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readingrat
When I finished watching 'Unwritten' last night I was somewhat disappointed. (No, it wasn't because there was no naked skin - that actually had me relieved!) I'd put great hopes in a patient plot featuring a writer, but when all was said and done, the plot was strangely predictable. As for House and Cuddy, most of their interaction felt ... odd. After a good night's sleep, however, some of the stuff that I'd banned into my subconscious re-emerged, sorted and filed, and now I feel strangely exhilarated. This could be a good season after all ... But let's start at the beginning of my chain of thought.
The POTW
As I said, I was excited about that, as were the writers in all probability. They certainly had their bit of fun with her, making her a cross between J.K. Rowling (my goodness, that scar!) and Stephenie Meyer. And House as an unlikely teenie fan girl had an undeniable rugged charm of his own. As a patient Helen was definitely more of a challenge than that sickeningly perfect teen girl of the previous week, reminding House of his own years of pain and misery. However, the connection between House and the patient's situation wasn't clear enough to satisfy me. I like patients who teach House something, not vice versa. The scene I enjoyed the most was the one where House dupes Helen into trying to commit suicide in hospital, thus giving him the chance to extend her psych hold.
What I didn't buy at all was House 'nearly' telling Helen the truth about her son, but stopping himself because he sees Cuddy lurking in the background. Having decided to lie to her about her son to make her happy, not even House-on-vicodin would have been cruel enough to tell her the truth - he has this thing about keeping families happy, even if he has no compunction about uncovering acts of infidelity. House-in-detox might have done it, but how often do we have that?
Memorable from my point of view, however, was House's comment on the Twilight parody characters in Helen's books: "Why can't she love both?"
Was he really referring to the characters or was he referring to himself? Is this a hint at the rivaling Huddy and Hilson fan communities in the net to get a grip and consider possibilities that are non-exclusive?
House and Cuddy
I read a fic recently (I think it was Shark Week, but if it wasn't I'm sorry for not crediting correctly) in which House explains why the Titanic was bound to hit an iceberg. Given the density of icebergs in the Atlantic and the momentum of a ship the size of the Titanic, a collision at some point was inevitable. Watching House and Cuddy one felt like screaming, 'Iceberg ahead!' in the certain knowledge that they can't evade anyway. So she lies to him and he doesn't talk to her. Great!
The only bit of interaction I felt comfortable with was the 'peace penguin', which establishes that House can't do romantic gestures and Cuddy doesn't really care - I liked the dry way she asks which room she should return it to and the nonchalance with which he accepts that his gesture doesn't qualify as romantic. That, however, was a scene that could have come from any pre-Huddy episode. Oh, and Cuddy during the house-breaking episode seemed right, too, but there was nothing romantic about that either. Which got me to thinking that the interactions I've seen this season felt best when they were only marginally romantic at the most. I hated the intro to 'Now what?' with the sex and scar kissing and I thought the sofa scene with the 'horrible things' and the 'most incredible man' was terrible writing. My favourite intimate moment in the first episode was House and Cuddy hugging right at the end just before she leaves, which was asexual insofar as House was upset and Cuddy was comforting him. In the second episode it was the hand-holding in the car park that I liked, but again, it was sort of asexual. I was really, really relieved when they started yelling at each other at the end of that episode (as I think we were supposed to be).
House says he's happy, but the only times he seems genuinely happy are when he is with Sam. Which brings me to my next point.
Sam
The episode establishes that House and Cuddy have nothing in common and probably never will. It also establishes that House and Sam are soul mates and that Wilson is subconsciously sleeping with House once again.
At first I was somewhat gob-smacked (this was one of the things I banned into my subconscious, but it popped out this morning and won't go back into its drawer again), but then I decided I like this. I think I'd like a season at the end of which House ditches Cuddy for Sam. Then Cuddy and Wilson can go back to their 'parenting House' act again, only that then they'd have two exuberant pre-teens instead of one.
