House doesn’t even want to cut Amber, whom he has nicknamed “cut throat bitch,” because he sees the core of humanity beneath her antagonism and aggressiveness. But someone has to go, and although Amber “played the game better than anyone,” her motives are not really compatible with House’s medical philosophy. Amber is prepared to win at any cost, because losing sucks. House wants to “win” to serve the patient. He often loses — personally and professionally along that path to “almost always eventually get the answer right” (“No Reason,” season two). “You have to be prepared to lose,” House tells Amber, sadly dismissing her from his service.
Kutner is a creative thinker and is similar enough to House to be a good ally — but he lacks House’s cynicism. He is reckless, but that also means he is unafraid to take risks if it means saving the life of a patient. House needs someone to replace Cameron’s optimism and Chase’s creativity. In Kutner he has a bit of both.
13 is smart and cynical; wary and aloof. But she possess a wounded quality that I think gets to House in a way he can’t quite define. It’s not romantic, but he’s clearly intrigued by her. More than with the other new fellows, he has taken the time to mentor her, first in at the end of “97 Seconds" and more recently in “House’s Head.”
And then there are (of course) the original fellows. Seemingly quite fine after losing the whole team at the end of season three, House really did grieve their loss, missing even Foreman, of whom he had visions in the season premiere “Alone.” Of the three fellows, only Foreman has returned to House’s team, blackballed from other positions, trying to “be” House “nice,” but possessing neither House’s genius, nor his finely-honed manipulative skills.
Crawling back to Cuddy, Foreman has been dumped in House’s lap as her eyes and ears, something both he and House resent, but eventually have come to accept. Chase, who is now a surgeon (!), takes the pressure off of House’s new fellows to do surgical procedures (providing House with someone on the surgical staff that he trusts). But Chase also expands House’s social network (infinitesimally), conspiring with him to rig a hospital hiring pool and going bowling.
In “Ugly,” Cameron describes House’s old team as “doctors who learned to be doctors from House.” She (for all of her faults) has learned the true value of a House fellowship. He doesn’t just train doctors in diagnostics; he teaches them a unique way of practicing medicine, and of looking at the world. Cameron’s words are a fabulous definition of what House does as a teacher and mentor.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jules
Maybe its because I´m reading "Shogun", but you mentioned "serving the patient" many times. Service is samurai. House mentioned living in Japan, maybe that´s where he got his strong ethics, from japanese culture.
Great article BTW.
2 - Barbara Barnett
Thanks Jules, for your insight. Interesting observation. And one I hadn't considered. Cool.
Glad you liked the article. I started writing it as a season four overview, and got very caught up in the subtleties I had missed when I first watched those episodes.
3 - sassydew
Thanks, Barbara! As usual, you pointed out several things that I had missed, and made some more palatable ("Bring me the thong of Lisa Cuddy") and understandable. :-)
4 - Barbara Barnett
My pleasure, Sassydew! I wasn't overly crazy about House's "Bring me the thong of Lisa Cuddy" either. But given the hindsight of "A Wonderful Lie" and the whole bit with cable television and Cameron (where his point was to get them to stand up to him and not be afraid for their jobs), I think House's "tests" and "games" had much deeper reasons that to simply screw with people (though there was that as well ;) )
5 - SF
Dear Barbara,
Your first sentence was a book. And it helps explain to me why such a character as House, who limits himself to the professional side of his life in a rigid and predictable fashion, is at the same time complex. I guess the magic talents of Mr. Laurie also contribute to the complexity of this lop-sided, obsessive character. I can't help but wish for someone to create a similarly complex but symmetrically realized character. But of course we only get that in real life. It's all fascinating.
6 - Barbara Barnett
Dear SF,
Thank you for your kind and insightful comments. I believe we can only begin to guess at House's inner life away from his professional setting. But as with his life at the hospital, we also get generous clues about this.
His flat is a museum of clues: bookshelves laden with volumes (which cannot all be medical texts--in one episode I recall a biography of Beethoven lying on his piano) House's piano is a fine and valuable instrument; his other musical instruments--guitars; a banjo again suggest much more refined tastes than he would let on to his colleagues.
He has splendid artwork on his walls and lots of objets d'arte on the flat surfaces of his flat and his office; He has an audiophiles sound system (both at home and in his office). I could go on, but I would be ruining the fun of a future planned article.
