“One of the tragedies of life,” House once told Stacy, “is that something always changes.” An event, a set of circumstances occur that profoundly change one’s life, setting it off in another direction — sometimes for the better, but often, believes House, for the worse. One bad decision can leave a man crippled and in chronic pain for life; one tragic event can turn a nice kid into a drug addict — a street punk and a loser. It’s easy to wonder what might have happened to Jimmy Quidd. Was his music (as pretty as it was) undistinguished, rendering him an “ordinary” musician? Did he have a driving need to be unique? Special in a way that only notoriety can make him? Was Quidd’s self-destructiveness the only way he ultimately could put an end to the misery of being trapped between an inherent niceness and his need for a life less ordinary?
Wilson’s non-cancerous cancer patient was living an ordinary life before Wilson diagnosed him with terminal cancer. Sentenced with only months to live, the patient was prepared to go out in a blaze of glory. He became alive in a way that only knowing you’re going to die soon can allow. He was ready. Prepared. But Wilson’s clemency hurls him back to the ordinary and boring day-to-day of simple existence. And a bewildered Wilson wonders how a commuted death sentence can render a patient angry.
House isn’t at all perplexed; he understands the patient's reaction. Expected it. The patient's reaction echoes back to House’s hallucination in the season two finale “No Reason.” In that episode, House hallucinates that Wilson and Cuddy have conspired to fix his leg, and without House’s consent. Wilson and Cuddy are both dismayed and bewildered that House is angry to find his leg working and pain free. In the dream, Wilson explains the cause of House’s anger to him, suggesting that his pain and his disability are what made him “special” and that giving up his pain, becoming “normal”, rips his uniqueness from him. Now, although this is Wilson speaking, it is all happening in House’s mind, and is part of House’s subconscious speaking. And here, in season four, with Wilson’s patient, House can see for himself that his dream spoke a truth about human nature, if not his own nature. (In the hallucination, House’s anger was more about the lack of consent, which hearkened back to House’s original injury.)
The story of Wilson’s patient also explores the tension that has been building all season between House and his friend. Wilson wants to compensate the patient for the $6000 he lost as an indirect result of the misdiagnosis and House intervenes by suggesting to the patient that he sue Wilson (a case that is in no way winnable) and refuse the $6000 offer, actually saving Wilson his $6000. It is a move that Wilson ascribes to House’s need to control even Wilson’s money, something that House does not refute, but, in fact, is an attempt to help Wilson, and protect him.
Article comments
1 - terri
A wonderful and amazing review. Your analysis of the interprlay between House and the rest are spot on. You made me see deeper into House's nature and now I understand him more. The only thing I disagree with you on is including more Chase. His character, imho is the least interesting of them all.
Great job! Thanks for the insight!
2 - Barbara Barnett
Terri-
Thanks for your kind words. I am so looking forward to see what happens next! I hope that the hopefulness we're seeing in the writers guild strike talks is for real and that we'll see everyone return to work soon---and more House for us (there are only three unaired episodes left, and the Christmas-themed episode will not air --it appears--until January 29!)
3 - Susanne
Thanks for the review I like the analysis between House and Wilson. I'm really happy that the arc was over, I felt Like it was going forever. I don't like the old team because I seem to pick similar characterictics from the old team, 13 in particular. But I need to watch the new eps next year before I make a final judgement. But I feel as if season 4 so far has lost some of its spark, House was acting like a clown sometimes, the writing lacked cunning wit sometimes and the sexual comments were crude which made me groan. I'm not a huge fan of Huddy because I lean a little foreward towards Hameron but that's mainly because I feel that it is more realistic because it reflects a lot of relationships (my marriage being one of them) and the fact that Cuddy has been degraded into a sex object and a walking doormat for House to easily maunipulate and walk all over wheres before she kicked but and wore some decent clothing. (the thong moment was terrible, a lot of working women especially bosses won't be too pleased (me being one of them). I have no idea what they are planning to do with the original or new team but I want to see Chase and Cameron more because they have been turned into wall paper. I wanted Amber to stay, I liked her more then 13 and the others I don't care for. I heard that their contracts extends to the end of the season so i hope that they will leave if they can't fit them in. So far House season 4 has been a little disappointing for me so I really hope that they can pull something magical. I want to see more clinic hours, I miss them.
