(no subject)

[spatch]

Been without a working Internet connection for most of the day. Am stealing neighbor's wireless at the moment. Spent the day rather productively though thanks to Adobe Audition, a cat, Guitar Hero, and frequent naps.

Questions on this new season of House under Le Cut d'Eljay, so if you ain't gotten up to speed on Season 4 yet, just remember that I said hi and I said my Internet sucks and I said the cat is hungry.



IT'S ESSAY QUESTION TIME

1. How do you feel about this season's Reality TV storyline? What started out as a very amusing way for House to rebuild his team has turned into The Apprentice: Princeton-Plainsboro, complete with "You're fired!" shot around every now and then. I mean, when House was firing entire rows at the start, I thought that was hilarious. When he started going on about "answer this one right and you win immunity" a few weeks back I thought he was just fuckin around for the sadistic fun of it. When he notes it and mocks it, it's funny. But Christ, this week he seriously went and pulled a SHOCKING TWIST on a SHOCKING TWIST!! as any reality show's publicity team would've said. I know he's having an absolute blast tormenting his potential newbies, but man. Giving Mormon Guy the boot, Tribal Council-style, after granting him immunity and his choice of contenders to throw overboard, that was SUCH a Mark Burnett move. You could just hear Jeff Probst say "However..." with snarky glee at that point.

And I haven't even watched a single episode of Survivor since the whole Boston Rob/Ambuh engagement season which was like a zillion years ago.

2. How did you feel about the Cuddy Panty Raid shenanigans, or even the mere thought of Cuddy going around commando-style? And did you feel the same way about the Manipulative Bitch in between House theorizing she, too, had no underwear and her proving him wrong? I can't tell if I was supposed to feel guilty going "Hmmm, now there's a picture that'll keep me warm during those long nights at sea" or not.

3. How do you feel about the Incredible Coincidence that Foreman, Cameron and Chase are -- surprise, surprise! -- still at Princeton-Plainsboro? Sure, it keeps all 3 actors on board and I'm sure they're pleased as punch to be able to pay the rent, but I kind of liked the full-on finality of last season. Though, if anything, I'm glad that if they have to be back at the hospital, they are there in entirely new capacities, instead of slinking back and being rehired by Dr. Gregory "Don't Let The Door Hit Ya Where The Good Lord Split Ya" House.

4. Who do you think will end up as his final team? My guess for next week: Either the Manipulative Bitch or the Plastic Surgeon Guy gets the axe, or all four stay on (another SHOCKING TWIST!) The Kid's been built up quite a bit as to be a very good foil ("Didn't I fire you, Number 6?" "No, I'm Number 9.") and we were introduced to the Very Smart But Somewhat Vulnerable Young Lady even before the whole Hiring Game began, and House has shown his own form of sympathetic interest in her well-being... even though Wilson's called him on the fact that he's firing the team members he'd actually like, or at least not outright loathe.

Both the Manipulative Bitch and Plastic Surgeon Guy are very cunning and that's admirable in House's eyes, but I think one of 'em is going to piss him off enough to give 'em the boot. But all four staying on could be good.

See what I'm doing? I'm actually speculating as if it were a reality series. Lord help us all now.

(Oh, and if he fires all of 'em and brings Cameron, Foreman and Chase back on board, I'm so throwing a shoe through the TV set. Just sayin is all.)

Comments

[ron_newman]

I just sent you an e-mail about Underground Railway Theatre doing a 1930s-radio-style drama next month, but you probably didn't get it. Read more about it here. (The Water Engine: An American Fable) Want to go?

[sup3rmark.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you saw the next-week-preview, but he looked very disappointed when he said his "You're fired," leading me to believe 13 is getting the axe. I'm totally down with Big Love getting the boot, though, I was getting sick of him.

[brak55.livejournal.com]

I've read where the Indian guy (can't remember his name) is signed for the long-run.

I think number 17 (or whatever her number is) could be in, too. The only thing that bothers me is she is just Cameron Part II.

1. The reality thing is getting old.

2. Any doctor who pulled the panty raid thing would probably get fired for sexual harassment but, then, most everything House does would get a normal person fired.

3. My thought has always been that, somehow, Foreman, Cameron and Chase would be back working for/with House, but I'm not sure now. If they aren't going to utilize them (especially Cameron and Chase), they should get rid of them or reduce them to occasional guest star. I don't think either of them was on the show tonight.

4. See above.

I also think they need new writers to throw some variety in the patients. Now, really, does every patient with a strange disease REALLY have a seizure?

