House tries a new method of pain management which doesn't sit well with his colleagues.
“This is the only ‘me’ you get.” A simple declaration by the resigned House (Hugh Laurie in a raw and surprisingly emotional performance) at the end of the newest House, M.D. episode “The Softer Side." Acceptance by one’s family and friends frames this episode’s narrative, a theme explored for both patient and doctor. Set against the diagnostic backdrop of an adolescent boy with “genetic mosaicism” (he has both XX and XY chromosomes, making him equally male and female), the episode touches on several key themes that so often make House compelling TV. …
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126 - Debbie
Barbara, I feel it's those who commit themselves to one ship are the ones who miss out the essence of the entire show. Even the ones who dismiss the scenes with other (secondary) characters do themselves a disservice.
I realize that you are focusing on Cuddy at the moment because that's what the writers are doing. And regarding your pieces regarding House and Love. You wrote more about Cuddy/House because obviously, there is more material between these two than any other possible ship. I just don't see why some other people don't realize it as well.
On an entirely different note, I noticed in this episode that it was the second mention of the suicidal poet, Sylvia Plath. (Jackson's English assignment was to write something in the style of Sylvia Plath.) I knew she was mentioned before but couldn't remember in which episode, but it was on USA Network last night. It was the premiere of Season 4, called Alone.
I wonder who from the show is a fan.
127 - Cath
sorry for not being as eloquent as most of the people here...just wanna say thanks once again for such an insightful review!
128 - Shaz
If it is not too late, it would be good to have JM's view of how Cameron seems to have matured this season. She has moved from being a naive, sometimes irritatingly puppy-eyed love struck teeanger with House, to someone running her own section and providing sound advice to Foreman etc. She clearly was trusted by Cuddy to help take over some of Cuddy's task and mature enough to realise she could not say no to House and voluntarily stepped down as a result. I like this Cameron.
As for the personal attacks, ignore them - there will always be some people who are resentful of the success of others/canot accept people who have different views to them. Your reviews are great!
129 - Donna
Hi Barbara-
I am in complete agreement with Andree (#122)
Love to read your reviews and insights as well as the reviews and thoughts of the reader’s who contribute to the discussions on House whatever their take is. One can always disagree respectfully!
Keep doing what you do here.
130 - Suzanne
Until this point, I have only ever commented once before. I can't remember why, but it was a good reason. I tend to just read, and silently judge - in a good way. The comments on here are generally great and really, I can't say I have much more to add than the brilliant posts above. Kudos to you Barbara, for facilitating such an elevated discussion. Who knew it was possible, when, we're all really talking about TV - smart TV, yes - but TV after all.
Anyway, following a tough night of insomnia and a few House episodes saved on DVR, I have come to one very clear conclusion on House and Cuddy - this dance they're doing is really appealing and great to watch, but he's not playing. Someone mentioned this at some point, hundreds of posts ago, I'm sure, but he's being completely honest and straight forward. Have we ever seen a House that isn't trying to screw with someone? There's no game for him, between Unfaithful and The Softer Side, he is being (what I can only imagine to be) himself. Truthful answers and doing what he thinks his friends want. Cuddy's playing games (tricking him into NOT going to the baby naming), Wilson's playing games (a shot as a drug test), but he isn't. It's amazing...and I think will be great to watch the rest of this season. No games, who knew it was possible.
Anyway, the comments are all great and I love to see the little nits that people find (the cane and the dice? great calls!). Oh, and whoever mentioned the comfort thing (the way he and Stacy were really comfortable and he and Cuddy aren't), go back to the scene right before we cut to his serenade in Unfaithful - he knows her sister and their relationship? He knows she wouldn't necessarily want her there? It seemed pretty comfortable to me, well, until it got awkward.
I apologize if I shouldn't have carried that episode into a discussion of this one, but I can't help it, they really tie together well.
Anyway, yes, great comments, great discussions, and no House episode is complete until I've come here and read about what others thought.
Thanks, Barbara, and thanks to all!
131 - Flo
Don't apologize suzanne every opinion is welcome.
Yes House reference to Cuddy's sister is interesting and show that Cuddy and House know each other for a long time and very well.
They also show comfort at the end of "Act Your Age" (I hope I'm not mistaken) when they discuss relationships (the guy with two kids who was dating a younger woman) and also in "Half-Wit" in Cuddy's House. Oh and of course the injections in season 2.
