Maybe its because Iīm reading "Shogun", but you mentioned "serving the patient" many times. Service is samurai. House mentioned living in Japan, maybe thatīs where he got his strong ethics, from japanese culture.
Great article BTW.

Thanks Jules, for your insight. Interesting observation. And one I hadn't considered. Cool.

Glad you liked the article. I started writing it as a season four overview, and got very caught up in the subtleties I had missed when I first watched those episodes.

Thanks, Barbara! As usual, you pointed out several things that I had missed, and made some more palatable ("Bring me the thong of Lisa Cuddy") and understandable. :-)

My pleasure, Sassydew! I wasn't overly crazy about House's "Bring me the thong of Lisa Cuddy" either. But given the hindsight of "A Wonderful Lie" and the whole bit with cable television and Cameron (where his point was to get them to stand up to him and not be afraid for their jobs), I think House's "tests" and "games" had much deeper reasons that to simply screw with people (though there was that as well ;) )

Dear Barbara,

Your first sentence was a book. And it helps explain to me why such a character as House, who limits himself to the professional side of his life in a rigid and predictable fashion, is at the same time complex. I guess the magic talents of Mr. Laurie also contribute to the complexity of this lop-sided, obsessive character. I can't help but wish for someone to create a similarly complex but symmetrically realized character. But of course we only get that in real life. It's all fascinating.

Dear SF,

Thank you for your kind and insightful comments. I believe we can only begin to guess at House's inner life away from his professional setting. But as with his life at the hospital, we also get generous clues about this.

His flat is a museum of clues: bookshelves laden with volumes (which cannot all be medical texts--in one episode I recall a biography of Beethoven lying on his piano) House's piano is a fine and valuable instrument; his other musical instruments--guitars; a banjo again suggest much more refined tastes than he would let on to his colleagues.

He has splendid artwork on his walls and lots of objets d'arte on the flat surfaces of his flat and his office; He has an audiophiles sound system (both at home and in his office). I could go on, but I would be ruining the fun of a future planned article.

Barbara, this is a lovely take on the first half of the season. I really enjoyed it and agree with your reading. To weigh in on the thong question, I had no problem with it because I don't think House thought for a second that anyone would actually win it. As Taub said, there's only one way to do it, really, and House doesn't think Cuddy is interested in any of his crew. Not only that, but as we saw, he doesn't want her to be interested in any of his crew. He was testing the team to see 1) if they would do it, and Amber made sure they did, and 2) how they would approach trying to outmaneuver Cuddy very much under the radar, since he didn't expect anyone to reveal anything to Cuddy. Cole blindsided him by actually involving Cuddy in a scheme designed to fly under her radar. Cole misread the purpose of the test--it was never about actually obtaining her panties by any means.

Barbara, thank you very much for this article. While I didn't like all of the survivor arc, I didn't dislike it entirely, either. My impression was that the episodes were denser and faster-paced than in previous seasons, making some of the subtleties and nuances harder to pick up on. (I used the expression "overstuffed" in several post-episode analysis sessions.)

But I thought that some of the writing rivalled anything in S1-S3. Specifically, my impression was that "Mirror Mirror" was one of the best-written episodes ever, and if it were up to me (in my dreams...:-)), I would have nominated it for a Best Screenplay Emmy.

I absolutely agree with your take on why House didn't fire 13 in "97 Seconds", and also with your take on why he fired Amber in "Games". Although I thought at the time that the graceful and sensitive way she handled being fired left the door open for her to return at some point - and happily for us all, she did.

So thank you again for superimposing some order on what sometimes *did* appear to be chaos. And for reminding us how great it is to look for, find and appreciate the real House under the smokescreen he puts up to throw us off!

You mention House's need to make sure everything is done for the good of the patient. That was not the case when House would have been the beneficiary. If you recall, in Insensitive (season 3), House was ready to biopsy a spinal nerve from a patient with CIPA. Wilson called him on that decision, and House relented. If Wilson hadn't intervened, would House have taken a chance of paralyzing a patient so he could have a life without pain? There was no sign that House would have reconsidered the biopsy on his own. He told Cuddy it was necessary, and he didn't relent when his team questioned it. Had that patient come along during the survivor arc, what would House have done? Did House learn anything from that situation?

Don't forget that House told Chase that mistakes are as serious as the results they cause. 13's mistake led to the death of a patient. House did not know enough about her to justify keeping her. I found that unbelievable. When Foreman's mistake killed the girl, House had signed off on the radiation. Chase's mistake did not directly lead to the patient's death.

13's mistake was put in to show that House is more concerned with how his team does things than what they do. House was concerned that Foreman was going to get the "yips" when he killed the girl; how could he be so sure 13 would not get the "yips" too? House had a history with Foreman, but none with 13. With 13 not assured of a job, he was taking a chance that the "yips" would have caused her to make another mistake.

I would have bought the survivor arc better if they had not made House more crude and sexist during that time. That served as an unneeded distraction did not serve the character or the show.

The survivor arc was also not served by the incompetent actors that were hired to play the candidates. There was not one actor in the 30, (barring Amber and Scooter from this entire part), who was worthy of being on the show. It was easy not to care who House hired, because the actors were interchangeable with each other. None of the actors created characters with enough personality to elicit any emotion from the audience. If we could have rooted for someone to be hired, we would have had more interest in why House hired them. I still don't like any of the new team members. I don't want to know anything about their past histories. The survivor arc was more forgettable than any other part of the show.

