House T minus 1, "Frozen"

[bironic]

Right, so everyone has already seen and/or reviewed last night's episode, but I only just saw it (stupid late airing; you'd think our state's team won the Superbowl or something), and I am adding my two cents to the fandom piggy bank.

First of all, I wish I hadn't been spoiled for like ten things in this episode. Two ill-fated Internet sessions in the last few days, without clicking on any links or cut-tags, and suddenly I knew about things like Wilson/Amber and Wilson having fallen down the stairs drunk and the topless oncology line. It was like that time the FOX website summarized "Clueless" with, "House thinks his patient's wife is poisoning him with gold," where I thought, okay, I didn't want to know that, but maybe it'll just be an incidental or early point, and then it turned out to be a last-minute revelation that had zero suspense. I really hate spoilers. :( It's not a comment on you guys; obviously, going online after an episode, I was going to find out something; and the big one, the Wilson/Amber, was totally my own fault for trying to find RSL news last week.

But anyway.

Overall I thought this episode was better than the preview had made it look and not as good as people had made it sound. There were some good lines and good supporting character moments, and I was never bored, but mostly I felt that the show is continuing to cover the same ground as it has in the past million seasons, down to the same words, and the difference wasn't enough to make things interesting.

I feel a vicious satisfaction because now all the Amber-haters are going to have to like her because she's dating the fandom's darling. Ha! Heh, no, seriously, I like her, and I'm glad she's back, and I'll be doubly glad if the show actually does something with her this time before her last 30 seconds on screen. And I love that Wilson picked her of all people to go out with (because, c'mon, he would be an awesome catch on J-Date; he could have lots of people if he wanted). Or maybe she picked him. Whichever. It's great; we got that glimpse when she was fired that she has deep-seated confidence and competitiveness problems, and we all know Wilson specializes in restoring broken women. The cool thing about it is that she isn't some soft-spoken, frail girl like Bonnie must have been when they met; she's brash and big and smart, and she knows House and knows how Wilson is unhealthily dedicated to him, which means House won't have as easy a time stealing Wilson away from her as he usually does.

And how cute was their kiss? Oh, I am so thrilled that Wilson got to kiss someone on screen. *thrills* And the odd camera angle and awkwardness on Wilson's part (which I am choosing not to read as RSL's discomfort kissing someone when he has a fiancee) may have been done to highlight the fact that House was right there, watching. Mm, voyeurism. See also: House's earlier line about Wilson analyzing House's jerking.

And next week tomorrow, Amber's wearing Wilson's beloved sweatshirt! They're totally doing each other; no need to rely on Wilson's claim that they already did (not that I really doubted him, the way he said it). Mm. Are there any Wilson fans out there who don't hate Amber who are working on the fic yet?

Has it always been this way and I'm just noticing, or is it a recent development or degrading of the scripts that the hook for House is also the hook for the episode? "She's stranded at the South Pole." Who said that line, Cuddy or the FOX announcer?

This is an example of a meta comment that throws me out of the episode: House saying it's okay to only get network channels on Tuesdays. HOUSE CANNOT WATCH HOUSE WHEN I AM TRYING TO WATCH THIS SHOW AS AN INTERNALLY COHERENT WORLD, OMG MY BRAIN. House calling Wilson "Bob" was better, because it made sense within the show as well as without.

A meta touch that did work was the grainy filming of House and Foreman in the diagnostics office and Kate in Antarctica, simulating the video connection between them and indicating whose POV we were in and also reminding us that we're watching House on TV. TV within TV.

The "this is House's version of courtship" / "he's been wooing me for years" exchange over microscopes was cute. Generally, I am just pleased to see different combinations of characters interact, and Wilson and Foreman is a favorite because they're together so infrequently—perhaps only beaten by Wilson and Chase. (I know, Chase who? Why can't this show handle nine characters at once? Star Trek did that many and more with ease. And if it can't, why is everyone still there? I mean, aside from the same questions we asked earlier in the season, like how Chase could be a surgeon and how Cameron got to be in such a position of authority and why Foreman can't get hired anywhere else...)

Here is what I like about the line about Wilson having fallen down the stairs: it implies that House and Wilson have known each other for a long time (well, unless you think this happened recently), and they've shared some crazy times, whether happy or maudlin (because why would they [or just Wilson, in his company] be that drunk? Celebrating something? Wilson's marriage[s]? Drowning their sorrows in something? Wilson's divorce[s]? Just boys being boys? Doesn't matter; I like that we got the anecdote.). I don't even mind if we don't get fic about it, because there have been many already since the show started, and now I feel like they've been confirmed in part.

