It's true that it wasn't quite as nauseatingly fluffy as it could've been, but it was...just such a remarkable failure of execution as a TV show episode that I couldn't get past that at all.
1) There is, for the most part, no plot - there is somewhat the question of 'can House keep the hospital situation from Cuddy?' but given that she doesn't seem to think of checking in at work, there's not much urgency to it.
2) Without that, the episode was completely shapeless - most of the H/Cuddy scenes didn't have much of a connecting thread, probably because of whatever behind-the-scenes weirdness led to them evidently completely rewriting and re-shooting the premiere.
3) Nothing House and Cuddy were doing was inherently interesting unless one is invested in their relationship, and the dialogue was flat and lifeless. It's so odd - things TPTB and the actors have said clearly indicate that they understand pursuing a relationship plotline is divisive. But instead of doing something to make the storyline more palatable to the doubters while it lasts - have them doing something interesting/funny, or make the dialogue amusing - they produce an episode (for the premiere, no less) that can't help but fail to entertain other parts of the audience, when that wouldn't be all that difficult to fix. It just seems kind of insane to me.
Add in the gauzy romantic fantasy sex scenes (which, with him lifting her, were even more implausible than they needed to be), and the painfully cliched "woman tends to her man's wounds" thing, and this pretty much confirmed every negative instinct I have about this show and romance, and burns off a lot of the (dwindling) goodwill I still have for it.
1) There is, for the most part, no plot - there is somewhat the question of 'can House keep the hospital situation from Cuddy?' but given that she doesn't seem to think of checking in at work, there's not much urgency to it.
2) Without that, the episode was completely shapeless - most of the H/Cuddy scenes didn't have much of a connecting thread, probably because of whatever behind-the-scenes weirdness led to them evidently completely rewriting and re-shooting the premiere.
3) Nothing House and Cuddy were doing was inherently interesting unless one is invested in their relationship, and the dialogue was flat and lifeless. It's so odd - things TPTB and the actors have said clearly indicate that they understand pursuing a relationship plotline is divisive. But instead of doing something to make the storyline more palatable to the doubters while it lasts - have them doing something interesting/funny, or make the dialogue amusing - they produce an episode (for the premiere, no less) that can't help but fail to entertain other parts of the audience, when that wouldn't be all that difficult to fix. It just seems kind of insane to me.
Add in the gauzy romantic fantasy sex scenes (which, with him lifting her, were even more implausible than they needed to be), and the painfully cliched "woman tends to her man's wounds" thing, and this pretty much confirmed every negative instinct I have about this show and romance, and burns off a lot of the (dwindling) goodwill I still have for it.
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