House 3x04: "Lines in the Sand"

[bironic]

Brilliance. This may be the funniest episode that's ever aired. And not only hilarious but also solid and seemed to go on forever. In a good way.

The coherent comments:

- Loving the camerawork, from the patient's-eye-view to the floor-up angles of House and fishbowl-lens close-ups to the nicely framed shots of Chase through the brick arch.

- Not sure where all this House/Cameron stuff is coming from all of a sudden. How did they progress to this point so quickly? Accentuated by all the frames of House-and-Cameron and Chase-and-Foreman instead of House and three-fellows.

- While we're on the subject of Cameron, while it was nice to see some more zingers from her to Chase (remember "Safe"?), that stunner about his dad went too far. Ouch.

- Very much enjoyed House's druggy speech about envying autistics, though I'd say he's already halfway there, considering his blatant disregard of social conventions. And however much he may fantasize about such an existence, he wouldn't want to sacrifice his intellect for it.

- I like how they set up all these parallels between House and Adam—the Gameboy fascination, the kid's wailing and House's silent frustration in the clinic as if the kid were his inner screamer, the short attention span, the crankiness, the resistance to change (well, not explicity shown for Adam, but it can be an autistic trait)—and showed how House was able to connect with the kid—speaking loudly, making eye contact, knowing the "monkey see monkey do" trick (why didn't the parents?), using his name—thus leading us to wonder whether House might know an autistic person or be mildly autistic himself, then had Wilson seemingly confirm the latter suspicion, and finally negated it.

- Adam's wavy lines were very obviously clues, but at least it wasn't clear what they were telling us. I am a little annoyed that that oil-and-water contraption turned out to be a red herring.

- Was House's little jab at Wilson about how long a person can lecture before he can be called a jerk supposed to be sufficient evidence that he's still pissed at him?

And the funny/squee:

- House anesthetized! Far, far better than that LSD trip. Which was funniest: him taking a few more deep breaths than necessary, stumbling into the cart, or commenting on Cameron's pretty hair? Why didn't he turn around and say something like that to Wilson while he was at it?

- House-just-about-everything, actually. Jam-packed with laugh-out-loud moments, from "Attica! Attica! … Attica?" to his gospel preacher voice to his co-opting Casablanca for his clueless admirer.

- Okay, that whole first scene in Wilson's office: priceless. On top of which, I could not for the life of me stop thinking about this fic when House shoved all the clutter back and played with one of the toys and dropped half of it into the garbage. And when Wilson told him that one came from a kid. (Nice story, though. Good that the dying 11-year-old wasn't an emo dying 11-year-old.)

- WILSON OMG. Where to start. "Thank you for coming" to Cameron as they're filing out of his office; rolling up his sleeves and deconstructing House's get-to-Cuddy-via-me ploy and then teasing like in the old days; performing a procedure and contributing something medically useful to the team; the "Unless you wanna make out" comment and standing so close on the landing (any explanations other than Wilson's a shameless flirt and the writers like to give fans a nod every now and then? And by "fans" I don't mean necessarily Wilson/Cuddy 'shippers but rather people who've been suspecting that the two of them have/had something more than professional going on before/during all the conspiring. Is it possible that that's an actual indication of a Wilson/Cuddy relationship we weren't meant to take seriously but may prove more accurate than we now think?); and manipulating Cuddy into thinking House might be mildly autistic to get that carpet back. At the end I half expected him to hand House a $10 bill when the parents said "thank you." Nice moment where he gave him the equivalent of a pat on the back with the "That was a ten" comment. He knew House was affected by Adam's gift in a way he wasn't able to experience when he came back to work a few weeks ago.

- Hee. My inner House/Wilson/Cameron 'shipper also did a little dance during the lab scene.

- Everyone wants to get with Cuddy! First Wilson on the stairs, then House in the garage ("I'm ovulating"), then some girl-on-girl action with the stalker at her home (but not really, as it turned out). And what was with her putting her legs up on her desk in front of House?

