House: "Need to Know" and "Distractions," Wilson/Cameron, and RSL in "The Outer Limits"

[bironic]

"Need to Know"

Wilson/Cuddy! Hangin' out together at the front desk and plotting (much more lightheartedly than in "Detox") re: House. I love how quickly they size up the situation and move into action.

Dammit, I missed Wilson with the joints because I'm a pushover and helped my father carry a ceramic saw to his car. I love that scene. :(

Wilson is still conspicuously preoccupied with getting House to talk. Talk talk talk, should we talk, we need to talk, do you want to talk, is this something we should talk about, are you ditching the conversation, I may need to have an actual conversation about [it]... They are so married. I wonder if he's this insistent on communication with his wives or if he's only like that with House.

Stacy/Wilson! A tiny bit more backstory to the post-infarction days. Imaginings of what Wilson means when he says he picked up the pieces afterwards; while I don't doubt that he helped House through the anger and frustration and heartbreak of those days, Stacy immediately undercuts his admittedly over-dramatic recap. There must be a middle ground between Wilson's emphasis of his own importance in House's recovery and Stacy's denial that she caused House any pain. Also, that scene would be even better if the editors had put another half-second pause before Wilson's "Are you being...intentionally thick?" because it throws the rhythm off and turns their heretofore excellent banter into a script reading.

"You're married." "Not to you." Hypocrite freaks out when women cheat. First to Stacy, then to House re: the patient ("to cover her pathetic lie"). Unconsciously anticipating Julie's affair much? Or just sublimated self-loathing? Hm.

Lord, House and Stacy in bed screams that it's the most awkward situation Hugh Laurie has been in on the show. Unflattering angles for both of them, smiles like winces, and his hand on her side looks—well, awkward, not like they're reunited lovers but like HL is thinking of his wife back home or is acutely conscious of the production crew watching or something. But their embrace on the roof and his quiet "Still fits" evens the score. Missed that the first time. In fact, watching the House/Stacy arc now, I'm finding the whole thing more sympathetic, even moving, whereas the first time through I couldn't wait for her to leave the show. Go figure.

Fake sunset = godawful. The parallel of House/Stacy followed by House/Wilson on the roof is nice, though, especially since Stacy takes House's crap and leaves, whereas Wilson proves once again that he knows House better than anyone. Even if his little speech grates on the nerves. Hey, and House says "Don't do this," which prefigures Wilson's "Don't" in "House vs. God" that in turn prefigures House's "Don't" in "No Reason." They are so married.

House and the little girl remains adorable, specifically when he stands up and holds out his hand like he does it every day and she takes it. This was before the "House is good with kids!!!!111!" overkill.

Oh! And I never noticed that House grabs the swab for Cameron's HIV sample before he turns to the whiteboard. He's planning the declaration-of-love bait-and-switch that far in advance. Nice.

"Distractions"

Despite the numerous times I've watched the lecture hall scene, it took until now for several things to register. First, House saying "Shhh" twice to Wilson is sexy. Second, in order for Wilson to know all that stuff about House's education, House must have told him. It's an obvious point, but I never really imagined the scene that had to have taken place much earlier where House fills Wilson in on his misadventures at med school.

Ah ha ha, "Blow a ... ton of money on a plasma TV" is still funny. As is watching Wilson throughout the whole scene instead of watching House.

Wilson with the cutlery, shouting! That will never stop being awesome. Notice how he deconstructs House's actions while hurting him more, yet stops him from drinking caffeine that might make his migraine worse and gives him a glass of water to help. He's angry that House is being stupid and gives him a couple of good jolts that express those feelings, all while actually trying to make him feel better. "It's very you." They are so very married.

House looked a little nauseous after making the anesthesiologist wake up the kid. Why so disturbed at that but not at scaring Katrina girl half to death in the MRI in "Who's Your Daddy"? A difference between pain and fear?

"I'm hallucinating." Oh, ha, ha, post-"No Reason." Bleh. Also, why does Cameron have no problem walking in on him in a towel in the showers but she won't go into the men's room with the rest of the staff in "Clueless"?


* * *


Of all the posts in all the fandoms in all the world at ship_manifesto, there's only one pairing represented for House: House/Wilson, by the inimitable pun. I say it's high time for some Wilson/Cameron lovin'. *significant look at thewlisian_afer* Just throwing that out there.