Hee. Wilson running away was priceless. Yet more proof that he's not afraid to throw House's disability in his face.

When did PPTH become a Macbook haven? If the hospital admin is trying to save money, maybe it should stop replacing everyone's computers every six months and stop buying huge HDTV's.

I think it's interesting that House's sexual encounters with women on the show are persistently, overwhelmingly medical or clinical in nature. There was Cuddy with her infertility injections and alcohol swabs; Cameron with the robotic surgery equipment; now Kate with lymph node palpation. And Cameron and Kate were both over a distance, with no physical connection between them and House. Plus clinic patients, like last week's nun/prostitute, and others I'm forgetting. Add another item to the list of ways in which House is dysfunctional and/or hurt, depending on your preferred interpretation. After Stacy, he is not comfortable getting close to women; was probably not entirely comfortable before her either; probably was just as crude then as he is now to cover for it.

So, okay, retreaded ground, like Wilson walking backwards through his own footsteps in the snow: a patient psychoanalyzing House, deciding he's miserable and in pain and blaming it on his leg, seeing that he's brilliant at his job but has no meaningful personal attachments, commenting on his friendship with Wilson, etc. The explanation worked wonderfully, for a change; having the patient actually be a psychologist meant that she could more realistically come to the conclusions she came to in the short time she'd known him. But did we really need more of this? Did she say anything we didn't already know? Four seasons of House, and the best revelations they could give us were that Wilson isn't as nice as he seems and House would rather bare his soul than bare his scar? (Also, what? If this had been "Son of Coma Guy," I'd bet that House would have shown Gabe and Wilson his scar before he'd have answered some of Gabe's incisive questions, if given the choice.)

What I'm wondering is: Did Kate in fact give us anything new?

The best I can answer on first viewing is that she said that yes, House is screwed up, but that he doesn't need to be fixed. That's the difference between her and everyone else House knows; they all want to fix him. Well, what they want is for him to be happy, and I don't think that's a bad thing, but they tend not to go about it in the right ways, and perhaps we can count Wilson's lines like "You are... as God made you" as him accepting House year by year, and this is not the point I was starting to make. Kate's a psychologist, and she knows how to read people and what to say to them. House fell harder for her because she saw him and didn't want to change him; that has always been his sticking point with Cameron as a love interest and Wilson as a friend. Probably Cuddy nowadays, too; in college, it was fine, but now he knows she can't look at him without feeling guilt for what happened with his leg.

I also liked her comment, "Fiction is a waste of time unless you can laugh at it." We haven't seen House watch or read any fiction seriously: BayWatch, General Hospital, The O.C., SpongeBob, that lesbian porn book he had at the airport with Stacy. He saves his thinking for the "important" things, the real things, the Truth: medicine, puzzles and answers. Fiction is for letting his mind wander when he wants to solve something.

Also new-ish, aside from House caring about a patient (Wilson's and Foreman's "Who is this pod person?" faces at various points were fantastic), was House manipulating someone by being nice. You'd think he'd have learned before now that playing on people's softer sides might work better than bullying and insulting them into obeying. And I don't think that had anything to do with his inability to physically coerce the guy to do the drilling or even with his maybe-feelings for Kate. Was that... Was that... growth?

I think House was jealous of Wilson being happy. The green tie of season one was amusement, teasing, curiosity; the lavender shirt was curiosity and jealousy. Wilson's on antidepressants and he's feeling better and got a girlfriend; House is on bourbon and still miserable and alone.

I liked the restrictions on the case/patient this week, including the limited resources (dumping the box of "this is what they have" on the table reminded me of the SGA episode "38 Minutes") and personnel (were they at a remote base with just the two of them, or did the casting department just not have the budget for a full staff?) and, as moonlash_cc and Kate herself pointed out, House's inability to wield power over the patient—at least, not until she fell into the coma and he manipulated the weaker partner (because love is almost always weakness on this show).

