OK, I’ve never seen the show so forgive me if this is obvious.
I understand that the character is basically a modern-day Sherlock Holmes who solves medical mysteries. I know of least one parallel with the Conan Doyle character, the Vicodin addiction.
Also the name is a pun, right? House/Holmes = house/homes. Is that too glaringly obvious and I’m just getting it?
Anyway, here’s my question: is this ever explicitly acknowledge on the show? Do characters say, “Hey, you’re a regular Sherlock Holmes which sounds like ‘homes’ and your name is House!”
It’s never acknowledged, but it’s played with; at one point, Wilson tells the other doctors a (bullshi)t story about House being in love with a patient of his by the name of Irene Adler.
James Wilson is very much John Watson. No Moriarity has appeared yet, but that’s probably because Stephen Fry’s schedule has been too busy.
Beg your pardon, but one has : his name is never spoken during the episode, but in the script, it’s the name of the guy who shot House in the last episode of season… 2?
Strictly speaking, I think the Moriarty char has been several different “foes” for house, - the aforementioned season 2 guy, the cop - and possibly Amber (head Amber anyway).
I disagree. The recurring antagonists from the first and third seasons both have good claims to being House’s arch-enemy.
The notion of Moriarty being Holmes’ major antagonist is largely mistaken anyway. He only appears once, in “The Final Problem,” though he is referred to in a few others.
I mean the stories Doyle wrote, of course. I don’t acknowledge any others. It’s part of my insane thing.
I disagree with you disagreement. The very essence of a Moriarity is that he’s Holmes’s intellectual equal as well as his nemesis, and we’ve yet to meet anyone who meets that description. Certainly not Principal Guy or Officer Thermometer-Up-His-Ass.
But Holmes had other intellectual equals; his brother Mycroft was clearly his superior. Moriarty was Holmes’ most worthy foe, and has entered common thought as being–like Lex Luthor to Superman–his most frequent adversary.
Anyway, my point was that the notion of Moriarty being Holmes’ most frequent opponent is mistaken. He’s pretty much a cipher in the stories. Lestrade appears much more often.
Then I motion his psychologist in the asylum counts.
ETA : I also motion Foreman is Lestrade. Always insists on doing things by the book, is always dismissive of or miffed by House’s out-of-the-box thinking, and is “the second best” after House despite being consistently wrong.
While I am uncomfortable with using the word motion as a verb, I’ll agree with both of your assertions. I’m going to have to issue you a reckless verbing ticket, though.
Then there is also the idea that House is another way to say Home… Home, Holmes. It may not be the most obvious thing, but a few people I’ve asked mention it.
No, I believe he was always supposed to be an American. Supposedly when Laurie first read parts of the script he thought Wilson (the Watson character) was to be the main character since no one would want to see a show about someone as unlikable as House.
Also, when Laurie auditioned, with American accent, Bryan Singer, an executive producer, declared Laurie to be a “fine example of an American actor.” Singer didn’t know Laurie was British.
ETA: In fact, Singer originally felt there was no way he would ever hire a non-American for the role of House. Laurie’s audition changed his mind.