Gerry,

thanks for your take. This is one thing I really liked about the survivor arc (although, like Sue, I was somewhat put off by House's sometimes over-the-top behavior, which I'll get to in a minute)--nothing was really as it seemed. House knew he had to hire (and probably knows that he needs people off whom to bounce ideas, at the very least), but couldn't give Cuddy and Wilson the satisfaction of knowing that they were right and also because House "doesn't NEED ANYBODY" right? Heaven forbid!

Yes, the thong game was meant to be under the radar, and (as with the cable television game) I don't think it was meant to be won (or possibly even played, as I said above).

Orange--

I agree that the writing for these episodes was incredibly dense. Nearly all episodes in this series are densely written and as intricate as a Faberge egg (to Quote Mr. Laurie). The rapid fire pacing of these episodes make that especially true. While (for me, anyway) they lacked the gravitas I usually prefer on House (and the series made up for it big time as the season drew to a close, so I ain't complainin') the arc was far from useless in moving the story forward (i.e. revealing the incredible Dr. House). It was a bit lopsided, since the arc took up half the season, on the other hand.

Sue--

Well, I said--almost always (Insensitive and Distractions are the two I was thinking about). My feeling is that in insensitive, House was trying to convince himself to jump to brain biopsy, but rather than overrule his team at every corner, he did follow up on all of the alternatives...and I do think he would have stopped himself. Note that when Wilson actually suggested that House ask her (when she was cured), he declined, feeling that he had no right to ask her (even, as Wilson suggested, out of gratitude, which House denied she owed him).

I think the thing with 13's mistake was put in for the reasons you stated--and to show that at his core, House is not completely cold and heartless. He didn't fire Taub for undercutting his authority, nor Cole for hitting him. Nor Chase for betraying him in season one (Wilson suggested that he should).

I think the survivor arc is a "your mileage may vary" situation, depending on your feelings regarding the fellows-classic of CCF. I found that I was intrigued by Taub's potential threat to House for the future (much more potentially lethal than Foreman) and enjoyed Kutner's boyish excitiement about the coolness of being a doctor--and by 13's aloofness. She may be a bigger bitch than Amber in the finals analysis.

I, too, got the impression from "Insensitive" that House would not have carried through with the contemplated spinal nerve biopsy, Barbara.

Thanks for the thorough and insightful review of the Survivor arc. I like to add that I felt the more 'playful' tone of this group of episodes may have been intentional as a way of 'lightening' up the show after the darkness of Season 3...sort of a 'new beginning' for House with a new team, correct?

Definitely the strike-shortened season affected the balance of Season 4, as you pointed out, and many fans' view of the arc might be otherwise given the full 22 episodes rather than the 16 that we actually had.

Thanks HL_L. I also think the survivor arc was intended to bring the series back to a lighter footing, so to speak. Until the season finale punched us in the collective gut.

I agree that a longer season four would have changed some of the fans' perspective on the season and the survivor arc, which would have taken on much less prominence in the season.

Barbara, I enjoyed your writing as always. I think you could make a garbage strike sound almost poetic!

Unfortunately, I still dislike the Survivor arc as much as ever. I've watched House since the very first episode and have never had to work so hard to "get" him. As you said, it was always understood with a look or gesture by the fabulous Hugh Laurie just where House stood. Even during the Tritter arc, I understood House; I felt for him. During the Survivor arc, however, I couldn't stand him or his outrageous - and often silly - behavior, and mourn the loss of his dignity for do-rag gags.

I don't always agree that "everything he and the fellows do must serve the interest of the patient before the doctor." I know you've already listed two exceptions, but Cuddy also pointed out at the end of "97 Seconds" that while House was busy sticking a knife in a wall plug for some redundant experiment in the afterlife, his patient and team were unsupervised and his patient DIED. Yet, the games continued.

During the Vogler arc, House did not resort to gimmicks to try and thin out his team. He wanted to base his decision on whoever could distinguish himself with a "brilliant idea." When Chase and Cameron began to snipe at each other in the hallway, House quickly put an end to it; he had no use for *that* kind of competition. Vogler was an actual threat which he had to eventually take seriously. By Season 4, Cuddy is barely registering as a threat, AND she is a willing participant at times in the free-for-all while House is pitting the candidates against each other. I'm just not seeing any recognition or reward for a team effort.

I agree with Wilson's assessment of the thong challenge. "It's just creepy." As pointed out, the whole idea was to "subvert" Cuddy. Can we substitute "show total lack of respect for Cuddy's authority" in place of "subvert"? I recall during the CCF era that House would ask them to work *around* Cuddy at times, but I don't recall that he ever openly encouraged such blatant disregard for her authority. None of them seem remotely afraid of her and they *should* be! It seemed as if House was preoccupied throughout much of the episode with Cuddy's underwear or lack thereof, rather than the patient.

I find it hard to believe that House would become attached to any of the newbies after two months, at least not emotionally. I expected and needed to see emotional attachment to CCF considering all they had done for him in four years, including standing up to Tritter at cost to their own well-being, caring for him and ultimately putting their feelings for him on the line to be mocked in "Half-Wit," tending to him over and over again and showing him compassion and loyalty over the years. Yet, something that I would have considered believable and honest was shoved in the background for "The Games."

