"You're addicted to misery."
House musings. In which there is much rampant speculation and over-analysis.
One of the better episodes this season. Despite the fact that I spent most of the first half hour with my E-face on. (Eeew! Eeek! Eh?) This one certainly earned its parental advisory.
Was much amused by:
Shiny Happy Foreman!
House's exasperation with Shiny Happy Foreman!
Even Cameron being snarky about Shiny Happy Foreman!
The fact that Cameron knows to go looking for House in Wilson's office if he's not in his own.
Chase's look of annoyance at House bringing the staff meeting to the NIC unit because Chase wouldn't come to the meeting.
Was impressed by:
The final House-Foreman scene in which House rants that near-death experiences really don't mean anything and nothing has changed. Foreman's look of frustration as House stomps away is so telling. He wants it to mean something, but it just... doesn't. Life goes on.
The further reveal at the very end with Foreman drilling himself with flashcards and obviously not entirely pleased with his own progress. The Shiny Happy Foreman might have just been a front, but it was a front hiding a bit of fear, too.
House -after having satisfied his own curiosity, of course- then chooses to keep both Wilson's and Cuddy's secrets to protect each of them in his own odd way.
The whole Chase storyline.
I want to have faith that the writers know what they're doing with the way they've handled Chase all season and that they really are going somewhere with this slow build-up. I want to believe that all the little details have been put there deliberately and there is going to be a payoff before the season ends. Because if they do have a plan, this could be awesome.
Pretending that plot contrivances aren't the issue, I have to wonder what kind of lame-ass logic Chase thought he was using by bailing on his diagnostics team job for two weeks without so much as a heads-up to his boss before simply failing to show up for work? And how did he get it past Cuddy? Because if anyone in that hospital has a functioning bullshit detector, it ought to be Cuddy. Did he hand her the same excuses he gave House and she just accepted it because it was easier than digging any deeper?
Despite the fact that he's lying, burn-out is actually a plausible excuse. I've been wondering for several weeks now about Chase's repetitive "migraine stance". He's done it often enough that I finally started thinking "hey, we've seen that before" - he sort of slumps forward, head down, eyes shut, one hand rubbing at the bridge of his nose. I haven't been able to figure out if it's just been inattentive directing, a gesture Jesse has just become comfortable doing, or if it was supposed to be a subtle sign that Chase is wearing down.
They sort of gave up on being subtle this week. First, he has bailed on his official job. Then he scraped up a lie to House about it - reasonable, but a lie nonetheless. He completely zoned out several times during the staff meeting. Despite all the previous discussions about his religious background, the pre-autopsy/biopsy prayer was the first time I can ever remember seeing/hearing him pray. And then there's that scene in House's office that killed me. All slumped over, face in his hands. Shifting back slightly to fold his hands in the classic little kid position of prayer. Then snapping to attention and pretending to be totally absorbed in some random journal the moment he senses someone else is nearby.
I love how self-contained he is. Especially compared to all the rest of his colleagues who insist on externalizing every little issue they have and inflicting their angst on everyone around them. He internalizes everything to the extent that no one around him seems to have any idea at all of what's going on in that little blond head of his. This is the guy who would rather kill his career than even tell anyone that his father had died. Ironic that in an episode in which House is ridiculously observant enough to know Cuddy's cycle, he can be completely broadsided by Chase's temporary defection to another department. And by the end of the episode, he still doesn't completely grok what's going on with the boy.
It's interesting to see how differently House treats Chase and Foreman. When Foreman doesn't argue back, House just shouts and gesticulates and badgers until he at least makes Foreman face why he's so intent on being Shiny Happy this week. But when Chase gives him the stony face and stubbornly refuses to offer one iota of information more than "I'm not rich", House just lets him walk off.
Of course, Chase never argues back. And he never says more than he wants to reveal. Even the last time House did keep picking at him, trying to figure out why there was such a rift between him and Rowan, Chase never entirely opened up. I thought it was interesting even then that he prefaced his comments with "What if I said..." The boy is just not good at opening up to people. Which reminds me, even the tonsillitis story he uses to bond with small children is entirely fictional. What he's really good at is showing people what he thinks they want to see, but never any deeper.
Which is what makes the money thing so odd. He's okay with walking out of that office allowing House to speculate whatever the hell he wants to about Chase's motivations. So I think there must be something else going on besides whatever issues he might be having with Rowan's will. I don't think Chase would have been maliciously cut out of it, though I can see maybe Rowan putting some money in a trust fund for hypothetical future grandchildren and Chase turning down anything meant for him personally. Chase has also never expressed any previous problems with a lack of funds. So I'm guessing there is something new here and fairly unrelated to the daddy issues. Something that Chase specifically needs extra cash for right now. And I don't see it as being something predictably stupid like gambling or child support. Or I should conditionalize - I don't think it would be child support for any child of his. I could see him taking on financial obligations for the kids of the woman he inadvertently killed. Because he does haul his guilt around with him. He just doesn't make banners and throw parades for it like Cameron does.
So, in summary. Pretty good episode. Can't wait to see if it has any payoff. Because really, as obnoxiously nosy as House is about absolutely everything, it ought to be killing him that he has no idea what Chase is up to. And I want to know too.
