The entire story plays against the backdrop of a bizarre bet between House and Wilson: who can keep a chicken at the hospital longer before being caught by security? Okay, so what’s that about? Here’s my take.
House needs a distraction. Continuing to process his breakup with Cuddy, House needs something to divert his attention from brooding self-destructive behavior. So, as Wilson often does when House is especially troubled, he concocts games for House to play. The chicken bet is prime, Grade A Wilson friendship.
Note that it was Wilson who initiated the next bet: “ferrets next week!” House probably realizes what Wilson is doing, is, in his own way grateful for the distraction, and Wilson’s gentle manipulation of House’s mood is much more constructive than lecturing him. (And I wonder if even Cuddy is aware and privately sanctioning the shenanigans.) Besides, how much fun was it to watch Wilson’s discomfort trying to talk to Masters while a chicken pecked at his shoes? And how much fun was it to watch House play fetch the chicken with that gorgeous Golden Retriever?
House is off next week, but then returns for four consecutive weeks to finish off Season 7. Negotiations between Fox and Universal are ongoing (despite passage of last Friday’s deadline). The real deadline, of course is May 16, when Fox is scheduled to formally announce its Fall 2011 schedule.
I have a couple of new interviews in the works for over the next few weeks as well, so stay tuned!
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - rjw
I think I get in the first comment! Anyway,I enjoyed the episode.I was glad to have 13 back in the fold (I like her character).To see someone struggle to determine if her view of the world can be changed/compromised by her boss (which has been Masters' dilemma since the beginning).Ultimately,she couldn't conform to House's view of medicine.I got a kick out of the chicken sub-plot.Didn't really have anything to do with the story,but served as a great diversion for House (Robert Sean Leonard gave a hilarious interview about this).The ending was kind of weird,with the "You Can't Always Get What You Want" song,until Masters trips over the chicken.Like how that played out.It will be interesting to see what happens when Arlene makes an appearance in the next new episode.
2 - Zay
Great article, Barbara. No episode of House is ever complete without you and you, of course, didn't disappoint.
I enjoyed the episode, but I found myself a little lukewarm. It was a bit too House-lite for my taste. Yes, it was a good way of saying good-bye to Masters - and House's storyline with Wilson was hilarious - but I watch House for House and he's in a weird place right now. I wanted to see the show explore that a little bit more. Hopefully the end of the season won't disappoint in that regard.
I also hope we get more Wilson soon, because I miss that lovely man. Watching RSL last night, doing his thing, with those priceless facial expressions - it was just awesome. I know RSL has some other acting gigs right now, but we need him! Holmes needs his Watson!
Not just because Watson's epic, but also because at this point, I feel like House might see Masters, after her departure, as another person he's driven away, another person who's realized that he's too extreme and too crazy for them. He's at the top of his game - but the top of the game is a lonely place to be, and to have someone so smart - not an ordinary mortal but a genius, like him - choose to step down, may really flare up some of the wounds Cuddy left behind.
And when House gets like that, I mean, we're going to need Wilson on hand, playing over-concerned mother and trying to save his best friend from himself. Wilson has to see what's going on, and has to know that House cannot possibly deal with this on his own. House may want his privacy - but that's not what he needs right now. Here's to hoping we get some more of those reactions.
TPTB have quite a situation on their hands...I hope they handle it correctly...
3 - exfan
I didn't think too much of this episode. House MD was must watch tv for me, now i can take it or leave it and it gets worse with each passing episode (no, out of the chute must be my all time worst).
This one was boring and confusing.
What i think people are upset with is not the scheduling of Masters' episode, yes if there had to be one it couldn't be earlier or later, but it is the fact that she got one in the first place. It took years for cuddy and wilson to get one. cameron never got one neither has anyone else, i think. What is upsetting is that Masters just shows up , has less than a season and gets one entire episode following her POV. it seems a little unfair and not enough interest in her character of only less than a season's viewing.
So many questions unanswered.....
1. How did 13 get her license back? where was the discussion that should have taken place between her and cuddy or house and cuddy or house, 13, and cuddy? She was in jail one day practicing medicine the next.
2. So is House back on vicodine or not? He's been seen popping pills after bs, none in last epi. the dig, now he's back, but part time, cause he didn't take as many?