I liked Kate's bravery, perceptiveness and competence, too. The opening scene with the femoral artery was not so believable (and also annoyingly shot, but that's just my preference for stable, high-quality shots without dropped frames for the sake of action), but afterwards, Kate was cool. She threw House for loops and stabbed herself in the chest (although, er, how could she expect to stab the right place when she started with the needle so far away from her?) and knew enough to counterargue and stood her ground and made jokes about marinating her blood cells during a test that might have told her she had cancer. I think that outweighed other unfortunate choices made, like how the camera ogled her as she lay back on the x-ray table, and how she had to undress, and how she became yet another female = House love interest (though, yes, different; I'm just saying), and how she ended up unconscious and utterly passive when her life hung in the balance.

Hm. All that's left on my notes page is, "It can't be Cuddy because you're straight." Funny, especially following the reference to everyone's favorite "tranny nurse," and also because, as deelaundry said, it means House is not straight because he's slept with her before. But in all seriousness, it's pretty much canon now that House thinks Wilson is straight. And that's how I've always seen it, no matter how much I love the slash and still believe Wilson is harboring a deep but unconscious crush on House. That is still something that needs to be worked around in fic.

Is that it? That might be it.

Re: tomorrow's episode: I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY TITLED AN EPISODE "DON'T EVER CHANGE." This is becoming ludicrous.

...Is there anyone left who wants to talk about it?

ETA: recrudescence, daasgrrl, usomitai

Comments

[elynittria.livejournal.com]

mostly I felt that the show is continuing to cover the same ground as it has in the past million seasons, down to the same words, and the difference wasn't enough to make things interesting.

Yes, yes, yes! I couldn't agree more. I was happy to see more of Wilson, but I'm sick and tired of the constant harping on the same damn themes every single episode. A fugue is supposed to develop, become more intricate over time, reach a peak, and resolve, damn it! This one is in an infinite loop, as if the score ended with a repeat bar.

I'm happy about Amber/Wilson, because I was afraid from the various hints I'd seen online that the love interest would be 13. (I guess they're saving her for House. *ugh*) I can see Wilson choosing Amber.

how she became yet another female = House love interest

God, I'm so sick of that. Apparently, next week's TV Guide even makes the sexy-women-love-House cliché the theme of its cover (in a positive way, of course, since this is American pop culture, even though HL looks supremely uncomfortable in the shot).

[recrudescence.livejournal.com]

Fugue metaphor FTW. And dead-on. I'll always have a soft spot for this show, but please, give us some new developments instead of hammering away on the same few.

It amuses me how just awkward Hugh looks on that cover.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Have you read E.'s post on House and the fugue structure (http://elynittria.livejournal.com/9027.html)? It's awesome; it's shaped my thinking about the show ever since she posted it. /plug

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I'm trying not to judge the show by that TV Guide cover, since it's not really their fault. But yeah, it's symptomatic of the thinking in this culture that women are still accessories to the men.

Wilson/Thirteen couldn't happen because the screen would EXPLODE FROM THE HOT.

Your fugue metaphor has carried me through some dark days in this show. *g* It's what made me ask, what's new in this go-round? But increasingly, it seems that the show's CD is skipping.

[topaz-eyes.livejournal.com]

It seems like TPTB have decided, we have a formula that works, let's not mess with it. They tried expanding with the Tritter arc, but once it started going to a very dark and difficult place, they backed off. They admitted they reset everything after "Words and Deeds." It takes real guts to expand the characters and let them grow. The writers need to have faith in themselves; faith in that the fans will follow; and faith that the network execs won't quash their efforts.

I think this is the same reason why Taub = Foreman, Thirteen = Cameron and Kutner = Chase, with only a bit of personality shuffling. The formula works, so don't mess with it. The show has to walk a very fine line in both appearing to be intelligent, while appealing to the largest fan base as it can get. So instead of a fugue, we're ending up with a theme and variations. Sooner or later, it'll get stale. (Like ER. After Mark Greene died, they simply repeated everything.)

Though I might argue that this episode actually did advance the theme a bit--a tiny bit, in a baby footstep way. After the mechanic saved Kate's life (under House's direction), House finally felt what he's been missing out on. He walks away, sure, but before he does, his face is totally "I wish that were me giving that hug to Kate."

And WORD to the female = House love interest cliche. Another case of "a formula that works, so don't mess with it." The (anti)hero is supposed to get the babes. We may want more, but as long as the show is beholden to the network execs, ain't gonna happen.

/ranty rant

[housepiglet.livejournal.com]

MARK GREENE DIED?????