- Speaking of girl-on-girl and possibly boy-on-boy, was it me, or in House's "I don't care that Susie married Johnny" speech, did he say "he's mine"?

- Lots of Chase faces throughout, more subtle than the goofy sneakers moment or the not-clapping after juggling, but still funny. Like when House started in on the parents poisoning their kid and he settled back on Wilson's couch with an ironic "Story time!" expression. Better than all of those, however, was his quiet "Sorry" to the man they forced out of the chapel.

This episode needs to be watched several times, which will doubtless spawn more posts. Just as well, since we're going on this three-week hiatus.

* * *

ETA: Commentaries - Diane Kristine, fallen_arazil, firestorm717, thewlisian_afer, renoir_girl, daasgrrl (f-locked), asynca, Sam's Three Things, stephantom, usomitai, catalase, blackcat333_99

Post-ep fic: "Tremendous Brunettes" by stickfigurepeep

Comments

[firestorm717.livejournal.com]

I actually didn't like this episode as much as Cane and Able, because of all the implied House = autism thing (even though Wilson sweeps it all off at the end).

But in regards to your comments - finally, an explanation for some of the things Wilson keeps around his office! He really does collect just about everything. I still don't get what the sand thing was that House was playing with.

Um, yeah, totally missed all the references. Susie and Johnny? Casablanca? Attica? Someone want to fill me in?

Hah, I'm not the only one who caught Chase's storytime expression! That was hilarious, how he propped his hands precisely on his lap like a good little schoolboy.

Anesthesized House + playboy Wilson = WIN. After House/Wilson, Cuddy/Wilson is my second ship <3.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Not the best episode, just the funniest. At first blush. I like "Cane and Able" a lot as well. Certainly C&A was better than the premiere and last week's.

The sand thing is a mini Zen garden that's a pretty popular office toy. You're supposed to rake the sand in different patterns to calm your mind.

I'll get you references on those three things (I think the first is just supposed to elicit common teen names in the 1950's or something, but I could be wrong) later if no-one beats me to it.

Cuddy/Wilson is made of awesome. I think they could make that work in canon. At least, if the writers weren't all so obsessed with House that it'd be doomed to fail because we can't have any relationships that don't involve him somehow.

[firestorm717.livejournal.com]

Ah, I got the Attica thing from a Pacino movie. The Casablanca, like I said, flew over my head.

u_u House/Wilson/Cuddy threesome? I'm game. That and perhaps a second Wilson/Cuddy date...the two can connive over how to best subdue/capture House, while tumbling in the sheets.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

No, no, all the Wilson/Cuddy fanfic says they keep office talk out of the bedroom; whenever one of them breaks the rule, the relationship fails. Nothing like a little mutual denial.

Ah, we all pick up on different allusions. I didn't get the Grey's Anatomy reference you mentioned. What was it?

[firestorm717.livejournal.com]

Grey's Anatomy is the show, and Gray's Anatomy is the actual famous anatomical textbook that the name of the show is based on. House was referring to how "Gray's Anatomy got it wrong" but it could be taken ambiguously, as either the textbook getting it wrong or an allusion to the show getting it wrong.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Right... I guess I just missed that line. (Unless it was from an earlier episode? I seem to recall that or something similar last season.) Based on your comment in your review I thought maybe he'd made a reference to a character's name or something that went over my head.

[firestorm717.livejournal.com]

Naw, it was when he was sitting in Wilson's office after they discovered liver cells in the patient's arm or something. I don't recall any explicit reference to characters on the show before.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

In Wilson's office or in the lab? Not that it matters, really. And a second viewing will clear that up.

I think last season there was a Gray's Anatomy volume sitting prominently on a bookshelf that people noticed. But for some reason that line about 'G.A. getting it wrong' sounds familiar, and not (just) from last night. Oh well.

[firestorm717.livejournal.com]

Wilson's office, I believe. He was sitting on the edge of the desk as the ducklings gathered around. I think it may have been the one where we get storytime Chase.