This despite the fact that I enjoyed the flirty House-Cuddy interactions of the first seasons and have written any number of direct or indirect House/Cuddy fics. Ever since they've become canon, my desire to write such fics has shriveled to the size of dried prunes - the charm of the unknown and the forbidden is gone. The only problem from my point of view is how such a turnabout can be orchestrated without House feeling guilty for breaking Cuddy's heart, a difficult feat since IMO Cuddy really doesn't have any viable alternative to House. But other than that it would restore the balance among the main characters that has been somewhat upset by the relationship games of the past two seasons. I didn't quite understand why the writers and producers would want to diverge from JK Rowling's tried and proven recipe and keep House (Harry) disentangled from Cuddy (Hermione). Rowling introduced Ginny, a character no one was really invested it, as a love interest for Harry, and that worked much better than if she'd upset the balance between her main three characters. (Okay, she hitches Hermione and Ron up at the end, but that's after she's dug Ginny out for Harry, so no one minds at that stage, whereas if she'd done it before making it clear that Harry isn't interested, all the teenie fan girls would have gone nuts.)
I'd be perfectly happy if House and Cuddy, now that they're prepared to admit that they 'love' each other (yes, I believe they do, but that doesn't mean that they can't love other people more or in another way), could disentangle themselves from the sexual part of their relationship while keeping up the caring part (possibly even the cuddling) so as to find an operational mode in which they don't have expectations or think that the other has expectations that they can't live up to. Then they could interact in the manner of the first seasons without the continual pretense that they are 'only' employer and employee, and House would have someone to fall back on for friendship whenever Wilson feels the need to prove that he doesn't need House. In short, we'd have a Hermione to House's Harry and Wilson's Ron.
And I really, really enjoyed the happy exuberance that House shows when he and Sam are competing or cooperating on some crazy scheme. So, yeah, that 'ship' would be fine with me.
The POTW
As I said, I was excited about that, as were the writers in all probability. They certainly had their bit of fun with her, making her a cross between J.K. Rowling (my goodness, that scar!) and Stephenie Meyer. And House as an unlikely teenie fan girl had an undeniable rugged charm of his own. As a patient Helen was definitely more of a challenge than that sickeningly perfect teen girl of the previous week, reminding House of his own years of pain and misery. However, the connection between House and the patient's situation wasn't clear enough to satisfy me. I like patients who teach House something, not vice versa. The scene I enjoyed the most was the one where House dupes Helen into trying to commit suicide in hospital, thus giving him the chance to extend her psych hold.
What I didn't buy at all was House 'nearly' telling Helen the truth about her son, but stopping himself because he sees Cuddy lurking in the background. Having decided to lie to her about her son to make her happy, not even House-on-vicodin would have been cruel enough to tell her the truth - he has this thing about keeping families happy, even if he has no compunction about uncovering acts of infidelity. House-in-detox might have done it, but how often do we have that?
Memorable from my point of view, however, was House's comment on the Twilight parody characters in Helen's books: "Why can't she love both?"
Was he really referring to the characters or was he referring to himself? Is this a hint at the rivaling Huddy and Hilson fan communities in the net to get a grip and consider possibilities that are non-exclusive?
House and Cuddy
I read a fic recently (I think it was Shark Week, but if it wasn't I'm sorry for not crediting correctly) in which House explains why the Titanic was bound to hit an iceberg. Given the density of icebergs in the Atlantic and the momentum of a ship the size of the Titanic, a collision at some point was inevitable. Watching House and Cuddy one felt like screaming, 'Iceberg ahead!' in the certain knowledge that they can't evade anyway. So she lies to him and he doesn't talk to her. Great!
The only bit of interaction I felt comfortable with was the 'peace penguin', which establishes that House can't do romantic gestures and Cuddy doesn't really care - I liked the dry way she asks which room she should return it to and the nonchalance with which he accepts that his gesture doesn't qualify as romantic. That, however, was a scene that could have come from any pre-Huddy episode. Oh, and Cuddy during the house-breaking episode seemed right, too, but there was nothing romantic about that either. Which got me to thinking that the interactions I've seen this season felt best when they were only marginally romantic at the most. I hated the intro to 'Now what?' with the sex and scar kissing and I thought the sofa scene with the 'horrible things' and the 'most incredible man' was terrible writing. My favourite intimate moment in the first episode was House and Cuddy hugging right at the end just before she leaves, which was asexual insofar as House was upset and Cuddy was comforting him. In the second episode it was the hand-holding in the car park that I liked, but again, it was sort of asexual. I was really, really relieved when they started yelling at each other at the end of that episode (as I think we were supposed to be).
