In “Teamwork,” five years later, does she no longer understand House’s philosophy of medicine? Is she upset because he has spread it beyond himself, gaining disciples in Chase and Wilson (who nearly tanked his career last week in a damn-the-consequences medical paper on euthanasia)? Again she offers her hand, and again House refuses it, unable to look her in the eye. It’s an interesting parallel to “Role Model,” but I’m not sure what it says about either Cameron or House.
The episode seemed off-kilter to me. I understand that in the aftermath of last week, House’s inclination would be to guard himself completely, becoming non-reactive. He can barely speak to Cuddy, and certainly cannot look at her. When she confronts him in the hospital corridor about whether his actions in the episode have to do with her involvement with Lucas, he simply turns away and walks off. He says nothing to her, doesn’t engage her at all. No snark, no mocking, nada. And that’s completely in character.
However, House is fundamentally a romantic, and his intentional manipulation of Chase and Cameron’s fragile relationship seems out of character. Yes, I can see him manipulating it, but to be intentionally destructive? Does he think there is some greater good there?
In his final scene with Wilson, House is practically giddy that he’s gotten three of his four fellows back. He seems to care very little that number four, Cameron, has flown the coop. Yes, we do see him consider calling after her as she leaves his office in her departure scene. But his recovery seems too complete, and her departure too easily blown off, by this final scene with Wilson.
Perhaps “Teamwork” is a transitional episode that leads us into the next narrative arc of the season. Transitional episodes often feel “off” because we get no resolution — to anything. They’re all setup with no payoff. So, I look forward to next week as House, with his re-configured team, celebrates Thanksgiving.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - enbeecee
Barbara, this is the first ep I can remember actually disliking--and the first time I've actually disliked the character of House. Like you, I thought it was off base in the way it drew House. The POTW almost was a caricature. And I don't get Lucas as Cuddy's fella, not unless he's really just a dalliance.
Altogether a disconcerting experience. I hope the next ep feels more on target with the canon of the series.
2 - barbara barnett
Part of me wants to attribute House's demeanor as reestablishing his guard after letting himself be so vulnerable last episode, but we'll see.
3 - Dani
In my opinion, House DID look her in the eye this time. Because she was dead wrong about him. He always had a problem accepting good things about himself, but looking people in the eye who are judging him falsy was never one of his problems.
4 - barbara barnett
She was dead wrong about him. And he knew it!
5 - Jeanne
This is one of the two episodes that I didn't like the character of House (the other was the CIA ep). Last season he said things that helped the Cameron/Chase relationship, and this time he seemed out to destroy it. Last season I loved the Lucas PI character. I loved the relationship between him and House (House buying dinner for the two; the two of them playing instruments). But I didn't like Lucas interferring with Chase and his problems. I hope that the writers aren't regressing in House's "growth" that he's accomplished so far this season. It's been a real pleasure watching this season because of it. Also that the old team was back.
Barbara, I look forward to your reviews each week and watch the show again after reading your comments.
6 - Dani
I certainly hope he knew it. And I also wouldn't call him giddy in his scene with Wilson. Did you see how he couldn't look at Wilson when he was talking about Cameron? He was covering up his sadness about her wrong judgement but also about her obvious pain I guess. I wish he wouldn't have felt the need to cover up his feelings again. But I agree with you that he did reestablish his guard after last week and it's kind of understandable. And by the way, 13 told him that he would have been rejected if he had told all of them openly that he wanted them to face the truth and come back/stay.
7 - Dani
Okay, sorry for spamming but I just have to say this: House didn't try to destroy the marriage!! The only thing he did was forcing them to face the truth. If they hadn't, the whole thing would have crashed later on because Cameron was running away from the truth and misjudging Chase and Chase was doing everything she wanted out of guilt.
8 - RobF
The episode was way off, even for a transition episode in which everything must be wrapped up as quickly as possible. This isn't the first time that the wholesale swapping of doctors on/off House's team has been handled in an unrealistic manner, just to get it out of the way, but whatever.
House's interference with Cameron/Chase was out of character, but could possibly be explained by his bitterness over Cuddy and Lucas. Cameron, on the other hand, was WAYYY out of character, inexcusably so.
It makes sense that she would think Chase is House's "hand puppet", because Chase is a weak person who is easily influenced. It makes sense that she might stand up to House about this, and it makes sense that she might blame House for anything remotely House-like that Chase does.