7 - Gerry
Barbara, this is a lovely take on the first half of the season. I really enjoyed it and agree with your reading. To weigh in on the thong question, I had no problem with it because I don't think House thought for a second that anyone would actually win it. As Taub said, there's only one way to do it, really, and House doesn't think Cuddy is interested in any of his crew. Not only that, but as we saw, he doesn't want her to be interested in any of his crew. He was testing the team to see 1) if they would do it, and Amber made sure they did, and 2) how they would approach trying to outmaneuver Cuddy very much under the radar, since he didn't expect anyone to reveal anything to Cuddy. Cole blindsided him by actually involving Cuddy in a scheme designed to fly under her radar. Cole misread the purpose of the test--it was never about actually obtaining her panties by any means.
8 - Orange450
Barbara, thank you very much for this article. While I didn't like all of the survivor arc, I didn't dislike it entirely, either. My impression was that the episodes were denser and faster-paced than in previous seasons, making some of the subtleties and nuances harder to pick up on. (I used the expression "overstuffed" in several post-episode analysis sessions.)
But I thought that some of the writing rivalled anything in S1-S3. Specifically, my impression was that "Mirror Mirror" was one of the best-written episodes ever, and if it were up to me (in my dreams...:-)), I would have nominated it for a Best Screenplay Emmy.
I absolutely agree with your take on why House didn't fire 13 in "97 Seconds", and also with your take on why he fired Amber in "Games". Although I thought at the time that the graceful and sensitive way she handled being fired left the door open for her to return at some point - and happily for us all, she did.
So thank you again for superimposing some order on what sometimes *did* appear to be chaos. And for reminding us how great it is to look for, find and appreciate the real House under the smokescreen he puts up to throw us off!
9 - Sue
You mention House's need to make sure everything is done for the good of the patient. That was not the case when House would have been the beneficiary. If you recall, in Insensitive (season 3), House was ready to biopsy a spinal nerve from a patient with CIPA. Wilson called him on that decision, and House relented. If Wilson hadn't intervened, would House have taken a chance of paralyzing a patient so he could have a life without pain? There was no sign that House would have reconsidered the biopsy on his own. He told Cuddy it was necessary, and he didn't relent when his team questioned it. Had that patient come along during the survivor arc, what would House have done? Did House learn anything from that situation?
Don't forget that House told Chase that mistakes are as serious as the results they cause. 13's mistake led to the death of a patient. House did not know enough about her to justify keeping her. I found that unbelievable. When Foreman's mistake killed the girl, House had signed off on the radiation. Chase's mistake did not directly lead to the patient's death.
13's mistake was put in to show that House is more concerned with how his team does things than what they do. House was concerned that Foreman was going to get the "yips" when he killed the girl; how could he be so sure 13 would not get the "yips" too? House had a history with Foreman, but none with 13. With 13 not assured of a job, he was taking a chance that the "yips" would have caused her to make another mistake.
I would have bought the survivor arc better if they had not made House more crude and sexist during that time. That served as an unneeded distraction did not serve the character or the show.
The survivor arc was also not served by the incompetent actors that were hired to play the candidates. There was not one actor in the 30, (barring Amber and Scooter from this entire part), who was worthy of being on the show. It was easy not to care who House hired, because the actors were interchangeable with each other. None of the actors created characters with enough personality to elicit any emotion from the audience. If we could have rooted for someone to be hired, we would have had more interest in why House hired them. I still don't like any of the new team members. I don't want to know anything about their past histories. The survivor arc was more forgettable than any other part of the show.
10 - Barbara Barnett
Gerry,
thanks for your take. This is one thing I really liked about the survivor arc (although, like Sue, I was somewhat put off by House's sometimes over-the-top behavior, which I'll get to in a minute)--nothing was really as it seemed. House knew he had to hire (and probably knows that he needs people off whom to bounce ideas, at the very least), but couldn't give Cuddy and Wilson the satisfaction of knowing that they were right and also because House "doesn't NEED ANYBODY" right? Heaven forbid!
Yes, the thong game was meant to be under the radar, and (as with the cable television game) I don't think it was meant to be won (or possibly even played, as I said above).
