Huge Ego, Sorry. (House 3.20, "Housetraining")
The original opening line for this entry was going to be, “WTF, Doris Egan, saying there wasn’t much House/Wilson chocolatey goodness?!”
Instead, it’s now, “Well, that was the first House episode that made me cry.”
*wipes eyes*
Fantastic. The sort of fantastic that needs re-watching and proper response later. Doris Egan reigns over all. The sheer range of emotions in this episode, all of them character-based and earned rather than shoved at you, the tightness of the writing, the one-liners, the tying-in of one plot to another, the use of silence. The Wilson presence and depth and House-Wilson interaction. Decent Foreman characterization, and excellent acting from Omar Epps.
For now...
Confirmed: Wilson is a dog person.
Confirmed: Ex-Mrs. Wilson #2 is flaky. And has a name! And is a real estate agent! Which at least some of us theorized for Julie, so that's cool. And is the uber-adorable Jane Adams whom I know as Oola from Wonder Boys.
Confirmed: Wilson’s caring in bed. “Because sex with James--it’s fantastic. No one works harder at giving a woman what she wants.”
Confirmed: Ex-Mrs. Wilson #2 despises House. In a brilliant sort of way. And resents the role he played in driving a wedge between her and Wilson but is bright enough not to blame him for breaking up the marriage.
The funny:
- Now-jaded Bonnie talking about Wilson “calibrating just the right amount of protectiveness for your personal needs.”
- House yelling, “James Wilson is never the safe choice!”
- Cuddy perhaps accurately accusing House of suddenly wanting her because Wilson's seeing her socially. Great line with the toy in the sandbox.
- Cuddy and Wilson peering at bondage art.
- Wilson likes super-sweet coffee drinks.
- Chase freaking Cameron out by being so blasé about reminding her that he's still open to continuing their relationship. The whole development of their maybe/maybe-not relationship has been completely predictable, but strangely it's still been enjoyable sometimes, such as in moments like the one in the MRI booth.
- House telling Wilson he had to sleep with Cuddy to prevent a relationship with Cuddy.
- House likes anagrams as well as metaphors.
- So many opportunities for slashy jokes with the House/Bonnie/Wilson/Cuddy stuff going on -- Bonnie talking to House about how good Wilson is in bed, and so easy to imagine House telling Wilson at the coffee shop that he had to have sex with House to prevent him from falling into the same pattern with women, etc.
The serious:
- Wilson holding vigil with House again, bringing him coffee, settling in and eventually falling asleep in the office chair. The sort of silent companionship, understanding and support we loved in season one.
- Foreman seeking forgiveness/being offered advice by each of the people he knows, and never finding the one that’s right for him. Wilson’s caring is too honed; he’s not ready to feel better (Cameron); the patient holds him responsible; he doesn’t believe in a God to pray to (father/Chase); he doesn’t want to lose himself in alcohol (Chase--and why the hell would Chase suggest getting drunk when his mother was an alcoholic, anyway?); House’s numbers are too dry, too coldly logical; and his mother... just when he’s ready to go home again, when all else has failed, she’s not there for him. Ow ow ow.
- So very satisfying to finally see them lose a patient earlier in the hour and spend the rest of the time dealing with the death and aftermath, with no eleventh-hour miracle diagnosis or even an answer as to what exactly was killing her. I loved the subdued diagnosis scene when they realized she’d gone septic and there was nothing they could do. I loved Foreman coming to House for solace.
- Foreman confiding in a dying patient, as House did with Gabe in "Son of Coma Guy." Because there's something about talking with a dying person that makes it easier, or necessary, to have horrifically serious conversations? Because if you tell a dying person, it doesn't matter afterwards because no-one knows what you said, but you feel better having said it out loud? Or because it matters more than anything when you tell someone who's dying, because everything is so intense?
Early musings on the title: Well, there's the dog thing, obviously. Foreman and House have been compared to each other numerous times before; are they supposed to be likened to each other again now, with Foreman training to follow in House's footsteps? He didn't seem too comforted by House's coping mechanism. Instead of seeing this as the start of Foreman's journey as an unconventional doctor in which he starts turning to numbers when things go bad, I thought tonight showed that nobody else's methods worked for him and he's going to have to find his own way.