What doesn't make sense is that she would: a) consider either House or (especially) Chase to be irredeemable; b) think that House has no human feelings towards his patients. She knows better than anyone that he cares about people. In "One Day, One Room", she was the only one of the characters (House included) who understood why the rape victim wanted to talk to House.
Cameron had every right to be angry at House for going through the charade of preparing the patient to have his bone marrow destroyed when he already knew the correct diagnosis. But this was out of character for House. He risks his career, even prison, when he knows he can save a patient. He doesn't risk his patient's life to allow him to play mind games with his team.
They needed a House action that Cameron could notice and throw in his face; unfortunately they created an unrealistic one.
They needed a final judgement by Cameron on House's character; unfortunately they created one that was not only untrue, but was known by Cameron to be untrue.
Character continuity is of the utmost impotance to a show like House. Whatever the requirements of the story arc, the writers can't have the characters act completely out of character to make the pieces fall into place more easily.
9 - Epiphany
Oh dear. Where do I start with the many problems I had with this episode? How about with something you've said Barbara:
"House is fundamentally a romantic, and his intentional manipulation of Chase and Cameron’s fragile relationship seems out of character."
It's not "out of character." It's totally, utterly and completely out of character. Yes, OK - he opened his heart and soul to Cuddy and got ripped to shreds in return. I can see why that would make him veer sharply off Recovery Road, make a right turn into Relapse Avenue and eventually arrive at Unremitting B**tard Boulevard.
But my goodness, it was painful to watch. And nary a scene of light relief (we NEED clinic House writers!). Reeling from Lucas and Cuddy, he wanted to surround himself with the familiar where he has, and is in, 100% control. I get that too.
But just about everything else in Teamwork was a foreign country to me. I didn't recognise half the people before me, their actions didn't add up and neither did their thought processes.
The departure of Cameron and the return of 13/ForeTeen depresses me more than I can possibly say. In addition, I have no idea why Cuddy would even want to be with a man who's indirectly responsible for breaking up a marriage. Especially as she looks happier with Lucas than we've ever seen her.
I think you've shown remarkable restraint with your review Barbara. I truly hope TPTB know what they're doing because all I'm seeing before me is season 5 all over again - except with Lucas installed as Cuddy's love interest. Even though I like(d) House and Cuddy's lively relationship, season 5 is my least favourite to date. The last thing I want is another retread.
10 - Reba
Hello Barbara,
Thanks again for a good review. I agree with you. Teamwork is not my favourite episode. And I must say, apart from the first long episode, season six so far has left me a bit ambivalent.
I like personal relationships in a TV series.
However what I like about House the TV show is the way they have 1) mixed the personal with the “mystery”. 2) made it all seem rather plausible, both medically and personally and somehow made even big dramas “realistic”.
Watching Teamwork I just thought everything seemed so rushed. The patient which could have put up some moral debate for House too, didn’t (and I don’t mean because of the pornography theme). Chase and Cameron were all over, discussing, leaving, not leaving, leaving again. Then House suddenly turned Chase away from Cameron just like that. As their relationship was all built on sand, which has not been my impression.
I guess that my question is why not let this arc play out nicely and in time (after all they did bring the old team in the forefront again which I DID like with season six).
And then the scenario with Cuddy. I love the way Lisa Edelstein plays her, but I think her 180 degrees very outspoken turn from House is a bit off. I get that House’s hospitalization scared her to death, but to turn him away still seems strange.
I never liked the PI concept in season 5 (although Michael Weston was funny). Of course you could argue that Lucas in many ways is very much like House, but when he started snooping in the medical files, it is the first time I’ve truly disliked a character on House. It threw me off a bit. Apart from Tritter of course. And Chi McBride’s chairman. Maybe Lucas will be this season’s “Tritter”?
Long rant, sorry.
11 - Epiphany
I liked Lucas in season 5 and he's very much House-lite. Or at least, that's how I see him (I wonder if the writers will pick up on this?).
But Reba, your comments about Vogler and Tritter bring to mind another point: this show has absolutely no idea how to successfully resolve a story arc. The only one that rang true was the conclusion of Stacy's. All the others have ranged from meh to god-awful.