* * *


Taped the Outer Limits episode RSL was in in 2000, "The Nest," this afternoon and watched it before House came on. He is very, very pretty in it, with loose hair parted near the middle and short in the back like in The I Inside, and a cream-colored sweater with three buttons near the neck—oh, just look at michelleann68's screencaps (some spoilers in there somewhere), which will give you some idea, though RSL doesn't cap well.

The plot was terrible, as were the dialogue and some of the acting and half the graphics, and the end sucked, and bugs + mouths = gross even when the bugs are clearly CGI in those shots, but I got what I wanted and am pleased. He played a range of emotions pretty effectively, which is a bit of a triumph considering the script. And I believed that his character was actually capable of performing his job (head of the research facility featured in the episode), which is more than I can say for the people playing the (mad) doctor, the freaked-out female researcher or the inexplicably creepy and ineffective psychologist-friend. RSL's monologue near the end about his tragic past was just lovely. Heck, even his coughing-up of "polar mites" was convincing. There were some amusing Wilson-y bits in there too, like getting to say "polycythemia" and "erythrocyte," sticking a needle into his own arm (just like House in "Distractions" tonight), and telling his not-really-friend that he was "not in the mood" to play foosball. And some Prey echoes, what with the parasite plot line, his character being pretty much in charge of figuring out how to cure everyone/get out alive, and a trip to a cave full of the little buggers that they close using explosives. I also, um, enjoyed seeing RSL be all lovey-kissy with his character's fiancee.

But the end. Erg. The whole dramatic B-plot to this episode is that RSL's character, Robby, knows the visiting psychologist, Jack, from childhood, when they were best friends until Robby and his brother Matt fell through some pond ice and Jack saved Robby but had to let go of Matt. Robby understandably holds Jack responsible for his brother's death. At the climax of the episode, in which Robby, Jack and Robby's fiancée are the only three survivors of a polar mite infestation, Robby has to choose which of the other two will live. (He can save one of them, you see, because the mites can only survive in anemic patients and he's immune due to the aforementioned polycythemia, and a transfusion of his type-O blood would do the trick.) The whole hour has been building up to this confrontation between Robby and Jack—in which Robby admits after 20 years that he's been traumatized by his brother's death and hates Jack, and Jack explains what it was like in his position, to be 10 years old and have to decide who would live and who would die, and gets Robby to admit that he never considered what Jack must have gone through himself—and at last, Robby takes his fiancee's hand in his and then also Jack's (mm, slashy), and smiles a little. And you think—well, I was thinking—"that's it, after all those years of churning hatred, Robby's going to save the man who once saved him and have to live with the burning guilt of having let someone he cares for die, and the fiancee isn't going to believe it, but ties between men over 20 years supercede a relatively brief engagement"—and then Robby freakin' chooses the fiancee, and what the hell was the point of all that? Apparently the "twist" is that Robby later gets called a hero in a newspaper, which is supposed to echo the hollow praise heaped upon poor Jack after the accident when they were kids. So it was just a story about vengeance and a selfish desire for recognition. Ew. Just, ew.

Comments

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

I'm sad I missed most of House today (although I caught the second half of Distractions).

They are so married. I wonder if he's this insistent on communication with his wives or if he's only like that with House.

Somehow I doubt it. He avoids his wife like hell, and he seeks House out. I don't think his marriages would have failed if he were anything like he is with House with his wives. They are so married, and it makes me smile so much.

Hypocrite freaks out when women cheat. First to Stacy, then to House re: the patient ("to cover her pathetic lie"). Unconsciously anticipating Julie's affair much? Or just sublimated self-loathing? Hm.

I think it's that we judge others harshly where we have failed ourselves. I think while he would benefit from an open relationship, at this point the idea would make him explode with self-recrimination.

Oh! And I never noticed that House grabs the swab for Cameron's HIV sample before he turns to the whiteboard. He's planning the declaration-of-love bait-and-switch that far in advance. Nice.

He really cares about his kids, as much as they annoy him. It's adorable to see them bonding with each other or with him (unless it's terribly contrived romance, of course--which has probably led me to be touchy about any House/Cameron bonding, fearing the worst).

House looked a little nauseous after making the anesthesiologist wake up the kid. Why so disturbed at that but not at scaring Katrina girl half to death in the MRI in "Who's Your Daddy"? A difference between pain and fear?

Well, he screamed a lot. Did the Katrina girl?