House says he's happy, but the only times he seems genuinely happy are when he is with Sam. Which brings me to my next point.
Sam
The episode establishes that House and Cuddy have nothing in common and probably never will. It also establishes that House and Sam are soul mates and that Wilson is subconsciously sleeping with House once again.
At first I was somewhat gob-smacked (this was one of the things I banned into my subconscious, but it popped out this morning and won't go back into its drawer again), but then I decided I like this. I think I'd like a season at the end of which House ditches Cuddy for Sam. Then Cuddy and Wilson can go back to their 'parenting House' act again, only that then they'd have two exuberant pre-teens instead of one.
This despite the fact that I enjoyed the flirty House-Cuddy interactions of the first seasons and have written any number of direct or indirect House/Cuddy fics. Ever since they've become canon, my desire to write such fics has shriveled to the size of dried prunes - the charm of the unknown and the forbidden is gone. The only problem from my point of view is how such a turnabout can be orchestrated without House feeling guilty for breaking Cuddy's heart, a difficult feat since IMO Cuddy really doesn't have any viable alternative to House. But other than that it would restore the balance among the main characters that has been somewhat upset by the relationship games of the past two seasons. I didn't quite understand why the writers and producers would want to diverge from JK Rowling's tried and proven recipe and keep House (Harry) disentangled from Cuddy (Hermione). Rowling introduced Ginny, a character no one was really invested it, as a love interest for Harry, and that worked much better than if she'd upset the balance between her main three characters. (Okay, she hitches Hermione and Ron up at the end, but that's after she's dug Ginny out for Harry, so no one minds at that stage, whereas if she'd done it before making it clear that Harry isn't interested, all the teenie fan girls would have gone nuts.)
I'd be perfectly happy if House and Cuddy, now that they're prepared to admit that they 'love' each other (yes, I believe they do, but that doesn't mean that they can't love other people more or in another way), could disentangle themselves from the sexual part of their relationship while keeping up the caring part (possibly even the cuddling) so as to find an operational mode in which they don't have expectations or think that the other has expectations that they can't live up to. Then they could interact in the manner of the first seasons without the continual pretense that they are 'only' employer and employee, and House would have someone to fall back on for friendship whenever Wilson feels the need to prove that he doesn't need House. In short, we'd have a Hermione to House's Harry and Wilson's Ron.
And I really, really enjoyed the happy exuberance that House shows when he and Sam are competing or cooperating on some crazy scheme. So, yeah, that 'ship' would be fine with me.
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no subject
Date: 2010-10-06 11:37 am (UTC)So in your scheme, would the writers then be able to put Cuddy with Wilson, something that never could have happened while House was alone and a danger to himself because he effectively would have been abandoned by his two loved ones simultaneously?
no subject
Date: 2010-10-06 02:52 pm (UTC)As for Cuddy and Wilson, the 'switching beds' thing applies to them too, so that would make me uncomfortable. Besides, there is the problem that Wilson likes women who remind him of House ... Finally, there has to be a reason for three divorces before the age of forty - Wilson can't be a nice person as a husband. So, since I like Cuddy, I'd prefer to spare her that.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-06 12:08 pm (UTC)The plot was predictable, yes. K and I had the writer's son's death and relationship to Jack Cannon figured out in the first ten minutes, pretty much. But it was still a welcome sight to see the medical mystery back at the center of the storyline, with Huddy relegated to the B plot where it belongs, IMO.
Btw, just as an aside, I think I understand now what was going on with House/Cuddy taking over the first two episodes so completely. Since we are ostensibly viewing current events in the House universe from his point of view, it makes sense that he would be thinking of Cuddy most of the time at the beginning of their relationship. I guess it could be considered reassuring to know that even cranky geniuses can fall prey to honeymoon syndrome. At any rate, since that's the only way I can reconcile those two execrable eps (again IMO), that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
So--onward. Yes, the writers did have fun cooking up their HP/Twilight mishmash, and it makes sense to me that House would enjoy those books. Look at the protagonist--lonely, brilliant, scarred boy with a gift for solving mysteries . . . hmm, who does that sound like? Three guesses, first two don't count, as my grandma used to say.