Orange--
I agree that the writing for these episodes was incredibly dense. Nearly all episodes in this series are densely written and as intricate as a Faberge egg (to Quote Mr. Laurie). The rapid fire pacing of these episodes make that especially true. While (for me, anyway) they lacked the gravitas I usually prefer on House (and the series made up for it big time as the season drew to a close, so I ain't complainin') the arc was far from useless in moving the story forward (i.e. revealing the incredible Dr. House). It was a bit lopsided, since the arc took up half the season, on the other hand.
Sue--
Well, I said--almost always (Insensitive and Distractions are the two I was thinking about). My feeling is that in insensitive, House was trying to convince himself to jump to brain biopsy, but rather than overrule his team at every corner, he did follow up on all of the alternatives...and I do think he would have stopped himself. Note that when Wilson actually suggested that House ask her (when she was cured), he declined, feeling that he had no right to ask her (even, as Wilson suggested, out of gratitude, which House denied she owed him).
I think the thing with 13's mistake was put in for the reasons you stated--and to show that at his core, House is not completely cold and heartless. He didn't fire Taub for undercutting his authority, nor Cole for hitting him. Nor Chase for betraying him in season one (Wilson suggested that he should).
I think the survivor arc is a "your mileage may vary" situation, depending on your feelings regarding the fellows-classic of CCF. I found that I was intrigued by Taub's potential threat to House for the future (much more potentially lethal than Foreman) and enjoyed Kutner's boyish excitiement about the coolness of being a doctor--and by 13's aloofness. She may be a bigger bitch than Amber in the finals analysis.
11 - hl_lover
I, too, got the impression from "Insensitive" that House would not have carried through with the contemplated spinal nerve biopsy, Barbara.
Thanks for the thorough and insightful review of the Survivor arc. I like to add that I felt the more 'playful' tone of this group of episodes may have been intentional as a way of 'lightening' up the show after the darkness of Season 3...sort of a 'new beginning' for House with a new team, correct?
Definitely the strike-shortened season affected the balance of Season 4, as you pointed out, and many fans' view of the arc might be otherwise given the full 22 episodes rather than the 16 that we actually had.
12 - Barbara Barnett
Thanks HL_L. I also think the survivor arc was intended to bring the series back to a lighter footing, so to speak. Until the season finale punched us in the collective gut.
I agree that a longer season four would have changed some of the fans' perspective on the season and the survivor arc, which would have taken on much less prominence in the season.
13 - Andi
Barbara, I enjoyed your writing as always. I think you could make a garbage strike sound almost poetic!
Unfortunately, I still dislike the Survivor arc as much as ever. I've watched House since the very first episode and have never had to work so hard to "get" him. As you said, it was always understood with a look or gesture by the fabulous Hugh Laurie just where House stood. Even during the Tritter arc, I understood House; I felt for him. During the Survivor arc, however, I couldn't stand him or his outrageous " and often silly " behavior, and mourn the loss of his dignity for do-rag gags.
I don’t always agree that “everything he and the fellows do must serve the interest of the patient before the doctor.” I know you’ve already listed two exceptions, but Cuddy also pointed out at the end of “97 Seconds” that while House was busy sticking a knife in a wall plug for some redundant experiment in the afterlife, his patient and team were unsupervised and his patient DIED. Yet, the games continued.
During the Vogler arc, House did not resort to gimmicks to try and thin out his team. He wanted to base his decision on whoever could distinguish himself with a “brilliant idea.” When Chase and Cameron began to snipe at each other in the hallway, House quickly put an end to it; he had no use for *that* kind of competition. Vogler was an actual threat which he had to eventually take seriously. By Season 4, Cuddy is barely registering as a threat, AND she is a willing participant at times in the free-for-all while House is pitting the candidates against each other. I’m just not seeing any recognition or reward for a team effort.
I agree with Wilson’s assessment of the thong challenge. “It’s just creepy.” As pointed out, the whole idea was to “subvert” Cuddy. Can we substitute “show total lack of respect for Cuddy’s authority” in place of “subvert”? I recall during the CCF era that House would ask them to work *around* Cuddy at times, but I don’t recall that he ever openly encouraged such blatant disregard for her authority. None of them seem remotely afraid of her and they *should* be! It seemed as if House was preoccupied throughout much of the episode with Cuddy’s underwear or lack thereof, rather than the patient.
I find it hard to believe that House would become attached to any of the newbies after two months, at least not emotionally. I expected and needed to see emotional attachment to CCF considering all they had done for him in four years, including standing up to Tritter at cost to their own well-being, caring for him and ultimately putting their feelings for him on the line to be mocked in “Half-Wit,” tending to him over and over again and showing him compassion and loyalty over the years. Yet, something that I would have considered believable and honest was shoved in the background for “The Games.”