[thewlisian-afer.livejournal.com]

I still don't get what the sand thing was that House was playing with.

It's a zen garden (http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Garden/dp/B000F8L3JY/sr=8-1/qid=1159327177/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-7656239-6008661?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden). When I was a senior in high school my English teacher had one. I spent so much time playing with it and making pretty patterns with the LINES IN THE SAND that she bought me one of my own for graduation.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

the LINES IN THE SAND

lol, thanks for that. I forgot to discuss the title. :)

[thewlisian-afer.livejournal.com]

did he say "he's mine"?

Yes, he did. It made me giggle. XD

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Oh, excellent. That almost makes up for the comment in "No Reason" that we all thought was "I never call Wilson by his name" that turned out to be "I never called Wilson by his name," according to Katie Jacobs and David Shore in the DVD commentary.

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode. I laughed out loud at least four or five times, maybe more.

Thought one of the funniest moments was totally silent -- when Wilson comes into his own office the second time, and House and all his Fellows are there AGAIN. Wilson's look of silent acceptance and his turning around and leaving are just ... priceless. One of the best moments of silent physical comedy I've seen.

Loved it that House was doing the entire "goodbye scene" from Casablanca and the poor lovestruck girl had no clue.

Thought for a while that House was trying to make Wilson angry at him and say it, a la the "pranks" series in Season 2, but by the end I wasn't so sure.

I thought this episode was much more snappy and all the actors were "on" than in any of the previous 3 episodes.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Agreed. House was back in all the good ways. I hoped it was only a matter of time.

Wilson's look of silent acceptance and his turning around and leaving are just ... priceless. One of the best moments of silent physical comedy I've seen. [...] Thought for a while that House was trying to make Wilson angry at him and say it, a la the "pranks" series in Season 2, but by the end I wasn't so sure.

Oh, yes. I think part of the reason House was so sure Wilson would break and go to Cuddy to plead his case about the carpet was that he'd seen how Wilson dealt with behavior like that while they were living together. House probably knew from the beginning that instead of snapping and getting angry, he'd purse his lips and cross his arms and eventually turn away and do what House wanted.

Don't know how many times I laughed, but it was just delightful. My father came upstairs halfway through and asked what was so funny.

[(Anonymous)]

It's wasn't just you--he did in fact say 'he's mine', which is again another thing we probably aren't supposed to take seriously, but that slashers certainly will. ^_^ I still think that there's nothing preventing House from being bi in canon--he certainly hits on Chase often enough.

The putting the legs up--I don't care WHY it was, but I know WHAT it as--seriously hot. God, does Lisa have the most perfect legs in existence or what?

I'm actually in favor of the Wilson/Cuddy going canon. It would be an interesting dynamic for the few episodes it lasted, it ould give House a non-medical mystery to solve during an episode, and it could lead to the birth of a little Jewish baby.

~Djinn

[fallen-arazil.livejournal.com]

that was me. *nodnod* (of course, I sign my posts, so I'm sure you gathered that ...)

~Djinn

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I still think that there's nothing preventing House from being bi in canon--he certainly hits on Chase often enough.

And has no problem announcing to Stacy and half the clinic that he's gay. And has been magnanimous about the gay and lesbian patients he's had on the show so far insofar as their orientations are concerned.

I know WHAT it as--seriously hot. God, does Lisa have the most perfect legs in existence or what?

Does the whole cast have the most perfect everythings in existence or what? :)

I don't think the show would go wrong pairing Wilson or House with Cuddy for whatever reason and for whatever length of time. (House/Cameron, by contrast, could be good or very, very bad.) Aside from the boss/employee issues, it's too bad Cuddy gives in to both of them so often, because that could pose a problem in a romantic relationship between supposed equals.