"I'm hallucinating." Oh, ha, ha, post-"No Reason." Bleh. Also, why does Cameron have no problem walking in on him in a towel in the showers but she won't go into the men's room with the rest of the staff in "Clueless"?

I don't tend to want to be present while someone is peeing, much less interact with them, although I guess guys are more accustomed to it.

Of all the posts in all the fandoms in all the world at ship_manifesto, there's only one pairing represented for House: House/Wilson, by the inimitable pun. I say it's high time for some Wilson/Cameron lovin'.

I'm horrified by the idea of Wilson/Cameron, but my love for meta is greater than my horror. Someone write, please?

Taped the Outer Limits episode RSL was in in 2000, "The Nest," this afternoon and watched it before House came on. He is very, very pretty in it.

I actually think RSL has gotten prettier as he's aged. Filled out or something. Or maybe he's just gotten a better hair cut. Or a better character. :)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Response in two parts because of length limits:

Somehow I doubt it. He avoids his wife like hell, and he seeks House out. I don't think his marriages would have failed if he were anything like he is with House with his wives. They are so married, and it makes me smile so much.

Unless he drives his wives crazy pestering them to talk to him. :) No, I agree that his zeal for meaningful conversation is probably mostly reserved for House. Since we've never met and hardly know anything about his wives, it's hard to know how much a lack of communication contributed to his divorces, especially with the cheating thrown in, but like you've said, one would think that if he were to work as hard with them as he does with House to figure out what's wrong and talk it through, he might still be on Wife #1. I suspect that either he's not as effective at "reading" his wives as he is for House, or he doesn't care enough after a certain amount of time (when they start gaining independence, if House's assessment can be trusted) to continue putting in the effort.

Going slightly off-topic, but his lying must play a role as well. Does he lie until he can't stand himself for it anymore and comes clean to them? Is he unable to lie to them at all and confesses straightaway? (Can he lie to House but not his wives, suggesting that he's more concerned about House's opinion of him than their opinion of him, or more fearful of House rejecting him than them rejecting him?) Etc.


I think it's that we judge others harshly where we have failed ourselves. I think while he would benefit from an open relationship, at this point the idea would make him explode with self-recrimination.

Explode like the guy in "No Reason." Which would be messy. :) Sorry, that's the first image I had when I read your comment.

thewlisian_afer below agrees that Wilson is projecting his own failings onto the women.

Interesting premise there, Wilson in an open relationship. You're right that it would be good for him. But I can't see it happening if his wives/girlfriends are truly as needy as House implies, going on the premise that needy = insecure = unwilling to share the spouse with others. And if House's comments are accurate and Wilson needs neediness, I can't see him choosing to be with someone secure enough to give him what he needs (the freedom of dalliance) either. It'd be awfully self-defeating on his part if this were the case, denying himself a healthy relationship because he can't or doesn't want to handle it.

I wonder if this can be traced to Wilson's relationship with his mother. I hope we get to meet or at least hear more about his parents next season. My reservation with this theory is that House says he's met Wilson's parents, but hasn't (yet) mentioned the mother in the context of Wilson's troubled love life. Then again, Wilson knows House's parents and never mentions them in the context of House's problems even though we've seen firsthand that House has daddy issues.

...Although if you look at it another way, Wilson is already in a tacit open relationship -- with House. Heh.


He really cares about his kids, as much as they annoy him. It's adorable to see them bonding with each other or with him (unless it's terribly contrived romance, of course--which has probably led me to be touchy about any House/Cameron bonding, fearing the worst).

Absolutely. People who say he's callous toward his Fellows aren't paying attention.


Well, he screamed a lot. Did the Katrina girl?

She got pretty shrieky towards the end when the hallucinations kicked in.


I don't tend to want to be present while someone is peeing, much less interact with them, although I guess guys are more accustomed to it.

I wouldn't want to watch someone pee either, but then I also wouldn't want to walk in on him/her in the shower. Maybe we didn't see the part where Cameron paced in front of the shower room door debating whether to go in.

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

Since we've never met and hardly know anything about his wives, it's hard to know how much a lack of communication contributed to his divorces

But we do know he was avoiding Julie. "She's used to being alone [...] I don't want to talk about it", "Why aren't you at home with your wife?", etc.

Going slightly off-topic, but his lying must play a role as well. Does he lie until he can't stand himself for it anymore and comes clean to them? Is he unable to lie to them at all and confesses straightaway? (Can he lie to House but not his wives, suggesting that he's more concerned about House's opinion of him than their opinion of him, or more fearful of House rejecting him than them rejecting him?) Etc.

