Picspam/Recap: House 7x03 Unwritten Part 1
House 7x03 Unwritten
I often like checking the writer of a particular episode; sometimes it matters, often times it doesn’t. Sometimes I think it adds another layer of understanding to an episode and other times it . . . allows me to manage my expectations. This week, the writer was John C. Kelley. He’s a fairly new writer to House; he wrote Knight Fall* last year but that’s it. New writers can be fun! They have a fresh perspective on these complex characters; they may see different angles and aspects on the characters and their relationships.
It looks like Mr. Kelley sees House and Cuddy as a sexy, sophisticated crime, er, medical mystery-solving team.
And I LOVE IT!!!!
Sign me up for more of this. Seriously, I’d be fine if they’d just Nick and Nora their way through the episodes. I’d actually be more than fine with that since it means witty banter, teamwork, the occasional display of tender emotion, and, of course, lots of alcohol. I’m not even going to be greedy and ask for the dog! Let’s see; House trying to avoid telling Cuddy about procedures he wants to do can be analogous to Nick trying to keep Nora out of harm’s way . . . hmm. This could work.
* Hey, look at that. Knight Fall was the official introduction of Sam and it was also a double date. Of sorts. It also has the now-amusing (and frightnening!) Wilson line, when talking about Sam: “And she’s less competitive.” What the hell was she like when they first met?! Also from Knight Fall--Kelley seems a bit of a romantic--”You don’t need to win someone’s heart; you just need to ask for it.”
JACK: They have a cure for that you know. It's called a computer. You done for the day or do I have to find something else to read?
ALICE: I'm done. It's done.
JACK: No way. It's finished? How does it end? You've got to let me read it.
ALICE: Not this time.
Yay! It's Amy Irving! So excited. Look at her unabashedly curly hair. LOVE. (Chase? Listen to me. I adore you, but you cannot kill her. Not kidding. You can’t go through all the actors of my childhood. And, look! She’s just a writer, not an evil dictator. Remember that.)
Look at her furiously typing away on her typewriter. This old-fashioned typewriter looks fun. And tedious. The scenes of her actually reminds me of the end production credit that Stephen Cannel used (of Rockford Files and many, many other things) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEPf9BIf_hM RIP Stephen Cannel. It also reminds me of the typewriter in Murder, She Wrote (and, yes, I am old enough to remember when she switched from typewriter to computer . . . and, yes, I watched Murder, She Wrote. I was young but Angela Lansbury is awesome, people, so suck it.).
I find it charming that her series is "Jack Cannon, Boy Detective." It's the genre of Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Bobbsey Twins. Or "Harry Potter, Boy Wizard." The subtitles are amusing, too: The Castle of Stone and Light. The Girl From Columbia. The Map of Tomorrow. Someone had fun.
Love her office/study/library. Lot's of old things. Old-fashioned title. Old-fashioned gun. Colonel Mustard in the Library with a Revolver.
Yo-yo sighting! I did have a passing thought about why she would imagine such a bratty kid but then he gets better. He is somewhat self-absorbed, though, sitting there, playing with a yo-yo, reading a book about his life. That's actually rather coordinated, holding a book in one hand, a yo-you in the other. I certainly don't have that kind of dexterity.
"But writing's your whole life. What are you going to do without it?" Her subconscious is an interesting place. She's thinks she’s not brave, she's not strong, but she is willing to kill herself because she finished Jack’s last book. It’s interesting that she doesn’t waver from this, even once she’s healthy; in pain or not she was ready to move on. I think it’s interesting that she wanted more of an ambiguous ending for Jack because that way he can still live on, in a way, and can do whatever characters do once their authors stop writing for them. (Very parental, yes? You raise them but have to let them go).
HOUSE: Which of these says I want to sleep with you more? Penguin? or beaver? *quietly* beaver, beaver, beaver. You're right; it's too high school.
WILSON: What did you do to piss Cuddy off?
HOUSE: I can't be romantic?
WILSON: House, you're stealing from a woman in a coma.
HOUSE: We're fine. Never seen her happier.
WILSON: Yeah? How about you?
HOUSE: I'm . . . worried.
WILSON: Because she's happy?
HOUSE: No, because I am.
Awwwww.
Oh, Wilson, always worrying. And he's quite the stalker, too, knowing where House would be. I can't believe that one patient had a tiny plush penguin and a tiny plush beaver.
I don't know why Wilson's surprised House is stealing from a coma patient. He has stolen food and tv from coma patients and has used at least one as a cup holder. It'd be more worrying if House was actually buying the flowers and stuffed animals.
"Never seen her happier" (and he’s right about that! he knows her). And he's happy. That's really just all kinds of crazy adorable. He's happy and he knows he's happy and he just wants to keep that going. Good call, though, not going with the beaver. And the flowers are really very pretty.