Thanks for your review.
4 - Louise
Another great review and to me your wish list is perfect in every way!
I am not certain, however, that House is really doing it for the patients--not that that doesn't play a big part in his fairly fierce bottom-line sense of right and wrong. But, curiosity is a big driving force for him, a drug much stronger than the Vicodin. It may be a good thing or a bad thing, but some people are just built that way.
I always look forward to your reviews! Please keep writing during the "winter hiatus!"
5 - Barbara Barnett
Susanne--One of the biggest criticisms I've read from House fans this year is that the show has taken too much of a comedic turn and that House is acting clownish, too silly to be taken as the miserable, hurting, intense doctor we've come to know.
At the beginning of the season, I was also feeling that way to an extent until I started thinking more about the episodes. I wondered about what might have changed in House's life to make him more outlandish in his behavior, somewhat less in pain (although that was coming back by the last episode or two) and a bit less unhappy. What I realized a few episodes in was that House is surrounded by a lot more people than we've ever seen. He has to interact with many, many more subordinates--keep them organized, figure out who they are and what their stories are, etc. In other words, he's a lot more occupied, a lot more distracted by stuff (in a good way) and more engaged with people. The responsibility to weed out 27 docs from his staff, then 7, then 1 has provided House with enough distraction to make him less focused on what hurts him. House always functions better when he's occupied with a problem--his leg hurts less and it occupies him less. That's very realistic and really how it works. If we're in pain, or even depressed (sometimes), having intense puzzle to solve does help. House has had the puzzle of figuring out his staff for eight weeks. OK. So that's the good.
On the other hand, House has had to deal with a lot of people. Because of his nature, it's quite difficult for him to do that. His natural defense, so as not to get involved--or care is to act out. House pushes people away by being obnoxious. It's one of his main defenses. He's been more so this season because he does not want to engage with people, but is being forced to. So he comes on strong, ensuring that they don't like him or care about him. And he doesn't care about them. If that makes any sense. Much too long an answer, but... And I'm with you. More clinic hours!!!!
Louise--I agree about the curiosity part. House is extremely curious. I love that about him. But it doesn't explain his behavior once the puzzle is solved. So often, it's solved, but House still goes on another degree to fix the patient. Cuddy said in last year's Fetal Position that once House had his diagnosis, he wouldn't care if someone else took over his patient, because all he cares about is the puzzle. That simply wasn't true, as she found out.
6 - Ann
Barbara, I agree with your wish list. I loved this episode and enjoyed watching House holding the strings over Cuddy, Wilson, and Wilson's patient. He seems to always get what he wants. Now if he could just figure out how to do that in his personal life he'd be great! No wait, that's not what we want, is it? I rewatched this episode on USA last night and finally decided that I'm sorry he fired Amber. I think I really like her. And, even though I'm from the old House school, it's time to cut the original ducklings loose and move on to new territory. I would love it if you would go back to some of the best loved episodes and look a little deeper into them. Personally, I just love figuring out later on what all of the pop references really mean. Thanks for another great review.
7 - Barbara Barnett
Thanks for your kind words, Ann. I actually do plan on doing commentaries on the Tuesday episodes airing on Fox during December and January. Depending on what's aired on USA, I may take another look at those as well. Look for a review of Merry Little Christmas on BlogCritics early next week (after the episode airs). What other "classic" episodes would you all like to see reviewed here?