12 - Eve K
Just a small comment this time. Taub said to Foreman he quit because he only wanted to work with House. Now House is back and his playing hard to get?
And didn't he have a non-compete contract so that he couldn't work as a plastic surgeon?
13 - Reba
Epiphany,
I hope the writers will pick up on Mr House Lite, maybe when he steps over the line in his "research" to keep Cuddy.
I agree that the Stacy storyline was a good one, and actually still one of my favourite. That's what I sort of mean by liking all the characters even though their interests might conflict with House's. I even liked Mark.
I think the writers of House and their writing are really intelligent, and a good hefty notch above other TV series. But right now they are a bit all over the place. I hope it will soon click back on track for me.
14 - Val
I had mixed feelings on this episode and also felt like it was a bit off-kilter. I both liked and disliked it. I posted the following (w/retweeks)on another board.
House was not appealing this episode. I'd go as far to say he was more of an arse than he usually can be...precisely because of the people (Cuddy mostly) issues he was dealing with. If memory serves, I remember him acting much like this during his separation/rejection from Wilson in early S5 (5.3)and though I don't like the behaviour, it did seem quite on par with a House I saw last year.
I was a bit confused at Cameron reverting back to her old ways. I thought she had grown during S4 and S5 and actually liked her new attitude. I felt the little run-in with House was a bit hypocritical on her part after all that she's done and experienced on House's team. House typically does not like hypocrites and I so wanted him to give her a good lecture/yelling, alas no. House does influence people negatively and positively and can easily manipulate, but Chase is still his own man and makes his own decisions. She can't blame House for what Chase did, even if he had been in charge of the dept. during the Dibala fiasco.
I am curious to see where the Lucas arc will take us (and House). And I would be happy to see a little therapy session with Nolan thrown in soon.
I am glad Taub and 13 are back. I really like House's interactions with 13. There are some moments where she seems to get House like no one else...6.02 in the kitchen when she asks what happend to him "in there". Could she sense his growth? And, in this episode when they were both in the gym she noticed something. With the newly configured team I hope we see the whiteboard return.
In a journey there are bumps; I have a feeling we are hitting huge ones very soon.
15 - Flo
Let's say it: this episode was not good at all.
It is the first (and hopefully the only one) bad episode of this season.
The medical mystery was boring, House was totally OOC and Cameron's reason of departure was unrealistic and also OOC.
I must say I still don't get this last scene with her and House. What was great with House and Cameron is that they shared an understanding. Cameron knows House too much to think he is an evil bastard who doesn't give a damn about his patients and just want to manipulate his employees for egotistical reasons.
On the other hand, that's all he did in this episode.
As RobF (#8) wrote: "He risks his career, even prison, when he knows he can save a patient. He doesn't risk his patient's life to allow him to play mind games with his team."
Couldn't have said it better! After all the growth and the good change House has shown so far this season, it is not only OOC, this is also downright regressive!
I guess it's just wait and see now.
16 - Suzanne
It has been ages since I've commented here - usually because between Barbara and all the commenters you guys hit the nail on the head - but I just cannot resist. I feel betrayed!
Ok, ok, ok. That's a little dramatic. BUT, by the end of this episode I kind of felt like House or Chase was going to wake up and the whole thing would be a dream. Everything, for everyone, seemed wildly out of character in this. Except for maybe Lucas, who in a House-like manner predicted both the purpose and the trajectory of his relationship with Cuddy.
Now, to the point at hand (and a blanket apology to all if this is long, but as I said, I feel betrayed and hell hath no fury as a woman scorned). I totally agree with Epiphany that House was "totally, utterly and completely out of character" in destroying Chase and Cameron's marriage. Sure, he was forcing them to face the truth and it was out of character to Cameron to "accept" this massive, life-altering event, but he was totally out for blood with the two of them. I could explain this away in some kind of it's-not-you-it's-me way by saying that this was totally about survival. House made a conscious decision that his protection with the familial was more important than their marriage. He chose himself over anyone else. But even that seems over the top given the stakes. Eli Attie breaks my heart - a concept that is doubly torturous as he pretty much stole my heart and intellect for years on The West Wing.