I think there can be a mistaken tendency at times to equate (and dismiss) viewers' dislike of the Survivor arc with the lack of Chase and Cameron screentime. And while many people openly admit to liking C&C a thousand times more than their dull replacements, there have been many, many thoughtful and reasonable posts about why the Survivor arc didn't work for them.

but Cuddy also pointed out at the end of "97 Seconds" that while House was busy sticking a knife in a wall plug for some redundant experiment in the afterlife, his patient and team were unsupervised and his patient DIED. Yet, the games continued.

I've thought about why House did that, coupled with his concern about the knife-guy clinic patient after House regained consciousness. I believe that House did that knife thing not so much to test the "afterlife" for himself, but to prove to the guy that it didn't exist--to get him to not do it again. "I have to talk to him," House lamented to Wilson. House was very upset to learn he had died (and maybe the test was in vain). He would have had no other reason to have been so insistent about talking -- not to the SMA patient--but to the knife in the wall guy. But YMMV (as they say).

During the Vogler arc, House did not resort to gimmicks to try and thin out his team. He wanted to base his decision on whoever could distinguish himself with a "brilliant idea."

Actually he didn't want to get rid of any of them and went so far as to offer up 17% of his own salary to avoid firing anyone. Foreman had only been working with him a few months at that point, and Cameron only a year.

Thanks for your nice comments about my writing (I'm blushing) and always, always love the debate over differing opinions!

dear barbara,first of all thanks for the review of the "Survivor" arc which made me want to go back and see it again to pick up all the points I missed.
I shan't see the last episode till tomorrow , but " House's Head " redeemed the whole series for me,as harrowing and revealing as some of the best and what new superlatives can one find for Hugh Laurie ? Every time he amazes me more.

Watching House driving himself through his pain and confusion, I began to wonder why he became a doctor. He was brilliant, beautiful and athletic, he could have been successful in any profession. Especially,given his belief in reason and logic, one of the more abstract sciences.House doesn't love his neighbour but he is willing to lay down his career, his liberty and even his life for him.
There is an element of self-abnegation in House which, in a religious man , might have led him to a monastery.
Does this spring from a sense of worthlessness, instilled by his unloving, abusive father......?

Ann UK--

Thanks you for your comments. Wilson's Head will take your breath away. "House's Head" was simply one of the most (insert superlative) hours of television I've ever seen. The brilliance of Hugh Laurie's performance cannot be overstated. It was the definition of tour de force. He was in every single frame of that episode. And it wasn't an ordinary performance--it was subtle, emotional, raw and incredibly brave. House's psyche and emotions were ripped apart along with his head, and his quest to find out who the other victim was was the sort where you just simply hold your breath and notice only later that you've had tears in your eyes.

Wilson's head is like that as well. Both Laurie's and RSL's performances are fantastic. Enjoy (and bring a handkerchief!)

It is interesting to consider why House became a doctor. You can buy what he said in Son of Coma Guy--that his ability to save lives that no one else can is his entree into a society that he believes shuns him. We know, for example, that he had been a more social sort before--he was a golfer, participated in team sports and leisure activities like pain ball. These are all things that suggest that he at least wanted a buy into society.

House is a healer. I always think of the song that played at the end of Lines in the Sand (Waiting for an Angel). The music starts up as the autistic boy gives House the game--his gift to the doctor who listened to him--actually listened to what he was saying (if that makes any sense). House was that kid's Angel. Is that what House is, in a subversive sense? A broken winged dark angel? A wayward knight of sorts? He is one who can intervene when no one else can (or wants to). How many patients has he taken on that his staff and colleagues have fought him on over the four years we've known him.

Maybe it's something he's driven to do--despite the fact it not something he "wants" to do or be--it's something he has no choice about. It simpy is. House said sometime in season one--"being a doctor doesn't make you a healer." I can't remember the episode, but he's right, and the fact that House knows the difference is a pretty imprtant aspect to his character.

I would like to echo what Andi said:

I think there can be a mistaken tendency at times to equate (and dismiss) viewers' dislike of the Survivor arc with the lack of Chase and Cameron screentime. And while many people openly admit to liking C&C a thousand times more than their dull replacements, there have been many, many thoughtful and reasonable posts about why the Survivor arc didn't work for them.

The stock answer of those who defend the Survivor Arc and Season 4 seems to be a dismissal of those who don't like it as merely a result of reduced screentime for two very interesting characters, Chase and Cameron. There is much more to it than that, but it can be summed up in the general dumbing down of the show (reality show rip-offs, toilet humor, inconsistencies in the characters) and expectations for the audience to suspend disbelief about the most outrageous things. House has become a caricature of himself. The heart and soul of the character seemed to disappear. Remember how every episode of ER was advertized as "the episode you can't miss"? Now every episode of House has become "the most shocking episode yet." They've made a joke of their own lead character. So while many of us do miss Chase and Cameron, we also miss House himself.

They've made a joke of their own lead character. So while many of us do miss Chase and Cameron, we also miss House himself.

There have been times when House has indeed been a bit "over the top"--maybe more this season than most. But (and, yes, I know he's a fictional character) I have to wonder what his motivations are for being that way. Is he really written out of character, or is there a reason for him to want to "hide" even more than usual?

His default position is to push away. His interests are best served by people not liking him. It's easier for him, which is why he pushes those buttons. Being a jerk is a the fastest way to that position. when it came down to it, ultimately, he was not a jerk. As things settled down towards the latter half of the season, so did House. Which then gave us the heartbreaking season finale.

I don't equate disliking the survivor arc with hating the lack of CC screentime. I think House did seem "off" as a character quite a bit, the pacing was often frenzied and the episodes were so packed, that we were denied those quiet little moments to offset the chaos.