I also didn't care that much for the storyline between Helen and House except for the scene you mentioned, where he tricked her into being forced to stay another 24 hours. That's classic House, and it was wonderful.
I didn't like House changing his mind because Cuddy was hovering, either. I know it's supposed to remind us that he's trying to change, but as you mentioned it's OOC for him to do something like that in the first place. Secondly, we really don't need any reminders that House is trying to make the Huddy relationship work. Stop flogging that dead horse, writers. We get it already.
The Titanic reference is from juliabohemian's excellent House/Cuddy fic The Space Between. It is an apt metaphor for what's coming.
House and Sam . . . almost everyone picked up on the spark between them (and Wilson's freaking out at same). They're good together. In contrast to Cuddy's lying about reading the books (and making it very clear she has absolutely no interest in doing so--it's up to House to find one of HER interests if he continues to insist on doing so, and that's as far as common ground will ever go), Sam not only has read the books, she's as passionate about them as House is, and they both bond immediately over that mutual interest (with poor Wilson hovering anxiously in the background). I found it very telling that when House cheated to win and pulled the plug on Sam during the gokart race, she didn't pout, sulk, yell, or throw a hissy fit. She accepted it and maybe even admired the move--a very Houseian attitude.
Wilson subconsciously sleeping with House yet again . . . that could be true. It's certainly a legitimate conclusion to draw from previous relationships, Amber being perhaps the most vivid example for us because we haven't seen Wilson's marriages or his exes besides Sam.
Would House ditch Cuddy for Sam? I doubt it, mainly because he wouldn't want to hurt either Wilson or Cuddy. I'd like to see it though. They'd be a great couple. Sounds like a good fic plot to me, hint hint. ;)
The parallel between House/Wilson/Cuddy and Harry/Ron/Hermione is well drawn, even though some people don't see it. There used to be a fairly vocal ship for Harry/Hermione (Harmony) that insisted JK had it wrong and Harry and Hermione were meant for each other--this despite the 'anvils', as JK wryly called them, dropped throughout the books that Ron and Hermione are going to be a couple.
Anyway,I have a bad feeling that House/Cuddy is going to devolve in a fairly acrimonious and painful way, because writers love that kind of thing; it makes for great drama. At this point I'll be happy if House is the one who walks away first and is able to realize that his obsession with Cuddy has finally been played out and he can let it go. I won't hold my breath for that kind of ending to Huddy, but I'll keep hoping.
My favorite scene in the whole ep was the gokart race. It was classic House, and we even got the evil laugh and everyone banned for life from the premises. Now THAT'S the House we know and love!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-06 03:39 pm (UTC)House's reading: In 'Frozen' Cate notes that House only possesses non-fiction, saying he wouldn't waste his time on fiction. I thought that felt totally wrong. A man of House's eclectic tastes and broad general knowledge would never eschew fiction. He may not like it as much as non-fiction, but he'd know all about it. As for reading Harry Potter and the Twilight series, would a man who watches the lowliest daily soap disdain
these hallmarks of modern popular culture? No way! I'm glad the writers put that right.
I am somewhat reconciled not only with the previous two episodes, but also with the abrupt and inexplicable season 6 ending. If Huddy is not to last, then it makes sense to start it in a way that is not 'mature' (which it wasn't in my eyes). Me, I only have two problems with this whole set-up.
The first is that the breakdown of the relationship is going to be credited to Cuddy if 'Unwritten' is any indication of the way things will go. After what the writers did to Cuddy in the past two seasons this shouldn't come as a surprise. Nevertheless, I'm still mourning the Cuddy of Seasons 1 till 3 (possibly even Season 4), who was witty and funny and who understood and tolerated House. I'm okay with the relationship not working, but I'd like her to come out of it with a shred of dignity. In 'Unwritten' she was portrayed as lacking humour, unable to enjoy a bit of fun and unwilling to show even a marginal interest in the things that preoccupy her boyfriend. Where's the woman who plays games to make her employee do his clinic duty, who checks out obscure song quotes to best him, who is unruffled by whatever illegalities he chooses to commit in order to save his patients? (The same goes for Wilson - IMO those two characters are being shredded so as to make House look good. Writers, House doesn't need horrible!Wilson or bitchy!Cuddy to look good!)
