# I saw "House" for the first time last night **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579 "2005-12-14T14:01:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579/21 "2005-12-15T02:15:27Z")
I’m absolutely certain that it was supposed to be meth. Detailed rationale [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6828554&postcount=28). I’m a bit gobsmacked that most people assume it was ecstasy, in spite of every indication to the contrary. I figure it’s because meth is so much more of a taboo drug. It goes against the grain that a sympathetic TV character would take it _once_ without the show being about The Meth Problem. E doesn’t have such a huge stigma attached to it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579/22 "2005-12-15T03:02:39Z")
IMO the show is annoying as hell and last night’s episode was extremely week, almost a parody of itself (speaking of, Mad TV summed up the series in one excellent skit- I wish I could find a transcript). But it’s a bit like Law & Order in that the formula is a comfort. Also, it’s got appeal for both men and women, and Hugh Laurie is kind of purty. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579/23 "2005-12-15T03:05:21Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > The AIDS patient had Meth and Ecstacy in his bag. Cameron took some of his drugs, it’s never explicitly stated which. Later in the episode it’s alluded to that it was Ecstacy by Chase but she never confirms specifically. The stereotypes of course indicate that it was the X. Didn’t see the epsiode, but was it specified that the two drugs were even separated into different pills? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579/24 "2005-12-15T03:33:54Z")
> [@Cat Fight](#): > > Didn’t see the epsiode, but was it specified that the two drugs were even separated into different pills? The drug tests and his own statements indicated that he used both MDMA and speed. Cameron took his drugs to test them for contamination, but they only called it his “stash.” No pills involved, just a baggie containing maybe half-a-gram of powder. This is also suggestive of meth, since it’s more typically found in this form, especially at the user level. Most folks that take E wanna drop a pill – meth gets snorted, smoked, and shot a lot more. At least, that’s the way it is around here. I’ve never seen methamphetamine sold in tablet or capsules form, and never seen MDMA sold loose in a bag. That being said, MDMA is usually sold in capsules here – if you happen to see a tablet, it’s probably from the personal stash of a Phish-head who’s brought it up from the States. Back to the current episode, I couldn’t help comparing Cynthia Nixon’s performance to the one she gave as a patient on _ER_ this year. Not much of a comparison, but whaddya want? ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579/25 "2005-12-15T04:13:12Z")
I actually liked last night’s episode. And I don’t think House is _entirely_ a selfish asshole. He certainly doesn’t have a heart of gold, but he can occasionally care. I am glad that he’s not just some ‘misunderstood but good deep inside’ character. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579/26 "2005-12-15T04:50:39Z")
> [@Talon Karrde](#): > > ‘misunderstood but good deep inside’ character. Which made Sela Ward’s revelation last season great. Cameron asked what House was like before the problem with his leg, and Stacey answered, “about the same.” I was SO glad that it wasn’t his handicap that turned him into the bitter, jaded cynic that he is. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579/27 "2005-12-15T07:31:16Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I like Hugh Laurie, but sheesh! every episode I’ve ever watched has been the same: > > - The patient is dangerously ill > - They try some treatment > - Things get worse, possibly as a reaction to the treatment > - They run some tests > - They work their way to the correct diagnosis > - The patient makes an instant recovery from the brink of death You’re missing a couple of things: - The patient is dangerously ill (or is only slightly ill, that is, until House shows up.) - They try some treatment - Things get worse, possibly as a reaction to the treatment - They run some tests - They disregard these tests because of a 1 in 10 chance of it being something else - They try another treatment (one which will probably result in long-term side affects) - 70% chance of patient having seizure at this point - More tests - Sexual tension - Another treatment that will either kill them or they get better - Patient starts dying - 80% chance of a crash cart being involved at this point, 50% chance of the paddles not being lubricated. - They work their way to the correct diagnosis (only by House’s own ingenuity.) - The patient makes an instant recovery from the brink of death And why the hell does Jesse Spencer (Chase) put on a British accent? He did not sound like that when he was working for Aussie soaps. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579/28 "2005-12-15T09:55:49Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > And why the hell does Jesse Spencer (Chase) put on a British accent? He did not sound like that when he was working for Aussie soaps. What kind of character did he play on the soaps? Chase is supposed to be from a ridiculously wealthy family, right? I’m not surprised that my canuck ears have a trouble distinguishing between the Austrialian “educated accent” and a British “posh,” but are they close enough for Australians to confuzzle them? Does Jesse need a new dialect coach? Or did his parents _really_ send him away (far away) to seminary school? ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579/29 "2005-12-15T10:41:48Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > What kind of character did he play on the soaps? Chase is supposed to be from a ridiculously wealthy family, right? > > I’m not surprised that my canuck ears have a trouble distinguishing between the Austrialian “educated accent” and a British “posh,” but are they close enough for Australians to confuzzle them? Does Jesse need a new dialect coach? > > Or did his parents _really_ send him away (far away) to seminary school? I know Chase’s father is meant to be a doctor, but I do not know of any “wealthy” person who has an accent like that! His father also had this stupid accent too. I talked to someone else about this, and apparently the Bristish accent sounds “more Aussie” to you guys so they just get him to put it on. No cite though. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579/30 "2005-12-15T15:30:00Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I was SO glad that it wasn’t his handicap that turned him into the bitter, jaded cynic that he is. Maybe it was having R. Lee Ermey for a dad. (I thought House was unusually “human” when he described their relationship and his early life.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-house-for-the-first-time-last-night/335579.md?page=1)