In my case, it’s not only the lack of internal consistency mentioned by storyteller, but the fact that I’m a lawyer, not a doctor. Hence, the randomized butchery of legal concepts and realities bothers me lots more than House’s customary failure to live up to modern medical ethical behavior.
Hell, I don’t even really care for the story. It was fun for the first couple of episodes, but now it’s devolved into a snark-duel to the metaphorical death between House and just-like-House-only-with-a-badge Tritter.
The only thing that makes all of this implausible is that the show doesn’t take place in Florida. The War on Drugs has gone mad. It seemed to me that this arc was modeled on this case.
I can just see the final confrontation between House and Tritter. House is being led out of the courthouse for a mandatory stint in rehab. Seeing this, Tritter lights up a big cigar and chuckles maniacally a la Mr Potter in It’s A Wonderful Life. House gets his slightly befuddled What’s-That-Smell look. He then turns to Tritter and says “Wait… smoking will kill you…” Tritter, smacking and puffing, tells House he’s not his doctor anymore and to mind his own business. As Tritter slowly turns blue, starts shaking, and falls down, House is led away and says “Aren’t you glad I’m sober now?”
What I’ve always liked about this show is it’s ability to surprise me. Now if it turns out this way, I’m going to be really grumpy.
That is the story. And, for me, this particular story sucks. And once a story starts sucking, I start to lose my suspension of disbelief.
In a “more real” world, House would probably not be allowed to do the things that he does, the hospital administration would have fired him, he would have been sued six ways to Sunday by 3/4ths of his patients. He would be facing long term physical damage from the Vicodan…etc, etc… but I like the story and I like the character, so I’m willing to play along with it.
Tritter, I hate - and not in an “I love to hate him” way, just hate. This storyline sucks. So, I can’t suspend my disbelief as far as the writers seem to want me to. Also, after a while, that much “trivia” all added together is no longer trivial. It’s not a straw on the camel’s back, it’s several huge damn bales.
You know how they do those “whooshing” shots down someone’s throat into their lungs and the actual cells? I say show a slow-motion, almost pornographic one of those with Tritter’s gum being inhaled and gobbing up his windpipe.
Actually, I know where you’re coming from, amarinth. I’m not a lawyer, so while all you describe irritates me a bit, it’s not a deal breaker. It’s like a science fiction movie where they have faster-than-light travel and talk about phasing in the whatsomonium. I’m not a physicist, so, yeah, I can buy that for a while.
I know something about biology, though, so when a movie shows someone being exposed to x-rays and mutating to a butterfly or something, I just gotta turn the channel, especially when it’s intrinsic to the story.
I’m sure police might feel the same way about Hawaii 5-0, or some firemen about the old Emergency! TV show.
Maybe the trial will feature a real world judge who will go nuts in a pre-trial hearing, throw out all the illegally obtained evidence, dimiss the charges and excoriate Tritter for going outside the bounds of the law.
Hijack about Bones. I know why they do it, but it’s so silly when one of the scientists names something and one of the other scientists, who presumably is in the same field, say “The what with the who now?” so they can explain for the audience.
Which would you prefer, that they leave out new vocabulary or just leave it undefined? Yeah, I know that Dopers would prefer the latter but most viewers seem to like not having to hit the medical dictionary five times an episode.
Cheers for a House thread reaching two pages. Shame that it’s about this lousy story arc, though.
Yeah–that’s Wilson’s job.
To further qualify my own question about the ratings, it stems from the mention of David Morse in a “Guest Stars We Love To Hate” column in the TV Guide. Saying that someone “Loves to Hate” him indicates that people are tuning in out there, eagerly awaiting the next appearance of the Tritter character so that they can boo him down… which is hardly how I feel, or how it seems most folks here feel.
My biggest issue with the current arc, and especially last nites…
Wilson and Cuddies beahviour as far as letting a police officer dictate how House is an addict.
1.) that was covered last season, House admitted his addiction and said “who cares”
Wilson’s insistence that house will kill someone due to the vicodin addiction… the “mis diagnoses from last week”… those were also covered… House needs the meds to function… who cares if he’s addicted… it’s a known and its more/less controlled.
House forged the scripts (4 out of what, 40000000? ) this season, and they were in the middle… not at the end, the begining, or ongoign… so while being an addict, and house self perscribed as the pain returned from the coma thingy, that doesnt a criminal make… clearly the ongoiing need is there, and backed by the current staff.
The biggest thing that House ‘should’ change is the behavour in front of the patients with respect to pill popping… but that’s his charector…
He was “high” last nite… 1, as an addict he lost control and 2 becuase he intended to turn himself in (he decided at the beginning, but wanted to do it on “his time”… so he had one last binge… and a possible attempt may have “woke him up” to actually admit he needs help… a needed first step.
SO… my problem is not with the cops “way over the top out of bounds pursuit”, but wth the doctors not backingup his needs in the proper way.
I couldn’t agree more with everyone. I hate this storyline. I hate Tritter. The whole thing started out interesting, but they just took it too far and let it go on too long. I have a terrific suspension of disbelief, but it ain’t this good. I could overlook it if the story was good, but it stopped being good quite a few episodes ago. The overall episodes I liked, but this Tritter arc needs to be done now. I don’t even care how, just make it go away.
I would like the cute, cranky, smartass, brilliant, Dr. House back please. Maybe it’s me, but after Bertie Wooster, Prince George, etc, seeing Hugh Laurie play a cranky smartass is fun. Seeing Hugh Laurie playing just an ass is kind of disturbing and sad.
My mother absolutely HATES Wilson for turning in House, and for the life of me, I can’t see why. To me, Wilson doesn’t owe House a ding-dang thing. He bailed House out, loaned House his car for a trip to Atlantic City, and covered for House as long as he could, with House mocking him and berating him all the way. And IIRC, Chase was about to go to Tritter, anyway.
If it were me, House would be rotting in a jail cell right now. But I’m not nearly as understanding and forgiving as Wilson. The “thirty pieces of silver” analogy Wilson used only works if House is akin to Jesus.
Why is Wilson so worried that House is going to kill a patient with a bad diagnosis when it seems that Wilson and Cuddy come up with one or two of them per week.
There is no way that House will always be right and get the right diagnosis. Wouldn’t they need to see some sort of pattern of screwing up? Or is House held in such high regard that he would be vilified for missing Esoteric Disease A and instead treating Esoteric Disease B.
And I know somebody with this week’s disease! He’ll be so proud!
I guess I prefer to be in the minority here. I’m not that bugged by it. The Tritter stuff only takes up a few minutes an episode. We still have the usual weird diseases, gross out symptoms and nasty HOUSE banter so I really don’t think I’m having the episodes totally ruined.
At least not any more ruined than the arc where the evil corporate guy tried to ruin House or when Cameron had a crush on him or when Cameron and Foreman had their little tiff etc etc. It is just character stuff to flesh them out or Cuddy’s attempts to get pregnant.
I mean they still haven’t vered too far from the formula have they. Just walk away from the set or flip the channel when they do the external stuff. As I have said I like the fact in this Arc that House’s actions have consequences.
He is rude to the wrong patient, his scummy behavior towards Wilson gives Wilson a chance to turn on House. House’s addiction and stubborness screws his one chance to get out of his problems. Normally he’d get away with a smart assed comment but things have spiraled. It’s a nice change of pace.
Best of all it’s temporary! Everything will be back to normal faster than he was uncured.