Does he lie to them? Is there any way we can't spin this House/Wilson? Etc.

denying himself a healthy relationship because he can't or doesn't want to handle it.

Interesting idea there--Wilson subconsciously wants his relationship to fail. Well, there you have a similarity with Cameron: they enter into supposedly long-term relationships but are unable to actually handly comittment.

I wonder if this can be traced to Wilson's relationship with his mother.

Why? He doesn't seem to have any inborn disrespect for or fear of women, so I'm not sure why Dame Wilson would have anything to do with it.

Then again, Wilson knows House's parents and never mentions them in the context of House's problems even though we've seen firsthand that House has daddy issues.

House's daddy issues actually seem to end with daddy. Sometimes it's like that, although Chase is the counter-example of someone very much formed by his childhood situation.

She got pretty shrieky towards the end when the hallucinations kicked in.

Huh. Maybe he wanted to torture her for playing his friend. I do think House could be that petty and cruel.

I wouldn't want to watch someone pee either, but then I also wouldn't want to walk in on him/her in the shower.

She didn't walk into the shower stall, just the room. I personally have no problem with people in towels, and it seems neither does Cameron. Hey, she had a crush on him--maybe she's just grabbing the chance to ogle him!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

There definitely seemed to be a breakdown in spousal communication at the end of the marriage, though whether that was a cause or a symptom is unclear. Point taken that while he turned away from his wife, he turned to House.

Why? He doesn't seem to have any inborn disrespect for or fear of women, so I'm not sure why Dame Wilson would have anything to do with it.

It doesn't have to be explained that way, but I was curious whether his need for neediness stemmed from some sort of dysfunction at home when he was growing up -- whether his mom was needy and he thought that was the only or best way he could love someone or be loved.

House's daddy issues actually seem to end with daddy. Sometimes it's like that, although Chase is the counter-example...

True, at least so far; parents leave marks, and I wouldn't be surprised if we find out that at least some of his quirks or defense mechanisms can be traced back to living under his father.

Maybe he wanted to torture her for playing his friend. I do think House could be that petty and cruel.

Very plausible, and I agree on the second part.

Hey, she had a crush on him--maybe she's just grabbing the chance to ogle him!

Hee. So she's a PG/PG-13 crusher and didn't want the higher-rated toilet scene? :)

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

So she's a PG/PG-13 crusher and didn't want the higher-rated toilet scene? :)

Um, I'd guess that that just isn't her kink of choice. :P

[bironic.livejournal.com]

(Part II)

I'm horrified by the idea of Wilson/Cameron, but my love for meta is greater than my horror. Someone write, please?

Done well, the manifesto would address the differences in their characters that I think are the source of your discomfort with/disbelief in the pair. Hm. Counterpoints do an argument good, so if I end up involved in the essay, I may consult you as devil's advocate.


I actually think RSL has gotten prettier as he's aged. Filled out or something. Or maybe he's just gotten a better hair cut. Or a better character. :)

Not that this has a significant bearing on your point, but I neglected to mention that he hardly looks younger in The Outer Limits than he does on House even though it aired six years ago. He ages slowly. As for getting prettier as the years go by, I agree that there's something more attractive about him now than there was in his Dead Poets Society days, like he's grown into his face or something, but in general his appeal depends on the particular role -- hair, clothes, makeup -- and not on his age. I mean that in a purely physical way, separate from the context and personality of the character. daasgrrl pointed out in her review of Safe Passage a few months ago that that movie came right on the heels of Swing Kids, but there's a drastic difference in his appearance that makes me love him in the former and cringe in the latter.

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Excuse me for butting in, but I just had to say that for me, anyway, there really is something in particular about the "Wilson" character in combination with RSL that makes him incredibly appealing. The movies I love RSL most in are ones in which he displays very similar characteristics (except Swing Kids, which I liked for different reasons, but probably best not to go there *g*). So I also go for the 'it's not (just) appearance, it's character' view of RSL's attractiveness - or rather, a combination of the two :)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

No problem, come on in! I just know that thirdblindmouse is going to give you a better response than I could about the Wilson/RSL combination, so I'll just say that I also find it difficult to separate character from physicality when it comes to attractiveness. My ex once told me years ago that it's a female thing when we were embroiled in a debate about Buffy/Sarah Michelle Gellar's physical appeal; I didn't really like Buffy, so I didn't find her attractive, whereas it didn't even occur to him to take her character into consideration. Ever since that conversation I've become very aware of what I'm considering when I'm judging a person's attractiveness. The original point above, I think, was just about RSL getting prettier, so that's what I was trying to respond to. Taking Wilson's personality etc. into account definitely complicates things!