3. And who were those new characters (master's room mate and other friend)? where did they come from? They work in the same hospital, evidently they have their lockers very close to master's and the other members of house team's, yet we have never seen them before... never been introduced, i felt like i was in lala land.
didn't know what i was watching at times.
I also think they shouldn't have played House's song at the end for Master's character.
There are just too many things wrong with all these episodes, i can go on and on...... in frustration!!
4 - MusicandHouse
I liked the episode, but I found myself wanting a little more House involved. But it was a good sendoff for Masters.
I actually liked hearing You Cant Always Get What You Want, even though it wasn't played over House because in a way it was about him. He took this girl and changed her, possibly for the worst. She wanted to be honest and stay true to her moral, but she needed to grow up and face the real world and House forced her to do that. I prefer the song to be played over a scene with House but this worked for me (although I may have just been so happy because we haven't heard the song since season 5. As soon as House said the line to her, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the song to play)
5 - Flo
Hi Barbara, thank you for the review. Hi everyone. I thought it was an okay episode, not more.
I don't understand all the fuss about the Rolling Stones song. I get your point but I disagree. The end of the episode with the "You can't always get what you want" was also for House after all. If you think about it, it was as much for him (who wanted Masters in his team but lost her) as it was for Masters herself. It was also a way to remain coherent with the whole show. As you said Barbara, this is an anthem but as long as it is mostly about House, I always felt it could be apply to all the other characters given their trajectories.
Here I thought it was appropriate since House just "okayed" Masters departure, which he didn't wanted. He was feeling the "you can't always get what you want" like her and he was allowing her the "get what you need".
I agree that Masters offered a unique perspective on House world of medicine but she was too one-dimensional for far too long for me to be really interested in her character. In a sense it is too bad that she has to leave when she finally became fully layered but I think it her time to go and as unique as she was I don't think I'm gonna miss her that much (But i'm willing to be proven wrong :-))
On another review, I read about Masters being half Cuddy/half House (with a bit of Cameron). The comparison was interesting. What's the cost of being an over-achiever who fights with House on rational & being an exceptional doctor who can get to the answer just by "feeling"? Interesting question.
Still, the story wasn't as compelling as it could have been for me but the character wasn't developped properly enough for that IMO.
I didn't like the Chicken antics. I thought they were silly and totally unfunny. Barbara, you may be right about the whole reason this plot existed but 1st: it didn't fit well into the episode (both H & W looked like retards in front of Masters) and 2nd: H&W playing dumb games without Cuddy interfering is not credible after all what happened. Here it was like nothing of the past episodes had happened. It was like it was okay for House to be back on Vicodin and nobody cares and Wilson just played with him like old times. If this is just a way for Wilson to distract House then it would have been good to have just one line suggesting so. Otherwise we just guessing here and it begs the question: where have the past few episodes and even past few years gone?????
Plus I didn't think it was even funny as I'm sure it was supposed to.
All in all, all this was made for an okay episode but not that good IMO.
6 - Sneaky Microbe
As always, thanks for your review, Barbara.
I found the episode to be boring and frustrating. The patient has the legal and ethical right to chose what is done to him/her. Masters staging an emergency so they could perform the amputation was utterly ridiculous. That was SO unethical that it went beyond what I would expect House to do. It screamed "plot gimmick." Let's scare people into thinking that doctors are going to play games and cut off their limbs without their authorization! And give them dangerous meds!
The chicken thing was mildly entertaining, but stupid. Another immature stunt in a long line of stunts we've now had shoved down our throats for three episodes. And I did NOT need to see the dog attack an innocent chicken (though they did clarify later that the chicken was just psychologically messed up). Sorry. Animal cruelty of any type shouldn't be a form of entertainment.
I see the next four episodes as the last House episodes. They've really, really ruined it for me, and I'm very angry. I loved the show, but now I just want it to end. I've liked Masters but I hated this send-off for her.
7 - tahina
Oh I really dont know how to express this one. House is/has been one of my favorite shows, but it has now dropped from the very top that had been since many great episodes ago to almost the last one out of 8, after this last episode it will remain in the bottom...I knoiw many liked Masters snd off--but my god, the whole episode to Masters! Where was House? I would have preferred watching the cicken game rather than the whole boring episode last night. Bottom line-glad Masters is gone. Barbara I wished I had your same vision on this episode, unfortunately I dont.
