THG fic: "Spin Control" [22/24]

[trovia]

Title: Spin Control
Pairings: Finnick/Haymitch, Kat/Peeta
Characters: Finnick, Haymitch, Chaff, Peeta, Gale, Kat; plus appearances by Mags, Johanna, Caesar Flickerman, President Snow, Effie, Claudius Templesmith, Beetee, Prim, Thresh, Rue, District Twelve ensemble and various OC
Rating: adult
Warnings: forced prostitution & non-con; people dealing

Comments

[trovia]

There are so so many things I'd like to discuss with you about Chase! Guh. Especially now that I've seen some House fic and people have... interesting ideas about this show. (to be fair, it's hideously hard to write fanfic about it, I bet) This is very awesome.

Like I was struck by how fandom seems to have this big pet peeve about that series of S2 episodes when this management guy Vogler is threatening to fire people from Diagnostics, so Chase basically sells out House to him (giving Vogler information about House) and making a deal that he won't get fired. Everybody seems to be in such a huff about that, like every fanfic out there seems to be busy explaining away that grand betrayal. To me, all of it makes perfect sense. I essentially look at House as a show about an asshole that got away with it - a bully who got away with it - a truly awful, terrible boss. He's mean and hurtful, when it comes down to it, no matter how much he knows that and no matter how likable he is. It's interesting to think about what kinds of people would be drawn to working with him and why Cameron, Chase, Foreman and the later fellows would put up with him, but fact is, you don't earn loyalty like that. House really has it coming there. The fun part is, unlike fandom, House seems to know that: There's this thing where he asks Chase, after the fact, why he shouldn't just fire him, and Chase says basically, "Because you can't" and House accepts that. House sees his own flaw there and the audience apparently doesn't.

I'm generally really fascinated by Chase's journey, the way he goes from trying so so hard to not care about anything to tumbling into this head-over-heels relationship with Cameron, the emotionally detached guy suddenly transforming into what's such a normal boyfriend of the gentle, committed variety that it's shocking. Then after that falls apart, I find intriguing that he reacts by going on this casual sex spree. It seems to be connected to his faith and how he moves farther and farther away from it throughout the show, rejecting more of those proper Catholic ways as he goes. (working with the premise that marriage for life, three kids and a picket fence are ultimately an expression of a Christian lifestyle) He's never happy with those choices after Cameron, though. I keep wondering if I should regard the fact that he ends up single but with House's job as a happy ending for him or not. I personally find it pretty awesome, because I like my characters competent. But I do wonder if that's what he actually wants with his life, particularly since his issues with his private life don't seem to be sorted at that point. (especially highlighted when you can see in the final episode that Cameron married some other dude and got a baby, what with Chase quite clearly being meant to be a fantastic father) Anyway. Plenty things to talk about. I thought I'd just start rambling. :)

[roguedemon]

Chase's seminary background was very intriguing to me, because I love to explore religious issues. I do think that it's always there for him, even when he rejects it. I think that in later seasons, he is working for House more because he realizes that he loves to "do crazy shit" than for any other reason. Once he sorts out some other personal issues, I think he does realize that he likes being able to engage in creative problem solving. I do like the way the creative process is depicted on the show. Medicine is definitely not an exact science. I like seeing how House and his team sweat through the diagnostic process until they finally get a break. It's a lot closer to the actual creative process: you work and work and your unconscious processes let things cook until you finally make a new connection. You don't just get brilliant ideas out of nowhere.

In regard to Chase, I do think he got what he wanted in his professional life. I really liked the episode where he met the nun. He thought he had fallen in love with her, but I think it was more that she showed him the possibility of something more. He identified with her struggle. That quick infatuation showed him that he wanted to be on a different path. And the fact that he always seems to jump into things with both feet reveals that he really wants something more out of his personal life, even if he's not sure what it is.