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

I'll just say that I also find it difficult to separate character from physicality when it comes to attractiveness

YES! I've always had this problem. I have never understood how people can look at a guy and say he's cute - the most I can say is 'he is aesthetically pleasing by society's standards' until I see more of the way he talks, acts, moves. Women I don't have a problem with - I can find them "beautiful" without knowing a thing about them, although I suppose character might add to/detract from to their attractiveness. I think it's a subconscious 'partner potential' thing :)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I'm sure the subconscious future-offspring-genetic-material-donor assessment is a factor, and personality is a part of that (House says so himself!). I know all too well the situation you describe where you need to know what a person is like before you can consider them fully attractive. Ever since that infamous conversation with the ex, though, just by recognizing the dual factors I've been somewhat able to isolate them, and can make looks-only judgments as well. Hence being able to tell my poor friend maddy_harrigan that a bastard acquaintance of hers is attractive (though a bastard). Maybe this little chat will have a similar effect on you...?

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Well... I don't know. I think I've always been able to tell if someone is 'attractive' in that sense, but I just don't FEEL it. I usually just substitute 'yes, he is cute' for 'yes, he IS asthetically pleasing by society's standards' in normal conversation :)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Reading back up the thread, I can see my posts getting less and less coherent as the night wore on. *is embarrassed* It's probably best to let this one go with a nod of agreement.

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

Counterpoints do an argument good, so if I end up involved in the essay, I may consult you as devil's advocate.

The devil is against Cameron/Wilson too? Makes sense: we all know the devil is all over House/Cameron... Seriously though, I'd be glad to fight for my cause and help meta be produced at the same time.

his appeal depends on the particular role -- hair, clothes, makeup

But of course. The roles I've seen him in haven't had any wildly different clothing, but I'm not sure about the hair. Maybe it's subtly changed.

My ex once told me years ago that it's a female thing when we were embroiled in a debate about Buffy/Sarah Michelle Gellar's physical appeal; I didn't really like Buffy, so I didn't find her attractive, whereas it didn't even occur to him to take her character into consideration.

That makes a lot of sense. Not even occur, you say? I find it hard to dissociate personality from the purely physical attraction when I try (I can see "beauty", but that's not attraction, that's paintings). On the other hand, I don't think guys would find Faith half as hot if Eliza Dushku's character was Kendra-like. Of course, that's also figuring personal sexuality in, which is another whole kettle of fish, since I'm in no way sexually attracted to RSL's looks or the Wilson character.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

we all know the devil is all over House/Cameron

Ha! And I saw a user icon today that had House wearing a t-shirt that said "I ship Vogler/Satan."


I'm not sure about the hair. Maybe it's subtly changed.

Was thinking particularly of caps I've seen from Chelsea Walls where he's scraggly-looking, with long ragged hair and a thin moustache. Not cool. Or in Swing Kids, where his hair is just so ridiculously over-long and swept back that it's distracting. For me, anyway. Lots of people seem to like that look on him.


Re: last paragraph, yeah. There's finding someone attractive with or without considering their character, there's the fact that we're probably making assumptions about people's personalities when we evaluate their appearance in the first place, and then there's the difference between finding someone "objectively" attractive and being attracted to them [in a sexual way] -- if there is a difference, which is another debate, one which I almost dipped into at the [current] end of the thread above with daasgrrl.

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

and then there's the difference between finding someone "objectively" attractive and being attracted to them [in a sexual way] -- if there is a difference, which is another debate, one which I almost dipped into at the [current] end of the thread above with daasgrrl.

Reconsidering, I think I was conflating romantic attraction with sexual attraction, which is another distinction I would consider valid--although those qualifying for romantic attraction is a subset of those qualifying for sexual attraction, I guess. I'm not sure. Such matters get me all confused, and run into the problem that, being subjective, they rely solely on personal experience.

