House 4.5, "Mirror Mirror"

[bironic]

Indeed, who's the fairest one of all the fellows-in-training?

1. Patient did not have any scenes with Wilson even though the actors were in Swing Kids and Chelsea Walls together did indeed have one scene with Wilson (thank you for correction, Dee). (Also: young Archie Graham, anyone?) Hmmm. Maybe they're friends and RSL got him the gig.

2. Canon: Wilson dominates House. In their relationship -- which I believe is the first time it has been called such rather than a friendship.

3. Canon: House dominates Cuddy.

4. Canon: Interdepartmental betting pools. No, really, I liked everyone gossiping and gathering at the end for the verdict. And that Chase rigged it for personal gain by working behind the scenes with House.

5. Nice to have been given peeks behind each fellow-in-training's façade, although I doubt people with "mirror syndrome" can really read people so effectively, especially after only a few moments' contact. ETA: From this week's Polite Dissent:

I don’t have much to say about Giovannini’s Mirror Syndrome, because I can’t find any information about it. Whether it exists or not (and I suspect it does in some manner), the way it was presented was too unbelievable. A patient would take on characteristics of those around him, but not be magically able to see deep into their psyche; they wouldn’t become omniscient.

I'm particularly intrigued by Thirteen's terror. Kal Penn's supposed masochism could be interesting or could become a heavy-handed foil to House's. What's-her-name being motivated by the belief that being right was all she had if she wasn't likeable seemed accurate.

6. Quite enjoyed the patient mimicking Wilson during the surgery – and Wilson liking the guy without realizing how narcissistic an observation that was.

7. Laughed at Foreman being confused at House's remark that his staying could get Cuddy pregnant.

8. Oh, look, Wilson and Cuddy plotting against House. And Wilson successfully manipulating her. More support for Wilson > House > Cuddy.

9. I'm surprised Foreman didn't take the job House wrangled for him at Zion; could one patient telling him he's happy really change his mind about the reason he left in the first place? Particularly after they discovered that some of the patient's preferences (and thus possibly moods and insights) were his own? I guess he wanted to be persuaded to stay, in the same way he let Cuddy talk him back to PPTH before he intensified his job search.

10. ... Do we have a 10? Cameron needs to stop channeling Wilson's speechifying and intonations? The cameraman still needs to back off? House looks silly as a nicely combed farm boy? She said her hoo-hoo was burning? Foreman is a stupid whore? Reference to Kal Penn having set that patient on fire? House and Foreman agreeing to work together while "I can see that we are gonna be friends" plays in the background? House calling someone else miserable?

Now, let's have some fic where House or Wilson or Cuddy or whoever gets in the room with the patient and has to "look in the mirror."

Looking forward to next week. Change in formula (kind of)! Change of location! Will maybe get me going on my Big Bang fic again after seeing how they go about recruiting House for a Top Secret Project, too.

Comments

[ignazwisdom.livejournal.com]

Laughed at Foreman being confused at House's remark that his staying could get Cuddy pregnant.

Yeah, um, I kind of missed most of that exchange. WTF happened there?

[purridot.livejournal.com]

Canon: Wilson dominates House. HA! I knew it. I was also intrigued by House practically asking for the lecture there. I'm starting to think he likes lectures on some level; Wilson seems to like lecturing, and still, House likes him. That's a bit kinky, possibly.

Cameron needs to stop channeling Wilson's speechifying and intonations? Cameron wants to be Wilson. I wonder if that behaviour started after word of the "I love you" got out?

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, actually :D I was not a Foreman fan last week but I liked him tonight, and I was glad he was staying! (I can do without Cameron completely, however).

We don't get previews up here. I fear a change of location means no Wilson :-(

P.S. RSL in TV Guide! Woot!

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

I thought thee Zion job was a fake?

In other news, this show arranged its very own Top of the Tops for us! I have to say, there are certain ways in which these writers treat us very well. ;)

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Patient did not have any scenes with Wilson - Yes, he did. They were in the surgery scene, where POTW imitated Wilson lecturing (which annoyed me even more than when Wilson himself does it) therefore proving that Wilson is "in charge of our relationship."

Which, bwahahahaha. If you're in charge, honey, you suck at being in charge.

The "he can stop being 14" line bugged me, because it's like the fourth juvenile age W & C have accused House of being. Wish they'd pick one and stick to it.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

PS. Annoying directing of the episode: After "You'd pick up my laundry" - "Make me" - "I wouldn't do that to you," House and Wilson walk through a set of double doors but come out into the room through a single door. Very Twilight Zone.

[zulu.livejournal.com]

It amuses me to see that people found this episode boring. I thought it was character development that needed to be done and that was done deftly, while still giving us a good mystery patient. Plus, of course, I think they could hear me squeeing from Nunavut. More on that tomorrow when I post my first real episode reaction of the season.

[elynittria.livejournal.com]

I don't object to character development; however, I prefer it to be at least somewhat plausible. Using the "mirror" to tell us the inner secrets of the characters was a major cop-out, in my view. It was an artificial, contrived way to do something that should have already been under way in the last few episodes.

[zulu.livejournal.com]

*handwavy* They have been doing it the last few episodes, through character interaction; from the episode reactions I've read, folk haven't cared for it much that way either. The mirror patient is, admittedly, a short-cut, but a really fun one. I appreciated it as a narrative device.