8 - RedTulip_Ana
Goodnight to all! Dear Barbara, thank you very much for your review (a big surprise because I thought we would have it tomorrow).
Always I like your reviews and in this case especially, for giving me a new perspective on the subject of the chicken. I never saw it as a distraction for House. I like your idea that the chicken is an idea from Wilson to distract House (and even Cuddy agrees).
Anyway, I share the idea of @Flo, I think it was a silly and absurd game. For me, the game with chickens and dog wasn´t funny. To me it isn´t credible that Cuddy didn´t prohibited this game: Chickens and dogs in her hospital? I can´t buy this idea as funny, sorry.
Concerning this episode, I can´t say I didn´t like it. Well, it was a transitory episode (bland)...Actually, I expected much more from it. I had imagined another Masters´s final, something more spectacular, something more "housian"...but there has been a typical end: "I act like House, I don´t like and I'm leaving" Do not remember you like when Foreman decided to leave? Of course, Masters and Foreman, departed from very different scales of values??, but the final idea was the same.
About the final song. Sorry, but definitely, I didn´t like the use of that song at that moment (I can say that it hurt to me.) For me it wasn´t the appropriate moment.
Another thoughts (and doubts) about this episode are:
1. Masters said she lived alone (EP08). Masters said he had no social life (ep14). But Masters has a roommate and a friend (ep19). When all this happened? On other sites, people say, that since Masters began with House has been a long time and it has evolved, and now she is more sociable and no longer live alone. For me, this is still a weak point in the story of Masters. I think that the writers have not shown us his personal evolution (if it has been this evolution.)
2. Masters don´t know what to do and asked advice to Cuddy. Cuddy spent a long time to convince House to hire Masters (ep06). But now, just lets her decide for herself ... At this point, I missed a conversation (longer) between Cuddy and Masters even a conversation between House and Masters, or a conversation between Cuddy, House and Masters . For me, this point also weakens. It is true that Cuddy was very kind with Masters (because she is always friendly and Lisa Edelstein is amazing), but for me, there were missing words.
3. A really important point. Finally, Masters decided to leave House. He told to her: "I need you to protect Cuddy to do something that she could regret" (EP11). So now what? Masters was very good for House´s team. Masters offered him a point of view than any before (even Cameron) reached to impose to him. Remember that conversation between House and Masters in Cuddy's office (Masters did not succumb to threats to House). Now, we have a problem. We return to the first step: Only Cuddy is able to control House. But right now, Cuddy is in a state of absolute absence. I don´t know if it is because a sense of guilt or regret ... I do not really know it because the famous break up has not been "studied" yet (sarcasm). So now what?
9 - Celia
Oh Poppycock ! I'm getting totally fed-up to here (indicates top of head) with Hollywood's idea of what constitutes an 'exceptional' Doctor. I've spent 33 years in the medical profession; I've dealt with young patients with osteosarcoma and the 'exceptional' decision making in this episode was so egregious as to be beyond offensive. Co-writer David Foster had better return to a real hospital soon in order to get his knowledge pack refitted.
House kept pushing Masters to 'color outside the lines' and 'think outside the box' so as to get the patient into surgery (even though that was NOT the patient's wish) and then happily offers her the internship once she has :
(1) ignore the expressed wishes of the patient who is in full possession of her faculties
(2) medicated the patient so as to induce a cardiac arrest
(3) lied to the patient's parents in order to get an uninformed consent based on the cardiac arrest
(4) proceed with an limb amputation because Masters thinks that's the 'right' choice even if the patient & parents don't.
If 'Life' was always the 'right' choice that House better stop championing euthanasia.
OMG !
In 'Autopsy' House went out of his way to ensure the expressed wishes of the 12 year old Minor with cancer were followed. He would not have proceeded with the life saving surgery unless he heard the patient say "Yes". Last evening the rather older Minor say " No" and was then tricked into the OR & on that basis House offers an internship to this.......excuse for a Doctor. This is Hollywood think. Shallow, dramatic and so unlike the early Seasons of [H]ouse that I just wanted to cry. And then they went and played 'The House Song' to make it even worse. We've had two iconic moments hijacked for want of better ideas this year : Two Stories vs Three Stories and now The Song. It's just a painful reminder what a shell of it's former self this once thoughtful show has become.