...Funny, I'm judgemental as all hell and not in the least ashamed of it, but when I can't think of a way to bring in some "objective" metric by which to justify my judgements, I run like a scared wombat. ;)

[catilinarian.livejournal.com]

And you think—well, I was thinking—"that's it, after all those years of churning hatred, Robby's going to save the man who once saved him and have to live with the burning guilt of having let someone he cares for die, and the fiancee isn't going to believe it, but ties between men over 20 years supercede a relatively brief engagement"—and then Robby freakin' chose the fiancee, and what the hell was the point of all that?

Is it just me, being as I am much more a friendship/tribal creature than a romantic creature, or do books and films that pull the whole "the-briefest-romance-always-trumps-the-deepest-and-most-complex-non-romantic-relationship" shit really annoy the hell out of everyone else, too? (I could make some comments here about JK Rowling's offenses in that vein, but I think I've ranted about that before...)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

*coughRemus/Tonkscough* Yes, I think we know your opinion re: actually establishing relationships in Harry Potter. :D

To respond to your point in a way that may enhance what I'm about to say about the Outer Limits episode, I'm a firm believer in friendship and in basing romantic relationships on friendship. "Friends, then lovers" and all that. Because otherwise the relationship is empty. Just passion, no basis in who the other person actually is and how (s)he relates to you or knows you. Nothing wrong with it in the short-term, but not sustainable for an engagement or marriage.

Now. The scene where Robby has to choose between Jack and Rachel (I think her name was Rachel) opened with him and her sitting at a table clasping hands and smiling quietly, a little resignedly, I thought. This was after the airing of grievances but before the reconciliation/hand-clasping. That's when the thought ran through my mind that he would choose Jack. Because I thought from the setup that Robby had talked things through with Rachel before the scene opened, explained that he owed Jack his life, and Rachel, being his devoted lover, understood the men's bond and was going to sacrifice herself. BUT NO.

What really irked me about it is that we saw no basis for Robby and Rachel's relationship. We knew that Robby and Jack were friends before they were 10 years old -- you can pretty much imagine that on your own -- and that they were tied together for the next 20 years because of the accident. (Robby said he'd dealt with it and then buried it until Jack showed up in his life again in this episode, but it was clear that that wasn't true, because he never told Rachel the full story and his speech near the end betrayed his still-acute pain. But anyway.) That's an okay portrait of a friendship/enemyship for an hour-long show, and the two of them had a lot of lines together, not to mention how they talked about each other to other people as well. But we hardly knew anything about Rachel -- what she does, how well she knows him, how they met, why they're in love -- and that made Robby's choice feel a little hollow, because his decision wasn't so much about choosing the woman, it was about rejecting the man.

Sigh. Stepping out of fandom is like a slap in the face when it comes to gender & gender relations. But that's another subject entirely.

[catilinarian.livejournal.com]

Hee - actually I wasn't even thinking of Remus and Tonks (although I do stand by my opinion on that :)), but of the point in the sixth book where...

*Spoilers, for anyone who hasn't read it yet, which would probably be no one who actually cares about the spoilers*

... Harry decides he can't see Ginny anymore, after their brief making-out-in-corridors phase of about two weeks, because he CARES for her so DEEPLY that Voldemort could use it against him! And then Ron and Hermione decide to come along with him and Harry's like, fine, whatever.

Because obviously, he'd betray the Order to save Ginny but he doesn't much care if Ron is tortured to death in front of him.

Right.

At any rate, yes, I can see why having no real sense of the fiancee or their relationship would make the whole choice feel rather hollow.

Sigh. Stepping out of fandom is like a slap in the face when it comes to gender & gender relations. But that's another subject entirely.

Too true...

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I think that's an example of how JKR has stuff worked out in her head and has been thinking about it for so long that she thinks it's obvious, when in fact she hasn't actually put all that backstory/lead-up into the books we're all reading, and the editors don't notice, and we end up with seeming-sudden declarations of passion.

[thewlisian-afer.livejournal.com]

01.) "I wonder if he's this insistent on communication with his wives or if he's only like that with House."

I'd guess not. He's already "caught" his wives; House is a challenge. Going back to the "functional vampire" thing, if he lets House turn his misery inward and never talk about it, Wilson's role as sidekick becomes less important.


02.) "Hypocrite freaks out when women cheat. ... Unconsciously anticipating Julie's affair much? Or just sublimated self-loathing? Hm."

The latter, I think. Because as much as I hate admitting it, Wilson is the most "me" character on the show, and that's how I am. I hate seeing people make mistakes that I've made, and it makes me so angry at them. So, projecting myself on Wilson, that's what I automatically assumed was going on there.


