TV Verdict

Random thoughts…

House opens its new times slot with an ho-hum entry that manages to be substantially less than the sum of its parts. The basic problem is that there were a few too many scenes in which credibility was sacrificed in the name of plot development. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not very good.

The patient of the week didn’t have much personality.  You can’t say that the pain has sapped his personality–see House himself for details.  The wife and the son did a good job with difficult roles, particularly toward the end.  But the final diagnosis was half-assed–what kind of epilepsy remains dormant until adulthood?  House’s attempts to get his plumbing fixed ended up being a more compelling storyline–though to be honest, that might just be a function of the amount of business I gave the plumbing industry last year.  And despite the similarities between the patient and House, there was very little in the way of rapport between the two.

The Foreman-Thirteen plot continues to annoy.   Foreman changing Thirteen’s schedule is completely out of character, even if he’s just trying to give her some hope and not just trying to get laid.  Everything seems forced, up to and including the reveal that thirteen is on the placebo treatment. That’s a pretty shoddy way to run a study, making it so easy to tell who is and isn’t on the treatment.

Despite all reason, Taub and Kutner make a great team; they play off one another very well.

I’m an adoptive and foster parent, so I have a soft spot in my heart for Cuddy’s current storyline.  Her home study was pretty accurate, based on my own experiences.  Cameron did so much paperwork back when she worked for House that it makes sense that Cuddy would deputize her as the House Keeper.  But it’s odd given that she wouldn’t give the job to Foreman, given that he’s supposedly in some kind of weird, poorly-defined supervisory role.  But House and Cameron is usually fun to watch so I’m not going to complain too much.

My Mondays are going to be particularly hectic when Chuck returns, as I’ll be juggling House, Chuck, 24, and oh yeah, my three kids.  If Fox is going to make my life difficult by moving House to Monday, is it really too much to ask that they make it worth my while?

Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX