Lies are at the heart of so many of Dr. Gregory House’s (Hugh Laurie) cases: lies patients tell doctors, tell family members, and tell themselves. In “Family Practice,” this week’s latest House, M.D., episode the lies are compounded because family and medical treatment are wrapped up together along with the emotional relationship between of the patient’s daughter, Lisa Cuddy and her doctor (House, of course).
Arlene Cuddy (Candice Bergen) is out clothes shopping with her two daughters Julia and Lisa. It is apparent even from this
moment that Arlene’s relationship with Lisa’s sister Julia (guest star Paula Marshall) is much closer and more cordial. But when Arlene begins to feel “funny” in her heart, Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) puts on her M.D. and gets Mom to Princeton Plainsboro, suspecting it’s more than simple palpitations.
Knowing that Cuddy wants him to treat Arlene, House hides in the morgue with the rest of the team. “You don’t want me to treat her,” he argues. “You don’t want you to treat her.” House recites to her the ethics of why it’s a bad idea to treat someone with whom you have an emotional connection. And he’s right. But he allows himself to be talked onto the case to appease her.
Cuddy wants the best for her mother, and a staff cardiologist just won’t do. House is willing to go along (barely), sending the team to check out Arlene’s house, where they find the possible culprit—along with some very revealing photos of Cuddy’s mom. She’s been having a hot affair for years with a married man—something about which she’s never told Cuddy (but Julia knows all about it).
House’s initial diagnosis is lead poisoning, writing off the rest of Arlene’s symptoms to hypochondria. And sooner rather than later, House manages to piss off Arlene enough to insist he be fired from the case.
This is just fine with House, who doesn’t believe they should be treating her anyway—only doing so as a bit of self-preservation. But when it’s clear that there is something wrong with Arlene, Cuddy insists House continue working on the case behind the scenes and behind the back of the new attending physician, Dr. Kaufman.
Cuddy’s request and House’s willingness to go along with it set off a series of events nearly ending in disaster, and feed the episode’s central question about family conflict and confrontation. Arlene controls Cuddy by blunt truths designed to sting and keep her just this side of parental disapproval.
“We just don’t have that sort of relationship,” explains Arlene to the hurt Cuddy when she learns of Mom's affair. That's why she confides in Julia, leaving her other daughter out in the cold. “Does it really surprise you?” she asks. And later in the episode, Arlene zings Cuddy with one of the most devastating things a parent can say: "I love you both, but I like her better." Ouch. Bullseye.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Crazy4House
I loved the office sceen with House and Cuddy. One of my favorite things is when House says "At some point, maybe next year, you will realize the man sleeping next to you is responsible for killing your mother." I find it important that House said sleeping next to you and not sleeping with you. IMO it shows that he has finally accepted what we already know; that when he is appeasing Cuddy it is not for the sex like he claims but because he wants the relationship and everything that goes with it. Plus, he said in a year, so maybe he has now become less fearful of the relationship falling apart.
2 - Derdriui
House does do a lot to appease Cuddy.
And Cuddy trusts him a lot, with her mother, with her hospital, even to act like an administrator (the image of House sitting in her chair, intimidating 3M is very strong, especially as Cuddy lets him).
He dominates her and she wants it. He tells her to assert herself against her mother but not against him.
Cuddy's a terrible depiction of a female in a position of authority. But as a character, she's a bit of a mob wife, and that's interesting.
Her and House together are a disaster, but they are so in love and so obsessed with each other. It's not pretty but it's interesting.
And House needs 3M to tell him what to do. Cuddy did nothing to impress him and he still won't listen to her. He doesn't trust her to put her job over him.
3M was good this episode though. Really brave. And I like what Taub did, even if he was wrong. He trusted his own judgment and took a chance. He risked himself.
House was a much more admirable character when he risked himself, not when he risks other people. They could have diagnosed cobolt poisoning with a LOT less drama.
Also, nobody respects Cuddy in general. Kaufman said 'you'll go run to your girlfriend' to House. Taub, Chase and Foreman sat around eating chips in front of her, and Taub was waving at her to move her ass from in front of the television so they could keep watching cartoons. And she had no reaction or defense to how they see her - she has to apologize to them for her behaviour later - and Kaufman has no respect for her by the end either.