[sup3rmark.livejournal.com]

Kal Penn, and 13.

[cursethedark.livejournal.com]

My friends and I just got Rock Band. Come on over; we'll let you give it a try.

[lakilika.livejournal.com]

Hi! Feed your cat!

[sernin.livejournal.com]

3. Too contrived that all three are there. Seems plausible that nobody would hire Foreman. But did we even know that Chase was a surgeon? How could I have watched three seasons and not known that?

4. The look of disappointment in his eyes makes me think it's No Personal Information Until Episode Eight Girl. I never remember if she's ever right. All I remember is that she refuses to share personal information. Now that the biggest secret is out, she has no use to House.

4.2. Foreman is House's token. After eight episodes, he's out of Mormon jokes (didn't he do Big Love already?) and has no use for two tokens.

4.3. I had real hope for CIA girl to be a good doctor. It would have made a good Moonlighting just-go-ahead-and-kiss-already match-up. I really liked the "I can kill a man with my thumb. I was making a sexual reference. So was I." banter.

5. I must have missed the reason that the patient had blood coming out while in the tank of water. If the answer to all of his sickness was a bad blood mix, then he's just a bad magician?

1. I laughed when House presented the thong on the pillow. Probst could never pull that off. Alas, the reality theme has gone from unique (aside from other shows just having the standard "vote you off the island" line in the scripts) to boring.

6. I want more House clinic duty. That's the stuff I love.

Essay answers - boy I hope I pass!

[muse0fire.livejournal.com]

1. I'm actually loving the storyline - it adds a plotline to supplement the "wacky disease of the week that the team - including House - will misdiagnose at least twice and solve after almost killing the patient" plots. I also think it gives us a change to see more sides of House - we knew how he would react to ForCamChase, so the new folks bring an interesting dynamic that force him in to new behaviours.

2. The panty raid was stupid overall, but at least it gave Foreman a good line for a change ("that's how I got hired.") Firing Big Love was the wrong move though, since he's clearly one of the better doctors. That surprised me.

3. Speaking of Foreman, up until this episode he's been nothing but irritating. I liked the original dynamic of House plus ForCamChase, and I wasn't pleased that they left the team. So far their appearances just make me feel bad for the actors - where they used to be stars, now they're just cameos (except Foreman.) If they aren't going to get to play more of a role, I'd rather they were just gone. (And goddess PLEASE someone tell Cameron that she looks terrible as a blonde.)

4. As someone else mentioned, I already read that Kumar (sorry, he'll always be Kumar to me) signed on for the long haul, so he's a given. I'm torn on the rest: Manipulative Bitch seems smart but just too ambitious, and I think House would enjoy tearing her down too much, so she's probably outa there. Thirteen is hot and Cameron-ish, so probably staying. Plastic Surgeon Guy wavers between being interesting and not being interesting, but I bet he beats out Manipulative Bitch.

[gwynethfar.livejournal.com]

Internet sucks, cat hungry, it really is Lupus. Got it.

[spatch]

IT'S NEVER LUPUS

[gwynethfar.livejournal.com]

No, it was. It was seriously Lupus. In days to come, you will look back on the Magician episode as the moment someone actually had Lupus, and House MD jumped the shark.

Oh, by the way, the actress playing Cameron apparently claims to be a natural blonde (this is from a friend who saw it on E! news). I say, FIE ON YOUR CALUMNIES, WRETCHED WOMAN!

[spatch]

Yes, indeed, it actually was lupus this time around (I've been waiting for someone to bring it up) but it wasn't Cameron who called it. ;)


Seriously, I was kinda hoping they'd have waited on lupus until the actual series finale; a season finale at the very least. Having it happen in a mid-season episode is kinda anti-climactic, but on the other hand, the joke has kinda run its course.

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

Really, without cast members from Cheers or Night Court, I wasn't interested in House anymore after the second one.

[spatch]

Well, I do admit, you've missed out on some fine medical misanthropy.

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

I think I've missed out on all of television for the last five years. You'd think I'd have more accomplishments to show for it.

[dcart.livejournal.com]

I'd read somewhere this summer that Chase and Cameron were still under contract for the year. I really like both of them as non-subordinates to House. I didn't like the way they forced Foreman to kind of slink back with his tail between his legs. I'm an episode or two behind, but I have enjoyed the reality show schtick. I picked early on that Very Smart But Somewhat Vulnerable Young Lady would be a cast member. Maybe this is just my cynicism, but I saw her and went something like "oh, she's much prettier than the other actresses playing women candidates, I bet she stays".