[synn.livejournal.com]

Okay, so looking back there were some funny moments -- like a previous commenter I liked the subtler ones better than the obvious ones.
Attica attica fell completely flat for me -- 1) I've heard it before, but I don't know the reference, so I had no idea why he was doing it and 2) it felt extremely forced; haha time to be 'house' now.
Loved the 'he's mine' and 'wanna make out'
Didn't get Cuddy putting her legs up on the desk either, thought it extremely unprofessional. Loved the 'she hit on me' bit.
I'd have to rewatch it just to catch more of Chase's expressions, I really liked that the only alternative office they went to where he seemed at all uncomfortable was the church.
Drugged house = hysterical.

All that aside, I really didn't like the episode much at all. I thought the opening clue about wavey lines far too obvious, as well as much of the rest of the plot -- Absolutely hated that Cameron kept harping on the carpet, b/c, well, that's the type of behavior from her that irritates me (I don't think it's any of her business, at all.)
Loved that house pulled from old movies to get rid of her, and the damn damn damn, but otherwise didn't like the teenaged stalker bit at all.
I just generally felt that the entire episode was too heavy handed and, outside of the little moments, not particularly well executed.
Mom laughed at me when I grumped over the Month Long Wait for new episodes.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I don't know, I really enjoyed myself watching this ep. Just kicked back and relaxed and took it all in, figuring there's plenty of time with this hiatus to be critical and analytical later. To address some of your points, the show is frequently heavy-handed, and actually that bothered me less than usual; Cameron didn't bother me until the last scene; and I'm still fond of the stalker, mostly because she made House happy. Very true that the subtler stuff was as always preferable, but I tend to remember the more outrageous lines and acting-out after seeing the episode only once, so they make it into the reviews more often. "Attica" wasn't the best example to choose -- his pathetic faces in the clinic beat it out -- but like I said, it stood out. You know I'm half-unconscious by the time I get these posts up. :)

I'd have to rewatch it just to catch more of Chase's expressions, I really liked that the only alternative office they went to where he seemed at all uncomfortable was the church.

I'm still getting used to the idea of you watching on your own; I keep thinking I'll be watching the tape again when you come over to see it for the first time. 'Course, that offer's still open if you ever want to watch any again.

Drugged house = hysterical. Hear, hear!

[synn.livejournal.com]

Maybe I expected too much after the last episode.

I'm always up for watching house w/ you... it's the only time I get to make slashy jokes about it outside of my head.

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Hee - I thought of that fic as soon as I saw the trailer. Wanted to smack House though.

I missed the 'he's mine' - I love it. And I think I missed the 'sorry' too. I'm glad someone acknowledged that. I am definitely warming to Chase.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Well, I missed that toy's line about bending over and relaxing, so thanks for that in return. It was nice that someone apologized; naturally Chase would be the one to do it. He has been great so far this season, and I'd be warming to him more if I didn't suspect manipulation on the writers' part.

[renoir-girl.livejournal.com]

- Not sure where all this House/Cameron stuff is coming from all of a sudden. How did they progress to this point so quickly? Accentuated by all the frames of House-and-Cameron and Chase-and-Foreman instead of House and three-fellows.

My hunch is that Cameron feels bolder since House asked her out in episode 1, and House saying her hair was pretty was a nice "lowered inhibitions" reflection of stalker-girl after his encounter with the ether (assuming that's what he was inhaling for the kid). Maybe he wasn't still under the influence, but the scene did directly follow, so I took it as him still being drunk. So all that together, plus Cameron sensing major House-vulnerability, I think all worked together to create the final moment over the carpet.

Was House's little jab at Wilson about how long a person can lecture before he can be called a jerk supposed to be sufficient evidence that he's still pissed at him?

Not by itself. Just the verbal compontent--and a hint that he's almost ready to get into it, though not yet. It's still just a leak.

Good that the dying 11-year-old wasn't an emo dying 11-year-old

Still. I went from amused to sad to offended in such a short span over that conversation. Whiplash.

This was an incredibly Wilson-squeeful episode. I fell in love again. Maybe because I went & looked yesterday and discovered that RSL is 6'--height is my kryptonite. Maybe because House gave me permission to like Wilson again because he was taking back responsibilty for being mad at him for me.

