House: "Daddy's Boy" and "Spin"

[bironic]

Yep. That's why I shipped Wilson/Cameron at the start of the season.

I was so sure last fall that Wilson/Cameron would become my ship of choice, if not actual canon.

Because, come on. Aside from the personality and professional similarities, in these two eps we had them gossiping about House and his parents, plotting together, then walking out in the parking lot after work; Wilson confronting her about leaking the story to the Times; his little betrayal when facing pressure (though not really) from Cuddy and Stacy re: the leak; their classic two-part conversation about (not) cheating, which among other things shows that they can have substantive talks; Cameron's comment in "Spin" that implies she's been hanging around Oncology; and their end-of-episode musical-montage juxtaposition, reading alone at night. So much potential there, and it got dropped for House/Stacy and then House/Cameron again.

Wilson/Cameron/House, too. For instance House opens up to Cameron and Cameron opens up to Wilson.

...And many other fantabulous scenes, such as Wilson having that whole series of rebuttals prepared at the whiteboard when House tries to dismiss the patient. Because they are married. (P.S., continuity, people! Does Wilson have horrible handwriting like in this ep, or anal-retentive handwriting like in the stickynotes eps?) The dinner and cane jokes and the "lying in increasing amounts" conversation -- because you are lying in increasing amounts, you poor bastard, right up through Grace. Their chat about Mark's recovery and the Warners' marital situation. Wilson's shared looks with Stacy as House and Mark duke it out in the cafeteria. Mark may have been annoying, but his last jibe, abandoning subtlety ("It's not the size of the muscle that counts, it's where you put it"), and then his smirk, were just hilarious. Crashing the therapy session was eh, but when he said "Thursday's poker night," it was fun to cry "Yes, it sure is!" House imitating Chase at the diagnostics office table, plonking down between Foreman and Cameron and chewing on a coffee stirrer and making bug-eyes. Foreman had a great scene explaining to Carnell's dad that his son was probably going to die, which reminded me of part of the reason I like him: good patient/relative-relations skills. Like last week's "Here's what you need to know. It's dangerous. It could kill him. You should do it."

Wilson! Getting to do a medical procedure! With gloves! And comforting Carnell's dad and managing to look hot even when the view was mostly of his nostril. And eating lunch standing up on his balcony, looking fit, back arched, tie almost concave. Mm. There was a moment where he was making this great smug face, too; I can't remember the context.

What else? Tom Lenk (!) watching Stacy and House like a tennis match. Eugh, second time 'round and they still don't do it for me. I can't stomach the scene where House gives her his little ultimatum, but it's worth sitting through to get to the Wilson/Cameron (in)fidelity conversation.

So, Wilson definitely likes baseball then. I remember him asking for the ballplayer's autograph in S1 but didn't notice till tonight that he's reading a book of baseball stats or something in his office that night; I thought it was a medical journal.

Something else I didn't notice the first time was how House tells Cameron she's like his father because of her maddeningly strict moral compass, something Foreman also calls her on in "Spin." Because that sheds a whole lot of light on his reactions to her later in the season, particularly their tiff in "Sleeping Dogs Lie" where he refuses to discuss the supposed ethical dilemma with her. He's only half arguing with Cameron; his dad's shadow is there as well.

Comments

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

their classic two-part conversation about (not) cheating, which among other things shows that they can have substantive talks

Interesting that you would cite that in support of Wilson/Cameron. Wilson's utter astonishment that she didn't cheat convinced me that he didn't understand her. Just like the rest of us, he was too seduced by the similarities between them two to see the major difference. That difference being that Cameron really is the moral caring pinnacle that Wilson only appears to be.

He's only half arguing with Cameron; his dad's shadow is there as well.

That's a hilarious idea. We all know about Chase's daddy issues, but House also has daddy issues...with Cameron! :D

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I agree that he was startled twice in that conversation: once (with some satisfaction) when she admitted to having feelings for a man who wasn't her husband, and again (with a measure of shame or disappointment) when he realized she hadn't cheated. It's absolutely a distancing factor in their "relationship"; Cameron can't admire him because he's ethically flawed and weak, and Wilson seems to think she needs to grow up and see how the world really is. My pointing this out in a W/C light is simply because they're shown together, talking about something of substance, thinking (even if critically) about each other. At the time I wondered if the revelations would make them think more about each other afterwards -- probably more Wilson thinking about Cameron than vice versa. Of course, it turned out that they remained fairly judgmental of each other and Wilson continued to make fun of her behind her back. (He does come to her defense from time to time, e.g. getting her article published. And they're shown to be quite alike in several ways. But I'm off-topic now.)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I think I got off-track in responding to what you'd actually written. :) One more point --

Wilson's utter astonishment that she didn't cheat convinced me that he didn't understand her.