I have mixed feelings about the first half of season four, but was satisfied with its resolution. It was time for CC (and IMHO, F) to move on. I like the new fellows, as much as I liked the old ones halfway into season one, which is the standard one has to hold up. But your mileage, of course, may vary! Thanks for chiming in, HouseFan.

If House kept Thirteen after she killed Stark and his little dog because she got the diagnosis right, why didn't he keep Amber too? She got the diagnosis right in Guardian Angels. Kutner and Taub got no diagnoses right through the whole Survivor arc.

The real answer as to why Thirteen stayed seems to be because she is played by Olivia Wilde. If it were based on acting ability, Scooter and Amber would have been the ones to stay. If it were based on being able to add something original to the show, Scooter, Amber and Cole. But the deciding factor seems to have been pop culture popularity plus not being good enough to take the limelight away from HL and so we ended up with Thirteen, Kutner and Taub, wallpaper except possibly for Kutner.

House also picked the three fellows least likely to stand up to him. Amber challenged him not only over his way of picking people but over Wilson, Brennan was doing exactly what House would do in his shoes, and Cole refused to sacrifice his life for House's whims and outsmarted House over the thong challenge. I don't know if it's House who is afraid of having his authority challenged or David Shore who is afraid of hiring actors who can take the spotlight off of House for a while but the hiring decisions were bad. Chase and Cameron threatened to be good enough and they got dropped; Foreman, the worst of the three and the one who relies on House rather than his own judgement, is the only one who stayed. Be a strong actor and you're off this show (RSL excepted).

It seems to me that House almost always does what serves his selfish whims. He doesn't take cases if he doesn't feel like it even if the patient has no where else to turn (e.g. Paternity, Human Error). He only cares about the puzzle, not the patient as Wilson and House himself have repeatedly said. He doesn't do his job in terms of clinic hours or proper supervision of his fellows. Like Amber, he plays the game to win, even if it's just to get a bigger TV set and could cost Cuddy her job. Or to break up the first relationship his best friend has been happy in for a long time because he doesn't want to lose Wilson's focus on himself. He was willing to risk paralyzing the girl in Insensitive on the very slim chance he could grow a nerve cell to end his pain if Wilson and Cameron hadn't stopped him.

Wilson said House would pick the team he was the least likely to get attached to. I don't know about House, but he sure picked the ones I'm least attached to and would be more than happy to let go. They are a drag on the show.

Between House becoming a self-centered drama queen, the jokes that now aim for the reality show crowd, the sexual titillation that has replaced good drama, and the poor selection of a new team, I'm wondering why I ever liked this show.

House also picked the three fellows least likely to stand up to him.

I would respectfully disagree with you, being as this is a "your mileage may vary" sort of thing (and certainly a matter of opinion)

I think Taub has no problem standing up to House and (as I think I said) presents a threat (due to his experience and attitude) that no one on his staff has ever presented. Kutner, i would agree isn't likely to stand up to House much. He's the type who would look to "get along" and be a peacemaker. 13 is also not afraid of House, she is not easily intimidated.

Amber challenged him not only over his way of picking people but over Wilson, Brennan was doing exactly what House would do in his shoes

Amber's interest in winning, and as much as that might appeal to House, he needs his team to function as a team (collaborative, even as they argue with each other--he didn't think he was going to get that from Amber--as reluctant as he was to let her go.) House WOULD NOT, I repeat WOULD NOT do what Brennan did--in my opinion. Whatever House says, however he acts outwardly, he would not exploit as sick patient under his immediate care to promote his own personal glory-seeking.

I don't know if it's House who is afraid of having his authority challenged or David Shore who is afraid of hiring actors who can take the spotlight off of House for a while but the hiring decisions were bad.

Again, different strokes for different folks, I was fine with his choices. And the spotlight should never be taken off House, it's a show about him.

Chase and Cameron threatened to be good enough and they got dropped;

Or they learned all they could from House after three years. and moved on.

Foreman, the worst of the three and the one who relies on House rather than his own judgement, is the only one who stayed.

Which is why Foreman is kept back, having failed "House 101." Cameron (as I said in the article) explained how they were doctors who learned to be doctors from House--as opposed to Doctors trained by more by-the-book docs. She and Chase learned a lot what is good about House; Foreman did not.

It seems to me that House almost always does what serves his selfish whims. He doesn't take cases if he doesn't feel like it even if the patient has no where else to turn (e.g. Paternity, Human Error). He only cares about the puzzle, not the patient as Wilson and House himself have repeatedly said.

"seems" is the operative word here. I disagree with the notion that that is all he is. He doesn't only care about the puzzle as has been demonstrated time and again. He has risked his career and his freedom for the good of the patient and to heal (long after there was no longer a puzzle to solve).

He doesn't do his job in terms of clinic hours or proper supervision of his fellows. Like Amber, he plays the game to win, even if it's just to get a bigger TV set and could cost Cuddy her job.

House, again, has shown him to be a first rate teacher, and the survivor arc showed that. He doesn't teach down, but requires the fellows under his tutelage to understand the medicine behind his decision and to observe symptoms not in a vaccum, not with the biased eye of convention and personal gain, but as medicine--no blinders (or fewer blinders) and no pre-conceived notions.

The survivor arc clearly elicited strong feelings by fans of the show. There are so many ways to interpret nearly every scene and every action by nearly every character in this complex series. Cool.