Yes in the last two episodes House wasn't playing any games.
also agree with everyone on the negative comments. I always thought it was obvious that Babara wouldn't ask J. Morrison about Huddy.
Those who are not happy about her reviews can just stop reading them instead of being nasty.
132 - barbara barnett
Crazy day yesterday, so couldn't pop in to respond to comments. JM interview is set for early this afternoon, and am looking forward to it. Thanks again for your wonderful (and greatly appreciated support).
Suzanne--Yep. I think House is not playing games with Cuddy since Unfaithful (actually he didn't play games in Unfaithful except the snark at the beginning.) In a sense that's a letting down of his guard for her. If you read it that way, he is leaving himself open for being hurt--and that's a big step. I think at the end of Unfaithful if Cuddy had asked him, he would have gone. I think that's why he paused for small talk (something he hates) and the awkward just standing there with her. When she didn't, he told her "have fun" and left.
In Softer Side, again, no games. He just didn't tell them (and why would he, knowing that they would judge him--which they did anyway).
133 - j.i.m.
A week after "The Softer Side", it still resonates; add to that, wonderful echos from "Unfaithful". The pain-free House was like a little miracle. His life turned around in ways he can't negate. Now he has choices.
I strongly second Suzanne's idea that these last two episodes were a double hitter in impact for House. I also like the several posts which dealt with the notion that the writers are heading towards a two-pronged goal from a double source of inclination and inspiration in House's life.
There is an inclination that House maintains his "lone ranger" status and one that inspires him to find solace, comfort, and love, even if only temporarily so. Wilson urged him to explore love if the opportunity presented itself, remembering Amber.("Itch") This reminds me of the Paul Newman Tribute at the Oscars. Newman said in a film, "There are two kinds of people in the world, those who have found pleasure in love and those who have not." Both House and Wilson have found pleasure in love with Stacy and Amber. And Cuddy has her daughter.
The most important development in a long time is the pain-free existence now available to House at any time through methadone. And since methadone works, why not something else as well, yet unknown? Before, House's reality was bleak. He was in prison under a life sentence of pain without parole and a guarantee of an early death, 10-12 years, with a much earlier loss of function.(similar to 13) This inevitable time of loss of function would be House's focus as the end of a viable life. ("Painless")
Now, House is out of pain prison and his horizon has opened up to include the world any time he wishes. His new abode resembles a half-way house where he has his own set of keys. His work fulfills him but he enjoys the choice to plan a vacation with pleasurable anticipation and a methadone schedule.
Half of House's load has been lifted. He has been freed and given the keys to his future. Now, what will he (the writers) do in a season with a theme of "Do Something"? I am curious to see how the great Hugh Laurie interprets his character's broadened reality.
134 - barbara barnett
j.i.m.--what a fascinating take on this arc. You may be right. And at least House KNOWS this pain treatment actually works (when he needn't think). Maybe when the pain gets really bad (and likewise impairs his ability to function)he now has something to fall back on!
135 - Meena
j.i.m., very interesting point!
A corollary of your thinking might be that now, in a way, House has chosen pain for the first time - a huge step in the growth of this character I feel.
From the start, House has had a lack of choices leading to his life of chonic pain. His infarction was not a choice, Stacy's decision/betrayal to remove the dead muscle was the opposite of his choice, etc. - ever since, he has suffered with chronic, intolerable, increasing, and unyielding pain throughout the series, with little hope for improvement.
Sure, when given the chance, he has chosen to ameliorate that pain - even at the potential expense of some of his intellect, with the ketamine treatment in the No Reason/Meaning episodes. He was able to live pain-free (and pain-management-regimen free) for a small window of time, and seemed to really enjoy the increasing choices his new situation offered. But again, many of those choices were stripped away from him when the pain returned.
He has also chosen sometimes unethical means to alleviate or remove his pain - the episodes Insensitive and Half-Wit come to mind, though I know there are others. He may not have been successful, but no one can accuse him of being passive about at least trying to widen his options.
However, in The Softer Side, House has, for the first time that I can recall, chosen pain over a known cure. The opportunity cost of taking methadone could not outweigh the chronic leg pain he feels, which means that something must matter to him more than not being in pain. And by 'choosing' pain, and understanding that his pain is a choice (and not a reality), it can't 'own' him in the same way as before.
By the way, I went from never commenting on blogs last week to now having something to say here twice this week...you all have converted me:)
136 - Flo
"By the way, I went from never commenting on blogs last week to now having something to say here twice this week...you all have converted me:)"
It's a drug!!!! LOL
On a serious note I totally agree with you. He chooses pain.
