the puzzle together ("candy")! Eureka! But I don't recall seeing candy in her other dreams/hallucinations except for the two that you mention. What were the others?
I'm hoping Cuddy, being in a vulnerable state, had a knee jerk reaction. She knew going in that he is an addict. Both as a doctor and the loved one of an addict, she should show a little more compassion and understanding the reason he relapsed. I know making excuses for him would be enabling him, and while I believe it was the first time he relapsed, he probably will do it again at the next major crisis, but like I said, she knew what she signed up for and this could be a teachable moment for them.
Calling Dr. Nolan!
12 - Sera G
Great, Barbara, thank you.
I posted on your earlier review, so I won't repeat myself.
I was crying, again, while reading this. I don't want this to be the end of Huddy. I don't want to see House go back to his path of darkness.
Frustrated, #8, you said it a bit more frankly than I would, but I agree with much of what you stated. It feels like a "Told you so!" There was so much potential for House's growth and 'renewal.' I truly hope this is not the end of that positive journey.
Barbara, I take some small comfort in your words, "Nothing is forever (not even breakups)."
I guess it is true as Dmckoy, #5 stated, Cuddy can't continue to enable House. Perhaps that is the rest of this season's journey. Does he want to get stronger for himself, as ultimately, that is the only way it will be successful.
DS, KJ, if you are reading this...please do not end this 'un-common' couple. There is too much love and understanding between them. You have spent seven years bringing them and us to this point. Please don't destroy it.
13 - barbara barnett
DebbieJ--sucker, giant candy cane, in the butch cassidy, he had taffy or a candy bar. Not sure what he had in the Zombie thing. I'll have to look again for the specifics. but it's something I also noticed and wondered about the connection.
14 - andree c
Barbara, as usual, your reviews are so enlightening. Very insightful. I totally didn't notice the whole candy theme as subtle as it was until the giant candy cane was used to make the point. One thing I found missing from your analysis was Cuddy's last two dreams (western, dance) of being left all alone because House wasn't really 100% in as she was. She realized as did Stacy that being House is about being lonely because he never gives himself fully. I think the clown-face promo pics for this season were foreshadowing of House's need to mask his true self, mostly from himself. Would love to get your thoughts on the clown-face and any info about House getting off Vicodin being that this is just a one-time slip. Indulge us and clue us in on what you may have learned about Candice Bergen's return in ep. 20. The location shoot info says its to be at "Arlene's home."
15 - fatOlady
Thank you Barbara.
I was very sad and angry before I read your review, but it made me feel better to read your thoughts on the story.
I had such strong feelings about this episode. I wasn't sure I was even going to be able to sleep tonight. I was hurt and angry at the writers and TPTB for being so crule to House. My disappointment wasn't really even about the death of Huddy.
Cuddy is not the important character to me. I would have been thrilled for House to have found love and (his version) of happiness with anyone whether it be Cameron or even one of his hooker friends.
The writers have constantly beat him up since the beginning of season one. I just felt he deserved some peace and tranquility, and someone who cared enough about him to nurture that broken hearted and abused child inside.
I thinkthis hurt worse because I have to admitt "I am a fixer", and it causes me real pain when someone is treated unfairly (the social worker in me I guess). Like Cameron I want to heal the wounded. House has been beaten down his whole life and he finally has a chance at happiness and then HIS GOD (David Shore) jerked it away from him.
Intentional or not it mirrors what Hugh Laurie has said about his being afraid of happiness because if GOD saw him taking it for granted, he would reach down and take it away. House is the way he is because real (unconditional) love has always been denied him.
We in the [H]ousian community talk a lot about what is realistic in the show. Is it really realistic to believe that one person could have been this cursed since birth. No one is always happy but on the same token no one is always miserable.
I also have to admitt that I have stopped watching the show during most of the negative archs in the show. Vogler was a selfish bully and Tritter (although more justified) wasn't much better. Why does no one ever see House as the victim, he copes the only way he can.
He wanted to be there for Cuddy. He knew he should be there for Cuddy. But he was terrified of losing the most important person in his life (a realization he had only accepted a few days earlier and after losing a patient). Maybe he isn't functioning at his emotional best.
