Take one cup Vogler and two cups "Detox," sprinkle with a case of the week that for once I wish had taken more airtime from the character drama, and we have "Merry Little Christmas."
That might not be a very generous description, not fitting for the holiday spirit, but there is an air of familiarity to the Detective Tritter/withhold the Vicodin/define House's addiction storyline the last few episodes have been milking. The patient story and the more-stunning-than-usual performance by Hugh Laurie redeemed this one for me, but only after I shut off the logic centres of my brain that were challenged by the rest of it.
This episode starts with House striding to his office to the cooler than cool sounds of "Zat You Santa Claus?" and jolly Detective Tritter (David Morse) starting things off with an ominous "Merry Christmas." "And a happy go to hell," is House's rejoinder. Wilson and Tritter are bestowing a lovely gift on House: a two-month stint in rehab in exchange for a guilty plea for that thing he's guilty of, with no jail time and no sanctions from the medical board.
"I did this to help you," Wilson insists. "Next year, get me a sweater," House replies.
Tritter tries to sell the deal with the choice: "Your principles or your life," but I can't quite figure out what those principles might be. The principle to break the law, implicate his best friend, not take responsibility for any of it, and then decide on the one means of reparation that will ruin the career that means everything to him and will still result in withdrawal from Vicodin. Unless they hand out unlimited pills in prison? But in any case, at least he'd have his principles. Whatever they are.
House runs to Cuddy, who's examining the patient who will distract him momentarily from his outrage - so you know it must be an interesting case. Abigail is a young dwarf recovering from a collapsed lung. Cuddy has no idea what caused it, and after a snarky sparring match with 4'1" mom Maddy (Meredith Eaton-Gilden), which involves many short jokes from House, take-no-guff sass from her, and a whole lot of sexual innuendo that ends with House proposing they "go for a spin," House determines to find the cause. That was fun. This episode could have used a little more fun and a lot more Maddy.
Cuddy is not impressed with her "best doctor," but she's possibly even more unimpressed with Wilson, pointing out that House will never take the deal "because he's a child." Wilson's solution, since there's no way to undo the past, is to treat him like a child and take away his candy until he takes the deal. Cuddy warns that House needs the pain medication to function. "That's the point," says Wilson.
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
An excellent recap, Diane, as always. You put my reaction into words that I was reaching for myself. There is no one left to root for in this situation. Tritter's "by all means necessary" philosophy does not ring honorably and neither do the action of any of the other's. I miss being able to like House.
2 - pdesr
Great episode, and what made it great? For me, all of the revelation of the depth of his addiction aside, it was the dialogue between House and Maddy.
Even from the onset of the jokes, you can tell that he admired and respected her. I think the attraction started the moment he walked in the room, his demeanor wasn't just the normal sarcasm, it was flirtatious the whole time. In his own, awkward, backhanded way, He treated her as an equal.
In their final confrontation, the honesty and vulnerability (in the sense that he associated himself as a kindred being) overwhelmed me more, and was more revealing, than any scene from any episode that I can remember. I hope she shows up again, I think she brought out a side of House that we have rarely seen.