Oh, and a bit about NCIS. I only caught the last half hour of it, but damn. I love Tony in charge. And how the rest of the team is sort of ambivalent about it. And then I adored his little speech about how if this is what it takes for me to be able to do Gibbs' job, then you'll just have to deal with it. Wow. And cool as he is when he's being serious and in charge, at least he's still dorky-movie-guy as well. Heh. And as a totally random aside, I love that Abby's flatulent hippo keeps popping up throughout this season. Abby's the best. I'm not sure I'll be able to deal with next week's episode. Seeing Gibbs lose it/lost like that just looks sob-worthy. And that was just from the promo.
One of the better episodes this season. Despite the fact that I spent most of the first half hour with my E-face on. (Eeew! Eeek! Eh?) This one certainly earned its parental advisory.
Was much amused by:
Was impressed by:
I want to have faith that the writers know what they're doing with the way they've handled Chase all season and that they really are going somewhere with this slow build-up. I want to believe that all the little details have been put there deliberately and there is going to be a payoff before the season ends. Because if they do have a plan, this could be awesome.
Pretending that plot contrivances aren't the issue, I have to wonder what kind of lame-ass logic Chase thought he was using by bailing on his diagnostics team job for two weeks without so much as a heads-up to his boss before simply failing to show up for work? And how did he get it past Cuddy? Because if anyone in that hospital has a functioning bullshit detector, it ought to be Cuddy. Did he hand her the same excuses he gave House and she just accepted it because it was easier than digging any deeper?
Despite the fact that he's lying, burn-out is actually a plausible excuse. I've been wondering for several weeks now about Chase's repetitive "migraine stance". He's done it often enough that I finally started thinking "hey, we've seen that before" - he sort of slumps forward, head down, eyes shut, one hand rubbing at the bridge of his nose. I haven't been able to figure out if it's just been inattentive directing, a gesture Jesse has just become comfortable doing, or if it was supposed to be a subtle sign that Chase is wearing down.
They sort of gave up on being subtle this week. First, he has bailed on his official job. Then he scraped up a lie to House about it - reasonable, but a lie nonetheless. He completely zoned out several times during the staff meeting. Despite all the previous discussions about his religious background, the pre-autopsy/biopsy prayer was the first time I can ever remember seeing/hearing him pray. And then there's that scene in House's office that killed me. All slumped over, face in his hands. Shifting back slightly to fold his hands in the classic little kid position of prayer. Then snapping to attention and pretending to be totally absorbed in some random journal the moment he senses someone else is nearby.
I love how self-contained he is. Especially compared to all the rest of his colleagues who insist on externalizing every little issue they have and inflicting their angst on everyone around them. He internalizes everything to the extent that no one around him seems to have any idea at all of what's going on in that little blond head of his. This is the guy who would rather kill his career than even tell anyone that his father had died. Ironic that in an episode in which House is ridiculously observant enough to know Cuddy's cycle, he can be completely broadsided by Chase's temporary defection to another department. And by the end of the episode, he still doesn't completely grok what's going on with the boy.
It's interesting to see how differently House treats Chase and Foreman. When Foreman doesn't argue back, House just shouts and gesticulates and badgers until he at least makes Foreman face why he's so intent on being Shiny Happy this week. But when Chase gives him the stony face and stubbornly refuses to offer one iota of information more than "I'm not rich", House just lets him walk off.
Of course, Chase never argues back. And he never says more than he wants to reveal. Even the last time House did keep picking at him, trying to figure out why there was such a rift between him and Rowan, Chase never entirely opened up. I thought it was interesting even then that he prefaced his comments with "What if I said..." The boy is just not good at opening up to people. Which reminds me, even the tonsillitis story he uses to bond with small children is entirely fictional. What he's really good at is showing people what he thinks they want to see, but never any deeper.
Which is what makes the money thing so odd. He's okay with walking out of that office allowing House to speculate whatever the hell he wants to about Chase's motivations. So I think there must be something else going on besides whatever issues he might be having with Rowan's will. I don't think Chase would have been maliciously cut out of it, though I can see maybe Rowan putting some money in a trust fund for hypothetical future grandchildren and Chase turning down anything meant for him personally. Chase has also never expressed any previous problems with a lack of funds. So I'm guessing there is something new here and fairly unrelated to the daddy issues. Something that Chase specifically needs extra cash for right now. And I don't see it as being something predictably stupid like gambling or child support. Or I should conditionalize - I don't think it would be child support for any child of his. I could see him taking on financial obligations for the kids of the woman he inadvertently killed. Because he does haul his guilt around with him. He just doesn't make banners and throw parades for it like Cameron does.
So, in summary. Pretty good episode. Can't wait to see if it has any payoff. Because really, as obnoxiously nosy as House is about absolutely everything, it ought to be killing him that he has no idea what Chase is up to. And I want to know too.
Oh, and a bit about NCIS. I only caught the last half hour of it, but damn. I love Tony in charge. And how the rest of the team is sort of ambivalent about it. And then I adored his little speech about how if this is what it takes for me to be able to do Gibbs' job, then you'll just have to deal with it. Wow. And cool as he is when he's being serious and in charge, at least he's still dorky-movie-guy as well. Heh. And as a totally random aside, I love that Abby's flatulent hippo keeps popping up throughout this season. Abby's the best. I'm not sure I'll be able to deal with next week's episode. Seeing Gibbs lose it/lost like that just looks sob-worthy. And that was just from the promo.