I think there can be a mistaken tendency at times to equate (and dismiss) viewers' dislike of the Survivor arc with the lack of Chase and Cameron screentime. And while many people openly admit to liking C&C a thousand times more than their dull replacements, there have been many, many thoughtful and reasonable posts about why the Survivor arc didn't work for them.
14 - Barbara Barnett
but Cuddy also pointed out at the end of "97 Seconds" that while House was busy sticking a knife in a wall plug for some redundant experiment in the afterlife, his patient and team were unsupervised and his patient DIED. Yet, the games continued.
I've thought about why House did that, coupled with his concern about the knife-guy clinic patient after House regained consciousness. I believe that House did that knife thing not so much to test the "afterlife" for himself, but to prove to the guy that it didn't exist--to get him to not do it again. "I have to talk to him," House lamented to Wilson. House was very upset to learn he had died (and maybe the test was in vain). He would have had no other reason to have been so insistent about talking -- not to the SMA patient--but to the knife in the wall guy. But YMMV (as they say).
During the Vogler arc, House did not resort to gimmicks to try and thin out his team. He wanted to base his decision on whoever could distinguish himself with a "brilliant idea."
Actually he didn't want to get rid of any of them and went so far as to offer up 17% of his own salary to avoid firing anyone. Foreman had only been working with him a few months at that point, and Cameron only a year.
Thanks for your nice comments about my writing (I'm blushing) and always, always love the debate over differing opinions!
15 - ann uk
dear barbara,first of all thanks for the review of the "Survivor" arc which made me want to go back and see it again to pick up all the points I missed.
I shan't see the last episode till tomorrow , but " House's Head " redeemed the whole series for me,as harrowing and revealing as some of the best and what new superlatives can one find for Hugh Laurie ? Every time he amazes me more.
Watching House driving himself through his pain and confusion, I began to wonder why he became a doctor. He was brilliant, beautiful and athletic, he could have been successful in any profession. Especially,given his belief in reason and logic, one of the more abstract sciences.House doesn't love his neighbour but he is willing to lay down his career, his liberty and even his life for him.
There is an element of self-abnegation in House which, in a religious man , might have led him to a monastery.
Does this spring from a sense of worthlessness, instilled by his unloving, abusive father......?
16 - Barbara Barnett
Ann UK--
Thanks you for your comments. Wilson's Head will take your breath away. "House's Head" was simply one of the most (insert superlative) hours of television I've ever seen. The brilliance of Hugh Laurie's performance cannot be overstated. It was the definition of tour de force. He was in every single frame of that episode. And it wasn't an ordinary performance--it was subtle, emotional, raw and incredibly brave. House's psyche and emotions were ripped apart along with his head, and his quest to find out who the other victim was was the sort where you just simply hold your breath and notice only later that you've had tears in your eyes.
Wilson's head is like that as well. Both Laurie's and RSL's performances are fantastic. Enjoy (and bring a handkerchief!)
It is interesting to consider why House became a doctor. You can buy what he said in Son of Coma Guy--that his ability to save lives that no one else can is his entree into a society that he believes shuns him. We know, for example, that he had been a more social sort before--he was a golfer, participated in team sports and leisure activities like pain ball. These are all things that suggest that he at least wanted a buy into society.
House is a healer. I always think of the song that played at the end of Lines in the Sand (Waiting for an Angel). The music starts up as the autistic boy gives House the game--his gift to the doctor who listened to him--actually listened to what he was saying (if that makes any sense). House was that kid's Angel. Is that what House is, in a subversive sense? A broken winged dark angel? A wayward knight of sorts? He is one who can intervene when no one else can (or wants to). How many patients has he taken on that his staff and colleagues have fought him on over the four years we've known him.
Maybe it's something he's driven to do--despite the fact it not something he "wants" to do or be--it's something he has no choice about. It simpy is. House said sometime in season one--"being a doctor doesn't make you a healer." I can't remember the episode, but he's right, and the fact that House knows the difference is a pretty imprtant aspect to his character.
