(Season Two, Episodes Twenty One – Twenty Four)
I’m a bit of a finale whore. I tend to watch series finales of shows that I’ve never much cared for just because I want to be in on the hype, but it doesn’t stop there. As much as I hate cliffhangers, I do like how good series really take the opportunity to slowly build the tension up in the final couple of episodes of a season (Joss Whedon and Aaron Sorkin, two of my favorites in general, really stand out in this regard). In this group of episodes, however, I didn’t feel any of that.
Sure, we began to learn about Cuddy’s desire to have a child, and the lengths she’s willing to go to in order to get there. But in the last episode, the thread was dropped. Granted, there was House’s increased drug dependency, but really, it wasn’t layered in nearly as well as it could have been. Other than the immediacy of the shooting, it really didn’t feel like things were coming to an end until the final scene of the finale episode.
“Euphoria – Part Two”
It’s kinda sad, actually, but at this point, I’m not pulling for Foreman to make it. I know he does, and that probably factors into how I feel about everything, but still, I’m sitting in the bleachers shouting “Go Disease!” It finally took the brilliance that is Charles Dutton, and some mighty damn fine acting by Omar Epps, to turn me around.
House watching the Steve-Cam while in the clinic gave me the giggles, but then House with the penlight in the girl’s face had me laughing out loud. So often, it’s the little things in life.
Asking Cameron to be his medical proxy came way out of left field, especially as it followed House’s conversation with his dad. Him quoting her article was probably a bit more manipulation that I could have done without.
“Forever”
Those that know me in real life know that I have this great big huge irrational fear of drowning. Scariest movie I’ve ever seen? Titanic. True story. Probably why I was a lifeguard at age fifteen. All that back-story goes just to explain how difficult the teaser was to watch the minute I realized the baby was going to be under the water.
As I watched guest star Kip Pardue, I’m not so excited to say that my first thought was how much a better Chase he would be than Jesse Spencer. I’m just not a big fan, though I’m not sure if it’s just the way the character is written.
Pretty heartbreaking case of the week. I’ve never gone through the joy that is parenthood, but I do understand that it can also be quite a challenge. Misunderstanding postpartum depression for the deeper disease it actually was, well, it just kinda sucks (yeah, sure, gross understatement of the year, but nothing really covers it). The horror that this character experienced, and the conflicting emotions of her husband, were pretty well performed by both Pardue and Hillary Tuck.
(Hey! Hillary Tuck was the Computer Tech who randomly kissed Charlie Crews in the two-part finale of season one of Life.)
“Who’s Your Daddy?”
Seriously, I know I say this each week, but its a testament to the incredible casting director that House, MD has — those folks are, according to IMDb, Amy Lippens and Stephanie Laffin, and are hopefully the best paid casting directors in all of television. D.B. “Toepick” Sweeney (not to be confused with another favorite of mine, Moira “Toepick” Kelly), is an actor that I’d love to see on TV every week.
The idea, however, that House had more than one friend (Wilson) is a bit odd, when you think about it. We’ve had this idea of a character who can seemingly only place his trust (what little he’ll dole out, that is) in one person at a time.
Okay, House diagnosing his patient by listening to a CD of her grandfather playing piano, now that’s pretty damn cool.
I do apologize for this week’s picture. Except, deep down, really, I don’t. I hope that doesn’t make me a horrible person.
“No Reason”
Great teaser. Seriously. The stuff with the clinic patient was funny, but then the shooter (Casey Jones, for those that are allowing me continued 90’s movie references) came out of nowhere. In fact, the whole episode was hilarious, especially Wilson, and then Chase doing House’s rehab for him.
I’m not one that’s normally grossed out, at least by anything on TV, but tonight was an exception. The event that occurred after the team was unable to relieve the ocular pressure quickly enough was a bit much (because, really, still too close to even type what it actually was).
House’s problem with telling what’s real and what’s not is ironically my problem with telling what was real and not. I’m a big fan of non-linear and non-traditional story telling, so I enjoyed the confusion, because I think it was supposed to be confusing.
I think House got a little bit of his own medicine with Wilson and Cuddy’s decision to try the experiential procedure (you know, in fantasy land). He’s shown time and time again that he’ll do whatever he think is in the best interest of the patient. His being so disassociated from reality, for someone as analytical as he is, was interesting. Only he could think his way out of his own head. I’m sure, if I knew more about the future of House, I could speak to how it’s an interesting parallel to where things are now. But I don’t. So I won’t.
Continuation of the Virgin Diaries
As you might have read, we’re all kind of curious here at CliqueClack if we should be continuing with the Virgin Diaries now that the Fall Season is upon us. So, instead of trusting my opinion (because, really, who does? I’m a 30 year-old guy that stopped watching Gossip Girl just because the whole CliqueClack team was making fun of me), we’ve decided to put the question to our readership in the form of the poll below.
A little disclosure: Personally, I’m probably taking a break from the doctors at Princeton-Plainsboro for a while either way. The episodes are so stand-alone and formulaic that it’s a challenge to look at several episodes at once and talk interestingly (or at least the closest approximation to interesting I can manage) each week. Even when I start up again, I’m considering dumping season three and jumping right to four, with the influx of new characters.
Advice on my House posts, or our Virgin Diaries in general?
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Sep 18, 2009 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
I don’t even remember the first two season finales. However the 3rd one is good, the 4th one is fantastic, and the 5th one is really good too.