I think in a misguided way it was knoble that he found a way to do the right thing and be there.
As the writers are fond of pointing out, House is emotionally retarded, he isn't going to learn this stuff overnight. But once he finally gets it, he gets it (like the toothbrush). As he said..... I believe he can do better....if he gets a chance.
16 - fatOlady
Frustrated #8 I feel your pain and I agree with you that the show is doomed now.
17 - fatOlady
RobF #9 - Has it ever been established that House is an addict? Using the meds for pain and becoming physically dependent on them is not addiction.
18 - Cuddypolegirls
We all couldnt really care less about weather House and Cuddy are together or not - now perhaps the storyline will get back on track as it was during Season 2 and 3.
19 - Barbara barnett
I do think during broken, there was at least a tacit admission, but the series has never been completely clear
20 - Housewatchers
We all are in no mood for the Cuddy sick melodrama - the story is about House not her!!!!
21 - House_tweets
Sarah Hess and Liz Friedman (the writers of this episode) confirmed that the couple is over for good. Shore's said the same thing. We are all so happy about it!!!!!! (God, we got tired of all this Huddy-crap). Now both can go on with their lives and be normal again!
22 - FelixPrime
The episode tonight was like a Season finale/cliffhanger. They've surely got something up their sleeves, where House and Cuddy is concerned. Come on!
Honestly, if they were really going to end this, and never revisit, they would have milked it for at least 22+ episodes, wring every drop out of it knowing they weren't going back - and then move on to House's spectacular and drugged-out emotional demise during the season finale. In fact, they pretty much did the exact same thing last season by prolonging the "Lucas/Cuddy/House" arc until literally the last possible minute. Well, we've just passed the half-way point in the season; there's still more to this.
So, let's see, for the rest of the season, House is back on drugs, psychically wounded, and probably unable to function properly at PPTH. Moreover, House can't have a relationship, nor be truly happy in any significant fashion. Then, if there's an 8th season (and it looks likely to be the last), what happens? House is on drugs, and both Cuddy and he remain miserable while experiencing the worst freeze in their personal (and professional) relationship? I'm not buying it.
Something doesn't add up. And if it the the show creator(s) truly are going for something akin to the paragraph above, well, then...they might as well label the rest of this season Hotshot!Part Deux. (Charlie Sheen pun intended!)
23 - DebbieJ
House is clearly an addict. He has addictive behaviors in everything. Even when he took cooking classes, he had to "turn everything up to an 11".
Which I never understood why he still drank. When someone rehabs for drug addiction, it is (or should be) for all types of drugs. From pills, to pot, to alcohol. If they don't, they would substitute one type of drug for another
24 - DebbieJ
I find the last few posts that are apparently from collective posters ("we all") to be rather cute and adorable.
25 - Andrea
Very insightful review, Barbara.
I also thought this episode was very well done, even if some of the transitions between reality and hallucination seemed jarring. As for House and Cuddy... my problem with this episode wasn't the breakup and it wasn't the vicodin, it was a bit of both. It seemed to me that House knew how important it was to be by her side and couldn't without relapsing, and he did that anyway, knowing full well what it would mean, because he wanted to be with her. He wanted to get over that fear *for her*, and she just threw it back in his face. And then for her to see that in him and break it off with him when it seems like the WORST thing you can do to your partner, who just fell off the wagon, is abandon them? That seemed completely unfair and unrealistic. If Shore and Co. really wanted to explore this relationship, I'd have loved to see them work *together* to get House back on the wagon, and have her support him through it, rather than turn her back on him.
And then to hear that (at present) there are no plans to get them back together? That's much more heartbreaking, to me, than any relapse.
(Not to mention, I found the writing to be extremely lackadaisical when it came to the House/Cuddy relationship overall. House spends 14 episodes correcting his various wrongs and pleasing Cuddy - without her making any concessions at all - and worrying that she'll break up with him only to have her... break up with him? Ooh, how original! How compelling! Can you tell I'm bitter? :)