Picspam/Recap: House 7x09 Larger Than Life - part 3
previous part: a^2 + b^2 = c^2
CUDDY: Alright. Mom.
CFB: So, say you two got married, would you convert to Judaism?
CUDDY: We haven't gotten that far, Mom.
WILSON: That's actually a really interesting question.
HOUSE: I'm atheist.
CFB: Honey, half the Jews I know are atheist. It's about community.
CUDDY: House isn't that big on community.
CFB: And why do you call him House? The man's name is Greg. It makes it seem like you're not serious.
love Cuddy's nail polish!!
""It makes it seem like you're not serious." Wilson thinks this is an amusing point. Kiss-ass.
CFB: I'm just trying to help you think about the future. You're, you're a certain age now. The parade of boyfriends can't be as amusing as it was, you need to settle down, like your sister.
WILSON: Settling down isn't all it's cracked up to be. Next week is Sam's birthday; I was going to take her to the Poconos.
CFB: That's very sad. Perhaps not the best choice of topic for a festive occasion. I just don't want Rachel growing up thinking you're a slut.
HOUSE: Okay! I got this. First of all, Mom--
CUDDY: Oh my god. Did you sedate my mother?
HOUSE: Kicked in just in time. She'll wake up in a couple hours, be good as new. Think of it as my birthday gift to you. You told me to keep my mouth shut, this was the only way I had a chance.
WILSON: Leaving aside the fact that House is a sociopath, I have to admit that I'm--I'm honestly relieved. Your mom is quite a ha-handful. I feel f-- Oh you've got to be kidding me. You drugged me again?
HOUSE: Sorry. I honestly thought you'd be worse. That was my gift to myself.
Okay, WOW. LOVED this, insanity and all, but like that was hard with this cast.
First, Cuddy's response of "we haven't gotten that far, Mom," to "if you get married, etc., etc.," was excellent. Short, decisive, unembarrassed. I'm assuming that was from years of practice answering variations of that question, from her mother and other parties (where's your boyfriend; why don't you have a boyfriend; is your boyfriend [religion / ethnicity of choice]; when are you getting married; why aren't you married yet; what about kids, you can't wait forever; you know, my friend's cousin's neighbor's hairdresser has a nephew and I why don't I give him your number). Why, no, I have no idea where I've heard such things, why do you ask? :D (I'm not Jewish, but certain "traditions" tend to be similar...and one set of grandparents had an arranged marriage, so I think I'm doing pretty well, considering.) The longer you're exposed to it, the better you are at dealing with it, although sometimes a straightforward "no" is nowhere near enough for the truly persistent (omg some of the stories), so it helps to have someone in your corner backing you up (thanks, Mom & Dad!). I have a feeling that Cuddy's dad was that for her (see! this had a point).
Tl;dr?
I'm suddenly getting a much clearer picture of Cuddy's background. I get the feeling Cuddy was closer to her dad (and her sister closer to her mom), and he was her protector. He's the one that would tell her mother to just let Lisa be, she'll figure it out, she's smart, she'll be okay. And now Cuddy and her mom have lost their buffer and need to navigate these treacherous waters on their own. I think her mom's heart is in the right place, but she worries, as mothers do, and she's not ready to let Lisa, well, be herself. Cuddy's mom isn't taking her concerns about Lisa's life choices out on Rachel, so that's something. Just be thankful there's a train ride between them.
Wilson just always needs to be liked, doesn't he? Or, both that and he's giving House and Cuddy a hard time for missing his film festival. He's assuming House won't win any popularity contests tonight and he knows that Cuddy and her mom don't always get along, so he's sensing a perfect opportunity to swoop in and be the favorite (Cuddy's mom must like me! I helped out at Rachel's simchat bat!) and torment House and Cuddy in the process. Plus, there's the added entertainment of watching House play the dutiful boyfriend...by biting his tongue (his own tongue, perhaps I should clarify :D)
LOVED House's and Cuddy's respective glares at Wilson's "That's actually a really interesting question." You're harshing on the power of the OT3, Wilson, knock it off. And House, impressively, keeps calm and...keeps drinking his coffee (too much tumblr this week, I'm sorry, and I'm not even on tumblr. she doesn't even go here! /weird mood)
And why do you call him House? The man's name is Greg. It makes it seem like you're not serious. Oh, Sara Hess, I love you. Amusingly, everyone else just blows by that, except for Wilson, who feels like screwing with House is his best option (you have chosen...poorly, Wilson. You're not related to Cuddy; you're really playing with fire here, as you will soon see.).