To digress for a second -- is it odd that there are chocolates in a coma patient’s room? People might be bringing it for other visitors to enjoy, I guess.
WILSON: House, that's--
HOUSE: Ironic? weird? crazy?
WILSON: I was going to say "normal."
HOUSE: For now. We're in the honeymoon period. Our brains are flooded with endorphins. But when she snaps out of it, where does that leave us?
WILSON: In an adult relationship.
HOUSE: Name one thing that Cuddy and I have in common besides work.
WILSON: There's-- you're both-- wait.
HOUSE: Exactly. Long-term relationships are based on compatibility and right now we only have sex.
WILSON: House, you don't actually think she'd dump you because you, what? don't do yoga? listen to The B-52s?
HOUSE: Not right away. We'll fight, make-up sex; fight, maybe sex; and then she'll dump me. With possible good-bye sex.
WILSON: So, instead of enjoying the honeymoon phase you've decided to skip it entirely.
HOUSE: I need to find something we both like doing besides each other.
WILSON: Right. Or you could just talk to her about it.
HOUSE: Oh, then she'll start to pretend to like things that she really doesn't just to make me feel better which will make her feel even worse which won't be my fault, so I'll resent her; and that won't be her fault, so she'll resent me. At least with my plan, I get my one-a-day with iron 'till the bitter end. Is there a reason why you're following me?
WILSON: Oh, yeah! You're not going to believe who just checked into the ER.
Honeymoon period. I still don't think this has quite sunk in. Also, “one-a-day with iron” is an . . . original way of putting it.
Heh. Wilson's little smirk when he says "in an adult relationship" (second row, far right cap). Oh, Wilson, stop being so smug. Let House brag about his sex life and live vicariously (through whomever you want, or both; no judgments).
It's the little things -- "name one thing we have in common" happens as they turn the corner.
Oh, House. Fixated on one of those unwritten rules, that common interests are the only key to long-term compatibility. The reason Wilson looks so flummoxed (and he looks adorably flummoxed in the third and fourth rows) is that you and Cuddy have (and you both know you have) such a strong connection that's plainly obvious to everyone else (can I add more parentheticals to this sentence? :D). It may not make sense on paper but you two get each other. And that's way more important than, and here I agree with Wilson (oh, no!), doing yoga together. There's a quote that a happy long-term relationship (well, marriage, but go with it) is a "long conversation which always seems too short." The two of you talk to each other; the two of you enjoy talking to each other. The "nothing else in the world is going on"? You're both like that. (Seriously, I re-watched Wilson's Heart the other day :( but the scene where he and Cuddy battle back and forth about his need to rest in Amber's room, I expected any minute that Wilson would just be like, guys? seriously? you can't hold off on this for a few minutes?!).
These are also two lonely people that have their respective, ingrained routines; I think it's helpful that both have their own activities. One thing that Stacy said that has always stuck with me -- "with you I felt alone and with him there's room for me" -- their ideas of companionship have to mesh for this to work. The only problem is that House still has this idea that he needs to complete a checklist and then he'll be "happy." Having a thriving relationship isn’t quantifiable; learning he can't analyze this to success is going to be a steep curve for him. In one of the interviews he gave at the go-kart track, HL talked about how true happiness comes from within and not from a set of external events (only, you know, less saccharine and more eloquent because that’s how HL rolls). Their main problem? Being with Cuddy isn't enough to "fix himself."
“I need to find something we both like doing besides each other.” LOL. Just needed to repeat that. In an episode where they don’t kiss and barely touch, my imagination spent a lot of time in a very happy place.
WIlson really doesn't vary from his "talk to her" suggestion, does he? but in this case, that's really the right thing to do (and what Cuddy wants him to do). House may not fully believe her but she is often to able to talk him down with some things.
I find it curious that House's view of relationships mirrors what actually happens with Wilson's relationships. Even curiouser: Wilson doesn't even follow his own advice; he holds everything in and represses it until his partner divorces him. Does Cuddy actually seem like a person who's going to pretend to like something when she doesn't? House thought it was a huge deal that Foreman's girlfriend was lying about wanting to go to the concert (I thought the bigger problem was Foreman didn't care enough to find out that she wasn’t a big fan of music, not that she wanted to go . . . which maybe was the point?). And, yes, I know that Cuddy says she's read the books at the end of the episode but the thing is, House interests Cuddy so she's going to take an interest in what interests him. If she hated the books she wouldn't say she liked them just for him; she just seemed indifferent. She was wary of the go-karts but got into it because, well, she's competitive, too.