*swoons*

[topaz-eyes.livejournal.com]

Yes, Mark Greene died at the end of the 7th season of ER. Brain tumor. (Anthony Edwards is fine though.)

[zulu.livejournal.com]

I'll talk about it! Except you've said everything really well.

One thing I loved more than anything else is how right this episode proves my House characterization in the fic I'm writing. I'll definitely be going to the transcript for references to see if I can work them in.

As far as the retreads go...I think it can be said that House has jumped the shark. But, the way I see it, if you enjoy watching the Fonz on a jetski, then you're still ahead of the game.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I think it hasn't jumped a shark so much as circled it again, and again, and again, until the shark fell asleep.

That's great that you're on such a similar track with House. I'm looking forward to reading what you've got next month.

[zulu.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I wanted to say--I love Amber and I'm glad she's back. I thought RSL looked awkward in the kiss, but in my mind? THEY ARE SMOKIN'.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Wilson + just about anyone = smokin'. Amber is not bad. And there is so much lip to play with between them! LOL.

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

I think it hasn't jumped a shark so much as circled it again, and again, and again, until the shark fell asleep.

Bwah! So very accurate. Not much to add, but ooh, I missed the Cuddy inference. Put that together with the 'tranny hooker' bit and it's proof, I tell you :)

[recrudescence.livejournal.com]

Or the "you're straight" was just House's backhanded way of saying Wilson's kind of gay. We've gotten cutesy little hints about him, seemingly more for the sake of comic relief than anything--the blow-drying, the nail-painting, the Village People--but other than his devotion and soulful gazes at House, there's never been any indication at all that Wilson is into dudes. Which just makes it fun to take those ponderings into fic. =)

I agree with so much of this post I don't know where to start. But I do like Amber and I'd love to see her stick around and develop, though I'm not sure how that's going to be possible with all the other people sticking around.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Hey, we can hope. And with just one episode left, we've got lots of space to play afterwards.

Or the "you're straight" was just House's backhanded way of saying Wilson's kind of gay.

Ooh, yes, and the glance he gave Wilson('s body) when he said that could back you up.

Need to go read your post properly now.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I have to go to bed; will write more in the morning; but one quick: Mm. Are there any Wilson fans out there who don't hate Amber who are working on the fic yet? ME! Already wrote it! Also delphinaterus on the new comm volakis_wilson. And count savemoony as a Volakis/Wilson fan, too.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Sweet. Thanks! Sleep well!

ETA: Where did you write it? Do you mean the one I commented to yesterday? Never mind, found it.

[ignazwisdom.livejournal.com]

Overall I thought this episode was better than the preview had made it look and not as good as people had made it sound.

I think that's a great summary, FWIW!

I feel a vicious satisfaction because now all the Amber-haters are going to have to like her because she's dating the fandom's darling.

Dude, how long have you been in fandom again? They're going to tear her to SHREDS. She's stealing House's man! She's just using Wilson to get closer to House! (Actually, that one is probably true, and I think would be REALLY interesting, if angsty. Unless Wilson is just using her back, which is also probably true. So just interesting, then.) She's going to break his woobie heart with her cutthroat bitch ways! (And I actually like Amber!)

The "this is House's version of courtship" / "he's been wooing me for years" exchange over microscopes was cute.

I DIED. \o/

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Your theory of Amber using Wilson and Wilson not minding or using her back or being surprised and hurt makes me happy. I hadn't even thought that far ahead. Silly naive me, thinking they liked each other. :D

And, yes, fandom will always find a way to hate, but I am pretending they're all having their comeuppance right now.

[aribbonofblack.livejournal.com]

Has Wilson ever really been used by somebody and not used them back? IMO this is a symbiotic relationship and not parasitical one - unless Amber is the unwitting host, but did you see the expression on her face? I doubt it. This is interesting, but alas dear, I don't think it's that interesting.

[purridot.livejournal.com]

And how cute was their kiss? Oh, I am so thrilled that Wilson got to kiss someone on screen. *thrills*

That is exactly my reaction. I feel 12 years old!

But in all seriousness, it's pretty much canon now that House thinks Wilson is straight.

Canon, schmanon, I always say :D

ETA: It just occurred to me, though, that Wilson is the one person whom House is not able to read like a book, which is why Wilson can fool and manipulate House. House did figure out that Wilson was seeing someone, and someone that House knew, BUT he was wrong about whether or not Wilson "closed the deal", he expected Wilson's wives would hate him but that was not the case (although he *did* phone them to make sure), and of course, that Wilson would see something in Amber!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Ah, how true! Everything can be argued around.

