House

[bironic]

I have nothing to say that you all aren't already thinking. But. God. I have been waiting for an episode like this for... oh, since "Histories."

There wasn't much new in this except the details -- the single phone call, the blame, being the older brother, the brother's name -- we knew Wilson is a people-pleaser to the point of pathology, we knew he molds himself to be what his partner/whoever needs, we knew he blames himself in part for his brother disappearing, we knew he likes to be around House because he can relax from all that niceness; fandom called the brother's full name/nickname thing and the schizophrenia. But still. So beautiful. So well-handled, so that even though I knew Wilson's secret had to do with his brother (spoilers were all cut on the f-list at the time, but mentions of the brother rose right after, so oh well), watching how it unfolded with Wilson and between Wilson and House was riveting. Just riveting. And it coupled so well with the patient's arc, for a change. This is why we have social rules about glossing over truths, and this is why sometimes we don't. House hides the nice things while the patient hides the meanness. And both are horrible. And both sometimes have their place. And House wants to fix himself more each week.

Doris Egan. There are no words.


.


Other stuff. Let's see.

- Kutner likes Harry Potter; more bonus points for him.

- Kutner and Taub in the cafeteria recapitulated House and Wilson, further reinforcing Taub = Wilson, following on Taub (lying about) playing racquetball with him.

- Wilson played tennis in college. (Mm.)

- Loved House giving Taub a once-over during the differential when he thought Taub was really stealing Wilson's attention/affection from him, checking out the competition.

- In the real world, Cuddy and Thirteen probably wouldn't have smiled after House setting them up for misogynistic comments.

- Mrs. PotW needed to be a little more understanding about what her husband was going through, even though it had to hurt badly to hear such blunt opinions about what were probably weak/sore spots.

- The way Thirteen told Foreman he was a sweet-talker, I for the first time believed they were dating.

- I cannot tell you the number of times Phineas Gage was brought up in my neuroscience class last semester.

- We probably won't, but I'd like to meet Wilson's brother. For God's sake, we've met Mrs. Taub, but not Julie or Danny or any other family members (or friends, or staff...). Bonnie was nice, but it isn't the same.



I sympathize too much with Wilson blaming himself for having caused horrible things to happen to other people. I want to tell him what someone told me, and what hopefully his therapist (if he's still seeing one) will tell him, and which House just about told him, which is that blaming yourself is a kind of egotism, to think that you can have such an effect all by yourself, and he doesn't have that kind of power.


This was such a relief after the manic last episode, which should have taken six weeks to do instead of 40 minutes. Next week's looks unbelievably bad, but hopefully that's deceiving. If not, nowhere to go but down after tonight, so why not go all the way down, I suppose.


Unrelated: commercial about Abilify right after the line about depression: ultimate irony, or brilliant ad placement?

Comments

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

And we now know Cuddy's age, and about how long ago Wilson came to Princeton. So much specificity.

I'm guessing Wilson must have married first wife after Danny ran away. If he was getting served with divorce papers "right after med school," yeah, that was a short marriage.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Yes. And yes and yes. I missed part of the moving to Princeton conversation because my TV partner decided that was a good time to comment about something or other. Will be rewatching. So where was Wilson from originally? Or was House talking about where Wilson did his fellowship? Or did they not say? (When *did* he come to Princeton? Grr, TV partner. Grr.) (Though he was tolerant of my comments about Foreman flirting with House, and House literally checking out his Wilson-competition in the form of Taub, and then originated his own commentary on how Taub and Kutner are more of an item than Foreteen.)

I think you're right about the timing of Wilson hooking up with someone. Nice.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I should tell you that I was complaining about something LJ-related over dinner (before the ep) and Mr. L said that I have to run all complaints by you first, and only if you agree can I then mention them to him.

Hee!

They didn't say where Wilson was from originally. Only that he was looking for his brother there (I can't remember why) and that he saw him once, 13 years ago. House said something like, "And that's why you were so eager to take the job in Princeton when I mentioned it."

OH. I thought that meant Wilson took the job soon after seeing his brother, but that doesn't have to be the case. Hmm.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Tricky Egan. I did catch the part where he'd been looking for Danny in Princeton and that's why he took the job, but not why he was looking there. I always figured it was because that's where the family was from. But if that were true, it wouldn't be the only reason he took the job at PPTH, as House seems to think. So.

Also, hee on the first part of your comment. :) Anything you want me to vet atm?

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Nothing to vet. : ) I am rolling my eyes at the fan who posted in hw_reqs with an icon of House and Cameron kissing to squee about the cat in the promo for next week.

Now, I liked the promo, and the cat is very adorable, but... Um, what? No squeeing about tonight's episode?

[zulu.livejournal.com]

Okay okay wait! I'm supposed to be the House/Foreman tinhat, and I didn't notice any overt flirting this episode. Are you trying to upstage me? POINT ME TO THE FLIRTING.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

In one of the early -- maybe the first? -- ddx scene, Foreman knows what House is going to ask, and he's all leaning in the doorway like practically winking at him.

[zulu.livejournal.com]

I totally saw that as Foreman being giddy over the patient's symptoms. BAD SHIPPER NO BISCUIT.

*rewatches*

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Whatever, he was *making eyes.*

[zulu.livejournal.com]

You're right, he's doing the eyebrow thang for practically the entire scene. He's like, "I BROUGHT A COOL AND UNUSUAL CASE TO MY BOYFRIEND. &hearts!"

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

I hope the ad placement was just coincidence. We are talking about the same people who slotted Fat Panda right after Amber's heartbreaking death. :D

Doris Egan rocks. Nobody writes House-Wilson friendship like she does.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

*bursts out laughing* I forgot about that! Gah, talk about bad taste, oversight or not.

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

every time I see that fucking panda I flinch.

[ignazwisdom.livejournal.com]

Dude, you said it all.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I forgot to put in a big WTF for the author's hair in the first scene. WTF.

[ignazwisdom.livejournal.com]

Okay, NOW you've said it all. Attention to detail FTW!

[jdr1184.livejournal.com]

I will have to watch again and take notes, because I had such an urge to screen cap the pretty. Which was really silly considering others will do it so much better, but I just loved everything. I even loved the patient. I'm glad they waited to do the brother story right and I do hope we meet Danny. I'm a little sad that Wilson isn't younger, but what can you so.

[topaz-eyes.livejournal.com]

commercial about Abilify right after the line about depression: ultimate irony, or brilliant ad placement?

Why can't it be both?

They had 2 Abilify ads during House. The second ad was about using Abilify to prevent acute manic episodes in bipolar disorder. In retrospect I find this extremely amusing because what do they use to treat acute mania? Anti-psychotics!

[roga.livejournal.com]

Just watched. Sigh. *hearts*