03.) "Lord, House and Stacy in bed screams that it's the most awkward situation Hugh Laurie has been in on the show."

He is so outstandingly uncomfortable about himself sometimes. ♥ Poor Hugh.


04.) "House looked a little nauseous after making the anesthesiologist wake up the kid. Why so disturbed at that but not at scaring Katrina girl half to death in the MRI in "Who's Your Daddy"? A difference between pain and fear?"

Yes. As I watched it, I felt like House was reliving his own laying-in-a-hospital-bed-screaming-in-intense-pain moments. I was IMing with froda_baggins as we were watching, and I even commented to her that it looked like House really didn't like having to do that, probably because it reminded him of his own experiences.


05.) re: ship_manifesto -- :: looks like a deer caught in the headlights :: XD I'll have to think about that... Damn you! Now I'm seriously considering it!


06.) re: The Outer Limits -- Really, all I have to say about the whole thing is ... RSL is pretty. XD Also, I adore you for being good and hopeful enough to believe Robby was going to pick Jack. I'm all cynical, and didn't believe that for a moment. x_x

[bironic.livejournal.com]

01.) I'd guess not. He's already "caught" his wives; House is a challenge. Going back to the "functional vampire" thing, if he lets House turn his misery inward and never talk about it, Wilson's role as sidekick becomes less important.

So he's more secure in his wives' reliance on him, at least at first, than he is in House's. And he's more willing to let his wives go and find new ones than he is (presumably) in ditching House for another, needier friend. I like it.


02.) The latter, I think. Because as much as I hate admitting it, Wilson is the most "me" character on the show, and that's how I am. I hate seeing people make mistakes that I've made, and it makes me so angry at them. So, projecting myself on Wilson, that's what I automatically assumed was going on there.

Projecting yourself on Wilson projecting himself on Stacy and the twitchy mom. :)

I agree that it's the latter as well. So does thirdblindmouse above (as you may have seen before you posted). That was my explanation for his startlingly vehement reaction in the surgery observation room before he and we knew Julie was cheating.


04.) Yes. As I watched it, I felt like House was reliving his own laying-in-a-hospital-bed-screaming-in-intense-pain moments. I was IMing with froda_baggins as we were watching, and I even commented to her that it looked like House really didn't like having to do that, probably because it reminded him of his own experiences.

Definitely some identification going on there, like there was with Foreman in "Euphoria."

...I just typed out a bunch of questions and then deleted them because I'm unable to grasp exactly what it is that bothers me about House's selective empathy. Will come back to this one day.


05.) re: ship_manifesto ... Damn you! Now I'm seriously considering it!

Mwa ha ha. Maybe we should co-write it.


06.) re: The Outer Limits -- Really, all I have to say about the whole thing is ... RSL is pretty.

Hear, hear!

Also, I adore you for being good and hopeful enough to believe Robby was going to pick Jack. I'm all cynical, and didn't believe that for a moment.

Cynicism is good for the sanity.

Well, the thing is, I assumed there was going to be a twist at the end, and the obvious choice for Robby was the fiancee, so I figured he'd actually choose Jack. That the scene opened with Robby sitting at the table with the fiancee as if they'd just talked and come to an agreement that Jack deserved the transfusion made me think I was right. And then... there was no twist. :(

[thewlisian-afer.livejournal.com]

04.) I don't think House experiences "selective empathy." I haven't run to dictionaries or anything here, but I think what he experiences is sympathy. He understands situations he's been in. I think the term empathy is more like ... being able to put yourself into a situation you've never been in, and still understand the person. I'm not sure House has that ability.


05.) "Maybe we should co-write it."

Damn you even more! Things like that will make me give in even quicker. XD ♥


06.) I think maybe that was a twist. We were supposed to think the obvious choice for Robby (which I just typo'd as "Rubby" -- paging Dr. Freud!) was Rachel, but then there's the scene at the table and we were supposed to be like, "OMG! He's chosing Jack!" Twist number one! But then we see the he actually chose Rachel. Twist number two! I think the writers forgot that double negatives are confusing and create boring stories.

I really think we were supposed to think he was going to choose Jack. It was shoved in our faces that Robby has a lot of resentment toward Jack for letting his brother die. That Jack really did save Robby's life and Robby owes him. I think we were supposed to believe Robby would think of that and feel like he wouldn't be able to deal with it if he let Jack die. And then in the end he chose his girl and is going to have to live with being called a hero for it, even though he let someone die, just like Jack had to do for so long.