House and Cuddy certainly do love each other. She's like a mother figure to him, and she's infatuated.
But maybe it would be a little less offensive in terms of representing women in positions of power if she could be fired from her job? She could still be his girlfriend, but if all she has to keep her in power is her tits and ass then that's a dangerous message to send out to young women, especially the pre-teen and teenage Cuddy fans.
3 - Derdriui
Also, like her mother says and House has said, she's a Dean of Medicine. And she's not much of a doctor anymore.
So when she told her mom to trust HER medical judgment, what she meant was to trust House's.
She's a bad administrator AND they don't show her to be a good doctor. She's House's pawn, and all she has going is that she knows he's right a lot and she loves him, so she'll trust him.
So while not being respectable boss or a good doctor, she's got a good body and good instincts.
Great?
4 - Michele1L
I think this episode is an interesting foreshadowing of what's to come. I am both fearful of it and intrigued. I have always felt that in order for House and Cuddy to work that one of them would have to leave the hospital. House will stop at nothing to save his patients, whether it be falsefying reports or otherwise, and Cuddy's job as his boss is obviously where the conflict lies.
I too loved that scene between House and Cuddy in her office. I liked that House told Cuddy she was pissing him off. He hasn't been that overtly upset with her since before they were a couple.
I felt quite sorry for Taub.
This was a very intense episode, and the moody lighting and photgraphy set the tone beautifully. Liked this one, but I'm really scurrrrred. I think this is going to leave some serious trails throughout the remaining duration of this season.
Arbitrary comment - no Wilson in this episode. Perhaps Robert needed a break ...
5 - bigHousefan
WOW! What a great episode! The writing, performances, lighting - everything!
I can so relate to the Cuddy/Arlene dynamic and have a black-belt in confrontation avoidance myself. I loved the honest display of human nature.
Indulge me here...House, with his hair combed, tie, lab coat and shirt half-tucked - aaawwwww!
I came away from this episode thinking how totally invested House and Cuddy are in each other, to a fault. Loved it!
I have to watch it again. I have a system. 1. Watch it when it airs because I can't wait another minute for it to begin. 2. Read Barbara's analysis along with her great fans insightful comments. 3. Enjoy it without ad interruption and added enlightened perspective!
6 - anon
I was sad that Wilson wasn't in this episode. It def. wasn't one of my favorites :/ I heard he's supposed to be heavily featured in an upcoming episode, do you know what episode number that is?
7 - bigHousefan
PS I also loved the parallels:
Cuddy's quiet gaze of appreciation toward House for saving her mother knowing how difficult and complicated she made that effort.
Arlene's quiet gaze of appreciation toward Cuddy for saving her life perhaps quietly acknowleging that effort was made more difficult by her harsh words and behavior.
8 - Celia
Of course Masters was correct in 'ratting' out House as you refer to it. No bias there. Arlene Cuddy was legally competent to make her own decisions and had both the legal and ethical right to know what her treatment involved. What House was instigating makes dramatic TV but lousy reality. And "yes" I think his threat to Masters was real. I am tired of House's actions always being recast as a 'test', The character is an ass...made tolerable by HL, who isn't an ass. His relationship with Cuddy was threatened by Masters and he protected it as best he could, with a full on threat of ruining a career . Would he have done it once his rational side reasserted itself ? Likely not. He's , as Wilson said , " an ass, but a noble one". But still, an ass.
9 - Celia
PS: totally agree with your observations Derdriui.
10 - Andrea
I was kind of expecting Arlene to die and House and Cuddy to break up in this episode. They've stretched out this relationship story longer than I thought they would. Not that I'm not happy about that, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don't think the writers can envision House happy in the long term.
On the other hand, I thought the confrontational scene in Cuddy's office was healthy. If they're going to have any chance of staying together they have to be able to be their real selves and tell the truth. They have to know they can fight and still be in love and a viable couple at the end of it. I don't particularly care about whether Cuddy is or is not professional, etc. The show isn't remotely realistic. Both House and Cuddy would have been out on their behinds years ago in the real world. Cuddy is intended to be a brilliant young hospital administrator, so that is what I will believe.