17 - HouseFan
I would like to echo what Andi said:
I think there can be a mistaken tendency at times to equate (and dismiss) viewers' dislike of the Survivor arc with the lack of Chase and Cameron screentime. And while many people openly admit to liking C&C a thousand times more than their dull replacements, there have been many, many thoughtful and reasonable posts about why the Survivor arc didn't work for them.
The stock answer of those who defend the Survivor Arc and Season 4 seems to be a dismissal of those who don't like it as merely a result of reduced screentime for two very interesting characters, Chase and Cameron. There is much more to it than that, but it can be summed up in the general dumbing down of the show (reality show rip-offs, toilet humor, inconsistencies in the characters) and expectations for the audience to suspend disbelief about the most outrageous things. House has become a caricature of himself. The heart and soul of the character seemed to disappear. Remember how every episode of ER was advertized as "the episode you can't miss"? Now every episode of House has become "the most shocking episode yet." They've made a joke of their own lead character. So while many of us do miss Chase and Cameron, we also miss House himself.
18 - Barbara Barnett
They've made a joke of their own lead character. So while many of us do miss Chase and Cameron, we also miss House himself.
There have been times when House has indeed been a bit "over the top"--maybe more this season than most. But (and, yes, I know he's a fictional character) I have to wonder what his motivations are for being that way. Is he really written out of character, or is there a reason for him to want to "hide" even more than usual?
His default position is to push away. His interests are best served by people not liking him. It's easier for him, which is why he pushes those buttons. Being a jerk is a the fastest way to that position. when it came down to it, ultimately, he was not a jerk. As things settled down towards the latter half of the season, so did House. Which then gave us the heartbreaking season finale.
I don't equate disliking the survivor arc with hating the lack of CC screentime. I think House did seem "off" as a character quite a bit, the pacing was often frenzied and the episodes were so packed, that we were denied those quiet little moments to offset the chaos.
I have mixed feelings about the first half of season four, but was satisfied with its resolution. It was time for CC (and IMHO, F) to move on. I like the new fellows, as much as I liked the old ones halfway into season one, which is the standard one has to hold up. But your mileage, of course, may vary! Thanks for chiming in, HouseFan.
19 - Pat
If House kept Thirteen after she killed Stark and his little dog because she got the diagnosis right, why didn't he keep Amber too? She got the diagnosis right in Guardian Angels. Kutner and Taub got no diagnoses right through the whole Survivor arc.
The real answer as to why Thirteen stayed seems to be because she is played by Olivia Wilde. If it were based on acting ability, Scooter and Amber would have been the ones to stay. If it were based on being able to add something original to the show, Scooter, Amber and Cole. But the deciding factor seems to have been pop culture popularity plus not being good enough to take the limelight away from HL and so we ended up with Thirteen, Kutner and Taub, wallpaper except possibly for Kutner.
House also picked the three fellows least likely to stand up to him. Amber challenged him not only over his way of picking people but over Wilson, Brennan was doing exactly what House would do in his shoes, and Cole refused to sacrifice his life for House's whims and outsmarted House over the thong challenge. I don't know if it's House who is afraid of having his authority challenged or David Shore who is afraid of hiring actors who can take the spotlight off of House for a while but the hiring decisions were bad. Chase and Cameron threatened to be good enough and they got dropped; Foreman, the worst of the three and the one who relies on House rather than his own judgement, is the only one who stayed. Be a strong actor and you're off this show (RSL excepted).
It seems to me that House almost always does what serves his selfish whims. He doesn't take cases if he doesn't feel like it even if the patient has no where else to turn (e.g. Paternity, Human Error). He only cares about the puzzle, not the patient as Wilson and House himself have repeatedly said. He doesn't do his job in terms of clinic hours or proper supervision of his fellows. Like Amber, he plays the game to win, even if it's just to get a bigger TV set and could cost Cuddy her job. Or to break up the first relationship his best friend has been happy in for a long time because he doesn't want to lose Wilson's focus on himself. He was willing to risk paralyzing the girl in Insensitive on the very slim chance he could grow a nerve cell to end his pain if Wilson and Cameron hadn't stopped him.
Wilson said House would pick the team he was the least likely to get attached to. I don't know about House, but he sure picked the ones I'm least attached to and would be more than happy to let go. They are a drag on the show.
Between House becoming a self-centered drama queen, the jokes that now aim for the reality show crowd, the sexual titillation that has replaced good drama, and the poor selection of a new team, I'm wondering why I ever liked this show.