I doubt that made sense. Anyway.

Better than all of those, however, was his quiet "Sorry" to the man they forced out of the chapel.

YES. Man, that was an excellent moment... almost a throw-away, but so real.

[renoir-girl.livejournal.com]

Accentuated by all the frames of House-and-Cameron and Chase-and-Foreman instead of House and three-fellows.

I was also going to comment that it was nice to see Foreman talking to Wilson, too. Those two rarely interact alone.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

And when they do, it's because Foreman wants to weasel something out of him, like tell him how to handle House or do a biopsy for him without telling him the kid's an accidental menace.

[renoir-girl.livejournal.com]

Interesting observation, but I think you're right. It's an interesting reflection on Foreman's character. He doesn't ordinarily seem the type to seek help from others, but he'll ask it of someone outside the team----

I have to think about this some more.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Seems like he seeks help when it will benefit him -- when it feeds his ambition. Getting inside information on House last season would have helped him manage the department better and possibly keep the position. This week, it was clear Foreman couldn't be bothered helping this kid, so he fobbed off the biopsy on Wilson, knowing it would be a pain to do the procedure. Did he think he could spend the time saved on something more directly related to his own career? Maybe that's what House suspected when he asked whether Foreman had something better to do.

[bell]

Don't forget Polite Dissent! It's most valuable for its knowledge in medicine. Thanks to them, I never have to worry about googling for diseases that appear on the show!

House anesthetized! Far, far better than that LSD trip.

...No, I think the LSD trip will forever beat it, if only for the music and the camera shots. XD The shot of House's eyes as he says, "I'm seeing music" was so strong an image that it's still clear in my mind's eye. ♥ It WAS great, and I vote for the stumbling into the cart as the best moment of all.

<>I>Why didn't he turn around and say something like that to Wilson while he was at it?

YOU READ MY MIND. I'd say it's because Wilson isn't the love of his life. Sadly.

Was the Susie and Johny referencing something specific?

Three weeks. I could use the break.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Polite Dissent is a great resource, but I don't put links to it (or to TWOP or twiztv.com, etc.) because I know to go there when I'm looking for a medical review. These lists are pretty arbitrary references to help me remember which posts I liked and/or participated in discussions for. EW.com and Diane Kristine and many people on my f-list do reviews of each episode, but I'm only linking to the ones that I found particularly funny or insightful. Because it's my LJ and I can, mwahaha.

I guess I'm in the minority for not finding the LSD scene hysterical. Oh, well. We'll always have Paris Fresno anesthetic cart-crashing in the OR.

If Susie and Johnny is a reference to anything specific rather than recalling common kids' names in the '50s, then I don't know it. Surely someone will point it out soon. (I also don't know what "Victor" referred to in the stalker scene in Cuddy's office, but the people at ew.com confirmed that it's a reference [but didn't reveal what it was].)

[bell]

Urgh, you read the TWoP summaries? They're 20 pages too long for my taste. The forums are a tremendous source, though.

Because it's my LJ and I can, mwahaha.

More power to you!

Is the LSD scene hysterical? I suppose it is. More than that, though, I have a weakness when an ordinarily genius of a character gets their brains muddled up. I'll take that story ANY day. ♥

If I find out the Victor reference, I'll reveal it!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I actually haven't read TWOP since mid-season two, when Sara M.'s reviews got boring and annoying. I think it was shortly after we had that guest reviewer, because his showed exactly how good they could have been.

I didn't realize how much good conversation/analysis goes on in the TWOP forums until recently when references have been popping up all over the place. One day I'll brave them. Till then, there are your excerpts.

Thanks in advance re: Victor!

[(Anonymous)]

Victor was another Casablanca reference. Bogart loves what's-her-name, but she's married to Victor the French Resistance leader. Victor needs her to help him fight the Nazis. At the end she wants to be with Bogart but he tells her that they both know she belongs with Victor, their love doesn't mean anything in this crazy mixed up world etc.