Is Wilson trying to help, here, with the "settling down's not all that cracked up to be?" Or is he just tired of the conversation being too one-sided? But way to bring the table down, Wilson.
Not that that stops CFB. (oh, never leave CFB! Stay and make fun of Wilson! It's so fun when you do it.)
"Slut" ?? Wow. This is really not an appropriate topic for a festive conversation, oh great conversation arbiter. Cuddy's really shocked (as anyone would be) and I like that this is when House couldn't take it anymore and had to say something. He lets CFB's comments on Cuddy's motherhood skills go because, well, it looked like Cuddy's heard them before and she wasn't that upset. He calmly replied to the religion question, let Cuddy handle the rest, and basically has been drinking lots of wine/coffee to keep from being his usual self. This was too much for Cuddy, House saw that, and started to say something. I like that. I like what that says about them.
Luckily Plan B kicked in just in time. Hmmm. Show has made me celebrate when people drug each other. On the other hand, sedatives would have been very useful at some of the family dinners I've attended, so...yeah. It's awful but I certainly understand the motivation.
Where did he put the sedatives, is my question. It affected both CFB and Wilson but Cuddy didn't notice a thing! Impressively evil skillset. wait! Is Rachel in bed now? Maybe that's when, when Cuddy went to put her to bed? Still don't know where and running my mind through Agatha Christie plots are being unhelpful (something that Cuddy wouldn't eat or drink...meat? a dessert that Cuddy (and House) didn't take?).
Heh. Wilson drugged is never not funny. We have "I'm on speeeeeed" (with jazz hands); "you don't deserve her;" and now this. House was not in the mood to catch Wilson's head as he fell (good call, House).
And, I just need to say how awesome everyone was in this scene. So impressive. So thrilled we got the four of them in a huge scene together. I had been hoping for it ever since the first spoilers came out and it did not disappoint!!!
MASTERS: What's up with you?
TAUB: Nothing. I'm peachy.
MASTERS: It's hard when you feel like you've been replaced. We got a new puppy once and our old cocker spaniel just moped for weeks.
Heh.
MASTERS: She likes someone else and you've slept with other people. Why are you still together?
Truer words, Masters. Twenty-two years. That is a very long time. "Be better" doesn't include "being selfish." The sign is a little too on the nose, though, but that's okay. Poor Tiny Taub needed a huge anvil.
HOUSE: Isn't this nice?
Hehehe. It's the music that makes it art. So dark, so funny. Washing dishes! And smiling, because it's quiet. And Cuddy's really not that mad. Hehehe.
I'd say next time, go out to dinner, because who wants to do dishes on their birthday, but drugging people in public is problematic.
I just have to say again: washing dishes! so domestic. House avoids dishes, unless it's part of a scheme. Never thought I'd see him and Cuddy washing dishes and calling it "nice." Very sweet (if totally insane, but totally insane tends to work for them).
And CFB and RSL having to play "passed out" in the background the entire time. So funny. I'm hoping we get as much footage/outtakes from these scenes as possible,
FOREMAN: Any particular reason we need to be looking at the patient?
HOUSE: Yes. Cuddy's mom is in my office and she looks mad.
CHASE: What did you do?< ♥ /div>
...
HOUSE: No, wait, I'll do it. You guys have to go back to the office, tell me when Bubbe's gone.
Hee. House is scared. How did he see her without her seeing him? Pretty sure he can't outrun her, either. Plus, House should know by now that "avoiding forever" doesn't actually work with Cuddy women.
Rat pee? The answer cannot be rat pee again. I really don't want "rat pee" to be the new lupus. Or Wilson's disease or any other common suggestion, since it's never lupus because lupus is incurable and, quite frankly, one rat pee was more than enough (I miss Kutner).
HOUSE: Oh, I'm sorry, you actually believe that you are a hero. You should get yourself some tights and a cape and run around Gotham pulling babies out burning building, maybe you'll keep getting lucky. You're still the same guy you were last week.
POTW: Hey, um, how long are you going to sit there?
HOUSE: Could be hours.
POTW: Hiding behind a sick guy. That's heroic.
It's coming from the patient now: "Be better."
Metropolis not Gotham, if we're keeping the kryptonite metaphor going. On the other hand, "Larger than Life" should probably include references to more than just one superhero. Plus, Batman had more of a comparable backstory ("luck"--and money-- rather than, you know, born on another planet).
::curses lack of comic book knowledge so I can't make more specific references::
next part: Mrs. Cuddy doesn't write children's books