20 - Barbara Barnett
House also picked the three fellows least likely to stand up to him.
I would respectfully disagree with you, being as this is a "your mileage may vary" sort of thing (and certainly a matter of opinion)
I think Taub has no problem standing up to House and (as I think I said) presents a threat (due to his experience and attitude) that no one on his staff has ever presented. Kutner, i would agree isn't likely to stand up to House much. He's the type who would look to "get along" and be a peacemaker. 13 is also not afraid of House, she is not easily intimidated.
Amber challenged him not only over his way of picking people but over Wilson, Brennan was doing exactly what House would do in his shoes
Amber's interest in winning, and as much as that might appeal to House, he needs his team to function as a team (collaborative, even as they argue with each other--he didn't think he was going to get that from Amber--as reluctant as he was to let her go.) House WOULD NOT, I repeat WOULD NOT do what Brennan did--in my opinion. Whatever House says, however he acts outwardly, he would not exploit as sick patient under his immediate care to promote his own personal glory-seeking.
I don't know if it's House who is afraid of having his authority challenged or David Shore who is afraid of hiring actors who can take the spotlight off of House for a while but the hiring decisions were bad.
Again, different strokes for different folks, I was fine with his choices. And the spotlight should never be taken off House, it's a show about him.
Chase and Cameron threatened to be good enough and they got dropped;
Or they learned all they could from House after three years. and moved on.
Foreman, the worst of the three and the one who relies on House rather than his own judgement, is the only one who stayed.
Which is why Foreman is kept back, having failed "House 101." Cameron (as I said in the article) explained how they were doctors who learned to be doctors from House--as opposed to Doctors trained by more by-the-book docs. She and Chase learned a lot what is good about House; Foreman did not.
It seems to me that House almost always does what serves his selfish whims. He doesn't take cases if he doesn't feel like it even if the patient has no where else to turn (e.g. Paternity, Human Error). He only cares about the puzzle, not the patient as Wilson and House himself have repeatedly said.
"seems" is the operative word here. I disagree with the notion that that is all he is. He doesn't only care about the puzzle as has been demonstrated time and again. He has risked his career and his freedom for the good of the patient and to heal (long after there was no longer a puzzle to solve).
He doesn't do his job in terms of clinic hours or proper supervision of his fellows. Like Amber, he plays the game to win, even if it's just to get a bigger TV set and could cost Cuddy her job.
House, again, has shown him to be a first rate teacher, and the survivor arc showed that. He doesn't teach down, but requires the fellows under his tutelage to understand the medicine behind his decision and to observe symptoms not in a vaccum, not with the biased eye of convention and personal gain, but as medicine--no blinders (or fewer blinders) and no pre-conceived notions.
The survivor arc clearly elicited strong feelings by fans of the show. There are so many ways to interpret nearly every scene and every action by nearly every character in this complex series. Cool.
21 - sue
When I go back and watch the beginning of season one, C,C&F were interesting, appealing, and excellent right away. There was no break-in period needed. They had nothing to pattern themselves on. They originated "the team," and they never let me down one time. They each knew how to create a well-rounded, interesting, visually appealing character who can excel at every challenge put before them. I never once did not believe they were their characters.
I have yet to figure out what the new team is doing. They have not identified themselves as doctors yet to me. They have not shown they can adapt their acting to reflect the situation they find themselves in from scene to scene. I never feel a mood change from scene to scene as they progress through an episode. They are as untalented as Hugh Laurie is talented. How they ever hired these three bimbos is beyond me. If they had tried to sabotage the show, they could not have done a better job hiring this trio. They have added NOTHING to the show! I prefer it when they are not in a scene. House got rid of them in Frozen, which saved the episode. Unfortunately, Hugh and House suffer immensely because there is such a drop-off in intensity when the camera is on them. If this trio had been on the pilot of any show, it would have never been sold. Take away Hugh Laurie in their scenes, and they fall flat. They are THAT BAD! It is stunning that a show that had done everything right could make such a blunder. I don't know if this hiring decision was done by Fox or David Shore, but they are stuck with lousy actors.
