One thing that became clarified for me this week is the wretchedness of House’s ideology. His over-the-top physicalism philosophy robs him of the ability to suspend disbelief enough even to enjoy a great magic trick. “It’s NOT MAGIC! [growl…roar].”
I know whereof I speak because I’m just like him with my liberalism. I cannot have a fun debate with people about public schools because my ideology demands that the only solution for every problem be to eliminate them. Or maybe I’m overthinking…
I missed it because I had to take my cat in to work to donate blood for a patient. Hmm, a slight parallel with the episode.
By the way, the title says “open spoilers” even though I didn’t see the episode I don’t mind spoilers or I wouldn’t be reading the thread, so could you all stop spoiler boxing stuff? The warning is in the title so anyone who doesn’t want spoilers would have no reason to complain.
I don’t have a lot to add, save that I am delightfully entertained each Tuesday with this show. I love them all, but as far as exiting ducklings go, I’m hoping Kumar leaves. Unfortunately, the way the writers have House delivering the news, I am afraid it will be Thirteen. I pray it is not CTB because, frankly, I love her 
Did anyone else find it hilarious that House told Houdini that he was going to die so he could try to get Houdini to tell him how the card trick was done?
That was just wrong.
As much as I would like to see CHB go, I feel I must cast another vote for Kumar getting the boot. I’ve felt all along that the only reason he is there is to boost the 18-25 ratings, because Kal Penn has a built in following.
Granted he (his character) is very charming. Not like ‘Big Love’ who was played very stiff. But the writers haven’t given him anything of substance to distinguish him in the story lines. To me this signals a type of preferential treatment by the producers. There is no conflict element with him. In House terms he is not ‘interesting’.
Even in threads with open spoilers for the week’s ep, spoilers for next week, ie, the previews, are generally spoiler boxed because some people don’t want to know anything about the upcoming eps. So I’m still going to spoiler box those.
Well, there’s always the “Who already has a solid career that would be screwed up by being on a weekly series?” method, which leaves me surprised Kal Penn has survived this long.
I thought Olivia Wilde was in for sure. I was not surprised to see Big Love depart, however.
“OH. MY. GAWD!!” Laurie delivered that line particularly well. And: “Bring me the thong of Lisa Cuddy.”
Not enough Wilson, as has already been noted.
Good ep.
Okay, I’m wondering where I lost the thread of this episode. I thought Mormon Guy (damned if I’ll call him Big Love) had immunity? So how could he be the one fired? Is House just a big old liar, or what? And if that’s the case, he just leaves, no “what about the immunity?” inquiry?
What did I miss?
Wile E, you can watch House online (or download it). They are still showing last week’s episode right now. I presume that this week’s episode will be available next week.
I also thought this was lame.
House’s reasoning was that the point of getting Cuddy’s thong would be to annoy her. Mormon Guy’s strategy was to ask Cuddy for the thong, and in return, he would select whichever two Cuddy wished to fire.
House figured this out when he realized that Kumar was the person that Cuddy would be most likely to fire – he’s a liability for the hospital because he keeps setting things on fire.
House then revoked the immunity, because he felt that Mormon Guy defeated the purpose by giving Cuddy more power over House.
I guess I can see where the writers are coming from – House is a jerk, and changing the rules after the fact is a jerky thing to do.
What I was hoping would happen is that House would grudgingly follow his own rules. I like Mormon Guy.
My question is this; if CTB stays, what is her motivation to be cut-throat on a weekly basis? The contest is over, she won. How will she act after that?
I like Kumar, but I agree that he hasn’t really shown himself as much of a character in House’s world so far.
She’s growing on me, too. I liked how she tried to play to Big Love - “I’m not gonna beg, cause even though you don’t like me, you’re going to be fair, and you know I’m the best”. Softly, gently making her case in a way that would sound as un-CTB as possible, and best calculated to reach Big Love. She’s good at this stuff - not quite good enough, but it wasn’t actually Big Love’s call, anyway.