Ooh! In my quest to turn this into a Thin Man (House: Illness of the Thin Man? Thin Man Goes to the Hospital? Thin Man's Last Word?), I'm seeing Wilson as the old friend and/or police detective who just has to drag Nick back into the game. Sure, you thought you were done with your private eye life, but we need you. Sure, you were just staying late at work to leave with Cuddy, but guess who's a patient!
Okay, so they're not all going to be good. I should have just stated that ahead of time. Actually, none of these are going to be good but they amuse me. Fun Fact: Nick Charles? Not actually the titular thin man but the studio thought audiences needed the continuity. Bonus points for knowing who the actual Thin Man was :D
NURSE: EMTs found her unconcious; her maid said she had a seizure.
ALICE: I fainted.
HOUSE: Huge Jack Cannon fan, by the way. Love your books.
ALICE: Really? My fans tend to be overly annoying teenage girls.
HOUSE: I know. All they care about is who's hotter, Jack or Deacon. Like Sarah can't love both of them. I may belong to one or two online fan clubs. How's the new book coming along?
ALICE: I don't talk about my work.
HOUSE: Okay. How about nodding your head to a few yes/no questions.
ALICE: *shakes head* But I'll make you a deal. You finish this exam quickly and I'll answer one question.
HOUSE: About anything?
ALICE: Anything. Who's Jack's real father, who kidnapped his uncle?
HOUSE: Deal. I'm going to have to go with: Why did you try to kill yourself?
"One or two online fan clubs"? Hey! I resemble that remark.
Ahem. It's the Hardy Boys with shipping. Bizarre. Or Harry Potter with shipping (I know there's actual shipping there). Or Twilight (I know nothing of twilight except the vampires twinkle or sparkle or something).
Does House not have a watch today? And the nurse amuses me; Greg House going around the hospital with a bouquet of pink flowers for Cuddy is entertaining for everyone.
I don’t know if House can like anything without obsessing about it. So, a patient he has to fix AND keep from killing herself because if she dies, no more books. Well, that and suicide is a button for him and solving the puzzle of why the famous, successful author wants to kill herself.
She does tell him eventually; they had a deal and no “takesie-backsies.”
Thin Man Goes to the Hospital: House is intrigued enough to get in on the case despite all his usual protestations.
HOUSE: What is the matter with you people? We're talking about a human being who's suffering. You're right, that's not enough. She is also the writer of Jack Cannon, Boy Detective, beloved by millions around the world.
CHASE: By girls between 10 and 14.
HOUSE: Look, the point is, if she kills herself, millions of fans of all ages and genders would be disappointed.
FOREMAN: So we're taking this case because you're a fan?
HOUSE: No. That would be crazy and unprofessional. We're taking this case because I said so. You and Taub do a full work-up, see if she has another seizure. *to Chase* You can go.
TAUB: Why does he get the night off?
HOUSE: Because he brought a smokin' hot babe.
TAUB: I have plans with my wife.
HOUSE: Yeah, nice try, but you hate your personal life. And you obviously don't have one. Hey! *gives Chase a flower, and House/Chase shippers go wild* I'd stay myself, but I just got the flowers so-
The first cap of House sniffing the flower amuses me so. He's putting together a nice arrangement for her.
Back to work? He called them back to work? Aww. He's sticking around the hospital even though he doesn't have a case because he's waiting for Cuddy to finish. So they can go on their date. Awwwwww, you two.
And Chase? That is how you act positively about people having sex this season. Instead of House wanting people's self-worth to hang on this job--well, actually, he still wants that, but he's a fan of people having sex and, more generally, a personal life outside of the hospital. Nicely done, Chase, for recognizing that and using it for personal gain; this is definitely a return to playboy!Chase. I love his little thumbs up to House before he leaves (last row, far left cap).
See, Taub? If only you had been more positive. Although Foreman was very supportive and he's still stuck at work. Okay, that won't do. Foreman? I have so much residual goodwill towards you that I am now actively rooting for you to find someone this season. Everyone should have sex this season. Except Taub. He should take a breather. Plus, his extra irritation at his lack of extramarital chew toys should be even more entertaining.
Why are only girls obsessing about Jack Cannon and not boys, too? Boys don’t find stories about boys doing cool things interesting? When I was younger, I loved books but read Nancy Drew and not The Hardy Boys because, well, I found the latter rather boring. I found it much more interesting reading about girls doing cool things. I only read The Hardy Boys in those books that had their combined adventures with Nancy Drew; those were fun. Looking back, I think most (if not all) of my favorites centered on a heroine or a combination of boys and girls. Nancy Drew. Anne of Green Gables!/Avonlea/the Island/etc. The Bobbsey Twins, The Boxcar Children. Little House on the Prairie! A Wrinkle in Time series. Interesting (for me :D).
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