Barbara
8 - Ann
Here are some of my favorites. I think Three Stories is the best episode ever. It will always be my favorite. Also, from season 1; Pilot, Love Hurts, & Detox. From season 2; Who's Your Daddy, Failure to Communicate. and No Reason. From season 3; Son of a Coma Guy, Merry Little Christmas, Lines in the Sand, and one of my favorites, but not everyone else's, One Day One Room. I thought ODOR should have been the one HL submitted for the Emmy. Most people hated it, but I loved it for what it showed us about House. Not necessarily because it revealed the abuse he suffered, although that does explain a lot, but for the heart he showed in the end. Most fans don't want to admit that the abuse he suffered greatly contributes to the man he is today. It was a episode that veered from the formula and I think, a great one. From everything I've read online most fans hated it. I guess I don't understand how fanatical fans of the show can hate any episode that reveals something to us about him. Isn't that what we all wait for- a reveal? And, as far as Games go, I loved the games he and Cuddy played in this episode. There is so much more simmering in there some place. I hope we get the chance to see all of our questions answered someday.
9 - Barbara Barnett
I just watched the pilot again, and it's incredible how fleshed out David Shore's creation was even then. You can see the fear on House's face when he realizes that he needs to take a patient. Such a great episode.
I also loved One Day One Room. I thought it would have been a great Emmy episode for Hugh. The episode told us a lot about the character (way beyond the abuse) and who he really is (and how hard he fights against his true nature).
I will post several episode reviews over the next weeks of older episodes. Anne, you've given me a nice place to start. Thanks.
Barbara
10 - Jane
This seems a really late comment, but it's because I've only rewatched House Season 4.
Why did House say both Amber (and 13) care about people? Besides her disgusted look at Grumpy who poisoned a previous patient, I don't remember anywhere else when she showed any sign of care for patients. The only other reason I could explain this is that her disapproval of Quidd throwing his life away actually proved that she gave a damn when she sees someone wasting away. It's not constructive, but at least she cares, unlike Taub.
I don't think patient welfare is House's original and sole reason for insisting on being right. True that House does care beyond solving puzzles, but it is also true that House wants to be right for personal reasons. In One Day One Room, House talks of the Japanese village doctor whose correct judgment was all that mattered despite his despised background. House also struggles with wanting to be regarded by his Dad to be doing the right things. Hence, I think House believes that being right is the only way to make worth and meaning of himself.
I don't agree that House wants to be special, and he definitely didn't get angry with Cuddy and Wilson about the Ketamine treatment because it took his pains away. House was angry because he was worried his brains were being messed with because without his brains, he won't be able to think and do right, ergo, he will cease to matter to himself. In fact, by the end of that episode, we see that House asked for the Ketamine treatment. Wanting to be pain-free was more important to him.
I don't think the patient Quidd wanted to be unique. He performed for himself, not for the audience. His horrendous music with "no redeeming note" reflected the screwed up life he didn't try to correct (he opted for "column D"). Hence, Quidd wasn't trying to gain attention by being notorious. He was simply being honest and cowardly about his screwed up life--just like House.
11 - nickel
Hi Barbara, a subtle something that I believe that you missed. When House asked Cuddy's opinion on who he should hire he was being completely honest. (House's tells are very subtle yet if you look you can see them very clearly) House shakes his head when he is trying to shake an emotional thought from his mind, he squints his left eye when his emotions surface. (ODOR, when he tells Eve that it was his father that abused him, his left eye squints. We can go on and on with that, there are literally dozens of times that House squints during an emotional scene.) I first noticed the eye squint in Autopsy when House and Wilson are walking in the hallway and the Andie is so Brave speech. These Tells are great to help see how he is really feeling. When House asked Cuddy's help in making a decision he meant it. And true to character Cuddy immediately tried to manipulate and take advantage by trying to "out-game" House. Of course as soon as she said that he should keep Taub and Kutner (who we all know she wanted on the chopping block in You don't want to Know), House knew that Cuddy was trying to manipulate him. But, House being the Master Gamer, immediately realized that he could not trust Cuddy's input as honest and set out to beat her at her own game. And as expected, House wins.