[perspi.livejournal.com]

*whines*

I haven't seen it yet. But I will be back to talk about it when I finally manage it!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you out of "everyone"! Looking forward to chatting about it when you've seen it. Or them, in another few hours.

[perspi.livejournal.com]

*skips down so as not to be horribly spoiled*

It's not your fault! It's Z's fault, really. Mondays are always frustrating evenings, because the Mr. has guitar lessons not long after we get home, and so by the time we've eaten dinner and finished our chores, there's all of a half-hour or so of chasing the active baby before we start getting ready for bed (which is in and of itself a long process!). It's frustrating because we used to be able to do a lot with our evenings, heh. :)

And we have another new one tonight? What?

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Yeah -- for whatever reason, TPTB decided that the best use of their three remaining episodes was to show them all in 8 days: Tuesday, Sunday, Tuesday. And then a great big striking yawning void. Sigh.

Was this Monday at least better than last Monday?

[perspi.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, this Monday was much better than last. I got my poster proposal submitted last week, and I was ready for the Mr's guitar lessons, we folded laundry on Sunday (and the key to getting the Mr to do Z's laundry? Throw it on the bed with our laundry pile. The Mr always finishes folding his first, so he moves right on to Z's. Heh.).

Plus, no rejection letter, yanno.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Oh, good. On all points.

[roga.livejournal.com]

You don't know House is watching House on Tuesdays! He could be addicted to NCIS.

...but yeah, that joke worked well for Buffy ("Dawn's in trouble. Must be Tuesday."), not so much here.

Did Kate in fact give us anything new?

I think maybe just the fact that it's not over yet, for House. He can still connect with new people. Even though he did have some crushes over the past few seasons, it did seem slightly deeper than that here, and in my mind hes totally gonna have a long distance relationship with her now where they never even meet until one day she surprises him at PPTH and he either freaks out or... yeah, he's gonna freak out. Anyway. I liked her.

I also learned that watching episodes unspoiled is omg, so fun! And I don't need promos since I'm gonna watch the show anyway, so I'm glad I don't have to accidentally stumble upon promos when I'm just watching TV. And I know what you mean about how annoying it is to go online after an episode aired without having seen it... Last week everyone's spoiler cuts said "It's a moose on a Jew", so by the time I watched the episode I had high expectations of that line! And it was, you know. Just a moose on a Jew. Whatever. It's like before I watched the Simpsons movie, when everyone went on and on about spider pig and how I HAVE TO SEE THE MOVIE JUST FOR THE SPIDER PIG and then I watched it and... ... ... it really doesn't have the same impact when you know it's coming.

Ahem, anyway, off track again. Kutner! You didn't mention Kutner. I don't really like Amber, and I do not see the chemistry but whatever, good for Wilson, but KUTNER! ♥

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Kutner! It's like having Chase's good days every day.

I think maybe just the fact that it's not over yet, for House. He can still connect with new people.

Connect romantically, I might say. He has connected with people, like the autistic boy and last week's nun/prostitute, but what he had with Kate was more than we've seen him have with other women he's been interested in, like the CIA lady.

Guilty as charged on the moose quote last week. :/ It was kind of funny how everyone latched on to that line for their cut tags and subjects.

[aribbonofblack.livejournal.com]

Don't ever apologize for freakishly long meta. I think it's awesome.

There were some good lines and good supporting character moments, and I was never bored, but mostly I felt that the show is continuing to cover the same ground as it has in the past million seasons, down to the same words, and the difference wasn't enough to make things interesting.
See, for me it is enough. What I find interesting with House is not that they're covering the same ground over and over and over again, but that it seems that they may be going somewhere different with it. They've said (whoever they are) that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, but I think the show is coming to a place where maybe that's not the case anymore. At least I hope so.

I feel a vicious satisfaction because now all the Amber-haters are going to have to like her because she's dating the fandom's darling. Ha! Heh, no, seriously, I like her, and I'm glad she's back, and I'll be doubly glad if the show actually does something with her this time before her last 30 seconds on screen. And I love that Wilson picked her of all people to go out with (because, c'mon, he would be an awesome catch on J-Date; he could have lots of people if he wanted). Or maybe she picked him. Whichever.
I don't even think they really like each other. The looks on their face at the big reveal to House said it all for me. While I won't go so far as to say they hate each other, I think their dating is perhaps for Wilson an attempt to be unpredictable (and thus make House pay attention) and for Amber - well, God knows what, but maybe just to piss House off. But I don't think for a second there's any actual love or anything in the relationship. I'm not one of those who feels that Wilson can't love anyone but House or anything, but I'm just not seeing it. There's too much awkwardness in it, you know?

