“I want to be normal.”
“The surgery will change your face; it won’t change what your face made you.”
This is what I meant when I said I was still waiting for a House, MD episode that leaves me breathless, counting the seconds until the show comes back from commercial break.
Normal” is a recurrent theme on House, MD. As someone who is “not normal,” “outside the circle,” a self-described “freak,” House has sensitive radar for fellow outsiders. He doesn’t feel one needs to be compelled into the tidy circle of normal. This attitude and the bitterness he wears like a suit of flinty medieval armor have been won through a lifetime of pushing back against “circle queens,” who tirelessly endeavor to bend, break, and reshape non-circle dwellers so they fit neatly within circle. Failing that, there’s always pity (as expressed in last season’s “Lines in the Sand”).
Episode 4x07 has every element that makes a House episode great, and then some — pathos, gravitas, social commentary, and humor. The case in “Ugly” concerns Kenny, a young man with a severe facial deformity. A group of filmmakers have funded Kenny's extensive reconstructive plastic surgery; the film crew are to follow the young man through the process. The surgery abruptly ends as Kenny suffers a heart attack just as the procedure is to about to begin. Enter House and Company to figure out why. The film crew, tape rolling, are now intent on following House and his staff through their process. The novel (well, for this show, anyway) insertion of a documentary crew provided a wonderful lens (as it were) though which to view the main characters (and especially House).
House is duly annoyed at this intrusion into the diagnostic process; it hinders the natural free flow and the give and take of his differential diagnostic process. The film crew, shooting in stark black and white, shed light on all of the characters. At one point, House, much to his horror, watches himself interact with his staff (“I am NOT that guy,” he insists to Wilson), forcing him to look in the mirror at a harsh, but true, image. Yet in the final scene, with the film cut and edited, House watches himself again, even more horrified at the way in which the camera has been used to create a false, if flattering and quite surreal, image of Dr. Gregory House.
Article comments
1 - hl_lover
I agree, House was not telling the patient that he shouldn't have his surgery, just that he should wait until it is safe to do so. Some have wondered if this contradicted his advice to the patient in Merry Little Christmas, but it doesn't. He wouldn't discourage anyone from having at least the outward appearance of 'normal', the ticket out of the freak show, as he put it.
Kudos to the writer of this episode of "House", and kudos to you, Barbara, for summarizing so well the major themes and revelations of this excellent episode in a (to-date) excellent season of "House". How unfortunate that it will be terminated so prematurely!
2 - Barbara Barnett
Thanks as always, HL_L for your kind words. House has never begrudged anyone their ticket to normal. He's risked his life and career to make that possible. He just understands that you'll still be the person that lifetime of misery has wrought. I found no contradiction either.
Also apologies for mistakenly calling Kenny Darnell. Darnell is the name of the interviewer. The boy's name is Kenny. I wasn't totally out my mind, however. In the season 2 episode Daddy's boy, the patient's name was Carnell.
3 - Louise
Barbara,
Another wonderful review. Thanks for focusing in on (a pun, I know) the perception theme in this season. Right on target. This episode will take me four or five times through it to catch all that was going on. It particularly satisfying--and simultaneously annoying--to see the empirical House not able see and hear reality as he "blinded" by lust.
Then we have reality TV frameworks within a narrative fiction television series with a storyline where documentary film-makers distort the reality of a supposedly actual situation. Nothing like a bit of jump-cutting among genres to delight and confuse the senses.
Louise
4 - Barbara Barnett
Hi Louise,
There are just too many potential plays on words that would work with this episode; lots of symbols to play with. Focus, perception, distortion (as the camera is able to accomplish), image, lens, prism.
Some people, I know, were confused at House's sudden blindness regarding Terzi. After all, he's surrounded by beautiful women who like him and find him attractive. Why Terzi (who's nowhere as pretty as 13, and nowhere as sensual as Cuddy) And why now? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And like those of us who find Hugh Laurie more attractive than say Patrick Dempsy, when Dempsey is more conventionally handsome, none of us know who and why we find ourselves deeply and inexplicably attracted to someone. To me, my husband is the most handsome man on the planet; my sister might say "eh" about his looks. Also, post season 3, House may be in a better place emotionally (for now anyway)and more open to that sort of infatuation. It was funny to see House doubt himself around not only Terzi, but 13 as well, when his own lens went soft-focus on him regarding Terzi. Loved it.
Thanks for stopping by.
5 - Robin
I loved House's reactions to Terzi's medical comments. Like he was trying to shake himself from a love spell. And had to depend on Foreman to tell him the truth. Or any of the guys when the women spoke. I was surprised Foreman didn't make any comment about House's weakened state. He seemed to have figured out what his place is on this new team, which is back up support while others try to learn from House. I liked Wilson's comment "you were protected by Foreman" during his fuzzy moments.
6 - Barbara Barnett
I loved House's "guy-ness." And his horror that he's acting like a middle aged guy having a mid-life crisis.
Late breaking news: Writers Guild Negotiations will be resuming on 11/26. Good luck to all concerned.