The second objection is a very personal one. I'm fairly rigid in things sexual, so the thought of House with Wilson's ex-partner when Wilson is practically like a brother seems somehow, what can I say, 'incestuous' to me. I don't think hurting Wilson's feelings will be a problem, because chances are that he and Sam will split up even faster than House and Cuddy.
Oh, I've just thought of a third problem. House may not be as sexually repressed as I am, but he's fairly rigorous about commitments. So while you hope that he'll walk away from Cuddy, I doubt he could do that and feel okay with himself unless it's done with mutual consent - IMO that's why he couldn't end his relationship with Stacy after the infarction but had to drive her away. It's probably got an element of hypocrisy in it (making someone dislike you enough for them to leave instead of spelling your feelings out to them), but there it is.
I'm going to hate the devolvement that you predict (I'd like it halfways harmonious and with as little blood and tears as possible), but you have the uncanny knack of being right as a rule (any relation of House's?), so I'll steel myself and distance myself emotionally, so that I won't care.
But thank goodness we're back to the proven recipe for the series. I'll just hope that they get a few convincing cases, because then the rest won't matter. BTW, in my opinion they have started inserting these non-case oriented episodes (Broken, 5 to 9, Now what?) because they're running out of decent cases. I know you don't see these things from the writers' pov, but sometimes it explains a lot of odd stuff.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-06 04:30 pm (UTC)Also agree that House getting all obsessed with a pop culture phenomenon like HP/Twilight is totally in character based on his soap opera addiction and so forth.
I mentioned Wilson/Cuddy only because that would be the logical parallel to Ron/Hermione. My personal preference would be for House/Wilson. Wilson obviously likes to be with women who have a lot in common with House, and they've managed to maintain their "relationship" even as Wilson's wives have come and gone. (Also, totally agree with you that Wilson's marital history would not bode well for success with Cuddy, or anyone.) My interpretation of House's comment was that Wilson should be able to love both Sam AND House (or conversely, that House should be able to love both Cuddy and Wilson, but clearly the writers are working on making the Cuddy-House relationship look doomed, so I think I can scratch that one off).
no subject
Date: 2010-10-06 07:17 pm (UTC)I also didn't believe House reads only nonfiction. I suspect it's his preferred reading material simply because it supports his ability to solve puzzles, but he also has to have a working knowledge of popular and classic fiction. I'd bet he's got a bookcase in his bedroom full of the de rigueur Jack Cannon mysteries, among other goodies (Phantom Tollbooth, Treasure Island, the Black Stallion, etc).
The start of this relationship WAS immature--both parties going where they knew they shouldn't, IMO. Several House/Cuddy fans have said to me that they felt this avenue needed to be explored. I don't. The delicious, intelligent banter and flirtations of the first seasons are simply not enough on which to base a serious romance. Let UST stay UST. It worked for Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty and more recently, for Samantha Carter and Jack O'Neill, why not here too?
I really hope Cuddy isn't pinned as the villain. She and House are roughly equally responsible for anything that happens between them. To bend her character to the point of breaking in making her a shallow, driven flibbertigibbet is totally unfair to a woman who started out smart, savvy, and House's equal in many ways.
And yes, Wilson is also being bent way out of shape. Okay, he's constipated. We get that. But the Wilson of the last two seasons is so dark-sidedly manipulative, agonized, humorless, hectoring and cruel, it's as if someone's jammed the Empire State Building up his whatsis. For my part, I miss the Wilson of the early seasons who had something of a sense of humor (moose on a Jew, anyone?), could relax and enjoy House's company on occasion, and even offer decent advice without sounding like he's in an agony aunt correspondence school.
I doubt very much we'll see House end up with anyone else once he and Cuddy are splitsville. We have to see him wade through the agony of losing her and Wilson berating him for screwing up yet another golden opportunity to Be Normal.
You're right--House probably won't walk away first. I just wish he would. *sigh*
Actually I do see things from the writers pov quite a bit, being an amateur one myself :) After six years it probably is difficult to find a good medical mystery. After all, one can only crib so much from Mystery Diagnosis (a program they run on the Discovery Health Channel over here) without people catching on. Still, it's a welcome relief to get back to medicine and leave the soap opera on the back burner, so to speak.