There is no proof that the methadone would have indeed reduced his ability to do his job and would have take away his genius. This case was absolutely not conclusive to say that the methadone really made him weak.
Knowing that the meth treatment makes him nicer he just could have be more careful to his medical decisions in the future. He has people who can help him with that and with time, once his is used to be 'nice', who knows?
Cuddy said in season two "Humpty Dumpty" that he was already a legend in College. We don't know if she was talking about the fact that he already was known as a jerk or if it's a reference to his "gift" (maybe both).
Suppose it's a reference to the second one, that means that methadone would not have interfere with his capability to be a great doctor, a genius.
Okay I know at's all suppositions but like Meena I also think that it's interesting to see that for the first time he chose pain. Even choosing this without really knowing if that's gonna make him a less good doctor.
On the other hand I agree with j.i.m. that to have the certainty that a drug actually works, opens a good, positive perspective to him.
137 - Kate
I know this isn't the right place to ask, but... I saw on House of Whining that you might be interviewing Jennifer Morrison, if you haven't already. I'm not a member of the board. Any other way to reach you with questions? Thanks!
138 - JL
(I know everyone's now concentrating on the Jennifer Morrison interview but...)
I was pondering this idea that House has, for the first time, chosen pain-and-brilliance over comfort-without-brilliance. I'm intrigued to see how his seeming acceptance of his situation might finally allow him to deal with life more successfully.
It struck me that in my previous comment (#69), this is similar to what I was describing in terms of 'choosing' a relationship, accepting your partner's flaws.
I have been saying for ages that, while I believe Cuddy loves House, she doesn't want a relationship with him. She's still holding out for Prince Charming who will whisk her away to a white picket fence happily-ever-after. And she's miserable because he hasn't turned up yet.
I've pondered whether anything could ever lead her to actually want a relationship with House, given how dreadful he is.
I could really envisage a parallel situation unfolding (over a series or 2, not just an episode), in which Cuddy finally has a relationship with Methadone Man (ahem), who has good manners and is generally nice...
... and that getting what's she's always wanted is what ultimately could make her realise that a not-painful-but-no-spark relationship may not be what she *really* wants after all. She may actually need a painful-but-brilliant relationship with House, which can only work when you actually choose it for yourself.
Having seen House in a romantic relationship with someone other than Cuddy, I would really like the balance of seeing Cuddy in a relationship with someone other than House.
I also like the idea of seeing House's reaction to Cuddy dating Methadone Man. Rather than reprising the House-Stacy-Mark storyline, in which House fought for Stacy until she chose him, at which point he decided that she was better off with the nice guy, I could see House fighting, then accepting Cuddy wanting a pain-free relationship - and Cuddy then choosing pain-with-House after all.
(Anyway, I found it interesting to play out the parallels in my head, as 'life beyond Series 5'...)
139 - j.i.m.
JL, Congratulations to you and your family on being blessed with a beautiful newborn baby.
Your entire post was brilliant. House and Cuddy are such intellects but in their private lives they seem to be able to learn only by doing, like most of us. Thus, I would also welcome a serious relationship for Cuddy so she can comparison shop. Plus, it would be more realistic given the facts; she is attractive, aggressive and she likes sex.
140 - JL
(Thanks for the nice wishes, j.i.m. and Barbara!)
141 - LadyDyna
Barbara--as usual, I LOVED your review & analysis (the Softer Side). I also love all the wonderful, insightful comments. Everyone seems to have loved Softer Side, but I felt like this episode was a bit of a cheat. Can House change? Grow? Begin to find a little pain relief, personal peace & happiness? This episode, as so many others in Season 5, says ‘NO!’
I watched this episode with a jaundiced eye. I KNEW House wouldn’t be truly delivered from his pain; I KNEW he'd pick his 'One Thing' even over painlessness.
The scene where he rejects the methadone didn’t have the feel of a Big ULTIMATE CHOICE moment. To me, it simply didn’t have the drama of say, the rooftop scene where Wilson confronts House about giving up Stacy, which was immensely powerful & heartbreaking. Was it a moment of acceptance? I didn’t get that feeling. House lives with two big paradoxes: 1) “Either I live with torturous pain or I can’t Be All I Can Be--Sucks to Be Me.’ 2)’If I give some of me away by letting somebody get close, there will be nothing left of me for me to love.’ 'This is the only me you get'"felt like a bitter affirmation of both these paradoxes.