Also, Cate is not a psychologist. She is a psychiatrist, which means she has a medical degree. That probably opened the door for House's respect a little more than Ph.D. would (Lord, if we ever get House and McKay in the same room...would it come to blows?).

But in all seriousness, it's pretty much canon now that House thinks Wilson is straight. And that's how I've always seen it, no matter how much I love the slash and still believe Wilson is harboring a deep but unconscious crush on House.
Of course House thinks Wilson is straight. Wilson thinks Wilson is straight. Hell, I think Wilson is (generally speaking) straight. But I also think that in a relationship like theirs, what's between the legs is the very last concern. Sometimes, despite one's default sexual orientation, you just can't help who you happen to fall in love with. That's why I believe if House and Wilson ever do hook up, it will start from that place of emotional intimacy and radiate outward into the sexual, rather than starting with a one-night oops and becoming something more. I think House values Wilson way too much (and vice versa) to ever attempt a casual sexual relationship with him - particularly if, as I believe, both of these men are basically straight (House at a Kinsey 1 and Wilson at a 2, perhaps, but I'm making that up).

Anyway, didn't mean to write a novella here in your comments, but that's just who I be, aight? XD

[aribbonofblack.livejournal.com]

Also, I meant to say the looks on their faces, LOL. Wilson and Amber for sure don't have the same face. Moving on now...

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Heh. I knew what you meant.

Also, I grinned at your apt comparison of House and McKay being less likely to think of someone as an idiot if they are similarly educated.

[aribbonofblack.livejournal.com]

McKay's derision for Carson's medical "voodoo," and House's contempt for shrinks (and other PhDs?) - would they last longer than five minutes in the ring, and who would win? I mean this in the nicest way possible, but I think Rodney would whip some crippled ass physically. I do think, however, they're about equally matched verbally. So, slight edge to Rodney IMO. XD

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I think your comment is awesome, so we're even. :)

What I find interesting with House is not that they're covering the same ground over and over and over again, but that it seems that they may be going somewhere different with it.

That's what I'm trying to figure out -- whether they are going somewhere new each time. Elynittria above once made a post comparing the revisiting of themes on the show to a fugue, where they build upon what they've done, but lately it's seemed that they're not making progress, or at least that they're making very little progress when there's no reason to hold themselves back quite so much. They can take House places without changing him so much that they lose the viewing audience they're so afraid of alienating. I think it'll take a few viewings of, and a close look at, key episodes to see what they're doing. My favorite example of that was the DVD commentary for "Half-Wit," where Katie Jacobs and David Shore explained that what we just saw was House admitting that he wants to be happy, which was a big step for him. Something like that may be happening with his interactions with Kate.

And oops on the psychologist/psychiatrist thing. I almost typed "psychiatrist" a few times last night, but couldn't remember which it had been and didn't have access to the recording to check. Of course it makes more sense for her to be a psychiatrist with the amount of medical knowledge she had. Thanks!

But I don't think for a second there's any actual love or anything in the relationship. [...] There's too much awkwardness in it, you know?

Tonight will probably tell us everything; I didn't feel there was enough screen time between the two of them in "Frozen" to really judge what their relationship is like. It does make more sense if they've got ulterior motives, together or separately. Ignazwisdom above had a cool theory too. I was just so happy to see Wilson with someone that I didn't wonder what might "really" be going on beneath the surface. And with this show there is always a lie beneath the surface.

I totally agree with your last paragraph; it is a "gay for you" sort of situation between them, born of many long years of knowing each other, good and bad.

[aribbonofblack.livejournal.com]

Something like that may be happening with his interactions with Kate.
This is what I'm seriously hoping.

And oops on the psychologist/psychiatrist thing. I almost typed "psychiatrist" a few times last night, but couldn't remember which it had been and didn't have access to the recording to check. Of course it makes more sense for her to be a psychiatrist with the amount of medical knowledge she had. Thanks!
The difference is not really important except as a measure of House's willingness to share with her, but it does explain some of her knowledge, including care for dude with the leg injury.