Not only are the three they hired bad, the thirty they hired were just as bad. One of the reasons House seemed so outrageous during the survivor arc is that the actors who surrounded him were bland. If there were no outrageous actions and words by House, what would we have been left with? The scripts were dense and all over the place; I think this was intentional so they wouldn't spend too much time on the actors themselves. House lost his focus, and so did the show. There was not much that was familiar during that time to ground yourself on. It was haphazard and unfocused. You can search for themes and patterns during this arc, but I think those are few and far between. Each week, House had a different reason for firing someone, and it seemed like at times, he was contradicting himself. Don't play games, while he was playing the most juvenile ones. Do everything you need to do to get the right answer, but you have to be able to be wrong. Maybe because every episode was written by a different writer it seemed so haphazard. If you have to go back and reevaluate what happened to look for a method to the madness, it could not have had the proper impact the first time it was seen. I visited a few message boards during the times this arc was on, and the rancor from loyal fans was intense. It still is. There is now "acceptance" of this team, not "like." One reason fans want C&C back is because of what they added to the show. If producers of a top-rated show cannot fill that void with great actors and amazing stories, something is wrong. It is only when the focus returned to the familiar and consistent that the show got great again. The filled the "team" void with more Wilson. House's Head and Wilson's Heart were not great because of anything contributed by the new team. It was House, Cuddy, Wilson and Amber that made those episodes unforgettable. Is there anything the new actors did during those episodes that is memorable? Maybe, Kutner eating his cereal.
For me, the survivor arc left me empty. I did not find the resolution of the experience rewarding. If a new team with first-rate actors had been hired, I might have felt it was worth the ride. It was a rollercoaster that dumped the riders out of the cars before it stopped. I felt like "is that all there is." Not only was the outcome not rewarding, but we lost what made House appealing and memorable. No matter how bold or noble the effort was by the producers and writers, in general it failed because the focus was lost. They tried to do too much at one time, and everything suffered for it.
I am a loyal fan, and I will say that Hugh Laurie is the best actor that has ever lived, bar none, and House is the best show I have ever seen, bar none. When it is done right, everything else pales in comparison. Even when they get it wrong, it is still good. As a fan, I am spoiled by the possibility of what could have been, and I am displeased that I was let down. I am discontented that we still have to deal with actors that are not good enough. I don't understand how they let it get away from them. I am hoping that they can make something interesting out of the new team. But I know you can't get blood from a stone.
22 - Grace
I have to agree with Sue's last post. The actors who were picked are completely boring and should in no way share the screen with Hugh Laurie. And my opinion has nothing to do with the less air time for C&C because I really wasn't that crazy about them either. I think I would be much happier to just have House and Wilson in the cast because the rest of the episode is usually pretty drab lately.
Maybe it's because Hugh is such an AMAZING actor.
But that was known when they were hiring the actors. So WHY would they hire such inept people to act beside one so AMAZING. Did I mention that Hugh is AMAZING??? :)
Anyway, I think some of it had to do with the shortened season. I think season 5 will be better. I DON'T ever want another Tritter type arc. That just broke my heart.
I'm not too optimistic about this new love interest of Cuddy's coming onboard either. I don't think House loves Cuddy, so it's all very anti-climatic for me. (pun intended) They'll have him act jealous when in fact, I don't think he'll be jealous at all. I think he just wants to be able to get his way with Cuddy professionally whenever he wants to. Don't get me wrong. I think House has feelings for Cuddy, it's just not love.
So what else do we have so far. Ah...Wilson forgiving House for Amber's death. Well, that part should be good. But it better not be all about feeling sorry for Wilson, because as much as I love Wilson, he WAS an enabler to House and deserves half the blame for what happened. Things happen. It's not always somebody's fault.
Well, I've gone on far too long.
Cross your fingers for an EMMY win for HUGH.
I don't think anyone in TV works harder than he does or is better.
I fell in love with HOUSE and with Hugh watching the very first episode. That has NEVER happened to me before. This man is very special.
Oh, and cross your fingers for NO actor's strike!
GREAT article, Barbara!! GREAT banter, everyone!!
23 - SF
ann uk, I found your comment of House's self-abnegation and alternative life as a monk if he were religiously inclined excellent and very funny. It immediately brought to mind the scene in the jogging park when Cuddy found him spread out like Jesus on a picnic table.
There is such a wide range of perspectives here it's almost dizzying. One thing the Survivor Arc did provide was an injection of humanity; a larger social canvas on which to paint. I'm all for enlarging Dr. House's social horizons, even when it's just through a computer screen to the people on the Antarctic.