Agreement nods to everyone who said this just "felt off." It did. Completely off. And cheap. Cameron, a major character and turning point for House on numerous occasions, seemed to be shooed out the door. Maybe there is a greater theme or some tie in later in the season that will justify this (and by extension prove me blissfully wrong), but it felt like a cheap way to get her off. No build up, no drama to set the stage. The conversation in House's office should have shook the show, in my opinion, but instead it felt like a one off. Although, on the contrary, the return of Taub and 13, though much to my demise, seemed very well played.
There were other more thoughtful comments that I had, but quite frankly, the second I started typing they slipped out the back of my mind.
Overall, the episode just didn't work. I hope that the storylines established in "Teamwork" will work and prove not as sore-thumbish in the episodes to come. I hope...
Barbara - Great write-up as always!!
17 - mk879
I agree with other commenters that this episode was "off" and the characters were acting out of character. Was House upset that Cameron left or not? It looked like he was going to call after her, but the next scene House was bragging to Wilson. Also, why did Cameron try to shake House's hand and why did she kiss his cheek before she left? Maybe another viewing will help me suss it all out. Barbara, as always, great review!
18 - Epiphany
"I just cannot resist. I feel betrayed!"
Suzanne, you think that's a little dramatic? I think it's spot on - that's how I feel too.
I've been obsessively reading review and recap after review and recap because I just cannot process what I've seen. I cannot reconcile this episode to the show I've been watching since the pilot first aired.
And I don't know who that man was that called himself 'House' but he needs to pack his bags - and take 13 with him.
More than any other episode, this is the one that has floored me. I feel like I've been kicked in the nuts - and I'm not even a man so I have no idea how it feels. Apparently, it's very painful...
So many characters were trashed and sacrificed for the sake of the plot and that saddens me.
Just about every incarnation of House presented to me over the years has made sense in its own way - I even got a kick out of the relentlessly sexist boor in Whatever It Takes (heck, he was just extra horny and yes, I still laugh my head off at the "position on my penis" and "satellite aimed directly into Cuddy's vagina" lines... so sue me!).
But *this*! *That*! I'm speechless. Wilson once called him "a noble ass" - all I saw was an ignoble b@stard with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Even at his worst, House always had that. Why did Eli Attie take that away from him? And by extension, from us? Why?
Maybe all will be revealed in forthcoming episodes but I kinda feel the damage has been done.
19 - Amy B
I felt it was a bit off too, but it did have it's moments. Like the look he got when he got his license back and the smile he gave Taub when he gave House an idea about the POTW. He was right on the mark with Chase about Cam blaming House about the dictactor's death. Boy, did I dislike Cam when she confronted House about that.
She came off as shrill and holier than though. I must say JM did a great job with that scene.
20 - blacktop
I didn't love this episode, but I didn't dislike it wholeheartedly. Nor did I feel that anyone was acting at all out of character.
Foreman was his usual sardonic and resigned self when he swiftly handed over the diagnostics department to House and announced that of course they would be taking the case of the porn star over the sick baby.
Chase was his age-old self, looking for comfort in all the wrong places (House and Cameron) for his own tortured conscience. His waffling on the issue of whether to leave the team or not was completely in line with his previous behavior as was his ability to be manipulated by both House and the sneaky detective Lucas.
Cameron was also (sadly) completely in character. She returned to the self-referential, egotistical, moralistic, shrill, and hectoring figure she was during the opening seasons of the show. She displayed a fundamental lack of understanding of House's inner workings, of his drive to make positive good in the world.
House, too, seemed to me to be perfectly in character. He was wounded, brooding, and morose after the blow of Cuddy's rejection. It is completely in his nature to shy away from direct encounters of the emotional kind and that is what he did throughout this episode. I did not think House was trying to break up the Chase/Cam marriage. But, with his superior insights into human nature, he had already discerned the weak points of the relationship. He knew that Cam's acceptance of Chase's murder of Dibala was a sham. He also knew that Chase could not live with himself if he did not take complete ownership of his own actions. Pointing out these truths was harsh but not at all out of character for House.
Cuddy was in character because she has been striving for more than four seasons to build for herself a model family that would provide the comfort and loving support that she cannot expect to get from her high-pressure job. She has now deluded herself into believing that she has found this family in Lucas. The crash that is to come was nicely hinted at in that supremely creepy scene between Lucas and Chase, in which the detective exposed his snakey side.