When I go back and watch the beginning of season one, C,C&F were interesting, appealing, and excellent right away. There was no break-in period needed. They had nothing to pattern themselves on. They originated "the team," and they never let me down one time. They each knew how to create a well-rounded, interesting, visually appealing character who can excel at every challenge put before them. I never once did not believe they were their characters.

I have yet to figure out what the new team is doing. They have not identified themselves as doctors yet to me. They have not shown they can adapt their acting to reflect the situation they find themselves in from scene to scene. I never feel a mood change from scene to scene as they progress through an episode. They are as untalented as Hugh Laurie is talented. How they ever hired these three bimbos is beyond me. If they had tried to sabotage the show, they could not have done a better job hiring this trio. They have added NOTHING to the show! I prefer it when they are not in a scene. House got rid of them in Frozen, which saved the episode. Unfortunately, Hugh and House suffer immensely because there is such a drop-off in intensity when the camera is on them. If this trio had been on the pilot of any show, it would have never been sold. Take away Hugh Laurie in their scenes, and they fall flat. They are THAT BAD! It is stunning that a show that had done everything right could make such a blunder. I don't know if this hiring decision was done by Fox or David Shore, but they are stuck with lousy actors.

Not only are the three they hired bad, the thirty they hired were just as bad. One of the reasons House seemed so outrageous during the survivor arc is that the actors who surrounded him were bland. If there were no outrageous actions and words by House, what would we have been left with? The scripts were dense and all over the place; I think this was intentional so they wouldn't spend too much time on the actors themselves. House lost his focus, and so did the show. There was not much that was familiar during that time to ground yourself on. It was haphazard and unfocused. You can search for themes and patterns during this arc, but I think those are few and far between. Each week, House had a different reason for firing someone, and it seemed like at times, he was contradicting himself. Don't play games, while he was playing the most juvenile ones. Do everything you need to do to get the right answer, but you have to be able to be wrong. Maybe because every episode was written by a different writer it seemed so haphazard. If you have to go back and reevaluate what happened to look for a method to the madness, it could not have had the proper impact the first time it was seen. I visited a few message boards during the times this arc was on, and the rancor from loyal fans was intense. It still is. There is now "acceptance" of this team, not "like." One reason fans want C&C back is because of what they added to the show. If producers of a top-rated show cannot fill that void with great actors and amazing stories, something is wrong. It is only when the focus returned to the familiar and consistent that the show got great again. The filled the "team" void with more Wilson. House's Head and Wilson's Heart were not great because of anything contributed by the new team. It was House, Cuddy, Wilson and Amber that made those episodes unforgettable. Is there anything the new actors did during those episodes that is memorable? Maybe, Kutner eating his cereal.

For me, the survivor arc left me empty. I did not find the resolution of the experience rewarding. If a new team with first-rate actors had been hired, I might have felt it was worth the ride. It was a rollercoaster that dumped the riders out of the cars before it stopped. I felt like "is that all there is." Not only was the outcome not rewarding, but we lost what made House appealing and memorable. No matter how bold or noble the effort was by the producers and writers, in general it failed because the focus was lost. They tried to do too much at one time, and everything suffered for it.

I am a loyal fan, and I will say that Hugh Laurie is the best actor that has ever lived, bar none, and House is the best show I have ever seen, bar none. When it is done right, everything else pales in comparison. Even when they get it wrong, it is still good. As a fan, I am spoiled by the possibility of what could have been, and I am displeased that I was let down. I am discontented that we still have to deal with actors that are not good enough. I don't understand how they let it get away from them. I am hoping that they can make something interesting out of the new team. But I know you can't get blood from a stone.

I have to agree with Sue's last post. The actors who were picked are completely boring and should in no way share the screen with Hugh Laurie. And my opinion has nothing to do with the less air time for C&C because I really wasn't that crazy about them either. I think I would be much happier to just have House and Wilson in the cast because the rest of the episode is usually pretty drab lately.
Maybe it's because Hugh is such an AMAZING actor.
But that was known when they were hiring the actors. So WHY would they hire such inept people to act beside one so AMAZING. Did I mention that Hugh is AMAZING??? :)
Anyway, I think some of it had to do with the shortened season. I think season 5 will be better. I DON'T ever want another Tritter type arc. That just broke my heart.
I'm not too optimistic about this new love interest of Cuddy's coming onboard either. I don't think House loves Cuddy, so it's all very anti-climatic for me. (pun intended) They'll have him act jealous when in fact, I don't think he'll be jealous at all. I think he just wants to be able to get his way with Cuddy professionally whenever he wants to. Don't get me wrong. I think House has feelings for Cuddy, it's just not love.
So what else do we have so far. Ah...Wilson forgiving House for Amber's death. Well, that part should be good. But it better not be all about feeling sorry for Wilson, because as much as I love Wilson, he WAS an enabler to House and deserves half the blame for what happened. Things happen. It's not always somebody's fault.
Well, I've gone on far too long.
Cross your fingers for an EMMY win for HUGH.
I don't think anyone in TV works harder than he does or is better.
I fell in love with HOUSE and with Hugh watching the very first episode. That has NEVER happened to me before. This man is very special.
Oh, and cross your fingers for NO actor's strike!
GREAT article, Barbara!! GREAT banter, everyone!!

ann uk, I found your comment of House's self-abnegation and alternative life as a monk if he were religiously inclined excellent and very funny. It immediately brought to mind the scene in the jogging park when Cuddy found him spread out like Jesus on a picnic table.