He didn't expect it, definitely. But I saw a lot of potential there for starting to understand her/each other rather than a dead-end. Not understanding her doesn't necessarily entail the end of their relationship/friendship/whatever. I really thought they were heading somewhere by addressing this huge difference -- maybe having Cameron succumb to temptation of some sort, or have Wilson try to 'be a better man' -- but again, all the interesting dynamics raised in these few episodes just dwindled down to nothing.

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

-- but again, all the interesting dynamics raised in these few episodes just dwindled down to nothing.

I really wish that House writers would come together and make a consistent plan (as well as some devotion to continuity). So many plot and character threads they start are then quickly aborted during the next episode *coughForevercough*. The end of this season was particularly bad. I can see them struggling for the first half of next season just trying to clean that mess up.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

[Sorry, the response I just wrote & deleted was confusing and incomplete.]

I mentioned how I approach the show's continuity (or lack thereof) in light of Boston Legal (deplorable) and BtVS (excellent) in my response to your other comment at house_md re: Wilson and Grace (thread here (http://community.livejournal.com/house_md/1108179.html?thread=25741267#t25741267)), without realizing that that part should really have gone here instead. Do you think in S3 that they'll go back and fix their messes, start fresh and continue from September onwards with consistency, or forge ahead in the same ways they've done so far? What problems are you thinking of specifically?

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

Shit. I wrote a long response and my browser crashed. :P Will respond later today.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

...And I replied to this a little while ago but it seems to have disappeared. Weird. It said:

*Waits patiently with sympathy & anticipation, meanwhile admiring your icon*

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the long pause. My computer died terribly, and right now I'm borrowing someone else's until I can heal mine. :(

Do you think in S3 that they'll go back and fix their messes, start fresh and continue from September onwards with consistency, or forge ahead in the same ways they've done so far? What problems are you thinking of specifically?

Towards the end of the second season they raised the issues of Cuddy's baby, Cuddy's loneliness, House being shot, House's "bedside manner", House's leg, House's drugs, House/Cameron sexual tension, Foreman and Cameron issues, Foreman's brain damage, Chase's money, and probably a few others I forgot at the moment.

Now, they can't possibly deal with all of that at once, but at the same time they can't afford to pretend they never existed (I'm still hoping for more about Foreman's brain--whoever told Liz Friedman she could prematurely kill that plot thread should be shot). Some they could ignore, maybe, but others need to be explained away, and others need more development. I just fear they'll pick nonsensical ones for each category. In my ideal world they'd explain that Cuddy abandoned the baby idea, forget the House/Cameron or settle it quickly once and for all, bring back Foreman's brain issues and have that be a part of a continued Cameron /-or-vs. Foreman arc, and discretely give poor Cuddy some friends (I rarely miss Stacy, but I miss her right now--not that I want to open that bag of worms again any time soon) and let Chase deal with OMG not inheriting a fortune like every other not-rich person in the world. From interviews, I get the impression that my ideal world is not to be, though. *sigh*

[thewlisian-afer.livejournal.com]

...managing to look hot even when the view was mostly of his nostril.

I KNOW. What is up with that? I noticed that, too. I was like, "What a horrendous angle. Why does he still look so good?" I love that nose... :: hangs head in fangirly shame ::

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I have nothing to add! Hee. Except "Yes!", and "there will be no hanging of heads in this haven for fangirling."

[thewlisian-afer.livejournal.com]

Somewhat unrelated: Have you ever seen Tape (http://imdb.com/title/tt0275719/)? If not, you should. There was one point at which I IMed froda_baggins and commented that RSL's nostrils should get their own billing, but he still looked fantastic. XD

Also, do you have an email address or an AIM or Y!M name so when I think of things I want to tell/ask you (which happens oddly often, actually) I don't have to go searching around for your most recent LJ entry to comment?

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Sure do; it's in your inbox.

I have seen Tape, thanks to an RSL marathon last year and the willingness of synn to sit through it again (she'd seen it before) with me (I hadn't); same for Swing Kids.

RSL's nostrils should get their own billing

Wah ha ha! I don't remember a lot of up-close nostril shots, but the direction kind of irked me -- I'm not such a fan of Richard Linklater -- so I wouldn't be surprised if I noticed/hated it at the time.