Tonight will probably tell us everything; I didn't feel there was enough screen time between the two of them in "Frozen" to really judge what their relationship is like. It does make more sense if they've got ulterior motives, together or separately. Ignazwisdom above had a cool theory too. I was just so happy to see Wilson with someone that I didn't wonder what might "really" be going on beneath the surface. And with this show there is always a lie beneath the surface.
I know what you mean about being happy to see Wilson with someone. You're also right about the show being more about subtext than about text. And we will see tonight, of course, but I just like theorizing in the meantime.

Also, on a semi-superficial and probably unrelated not, let me say that Amber looked super-hot in Wilson's sweatshirt...though maybe it's just the implications that get me hot under the collar.

I totally agree with your last paragraph; it is a "gay for you" sort of situation between them, born of many long years of knowing each other, good and bad.
Exactly. That's precisely what I meant. And it's weird, because I loathe the "gay-for-you" fanfic trope; it's nasty and stereotypical because it sort of implies that while it's okay to be "gay-for-you," it's less acceptable to be just plain "gay" - which I don't believe at all, but I can see how some would fine the concept insulting. But it just fits for them, you know?

[topaz-eyes.livejournal.com]

The opening scene with the femoral artery was not so believable

Not believable, true, but it was necessary, when it finally clicked in for me at the end of the show. Here's the mechanic on crutches, with an injured right leg, saving her life by drilling into her skull, fixing her toe, and giving her a hug. All House can do is watch from a distance. That mechanic was IMHO House's physical stand-in, doing the things that I believe House wanted to do. That right there, showed a) just how isolated House really is, and b) how much he does want to overcome it, but won't let himself to.

And then there's Kutner, providing the answer to the problem. Go Kutner! He's so Chase, but he's also lovable and well-grounded. Definitely my favorite of the Ducklings 2.0. *g*

[bironic.livejournal.com]

That mechanic was IMHO House's physical stand-in

Aaaaaah! Yes! *hugs you*

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Not only that, but in contrast to what happened to House, Kate could fix Sean. Another nice echo of the end of the Stacy stories was that House once again decided to send the woman he was attracted to on with someone much more suitable. This time he did it with a great deal more nobility and far less suffering, so maybe House is changing, though at the pace of a glacier.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

And he had the stubble!

[topaz-eyes.livejournal.com]

D'oh! *facepalm* How could I have forgotten that?

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

So now that I've read this in detail, here's my comment: Yes to everything.

That was easy. : )

I hate writing titles -- I bet Ms. Egan and Mr. ?? (can't remember which one) are kicking themselves or that ep title.

[aribbonofblack.livejournal.com]

That would be Mr. Leonard Dick. Egan and Dick (*giggle*) also co-wrote "The Right Stuff," I believe.

[aribbonofblack.livejournal.com]

Upon further research, Mr. Dick has also written or co-written "Words and Deeds" and "The Jerk."

Also, WRT the ep name. Does anyone think it was intentional, or is that just me?

"You never wear a suit of lace,
the powder's not on your face.
You're always wearing jeans
except on sunday.

So please don't ever change,
no don't you ever change.
I kind of like you
just the way you are.

You don't know the latest dance,
but when it's time to make romance
your kisses let me know
you're not a tomboy.

So please don't ever change,
no don't you ever change.
Promise you're always gonna be
as sweet as you are.

I love you when you're happy,
I love you when you're blue.
I love you when you're mad at me,
so how can I get tired of you?

A lots of other girls I've seen,
they know how to treat guys mean.
But you would rather die
than ever hurt me.

So please don't ever change,
no don't you ever change.
Just promise you're always gonna be
as sweet as you are.

Please don't ever change,
don't you ever change.
Please don't ever change,
don't you ever change."

From "Don't Ever Change," The Beatles

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Cool; I didn't know that song.

I can see this going either very well or very badly, depending on how it's approached and handled; will it be about House's friends beginning to realize that House is fine the way he is and they need to start dealing with that instead of trying to fix him again and again, like Kate said to him in "Frozen," or will it be a cute montage-type ending where the show says, "Here is the same House we've always had, and he will never change, and we all love it," except some of us are antsy.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

*g*

Oh, is tonight an Egan special? That is promising. (And that is all I want to know. :) )

[aribbonofblack.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, yes it is. I think that's why so many of us are so optimistic.