HOUSE: A Pox On Our House

On the heels of the San Francisco Giants’ victory in the World Series, a new star has stepped up to the plate in Fox’s primetime lineup. Amber Tamblyn is batting 1.000 over her first two appearances on HOUSE. With Cameron & Thirteen absent from Princeton Plainsboro, a strong female voice was desperately needed in the Diagnostics department. Thankfully, Martha M. Masters has recalibrated the workplace dynamic for Dr. House, his team, and a roster of patients who have been habitually lied to for years!

Since the conclusion of the Survivor-style search for new team members in Season 4, House has found little reason to mentor anyone on his staff. Truth be told, the late Dr. Kutner was the only addition to House’s team who was emotionally connected to the boss. Kutner’s suicide, Foreman’s ill-fated attempts to take over in House’s absence, and Cameron’s departure last season deepened the void. Exceptional teachers require exceptional students, and the deepening trust between House & Masters is the best part of the show.

Everyone on House’s team has called him a narcissist and a misogynist on occasion. Kudos to the writing team for making Martha’s turn at bat into a teachable moment. At the most critical moment of this episode, as Masters explained the logic behind her alternative diagnosis, she called upon House’s greatest weaknesses to help him see the light. Catching herself asking House to “trust her,” Masters quickly corrected herself to say, “trust yourself.” After all, no student could come up with a better diagnosis than the center of the medical universe, right? Tamblyn & Laurie’s chemistry helps, but the crux of that scene, the impetus for House to save his life and his young patient’s, originated in a writing room. It was a creative twist on an old standby.

If my feelings about the Huddy relationship were expressed as a Facebook status, my current setting would be, “non-plussed.” This episode represented a step backward for House & Cuddy’s story arc, as the writers struggled to reconcile the heightened emotions of the CDC intervention with Cuddy’s inability to compartmentalize. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but there is a logical fallacy in accepting someone for who they are (the events of the Season 6 finale and this season’s premiere) and rewriting the rules of relationships on a weekly basis.

HOUSE has an exceptional staff of writers, but they have painted themselves into a corner with the character of Cuddy. Viewers understand, based on episodes like, “5 to 9,” that Lisa Cuddy is an exceptional administrator, capable of juggling a variety of crises while maintaining a level of dignity and decorum. Why, then, must one white lie from her heroin-addicted boyfriend cause Cuddy to come undone? Soon, they have to make a choice between keeping these two together or leaving the short-sighted workplace disputes behind. There are other cast members to spar with over medical ethics. Try Nurse Jeffrey…

A few final thoughts before I turn things over to you:

*Despite an admirable job by the CGI department, the cold open reminded me too much of LOST’s iconic “Ab Aeterno” episode. For me, a slave ship sequence will not feel authentic without a smoke monster for some time to come…

*Robert Sean Leonard’s adoring gaze as Cynthia Watros bonded with their young patient was Krasinskian. If you are not a fan of THE OFFICE, I promise that is high praise, indeed. My take on Wilson & Sam’s second chance at love is not fully formed. Something tells me there are more skeletons in their nostalgic closet to be unearthed, though I am impressed with Leonard & Watros’ take on “grown-up” relationships. Their interactions feel grounded in maturity, unlike the roller coaster attraction we know as Huddy.

*House & Wilson are my favorite couple on this show, so I am growing concerned that they will not share a conversation about any topic unrelated to Lisa Cuddy for the remainder of Season 7. Last season’s highlights included the best friends aggressively debating the ramifications of patient-assisted suicide, while also taking time to enjoy a simple, completely platonic cooking class together. Is it too much to ask for a little quiet time among friends?

*Chase has been left out of the critical storylines in Season 7, but I think Jesse Spencer has embraced that void for the better. Instead of phoning it in, Spencer has repurposed Chase as an enthusiastic bachelor, delighted to instigate the verbal combat that surrounds him.

What was your take on Week 2 of the Martha Masters Era? Is Amber Tamblyn fitting in with the cast? How did you respond to the patient storyline, along with the elaborate CGI that set up the smallpox angle? Where is the Huddy relationship headed? How has it impacted your enjoyment of Season 7? I am excited to read your feedback, so let’s get the conversation rolling!

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