[stephantom.livejournal.com]

I could not for the life of me stop thinking about this fic when House shoved all the clutter back and played with one of the toys and dropped half of it into the garbage.

Haha, me too. I immediately thought of that fic and thought, "Oh, that person must be so excited to see them actually addressing the little trinkets on Wilson's desk!" lol

I loved House taking the anesthetic - the bumping into the cart was hilarious. (And I enjoyed the "You have pretty hair" line, but oh, I am so wary of the ever-increasing House/Cameron...)

The LSD trip, I think, had a different tone... It was amusing, but not really an entirley comedic moment/scene. There was a feelign of sadness/desperation/emptiness to that (especially as it ends and House leans his head back, and closes his eyes as the music goes "Get miles away, get miles and miles and miles"), so I don't think they're really comparable.

- While we're on the subject of Cameron, while it was nice to see some more zingers from her to Chase (remember "Safe"?), that stunner about his dad went too far. Ouch.

Yeah. That was just... Man. What a bitch. lol. I forgot about that until you mentioned it. Or blocked it out. Heh. Why is she so mean to Chase? She doesn't really do that with anyone else. Maybe she's been pissed at him for "taking advantage of her" while she was on Meth.

Oh, Cameron. Why didn't you just stay away after the Vogler thing? To be honest, she was sort of winning me over the past two episodes - but now it's gone. (Not because of the Chase comment really - more because of the bad way House/Cameron is going. And because Wilson and House need to be BFF again.)

Rambly McRamble

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

I've been away for a while, so the stalker scared me so much, as did House's reaction to her. I kept yelling at the screen that she should try Wilson, he'd do her in a second (well, maybe not if he knew what her sickness was--Grace he could rationalize, this I don't think he could). I loved the Casablanca. All of us watching kept saying, "Is he...no, he's surely not, wait, wait--HE IS!" I forget: did they say with whom he'd have a beautiful friendship? ;)

House's actions towards Cameron were rather strange. I do need to learn what has been going on in the past few episodes, I feel. I felt somewhat reassured when he compared her to "his other crazy stalker" (or something close to that).

Cuddy rocked ever so much this episode, with the banter maybe more than the stubbornness rugwise. "I'm ovulating, let's go"? Excellent. I'm surprised she didn't remind him what he said about "threats you're not prepared to carry out."

Gah. That line to Chase was...House-like. As in, completely inappropriate and out-of-bounds coming from the mouth of anybody but House himself. And I've got to say--was House really always quite this petulant and cruel? He's certainly "not Aspergers, just a jerk," (which I've thought all along, and I'm glad they laid that to rest), but has he always been this much of one? Man, House so deserves Wilson, and Wilson so deserves House. I'm surprised Wilson showed up in his own office--isn't he usually hanging out in Diagnostics?

The kid screaming as he's straight-jacketed and put into the CAT scan (or whatever the right terminology is) is probably the moment on all of House so far that has gotten to me so viscerally. *cringes* Couldn't they have sedated him, or would that mess up the results? The kid's exit SO beats cancer girl's.

Also: what's with the clinic patients being shown as one-line gags? It was like hearing a rim-shot after each one, and we never got to see House solve them. If that's the way clinic is going to go this season, I hope Cuddy lets him off permanently...

Re: Rambly McRamble

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say that I read this when you posted it and I like your Rambly McRambles; it's only that, as always, your comments make me all thinky and I want to take some time to reply which of course means it takes more time to find time to reply, and then a week goes by. I'm packing for a weekend in Boston right now and it's looking like I may not get a chance to reply till after I get back -- maybe Monday. :( I know it's LJ and there's no pressure, but I didn't want you to think I'm being rude and ignoring you. /own ramble

Boston!

[thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about me feeling ignored; I am only rarely on LJ these days (courtesy of school picking up). Which is to say, please at no point feel I am ignoring you if my responses are less than prompt.