I dunno. I don't care. It doesn't have to make sense to me. RSL WAS PRETTY.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I love how we're losing numbers as we go.


04.) He understands situations he's been in. I think the term empathy is more like ... being able to put yourself into a situation you've never been in, and still understand the person. I'm not sure House has that ability.

It's the other way around: empathy is when you've been in the other person's situation, and sympathy is when you have to imagine it. So we're actually agreeing. :)


06.) I think the writers forgot that double negatives are confusing and create boring stories.

Yeah. Good effort there in giving the writers some credit. I may be optimistic, but you have more faith in the team. Sort of.

I dunno. I don't care. It doesn't have to make sense to me. RSL WAS PRETTY.

Ha ha, yeah, pretty much. I'd still prefer pretty!RSL in a coherent story, but... yeah. Let's not pretend there was any point in watching that but for the yummy.

[thewlisian-afer.livejournal.com]

XD Losing even more numbers! The only thing I have left to comment on is the difference between sympathy and empathy. I find:

"Empathy is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes", or experiencing the outlook or emotions of another being within oneself, a sort of emotional resonance."

and

"One must be careful not to confuse empathy with either sympathy, emotional contagion or mind reading. Sympathy is the feeling of compassion for another, the wish to see them better or happier, often described as "feeling sorry" for someone."



So "sympathy" isn't exactly the term I'm looking for to describe what House feels. Sympathy is like "Oh, that sucks, I'm sorry" without necessarily feeling it yourself. House seemed (to me, at least) like he was really remembering his own pain and feeling for the kid.

Again, whatever, who cares? We're actually in agreement. I'm just having grammatical issues. I'm overtired and working on writing a really mind-bending smut scene (original characters, nobody in the House 'verse, woe) so nuances of meaning are escaping me a little, I guess. ♥

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Mind-bending smut is unquestionably worth a few grammatical tangles now and then.

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Hee - I'd forgotten about the medical terms!

You know, I don't know why it is, but I thought it was an absolutely foregone conclusion that he would choose the finacee (I notice you managed the acute *g*). In fact, I thought it was silly because there was never any doubt at all (in my mind). If he HAD chosen the friend, I would have fallen off my chair in shock. It would probably have been a more powerful ep that way - very interesting thought :)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

It seems I expected too much. I haven't watched many Outer Limits episodes and don't know its formula. As I was saying somewhere above to thewlisian_afer, I expected a twist that never came. They seemed to be leading up to some sort of climax between Robby and Jack and it just fizzled away. :(

I notice you managed the acute *g*

Sorry, didn't follow you there -- ?

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

..on fiancee, which I also misspelled, but no matter :)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Oh, right! Ha. Yeah, I put it in the first time I typed it, then ran out of steam. *grimace* I'm usually more of a stickler about that; I blame residual jet lag.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Oh, and, the other thing I forgot is that Jack said, "I opened my left hand, and Matt died," and then Robby's holding Rachel's hand in his left and takes Jack's in his right, and I really thought he'd open his left too, for the parallel. Well. We know how that theory turned out.

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Oh, I really like this point! That would have been very clever. Yeah... I think you're thinking WAY too far above the level of this show :)

And because I just realised - my fiancee comment wasn't about *you* leaving off the acute (I'm not that much of a Nazi to correct other people's posts for spelling *g*) it was that *I* did in my review, because I was too lazy, and I made a specific point that readers should use their imagination to fill it in.

Therefore, when I read your review, I was thinking 'see, SHE manages to put the acute in' and it amused me :)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yep.

(It helps also that I spend my days doing Web-related work, so adding in some HTML code for an acute accent doesn't take much effort.)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Didn't seem like I was thinking far above the show. Too much time in insightful fan communities analyzing subtext skews the brain and expectations from the outside world.

Ah, gotcha on the accent comment now. I didn't think you were nitpicking about the rest of the missing acutes, just being gleeful at the one that was there -- but it all makes even more sense now. Glad to be a source of grammatical amusement!

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Didn't seem like I was thinking far above the show. Too much time in insightful fan communities analyzing subtext skews the brain and expectations from the outside world.

This is true. My thought processes went along the lines of: Likes girl (kisses). Doesn't like boy (yells). Therefore, must save girl. Very Homer, really - and no, not the Greek one XD

[bironic.livejournal.com]

You are clearly more in tune with normal people. :D Love your logic there.