I liked Taub in this episode. The bravest thing I've seen him do in quite awhile. House would have been impressed if he weren't too busy dealing with Arlene. I also thought Martha had enormous guts to rat out House even knowing it would cost her her career. On the other hand, I don't know that it's as huge a risk for someone like Martha from a privileged background and several Ph.Ds under her belt. Medicine isn't the only thing she can do and her father probably has the money for a lawyer to fight House's trumped up case and sue the hospital for wrongful dismissal. Martha is a young woman with a safety net.
11 - Derdriui
Andrea:
'The show isn't remotely realistic. Both House and Cuddy would have been out on their behinds years ago in the real world. Cuddy is intended to be a brilliant young hospital administrator, so that is what I will believe.'
That doesn't make sense though. At all. Even in a fairy tale, characters are defined by their actions. And the reason House isn't fired is because of her.
This would be the 'logic' to get to your conclusion:
'I see the character description and I see that character in action. I decide that the character's actions don't reflect who the character is; she's supposed to be a good administrator, according to the character description, so she's good.'
Actions matter, not descriptors. If she acts like a bad administrator, she's a bad administrator. Like Wilson's bad at compartmentalizing and Taub can't keep it in the pants. Taub, by description, is a married man and a good doctor. By action, he's a good doctor and a terrible cheat. His actions matter and they define the good and the bad.
12 - andreeC
Personally, I loved the episode and Candice Bergen was not very kind to her daughters admittedly so in the beginning when she said if they didn't want to be insulted, they wouldn't have invited her along. Cuddy and her mother but heads but its because her mom pushed her to be the best she could be at things beyond being a wife and mother. In doing so, she made life tougher on Cuddy and easier on Lucinda/Julia because of the differences in the girls' abilities. It also put the girls on different levels with their mother - one having an easier time hence its easier to be nicer to her mother who isn't riding her constantly. Lisa, the other being pushed to go further when she wasn't always compliant and felt pushed, thus rebelling. Arlene may have meant well but she clearly set up the relationships to be uneven between herself and her two daughters. Thankfully, Cuddy learned to have a thicker skin to survive her mother's verbal darts which made her more than equal to handle the cantankerous House. I loved the panic in Cuddy's face when she realized her mother's illness was real and the fear reflected on the face of her own mother and sister. At that point fear ruled Cuddy's heart and head and House needed to help her get through this. The situation evolved into a sticky mess but thankfully House was able to push Cuddy to take on her mother and set things right convincing Arlene her daughter was trying to help her despite her mother firing House out of being cantankerous herself. Down the road, I suspect House and Arlene will become closer and even allies to get Cuddy to do what they want through loving manipulation if only to get Cuddy past her own doubts and fears. I liked Taub's plotline and how it reflected with Cuddy and House. Everyone trying to do the right thing but getting caught for somehow making things worse before they could be resolved. I don't know why some of the earlier commenters here would talk about Cuddy in such disparaging terms as if she's an idiot. Clearly she is not. She runs a hospital and in dealing with a mom who's hell on high heels, Cuddy is balancing things pretty damn well. Especially with her own boyfriend and chief troublemaker who's worth the trouble to her and to her hospital's patients.
I thought Lisa Edelstein and Hugh Laurie did a great job tonight and kept things restrained and tense as called for by a very interesting script. At first I despised 3M for blowing everything and giving Arlene's doctor leverage over Cuddy and House. I actually liked that House had prepared ahead by setting up 3M for possible repercussions in working with the coma guy. It took me a few minutes to see how House viewed 3M as a valuable asset in protecting himself and Cuddy from losing perspective in highly emotional situations clouding judgement. I don't find 3M all that compelling nor do I appreciate Chase and Foreman being left with little to say and do in order that 3M gets the lines. Sorry but she's a dull character and the sooner she's gone, the better.
Lastly, I don't believe the writers on House are set on destroying any relationship between House and Cuddy. I think it's more interesting to do as David Shore preaches and that's slowly reveal the layers to House by his emotional attachment and history with Cuddy. By doing so, we see the layers underneath Cuddy's facade and how these two flawed people are right for each other and that no one else could possible do should these two break up. I like the rollercoaster between House and Cuddy as they test their relationship and work to preserve it. It makes for a much more fascinating show, a deeper level in scripts that doesn't shoot for the pat ending. If the writers choose to veer away and mess things up just for the sake of drama, the show will lose a degree of credibility that can't be regained. No reason House has to be miserable. He's built good relationships with Foreman, Chase, Taub, Wilson and Cuddy. No reason for this to disintegrate with out a damn unusual plot twist. I like watching House still get things his own way while he makes things work with Cuddy, his staff and patients. Being a flippant ass sometimes is what keeps us watching while he evolves a little through reveals. We all know he's a good guy with a rough exterior. Lets keep watching to see what happens!