Traditionally, when we get tragic characters like this, say, in Shakespeare, they end up dead after 5 acts because there’s just nothing else you can do with them"they can’t change or grow; their tragic flaw destroys them. House is a tragic character. I don’t think death is the plan for the end of Season 5 (Hugh Laurie recently signed a new 5 yr-multi-million $$ ‘House’contract), but House’s existence is pretty ‘dead-end.’ Despite a lot of ‘thinking about’ maybe taking a chance on change this Season, House still clings to his isolation & self-centeredness. Its like the definition of insanity"I know House will keep making the same choices he always makes. Yet, I still hope that things will get better for him. My hopes are always dashed.
Many have commented that they think House has been ‘growing’ or ‘reaching out’ this season, but I don’t see it. Compare House this season to House in rehab during the Tritter arc. Hugh Laurie was beyond AMAZING the way he portrayed rehab House with such dignity amidst utter humiliation. Same in the episode ‘Detox.’ He is heroic in his suffering. This season, House is just very frustrating. I’m tantalized when he considers change, but he always runs away, back to his dark cave. Sure, his brilliant fabulous self remains uncompromised. But Brilliant Uncompromised Self hasn’t been enough for him.
I’ve been particularly frustrated by how TPTB have been dangling the ‘Huddy carrot’ in front of us as an avenue of possible change/growth for House. The repeated miscues, misunderstandings & standoffs between them haven’t ‘grown’ the characters or revealed anything new about them. In fact, it’s starting to undermine them. The Cuddy who stands in mute stupor, too afraid to JUST SAY IT in the ‘why-do-you-care-if-I’m-happy’ scene"is this the SAME woman who stood up to Vogler & the Board to save House & her hospital, or who connected so passionately with the dying girl in Joy to the World, or who risked her career & PERJURED herself to keep House out of prison? On the other hand, why has it become so important to House to hear a declaration from her when HE’S the one who always says ‘Words don’t matter, only actions.’ After all she’s done for him, I’m not sure what more he wants from her. To me, TPTB have no intention of giving this ‘relationship’ a real chance. It’s not dramatic to me anymore, it’s just tiresome.
I whole-heartedly agree w/the person who said that House 'choosing' his pain this time means that it can never 'own' him again the way it has. So, I guess there IS a dim ray of hope. Still, ‘this is the only me you get’ doesn’t sound very hopeful.
I guess I’m not a very good ‘Wilson.’ I’m finding it very hard to stay enthusiastic about the show. Probably the upcoming ‘wild surprises’ Jennifer Morrison promised in the interview will blow away all my frustrations and put me to shame. But, I’m still not getting what I want or what I need this season.
142 - sean sverige
Just discovered both blogcritic and these reviews - good stuff: fantastic to find somewhere to indulge my interest in House - none of my friends watch it.
To be honest I thought this season started poorly - or at least morbidly. Although House's Head / Wilson's Heart was a superb end to season 4, Amber's death seemed to have painted things into a very dark corner - it seemed that the humour element of 'black humour' had been dropped. Just as I was losing faith, things improved: like Wilson, 'Birthmarks' was the most fun I'd had with House in ages.
There have been a few cracking episodes recently (especially 'The Social Contract') but this also good episode saw the return for something I also feared lost: the clinic. I've always thought this an elegant device that gives us short, sharp doses of House that can serve to complement or counterpoint the main plot - or simply for laughs.
The problem is that not only was he nice to the clinic patient, he was only doing the clinic itself because he was in a good mood. Can the writers please engineer a way of forcing House to do clinic again on a regular basis?
As regards the methadone storyline, my only frustration is that this was done and dusted in a single episode - I know that these themes are often a counterpoint to a particular episode, but sometimes it's almost a waste not to extend them over a few episodes. The fake brain tumour subplot in 'Half-wit' was particularly frustrating as it had bags of potential.
143 - Dominic
I played the kid, Jackson, and this is when i started watching HOUSE alot... I just need to say House is AWESOME and i want to thank you all who watched and loved my episode..
Dominic Kay
144 - barbara barnett
Hey, Dominic.
Thanks for stopping by and saying hi. You were excellent in the episode.
barbara
145 - barbara barnett
PS--to Dominic: would enjoy sitting down to do a brief interview via phone, email or online.
Barbara Barnett