There is such a wide range of perspectives here it's almost dizzying. One thing the Survivor Arc did provide was an injection of humanity; a larger social canvas on which to paint. I'm all for enlarging Dr. House's social horizons, even when it's just through a computer screen to the people on the Antarctic.

I wonder if Mr. Shore views the Survivor Arc as a misstep? I imagine he is too busy with the current and next arc. I am looking forward to Cuddy finally having some fun with a Sherlock Holmes type who loves women. (Holmes' misogyny always bothered me.) House will have intellectual and sexual competition. What could be better?

Sue--I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. The reason (at least for me, and your mileage, etc....)CCF seemed to be the team from the start is that we had no preconceived notions about them. We didn't know their place, what or who they were in connection to House. We knew that Cameron was a classic ingenue, that Chase was a spoiled rich boy and Foreman was a street smart guy who rose above adversity.

Chase didn't really come into his own for a long time, JM eased into the role, and I felt she really didn't hit her stride until sometime at the very end of season one, and (to me) Foreman's role was to be an ass and it still is. The fellows never really "got to me" in a way (I guess) that they got to a lot of other viewers. I like them well enough, and Chase, especially has gone from a character I despised in Season one, to a character I greatly repect and cherish.

So, I guess we'll never quite see eye to eye on them and I resepct that a lot of people see things differently, so let's hear it for good debate!

Grace--Nicely put and thanks! Here's hoping for Hugh. He has,as I understand it, submitted "House's Head" for his emmy selection. It gets no better than that! HL was brilliant in it, and in virtually every frame.

I agree with you that in a "normal-length" season the survivor arc would have not taken quite the prominence that it did and would have been considered differently. More episodes would have buffered it from the final four episodes, and more build would have occurred.

I see the beginning of season five as one of healing for House, for Wilson. Wilson will maybe ant to distance himself from House, blaming House's neediness and his own holding onto House's neediness as causes (indirect) of Amber's death. House will either internalize his feelings (which will come out in strange ways) and isolate himself further (he also may have some additional physical or mental impairment--depending on the temporal distance between the two seasons). In any event, I think we'll see a somewhat chastened House, who has taken Amber's death very hard.

SF--I love the idea that we'll perhaps see Cuddy and House draw closer--and their banter become more overt (it's built rather steadily since season two). You're right. Unlike HOlmes, House does love women, so I think Cuddy can be House's Irene Adler, but with more heat and sparks between them than between Holmes and the real Irene :)

As to a strike, I'm keeping my ear to the ground and if I hear anything other than what's being reported widely, I'll let everyone know.

I'm working up an article on the music of the series and it's place in the storytelling, so if anyone has a particular musical moment, be sure to let me know.

BB

Hmmm interesting comments and article. I am always late to the party!

I have to agree with sue on the new team and their choices. I like Kutner alone but as a group they just bore me to tears and I find it hard to get into the episode. This is despite myself missing chase and cameron, I have always felt that there could have been more done with their characters in term of backstory and their lives. So for me they missed the mark by THAT much (which is a large gap) in terms of what they could have done with chase and cam and their choices for the new team.

That being said I did see the writing, it was still there however the execution of it for me was over the top at times and rather dodgy. To me it was almost like I lost the the main core of House this season. The survivor arc for me over stayed its welcome and just got silly by the end. However I I loved scooter, Cole and ADORED Amber. There was some other good canadates as well that I felt should have got a spot on that team but shrugs that's the way show biz goes

I really really hope HL gets an emmy this year...it would be so crap if James Spader got it again (not that I don't like his character coz I do) its just that he has enough emmys as it is. HL so deserves it! I look foreward tp season 5 and hope it is better then the last season which was my least favourite.

I always liked the Holmes aspect of House though. Even though I always preferred cameron with house I always felt that House should remain alone. It was pretty obvious that House loves women more than Holmes ever would but it would be a little more refreshing if he ended up alone because way to many times in both tv and movies we have seen this type of character be together with a good woman and I would like to see a change in that aspect. I am a little weary of the Huddy arc but am willing to see how it goes. I have always hated the way he treats her, no woman should be treated like that but on the flip side she takes it lightly so I can repsect that aspect. I was also a little weary when they started to make her a little too soft during this season except for a few bits and pieces here and there. So again I hope that changes a little bit.

That is all I can think of to say lol but my favourite musical moment was fetal position and the last scene with 'Are you alright?". That has to be one of my favourite songs in season three (it has a lot of good songs) with the last scene in "Human error" ("A good man") and the last scene in Wilson's head )passing afternoon" coming in second.

Thanks Barbara!

Never too late to this party, Susanne! I really do appreciate and enjoy the diversity of opinion that graces the "comments" section of my column--whether you agree with me or not.

I think, that in the end, House will be alone. If he's healed, the show is over. So as much as we ache for him at times, he can't be happy until the end (but I have my own theories on that!)

Thanks for your musical input. It was actually that scene at the end of Fetal Position to inspire the article I'm writing, what a great song to overlay that scene.

Barbara, would you like us to make our music suggestions on this thread, or would you like to keep this for feedback on your Survivor article?

Andi--that's actually a good question. I'll take musical suggestions here, that's no problem. But I don't want to stifle the "survivor" conversation, so go ahead with both. Hoping to publish the music article early next week,so I can't think of how else to take your suggestions...

BB

In that case, I hope that you include "In the Deep," from Autopsy. It's haunting and the lyrics are very relevant to the story at that point. A perfect song for a perfect episode.

