When I said that Kutner needed a decent storyline, THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!!
Very Special Episodes always make me uneasy. Too often, they are forced, with faux platitudes and generally over the top performances intended to be blatant Emmy bait.
To an extent, last night’s episode had most of the earmarks of a VSE. Unexpected tragedy, everyone trying to deal with it, and a PSA at the very end. On the downside, much of the episode was predictable. Of course House is going to obsess over finding a reason. Of course House is going to insult Kutner’s parents. Of course Cuddy will bring in grief counselors. Of course Taub will keep himself busy. Of course Wilson will try to analyze House during his 35.57 seconds of screen time. The patients of the week, despite a decent performance by Meat Loaf as Eddie (heh), were immediately transferred to the “Who cares” pile. With the exception of Kutner’s suicide, the episode was almost painfully predictable.
What redeemed the episode was some stellar performances. Hugh Laurie turned in one of the most controlled, nuanced performances as House–and the rest of the cast stepped up their games as well, Olivia Wilde in particular. Experiencing Kutner’s death made her own impending death even more imminent.
To be fair to the writers, we really won’t be able to judge this episode until we see more of the fallout–everyone is still pretty much stunned. Next week, though, looks as though Taub will have to come to terms with the loss of his friend, and a ghost returns from season 1–the dreaded Cameron-House romance. Until then, all I can really do is wish Kal Penn the best–he did a lot with a small part.
Tue, Apr 7, 2009
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