This episode was IMO # 23 the 'extra' episode ordered by the Network this year, clearly to highlight Amber Tamblyn for her own new show with Katie Jacobs. At best Masters' departure should have been the B storyline. The one thing I learned watching last evening was what the extra episode was actually for. It was a 44 minute Promo for FOX's new series' lead, Ms. Amber Tamblyn.
David Foster MD and Liz Friedman should hang their heads in shame.
10 - housemaniac
"The placement of this episode seems odd," you wrote, Barbara, in another insightful review. Indeed! It was like a commercial break, but within a season, instead of an episode. Virtually all the plotlines developed of late were dropped and we had to have an entire show devoted to Masters leaving. We didn't even get that for the Huddy break up! As far as I can tell, this episode was pure promotion for AT's new show on Fox. More frustration! I still like the show, but I sure don't love it, as I used to. Too much carelesssness and self-consciousness by the writers. Instead of worrying about letting the character of House be House, they should let the show "House" be "House."
11 - housemaniac
Celia #9: I guess we were writing some of the same things at the same time. But now having read your post, I have a question for you. Is one of your complaints that it is not realistic to insist on immediate surgery on a patient with an osteosarcoma?
12 - RobF
I like Masters a lot, and will really miss her. She was the first fresh perspective we've seen on the team in a long time.
The episode was pretty good. I am starting to dislike how the patient of the week is so often nothing more than an obvious parallel to (or sometimes a reflection of) the major story. In this case, a brilliant young girl is willing to give up anything (even her life) to be exceptional. In the end, she has to give up her arm and accept being normal -- when she refuses to do so, Doctor Masters makes the choice for her. After that, Masters had to make the same choice for herself, deciding against the too-great sacrifice required to be exceptional.
The chicken sub plot was a good way to show the contrast between the sane world and House's bizarre universe. As Masters left, she tripped over a chicken and looked back, realising just how messed-up House's world seems when you're not seeing it through his eyes (something he forces everyone around him to do).
It was interesting to see how the other members of the team were urging her to escape House while she still could. Perhaps a mutiny is on the way?
13 - not_thepope
Ha! Exactly what I thought regarding the Rolling Stones song. Hated it that they used it for Masters. That's House's song, darn it!
14 - not_thepope
Ohterwise, really nice episode!
15 - bigHousefan
Regarding the 'chicken game' my immediate reaction was that Wilson arranged this as a sort of distraction - and a signal that he's very mindful of House's fragile emotional state. It almost made me think of how one might cajole a child; take the focus away - for a time - from something they are not equip to deal with. Silliness, laughing, distractions are very much needed wherever possible when one is depressed as I suspect House is now.
I agree with RobF that maybe not a mutiny, but there seems to be a message of 'what is the cost' for allowing oneself to be sucked into House's weird vortex?
My adult daughter and I watch together and we both enjoyed the lightness of the episode given the last several. That is NOT to say however that as RedTulip_Ana sarcastically noted we're ok with the lack of breakup discussion between House and Cuddy after the abrupt end to their relationship. I do hope it's a major part of the last episodes of this season.
I also felt that the choice of the 'Sacred House Song' here was not appropriate and left me with a 'oh, don't use that here' feeling! sacrilege INDEED!
16 - ruthinor
I thought the episode was OK. Amber Tamblyn gets ups from me ahead of time because I really liked Joan of Arcadia and she was also good in a short-lived cop show whose name I've forgotten.
#9 Celia: There is one big difference between the patient in Autopsy and the patient in this episode...the young girl in Autopsy was going to die no matter what. House gave her a choice of HOW she wanted to die. That's a million times different than giving a young patient a choice between life and death. Even "old House" would NOT let this patient and her family make such a stupid decision.
Houseland is NOT the real world, medically or otherwise...not even close. In the real world House, Cuddy and the team would be behind bars, or at least out of jobs. There is no point bewailing the lack of medical ethics when it's never been there to begin with. You either accept this premise of the show or you don't. Have you accepted the fact that House and his team have ALWAYS illegally broken into patients' houses? I just will never understand why so many viewers of this program continue to be upset by what House and his team are willing to do to solve the puzzle and cure the patient. To paraphrase House himself: "Do you know him?"
17 - Ricardo
In "office Politics," Cuddy tells House the following about Masters when she was trying to convince him to give her Thirteen's spot on the team:
"She's a third-year med student. She graduated high school when she was 15. She filled out the time before med school getting PhDs in both applied math and art history."