I hope the show wins a co-star in Olivia Wilde. Then we will talk.

Barbara, thanks for such a good article. Even though I don't agree with your views of the survivor arc -others (Sue, Andi, House Fan, Pat, Grace and Susanne) have said it much better than me, so I won't repeat it- I'm constantly checking for anything you might write. As not a native speaker of English, it's always a delight for me to read your writing just for the sake of the language; that is about House is even better. So, I might disagree, but I'm fascinated for the words and the ideas you write and how you present them. I expect your articles (and the comments they provoke) with almost as much anticipation as I will expect a new episode.

You have not idea how excited I'm that you're going to write an article about House's music. My favorite has to be "Walter Reed" at the end of "Fools for Love". Also Elvis Costello's cover of "Beautiful" at the end of "Autopsy", "See the World" at the end of "Half-Wit" and if you thinking of including music that was not in a episode but it's in the soundtrack, John Rouse's "God, Please Let Me Go Back". I don't remember hearing it on a episode.

MOh.. I feel like I should say something more to keep things in topic.. lol! Well, I want to add to what Sue said about 13's mistake. I also found unbelievable that she stayed. When Chase mistakenly did the MRI to Carly's wrong leg because he wasn't paying attention (talking to that resident) House, though didn't fire him, kept him wondering and on his toes thinking he would. They had to do test again, but with 13, there was no way to turn back time and do it all over again. What I mean to say is that I just can't believe that House is pissed enough about something as simple a wrong test and not about a mistake (negligence in both cases, I think) that cost a patient's life. Just like Sue quoted, mistakes are serious as the results they cause. I'll never understand why House accepted (dismissed is so strong, but to me it felt like it) 13's mistake so easily with "I know you're not going to let anything like this ever happen again." Of course she is not!, but I expected something more than that.

You wrote a brilliant thoughtful, and incisive analysis, as usual, of Season 4. And, OMG! I was shocked you said something nice about Cameron. Of course, you had to negate that by using the phrase "for all of her faults" to describe her. I just wish you could be more even-handed with her: I can't be your only fan who is bothered by that. IMHO, Cameron & Cuddy are your 2 blind spots. Absent those, you'd be an absolutely perfect writer.

NLP--Thanks much. I actually do like Cameron--it's not that I dislike her, I just can't see her with House. I like her very much with Chase. I like their relationship and I like the growth she's had over the four years. I also think Jennifer Morrison has become a better actress over the years (hey, she's a hometown girl, sort of: she went to a neighboring high school and her dad was the band director until he retired a couple of year ago--of course I'm much, much, much older than JM).

Cuddy, I'll admit I have a bias in favor of. And I won't defend it...but I like her; I like her relationship with House (for all of ITS flaws).

Thanks for the very kind words and your continuing readership! Glad the posting thing worked (I even get faked out by it sometimes!)

May I agree with Elvis Costello's BEAUTIFUL?
Also, the Leon Russell song that eludes me at the moment as well as the episode it was in.
And you won't leave out YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, will you? :)

P.S. To Sarah. It will never happen. Sorry.

Dear Barbara, Wilson's Heart was everything you said. I am still feeling shell- shocked by its uncompromising emotional honesty.
I think we considered House as a fallen angel in a previous conversation.One of the most admirable things about "House" is that at a time when most TV characters are commonplace nonentities, motivated by petty motives and conventional opinions,they have had the courage to envision a figure that is heroic, tragic and fallible, capable of great nobility and also human weaknesses.
Isn't it something of a miracle that in Hugh Laurie they found an actor to measure up to him?

Your suggestionion of a knight made me think of another literary parallel ; Launcelot in The Morte d'Arthur.Nobody loves the perfect Galahad, but every one loves the human, fallible Launcelot.

Grace, I wouldn't be so sure. It will happen. Mark my words.

Dear Barbara,

********SPOILER ALERT for Season 5*********

The entertainment news reports Michael Weston as an upcoming guest actor on a House M.D. arc who will play a private investigator with an intellectual acumen comparable to that of House. He will also fall hard for Cuddy.

Previously, when I spoke of Cuddy and Sherlock Holmes as a couple and the fun Cuddy would finally be allowed, I was referring to Michael Weston's character, not Greg House. I don't think any true intimacy between House and Cuddy could be classified as merely fun. There would be moments of fun between them but both characters are so intense and have such strong feelings for each other, as well as a healthy amount of fear, the word would have to be intense, not fun.

Anyway, if audiences respond to Michael Weston, he will be featured on his own TV show as a private investigator with the brains of a Sherlock Holmes except that he loves women. It sounds intriguing.

By the way, do you have a spoiler preference or are we free to discuss the topics at hand with only the limitations that good taste would require? In other words, in your previous response to my post were you helping me out of a tricky spot?

Sign me "Still learning as I go"

P.S.

Musically, the piano piece began by House as a teenager and completed by TPOTW in Half-Wit was very haunting. It made me think House was stuck emotionally and socially at his teenage development and never attained the release and range of adulthood.

Great article, BB. Some great comments, too.

I have to agree with the people here about not liking the survivor arc much, but I think its mainly because of the shortened season. I feel the writers didn't get enough episodes to build the characters of the new team. If the writers aren't able to give the actors/characters enough to work with, the character is obviously going to come out bland and 2D. I don't blame that on the actors, or the writers, but on the strike. The storyline from the season 3 finale and the shortened season pretty much doomed this season from the start, but I feel everyone did an admirable job salvaging as much as they could.