13 - mychakk
@Derdriui
Hm, I think it's a bit more complicated than you describe it. Cuddy is a good Administrator and a very good asset to Princton-Plainsboro Hospital. It was proven in last season episode: 5 to 9. She's good at what she does (House said it himself in season two). BUT! She has one BIG weaknes. House. She knows it, she admitted it herself to him in season 4, saying she allows him to run like a monkey in banana factory most of the year. What's more she knew it would be this way from the beginning (as she set aside a fairly sum of money for lawsuits and all - she admitted it in season one). She knew she'll give him a lot of freedom, 'cause she knew that he isn't just treating one patient a week, but he usually SAVES one patient a week (she said it to Vogler). We cannot forget, that we see her while she acts with House. We don't see how she is behaving with other doctors and hospital staff. 'Casue the show is House MD not Cuddy MD. That's why we do not see her being a doctor either. Notice also, that it is usually House who says she's a bad doctor (when he's usually teasing her, not quite serious). The other person was her mother, who is so disapproving of Cuddy, I wouldn't consider it an objective opinion. We've seen a few times when Cuddy was doctoring, and she actually proved to be quite good, having both House's epiphany, or coming up with a treatment worth of the series' Genius. She's not a lousy doctor, neither a bad administrator.
Still, I have to admit that TPTB tends to overshow Cuddy's great womanly assets more and more instead of showing what a great administrator she is. They turned her into girlfriend material, forgetting about the administrator part... And this might bring across the wrong massage about women in the power positions.
14 - Huddy_dio
Missed Wilson - Robert Sean Leonard in this episode!!! Do you know if Robert will be back for season 8 (so many rumors going around that he quited).
15 - mychakk
@andreeC: Lastly, I don't believe the writers on House are set on destroying any relationship between House and Cuddy. I think it's more interesting to do as David Shore preaches and that's slowly reveal the layers to House by his emotional attachment and history with Cuddy. By doing so, we see the layers underneath Cuddy's facade and how these two flawed people are right for each other and that no one else could possible do should these two break up. I like the rollercoaster between House and Cuddy as they test their relationship and work to preserve it.
I couldn't agree more :) Also, I find it interesting that there is NOT a single relationship in House MD that has worked so far. All Wilson's marriages, Chase/Cam, Foreteen, Taub/Rachel, House/Stacy... they all have split. I find it unrealistic, that there should be not a single relationship strong enough to not prevail. Thus I think House/Cuddy might be this one 'missing' relationship. The one, that despite common sense (how such a two flawed and dysfunctional people could stay together and make it work? it's simply impossible!), will be strong enough to overcome everything.
Also I wanted to say that Amber Tamblyn did a marvelous job this episode, showing that it's pure hell for Martha Masters to be in House's team/department. She delivered Masters emotions beautifully. I really liked her acting this episode.
16 - justannoyed
I must be the only person here who's growing increasingly annoyed with the relationship between cuddy and house. It just doesn't work in the hospital. Also, master's needs to be removed from the show. She's an inexperienced, more irrational version of Cameron that the team needs to babysit too much. Lets not reuse an old character with a new face and some slight background tuning. Creativity please?
Excellent acting job though in this episode.
17 - Jane 2
Favourite scene? The House/Cuddy confrontation hands down. I can't think of any other show that can deliver scene like that!
However, I loved the whole thing from start to finish. It was great to find out some more about Cuddy and her family. The mother/daughter/sibling stuff was brutal and certainly resonated with me. I also thought all of the performances were outstanding.
This line “I need you to protect me from doing something Cuddy will regret,” , well in fact that whole scene, scares me in terms of the long term implications. What if it's broader than just work?
Is it possible Kauffman was initially Wilson and they changed it for some reason?
18 - Nola
Derdriui, I agree, I am getting a bit tired of seeing Cuddys cleveage and you are right, not a good role model.