I’m still waiting for the writers to throw in a Kumar line somewhere.
Agreed. Her character is so one-note that I don’t see anywhere to go. Of course, I am biased because for some reason I can’t stand looking at her. She just looks annoying to me.
I think he’s beginning to develop, actually. He’s got a sort of slacker, likes to do stuff because it’s cool thing going on, in contrast to a lot of the stiffer, more serious characters. In that regard, I think he’s got a shot to stick around as a foil, although intellectually he may not be up to the task.
If you have cable or satellite, the USA network reruns the previous week’s episode (not the same week) on Friday nights also. So the episode of 11/20 will be on USA on Friday 11/30/2007.
The point of the task was to break Cuddie’s rules, not House’s - until House knew/figgered out that he had made the deal, he had immunity - once he broke House’s rule, immunity was pulled.
That, and we don’t need Chase Mark2 that runs and makes deals around Cuddy every week.
CHB should go - she’s a one note char that while thinking she’s the ‘best’ - never fights for her analysis.
#13 will likely stay, as she is Cameron, but improved - she empathizes, but also knows to draw the line. she frequently right, and is willing to ‘think outside the box’ to get the diagnoses (she drugged house).
Kumar will stay - he’s been right more than most, and while being a bit clusmy and not thinking things thru, he’s damn good with the paddles, and they need that week after week (at about :45).
Plastic Surgeon Guy will likely stay (if he gets to keep three and foreman isnt one of them), but otherwise he doesnt stand out in any way.
“You’re about to run off, aren’t you?”
And, How did he do that trick?
But that’s bullshit, of course. House himself breaks everyone else’s rules all the time. Why would he expect anyone else to keep his rules sacred? And the immunity offered did not have strings, it was: Accomplish this, and you’re safe. House is the king of “the end justifies the means,” but now he doesn’t like the guy’s means (even though the end is accomplished), so he fires him? Aside from it being a completely shabby thing to do, not in keeping with House’s fundamental integrity, IMO it isn’t consistent with House’s character, or with what he is allegedly seeking from these candidates. It also completely defies belief that the Mormon Guy just slinks off without saying “Wait a minute, you said I was immune.”
So if this is how the firing is rationalized – and I believe you’re correct that it is – then it was a shitty plot IMO. That is beside the complete idiocy (“OMG let’s steal her PANTIES that will be teh bom”) and the fundamental pointlessness of this particular “task.”
I’m really disliking this season, unfortunately.
House has no fundamental integrity. Every time I think he’s going to show some respect for anyone else or their rules, I’m wrong and he doesn’t. This situation was no different. He does exactly as he pleases when he pleases and doesn’t give a damn if it’s unfair, illegal, a violation of trust, or whatever.
It continually surprises me that I keep expecting House to show some sort of respect for other people when he never, ever does. Apparently I’m not alone in this hard-to-shake delusion.
Yes, it is consistent with what he is seeking from this candidates-- in this case, NOT someone who cuts deals with Cuddy. He wants people who will do whatever it takes to accomplish the task while being loyal to him, not Cuddy.
I think he was only still around because he’s hurting for money. His moral code was not jibing with working for House.
The point of the task was to undermine Cuddy and test his candidates to see how far they would go to follow his orders. Big Love achieved the second goal but utterly failed at the first, so he had to go.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not loving this season, but mostly it’s because there has been no development of the House character. It’s all about the PotW and the ducklings, very little Wilson and Cuddy, and no real relationships among the ducklings. The season has no depth.
There’s a difference between respect and integrity, and I think he does have his own warped sense of right and justice. He’s an asshole, but he’s not immoral. It’s hardly a point worth arguing, since it’s a completely subjective analysis. That’s pretty much my response anytime anyone wants to tell me my subjective opinion is either incorrect or based on some failure of understanding on my part.