However, in this episode, the writers stated not only that Masters was a college freshman at age 13, but that she's transitioning from the end of her 3rd year as a med student to the start of her internship/residency.
My question is twofold: a) At what age did she really start her undergraduate studies? b) What exactly happened to her fourth year?
18 - ruthinor
Ricardo: In Houseland, not only do you break ethics laws, but physical ones as well! Since House lost his watch, time has become an ever-changing construct.
19 - Celia
Yeah, I know him...or 'knew him' , and I totally accept that this isn't a reality based medical show. BUT. The thinking underlying House's previous medical decisions were always defensible on some level, but last evening's simply wasn't. To 'trick' someone into having a limb amputated is ....beyond the pale. House wouldn't even do that to the Crane Collapse victim in the S6 Finale. Osteosarcoma has a very high mortality rate by the time it is diagnosed. To take this young woman's 'one true thing' from her....sailing in a race agaisnt the elements.... in order to extend her time spent in misery was sheer cruelty, not 'exceptional' doctoring. It was shocking to see it presented as such.
20 - ruthinor
Celia: Perhaps I misinterpreted what I saw last night, but I never got the feeling, from what Masters said, that the patient was likely to die even once they did the surgery. My assumption was that the surgery was life-saving. If it wasn't, that certainly wasn't made a point of last night.
Also, what chance did this girl have of fulfilling her dream when you need lots of strength in both arms to sail?
21 - Reality Check
Nice book plug, there, Barbara.
You are so immersed in the fantasy, you absolutely will not see a lousy episode when it is literally staring you in the face. I think Fox could air Hugh Laurie passing gas and you'd still hear Mozart.
Lousy medicine (where is the great David Foster M.D., or did he get his license revoked?), asinine chicken antics and a boring swan song for M3.
Why, oh why, will TPTB not allow House to grow up and be a man?
22 - UrdyGurdy
Thanks for the great review as always Barbara
I liked this episode even though i wasn't aware it would be so focused on Masters and didn't think the character deserved to be be put on a pedestal as the worthy Wilson and Cuddy were.
I found it entertaining that they showed us House's crazy world through her perspective and that those who have been sucked into his vortex now find it almost normal.
Foreman finally had a funny line in Master's asking why they have chickens and him saying "the place they went to only had one pig"
Talking of chickens i completely loved those scenes with House and Wilson and was glad to see Wilson win for a change, as Barbara stated though there is more to this than the superficial "just for fun" element. Wilson is worried about House and is playing the same kind of game he did in SAVIORS in season 5 to distract him and to help him get over his loss. How much longer can he do this before House gets bored?
I did not like at all that Masters did a Stacy in the end. House is a diagnostician and does crazy things to get his diagnosis but once he is there he has always maintains that it is up to the patient to decide what they want to do so i was surprised that he told her she did the right thing? We are over his leg and him accepting he was wrong so what was the point in him telling her she was right about going against the patients wishes?
I have come to conclude that he was teaching her to go beyond coloring within the lines (which she did) but also to find her vocation and him knowing that she would never have really fitted in within his world but has exited it with an understanding of how the world works, i find this a great departing gift to her.
This was a transitional episode and I now expect more angst in the race to the finale.
23 - ruthinor
Oops, sorry, one more thing. As Polite Dissent points out, the medicine this week was particularly bad. On the show they called the tumor a lymphoid sarcoma which the doc who runs the site thought was extremely weird, and he assumed, as Celia did, that it was an osteosarcoma. I don't know anything about prognoses and whether all osteosarcomas are equal. But I can't recall anyone saying that the surgery would only give her a slim chance of recovery.
Also, do you know how long it takes to sail around the world? This was another Houseland venture into the unrealistic..it takes months. How could she ever survive that?
24 - ruthinor
# 23: "House is a diagnostician and does crazy things to get his diagnosis but once he is there he has always maintains that it is up to the patient to decide what they want to do"
I think that's true for adults, but not for kids and their, what House considers to be, "stupid parents". Remember the parents and kids earlier this year in Selfish? House yelled at the parents for not allowing the dying brother to donate a lung.
25 - ruthinor
Sorry, don't want to monopolize, but here is a reference on osteosarcoma. It says that if cancer has not spread to lung, prognosis is good. BUT, patient should have chemo first to shrink the tumor before any surgery.