I wonder if Mr. Shore views the Survivor Arc as a misstep? I imagine he is too busy with the current and next arc. I am looking forward to Cuddy finally having some fun with a Sherlock Holmes type who loves women. (Holmes' misogyny always bothered me.) House will have intellectual and sexual competition. What could be better?
24 - Barbara Barnett
Sue--I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. The reason (at least for me, and your mileage, etc....)CCF seemed to be the team from the start is that we had no preconceived notions about them. We didn't know their place, what or who they were in connection to House. We knew that Cameron was a classic ingenue, that Chase was a spoiled rich boy and Foreman was a street smart guy who rose above adversity.
Chase didn't really come into his own for a long time, JM eased into the role, and I felt she really didn't hit her stride until sometime at the very end of season one, and (to me) Foreman's role was to be an ass and it still is. The fellows never really "got to me" in a way (I guess) that they got to a lot of other viewers. I like them well enough, and Chase, especially has gone from a character I despised in Season one, to a character I greatly repect and cherish.
So, I guess we'll never quite see eye to eye on them and I resepct that a lot of people see things differently, so let's hear it for good debate!
Grace--Nicely put and thanks! Here's hoping for Hugh. He has,as I understand it, submitted "House's Head" for his emmy selection. It gets no better than that! HL was brilliant in it, and in virtually every frame.
I agree with you that in a "normal-length" season the survivor arc would have not taken quite the prominence that it did and would have been considered differently. More episodes would have buffered it from the final four episodes, and more build would have occurred.
I see the beginning of season five as one of healing for House, for Wilson. Wilson will maybe ant to distance himself from House, blaming House's neediness and his own holding onto House's neediness as causes (indirect) of Amber's death. House will either internalize his feelings (which will come out in strange ways) and isolate himself further (he also may have some additional physical or mental impairment--depending on the temporal distance between the two seasons). In any event, I think we'll see a somewhat chastened House, who has taken Amber's death very hard.
SF--I love the idea that we'll perhaps see Cuddy and House draw closer--and their banter become more overt (it's built rather steadily since season two). You're right. Unlike HOlmes, House does love women, so I think Cuddy can be House's Irene Adler, but with more heat and sparks between them than between Holmes and the real Irene :)
As to a strike, I'm keeping my ear to the ground and if I hear anything other than what's being reported widely, I'll let everyone know.
I'm working up an article on the music of the series and it's place in the storytelling, so if anyone has a particular musical moment, be sure to let me know.
BB
25 - Susanne
Hmmm interesting comments and article. I am always late to the party!
I have to agree with sue on the new team and their choices. I like Kutner alone but as a group they just bore me to tears and I find it hard to get into the episode. This is despite myself missing chase and cameron, I have always felt that there could have been more done with their characters in term of backstory and their lives. So for me they missed the mark by THAT much (which is a large gap) in terms of what they could have done with chase and cam and their choices for the new team.
That being said I did see the writing, it was still there however the execution of it for me was over the top at times and rather dodgy. To me it was almost like I lost the the main core of House this season. The survivor arc for me over stayed its welcome and just got silly by the end. However I I loved scooter, Cole and ADORED Amber. There was some other good canadates as well that I felt should have got a spot on that team but shrugs that's the way show biz goes
I really really hope HL gets an emmy this year...it would be so crap if James Spader got it again (not that I don't like his character coz I do) its just that he has enough emmys as it is. HL so deserves it! I look foreward tp season 5 and hope it is better then the last season which was my least favourite.
I always liked the Holmes aspect of House though. Even though I always preferred cameron with house I always felt that House should remain alone. It was pretty obvious that House loves women more than Holmes ever would but it would be a little more refreshing if he ended up alone because way to many times in both tv and movies we have seen this type of character be together with a good woman and I would like to see a change in that aspect. I am a little weary of the Huddy arc but am willing to see how it goes. I have always hated the way he treats her, no woman should be treated like that but on the flip side she takes it lightly so I can repsect that aspect. I was also a little weary when they started to make her a little too soft during this season except for a few bits and pieces here and there. So again I hope that changes a little bit.
That is all I can think of to say lol but my favourite musical moment was fetal position and the last scene with 'Are you alright?". That has to be one of my favourite songs in season three (it has a lot of good songs) with the last scene in "Human error" ("A good man") and the last scene in Wilson's head )passing afternoon" coming in second.
Thanks Barbara!