JustAnnoyed, I agree, this relationship drama is getting old. And while I adore Amber Tamblyn, the way her character MMM is bring written shows little creativity.
House has now gone from Must See TV, to half watch while multi-tasking to a good cure for my insomnia.
My only hope is that HL takes a page from the playbook of Mark Harmon and puts the show back on track.
There has been a 35% drop in viewership for House. You dont see that happening with NCIS even though it too is in its 8th season.
So while House may have picked up some new viewers it has lost many more than it has gained.
I have found season 8th to be a major snoozefest and this episode to be right on par with the rest of this boring season.
Why dont I stop watching you may ask. Because I am holding out hope that this once amazing show will get back on track.
I am hoping that someone will smack David Shore in the back of his head (Mark Harmon sytle)and put a stop to the present train wreck. And if not, then just put it out of its misery or maybe change the title to Cuddy MD. As it seems the writers are determined to shove Cuddy down our throats.
Favorite scene - Arlene/Candice telling Cuddy if she is going to dress like an Italian hooker to at least be this years Italian hooker.
19 - hwl40
Where are the comments from Orange, Delia and the rest of my favorites? Have you guys abandoned us?
20 - Derdriui
Nola, These writers seem to have a habit of putting negative things about the show in the mouths of negative characters.
In the last episode, House was dealing with a fat, thick bloke, and he was saying that House was taking to Rachel. House fiercely rebutted that by calling him stupid, saying that he doesn't understand nuance, and that he just likes Rachel lying.
In this episode, the critique of Cuddy's wardrobe and her capacity as a doctor came from Arlene, the caricature of distant parenting.
The tricks aren't working though. People are starting to agree with the criticisms coming from the caricatures. The show is having trouble hiding how bad it is. Making fun of critics is okay, but when the critics are right then the trick doesn't work.
21 - anon
Barbara, I'm interested to know if you liked this episode. Just a yes or no question as I was quite disappointed with it. Thanks
22 - Sheryl
I'm surprised there has been no discussion of Amber here. When I first heard of the premise of this episode, I thought immediately of what a strange situation it was, given the disaster the last time House treated someone close to a friend. It was Amber's death, and House's guilt over that, that led him to Mayfield. Of course House was guilty for a number of reasons there--but he was the attending doctor at Wilson's request, no?
So it surprised me when Cuddy even suggested House see her mother, given her knowledge of House's past too. I suppose she probably thought Arlene's situation wasn't that serious, but it is sad nonetheless that his two best friends want/need his help, but at the same time are willing to accept the ethical dilemmas of House treating their loved ones.
But I did love the episode, and the confrontation scene in particular seemed to raise the Amber topic for me. When House says that in a week or a year Cuddy could start to blame him for Arlene's death, it seemed to me that those past experiences were on his mind.
I was happy, too, to see House so strong against Cuddy here. He's been making a lot of sacrifices for her this season--and she hasn't had to do the same, really. So it was nice to see him speak his mind, and push her to do better. . . Just my 2 cents!
23 - hazel eyes
Despite the fact that there was no Wilson I actually liked this episode. I just wish that they would show RSL been the brilliant drama actor he is as well as how excellent he is as a comedy actor.
I hope there are no more Wilsonfree episodes to come because it seems a shame to an actor of his excellence and not use him.
24 - j.i.m.
Family Practice was simply wonderfully adult TV.
House and his cronies seem to exist in varying levels of hell but when House yelled at Cuddy, "It pisses me off!", he and Cuddy were both immediately transported up a few levels. The horizon unfurled and beckoned at that moment!
Props: The statue which stands on the filing cabinet behind Cuddy's desk has always sent shivers down my spine. It's a 'giant being' bending down it's head to attempt communicating with a 'tiny being'. I've always interpreted the giant as representing Cuddy as Dean of Medicine. I think I was wrong in this. After this episode, I now believe the 'private Cuddy' sees the 'giant' as her eternally disapproving parent and keeps the statue close to remind herself not to abuse her power at the hospital.
House attempted to blackmail Masters (see 'Broken'). Destroying a career or breaking up a marriage are just two types of possible collateral damage when House's intense passions are mixed with fear or anger. His human weaknesses are sometimes brutal but rarely petty.
25 - Julie mack
So is it Julia or Lucinda?