HOUSE Recap: Last Temptation

In September of 2009, I suggested that Hugh Laurie be nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the Season 6 premiere, “Broken.” For two hours, the star of HOUSE put on a display of acting prowess that would fill any theater on Broadway.

Amber Tamblyn’s name may never appear on a marquee in Times Square, but her final episode as Martha M. Masters was a case study in how to present a morality play. By focusing on her character’s core values, the tension between ambition and principle, and the importance of being “extraordinary,” Ms. Tamblyn made her case as the Most Valuable Player of Season 7.

Amid the wreckage of the Huddy relationship, Martha M. Masters’ attempts to assimilate herself to the Diagnostics Department were a refuge from the melodramatic storms of this season’s early run. Masters’ farewell episode underscored the importance of her character for non-Huddy fans all year long.

Dramatically speaking, Hugh Laurie needs ring-worthy sparring partners, actors talented enough to hold their own with one of television’s most distinctive leading men. Amber Tamblyn rose to the occasion by playing Masters without bells or whistles. True to the character, Tamblyn rarely raised her voice or betrayed her core beliefs. She was the “anti-House,” the idealistic wunderkind who steadfastly refused to betray her ethical obligations.

Week after week, scene after scene, Laurie & Tamblyn engaged one another over the core differences between their characters’ world views. Could Masters be simultaneously extraordinary and morally pristine? Was House right to push her past her limits, for the sake of unlocking her full potential, or was his narcissism blocking him from seeing great medicine being practiced in a different way?

“Last Temptation” was the destruction of Martha M. Masters’ innocence, a wake-up call to the practical necessities of providing first class patient care. Watching Masters lie to escape her surgical rotation, manipulate Kendall’s parents to authorize the amputation, and wrestle with the fallout of her actions was painful. Over 13 episodes, the audience had been trained to follow Masters’ moral compass, and Tamblyn’s subtle movements and nervous inflections told us that it had turned South.

Young people are blessed with the regenerative power of hope, and Martha M. Masters embodied the spirit of optimism that so many of us once had. She trusted her routines, from the alarm clock-induced recitations of medical vocabulary to her unusual fashion choices. Like her young patient, Masters IS different from her peers, even those at Princeton Plainsboro who possess far more experience.

In the end, Masters made a logical choice. She did the research, seeking the opinions of those who know House best. Chase, Cuddy, Wilson, and Thirteen all took the same position. Just because you can work in House’s world does not mean that you should. The slippery slope of little white lies can turn into an avalanche of professional misconduct, with the ringmaster silently applauding his followers’ digressions. It is an approach that saves lives, as it did in this episode, but it may be poisonous to one’s soul.

Fittingly, Amber Tamblyn’s final steps inside Princeton Plainsboro were accompanied with a smile, the product of a last minute encounter with one of the chickens that provided levity to an otherwise serious hour. Though Masters’ next step was left up in the air, the confidence it took to choose to leave the hospital altogether was refreshing. Everyone who tries to leave House’s realm ends up running back. Time will tell if the same fate awaits the little girl who tried to go her own way…

Quick note: Amber Tamblyn is not abandoning the show’s creative team 100%. Our friends at TV Line reported that Tamblyn is developing a new dramatic series with HOUSE Executive Producer Katie Jacobs and THE WIRE co-creator Ed Burns that would showcase her as a young public school teacher. As a huge fan of THE WIRE, I cannot think of a better situation for Ms. Tamblyn to utilize her considerable talents.

What was your take on Amber Tamblyn’s final performance? Were you disappointed that the episode was Masters-centric, or was it a nice change of pace? Was Masters’ decision consistent with her ethics, or an act of immaturity? Are you looking forward to the rest of Season 7? Oh, and what would you suggest House & Wilson hide in the hospital after the ferrets?

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