Wilson continued to provide House with relationship advice and free lunches. His sly smirk in response to Cuddy's declaration that she was trying to make a life independent of House was a wonderful hint that Wilson knows that Cuddy is operating under a delusion if she thinks that House is out of her life for good.
I liked Taub and Thirteen in this episode as they discovered reluctantly that they cannot live without the thrills of the high-wire act that is medicine House-style.
So I am looking forward to where this episode takes us, particularly on the House/Cuddy front. Air turbulance ahead, for sure.
21 - Epiphany
Thank you for your reasoned assessment of this episode blacktop. I will watch it again after taking in your points of view. However, I keep returning to this paragraph of Barbara's:
"House is fundamentally a romantic, and his intentional manipulation of Chase and Cameron's fragile relationship seems out of character."
This is what really bothered me about the episode. And there were inconsistencies with Cameron too...
22 - nicole.o
Arlight, I'm at work and have not had the chance to read everyone's comments yet, but can someone explain two things for me...
1. Why would Chase chose to stay with House instead of do whatever it took to make it work with Cameron?? He was the one from the begining who chased her down and wanted a commitment. Completely out of character for him.
2. Why is Cuddy pushing House away do much? She was the flirtatious one all along and now that he is actually acting like she wanted him to all along she is being so cold? Next week's look where she tells them they're never going to be anything is so out of character for how she has been acting toward him all along? I could understand if he was being a jerk but he is trying so hard and she is slamming the door.
Those two bits were so out of character for me and if anyone can shed some light that would be great.
23 - Aleena
You were certainly right. Something about the whole episode was off. Especially the Cameron/House part. It wasn't even that she fell back into the character she was at the beginning, Cameron did trust him and believed in him then. She became someone different and while I understand her need to blame someone to save her marriage and maybe her sanity I do not believe she would have done what she did the way she did it. And House was just plain OOC and I don't even know how to describe it. Their whole last scene gave me the feeling as if nothing had changed between them and yet everything. As if they didn't say what they were ment to say but just changed everything that made them who they were to avoid saying something that might have left too much of an impact on the show.
Aside from that I do like Lucas, I just can't help it but the thing with Cuddy and him doesn't work. It feels like the writers have an idea that right now is too far away and to make it work faster they do strange things like bringing Lucas back in such a moment, making Chase stay or kicking Cameron out (because that's kind of how it felt) and then they have a nearly perfect comeback of the old/new team that was far too good for the whole episode as if it was written for another one.
This one just irritated me and while I thought I would watch House after the change of the team I don't think I will. Since season 5 I feel like the writers are moving towards something that does not get along with what is happening and this episode irritated me too much.
24 - RobF
For now, I am optimistic that the characters will return to form in the following episodes. Cameron was the most out of character in this episode, and now she's gone -- they can't write her badly if she's not there.
I will miss Cameron a great deal. She wasn't much of a character in her own right, but she brought something unique to House's world. When the other characters tell him off, he fights back, obviously believing that their criticism is irrelevant because they don't understand him as well as he understands himself. He is harshly critical of himself (even moreso than he is of others), which makes him somewhat immune to the criticisms of others.
But when Cameron told House off, he would often have no reply, except to stand silent for a moment before leaving the room. She obviously had more of an effect on him than do any of the others.
I don't know who could possibly replace her in that respect. (please not Lucas; pretty please!) House has respect for the medical abilities of all the doctors, but on a personal level the only one who can touch him is Foreman. And Foreman refuses to get into anything too "real", limiting himself to snide remarks made from a position of security. In this episode, the writers seemed to be moving Taub towards becoming a more effective foil for House. He might be a good choice for this; he wasn't all that believable as the pathetic quitter guy that he was in his original story arc.
25 - barbara barnett
Knowing what we know of this week's episode now, what explains the warmth between House and Cuddy last week? And I'm with W. Why would Cuddy not have at least warned Wilson that she's involved so he wouldn't have encouraged the fragile House into courting her (and opening him up so much).
And yes, why would Chase jettison his relationship so readily and not plead with Cameron to stay and work it out. and why is she leaving now that they're not escaping?
Yes--Foreman is in character, Taub and 13 were fun to watch as House reeled them in.
But it all seemed off. Maybe that was the point, but we don't yet know.
First review I've ever written where I've had so many comments pile up so quickly--and so many negative about the episode. Truly a first.