Instead, it’s now, “Well, that was the first House episode that made me cry.”
*wipes eyes*
Fantastic. The sort of fantastic that needs re-watching and proper response later. Doris Egan reigns over all. The sheer range of emotions in this episode, all of them character-based and earned rather than shoved at you, the tightness of the writing, the one-liners, the tying-in of one plot to another, the use of silence. The Wilson presence and depth and House-Wilson interaction. Decent Foreman characterization, and excellent acting from Omar Epps.
For now...
Confirmed: Wilson is a dog person.
Confirmed: Ex-Mrs. Wilson #2 is flaky. And has a name! And is a real estate agent! Which at least some of us theorized for Julie, so that's cool. And is the uber-adorable Jane Adams whom I know as Oola from Wonder Boys.
Confirmed: Wilson’s caring in bed. “Because sex with James--it’s fantastic. No one works harder at giving a woman what she wants.”
Confirmed: Ex-Mrs. Wilson #2 despises House. In a brilliant sort of way. And resents the role he played in driving a wedge between her and Wilson but is bright enough not to blame him for breaking up the marriage.
The funny:
- Now-jaded Bonnie talking about Wilson “calibrating just the right amount of protectiveness for your personal needs.”
- House yelling, “James Wilson is never the safe choice!”
- Cuddy perhaps accurately accusing House of suddenly wanting her because Wilson's seeing her socially. Great line with the toy in the sandbox.
- Cuddy and Wilson peering at bondage art.
- Wilson likes super-sweet coffee drinks.
- Chase freaking Cameron out by being so blasé about reminding her that he's still open to continuing their relationship. The whole development of their maybe/maybe-not relationship has been completely predictable, but strangely it's still been enjoyable sometimes, such as in moments like the one in the MRI booth.
- House telling Wilson he had to sleep with Cuddy to prevent a relationship with Cuddy.
- House likes anagrams as well as metaphors.
- So many opportunities for slashy jokes with the House/Bonnie/Wilson/Cuddy stuff going on -- Bonnie talking to House about how good Wilson is in bed, and so easy to imagine House telling Wilson at the coffee shop that he had to have sex with House to prevent him from falling into the same pattern with women, etc.
The serious:
- Wilson holding vigil with House again, bringing him coffee, settling in and eventually falling asleep in the office chair. The sort of silent companionship, understanding and support we loved in season one.
- Foreman seeking forgiveness/being offered advice by each of the people he knows, and never finding the one that’s right for him. Wilson’s caring is too honed; he’s not ready to feel better (Cameron); the patient holds him responsible; he doesn’t believe in a God to pray to (father/Chase); he doesn’t want to lose himself in alcohol (Chase--and why the hell would Chase suggest getting drunk when his mother was an alcoholic, anyway?); House’s numbers are too dry, too coldly logical; and his mother... just when he’s ready to go home again, when all else has failed, she’s not there for him. Ow ow ow.
- So very satisfying to finally see them lose a patient earlier in the hour and spend the rest of the time dealing with the death and aftermath, with no eleventh-hour miracle diagnosis or even an answer as to what exactly was killing her. I loved the subdued diagnosis scene when they realized she’d gone septic and there was nothing they could do. I loved Foreman coming to House for solace.
- Foreman confiding in a dying patient, as House did with Gabe in "Son of Coma Guy." Because there's something about talking with a dying person that makes it easier, or necessary, to have horrifically serious conversations? Because if you tell a dying person, it doesn't matter afterwards because no-one knows what you said, but you feel better having said it out loud? Or because it matters more than anything when you tell someone who's dying, because everything is so intense?
Early musings on the title: Well, there's the dog thing, obviously. Foreman and House have been compared to each other numerous times before; are they supposed to be likened to each other again now, with Foreman training to follow in House's footsteps? He didn't seem too comforted by House's coping mechanism. Instead of seeing this as the start of Foreman's journey as an unconventional doctor in which he starts turning to numbers when things go bad, I thought tonight showed that nobody else's methods worked for him and he's going to have to find his own way.