Sue-
His not firing 13 was probably because she had gotten the right diagnosis, though she didn't carry the treatment out properly. When Chase made his mistake he had already been working for House for sometime. House had already come to trust him when he made his mistake, and so it hurt him more.

Having the 'yips', according to House, doesn't cause a person to make mistakes, it causes them to suck at their jobs because they have lost their confidence. So if she was to get the 'yips' it wouldn't cause her to make a mistake, she would probably just mope around and take the safe route in her work (something Foreman is still doing).

I agree with what you said about it being easy to not care about who House hired. The characters seemed to develop a personality just before they got fired. But I guess it was a balancing act of air-time between House and the POTW, and the candidates. I personally prefer House and POTW over the candidates, less House means boring episode.


Andi-
I have to disagree with you about '97 seconds'. In that episode, at the time when House performs his experiment, the patient had already been diagnosed with cancer and refused treatment. There was nothing further that House could do for him. His reasoning could have been that he had to prove to his patient that there was no after-life and that he should therefore accept treatment. Unfortunately, when he wakes up Wilson tells him that the patient doesn't have cancer anymore, so he asks about the car accident guy. At least that's what I think.

As far as emotional attachment to his old team, you need to watch the season 3 finale "Human Error" again to catch it. There is a scene in which he is sitting on his couch alone at home with tears in his eyes after firing Chase.


Songs -
Ryan Adams - Desire - S02xE13 - "Skin Deep"
John Mayer - Gravity - S03xE02 - "Cane & Able"
Ben Harper - Waiting On An Angel - S03xE04 - "Lines In The Sand"
Joe Purdy - Rainy Day Lament - S03xE15 - "Half-Wit"
Matthew Ryan - Follow The Leader - S03xE20 - "House training"
The song in "Games" towards the end when he fires Amber and 13 (don't know the name, its the guitar piece).
All the songs in the season 4 finale (Wilson's Heart).

P.P.S.

The music at the end of "Games" by Norman Greenbaum titled "Spirit in the Sky". This song was also the self-declared theme song of the life of the infamous Hunter S. Thompson as seen in the movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" made from his book by the same name.

I am loving this discussion. So intriguing.

Buds
I have to respectfully disagree with the arc. Not everything should be blamed on the strike. They have to take some part of the responsibility because we all knew that a strike was highly likely. The actors had several chances to shine and stut their stuff during the whole survivor arc. Amber was able to pull it off, scooter was able to pull it off, Cole was able to make an early impression even Kutner stood out. Those canadates were able to click together and the chemistry was mazing between them. There is a barrier between actor and the audience and the actos' job is to use the material that they have and break through the barrier and hit the mark with the audience and leave an impression. Those guys did that but 13 and Taub didn't for me. Taub had a few good moments but would quickly fall into the background and 13 is just like watching paint dry. They are just trying to hard to make a flat character interesting.There was several episodes done before the strike happened so for me there is just no excuse for it.

Another song

Some devil - love Hurts

Great points, everyone. Buds--I'll have to watch for that in Human Error again, I didn't see it, athough, you can absolutely see the hurt building in House as he goes through that episode. At the end when he "enjoys" the cigar and whiskey with the patient's husband, he is trying very hard not to make it matter at all. Buying the guitar, too, seems to be a specific effort to show himself that he will be (and is) OK with change. BTW--I don't think it's change, it is that it's so difficult for him to form attachments at all than when he does, and they break the attachment, he feels a sense of abandonment (he'd never admit it, tho).

Agree Buds, about 97 Seconds as well. However, I think he did the knife thing to prove it to the knife guy--to get him to stop doing it for the "high"-because it was he that House wanted to know about when he woke up--not the cancer guy (though I could be wrong), I'll admit.

Great musical selections, everyone, as well. They are (to me) really among the abosulte most memorable of the entire series.

Buds, House already "died" once in Three Stories. He talked about the afterlife in that episode. I feel as if the writers have been to the "House is dead or nearly dead" well one too many... make that TWO too many...no, wait...at least FIVE too many times already. He was dead or near death three times in a strike-shortened season! And I'm not counting the times he has merely collapsed.

I agree with Susanne that not everything can be blamed on the strike. Falling ratings? Blame the strike. (Everyone else did.) Bland, boring new characters? Blame the strike. Lack of Chase and Cameron screentime? Blame the strike. A vulgar, unfocused, frat-boy House? No clinic patients? Few interesting PotW? Blame the strike. I'm not buying that at all. They seemed to find plenty of time for Thirteen and her plethora of problems.

Barbara, if House feels abandoned, surely he has himself to blame. He knew Foreman wanted to be asked to stay, but he waited until it was too late to grudgingly ask him back. The damage was already done. He fired Chase; Chase didn't willingly leave him. Cameron was the only one who left him, and who can blame her at that point? I wanted to see his emotional reaction to them being gone - and accept his part in it - in Season 4. Instead, we were lucky to see them at all.

Hi Barbara (and all who have been participating in this discussion):

We have had arcs in "House M.D." before - the "Vogler arc" and the "Tritter arc." In both of these, we saw what Barbara so trenchantly called at the beginning of her article "the substantive difference between words and deeds." Both of the antagonists to House in these two arcs abused their power, and made it clear from their manipulative (and, in Tritter's case, illegal) actions that their professed idealism was nothing but a show.

I'd like to ask those reading here if they can find any similar "Words Vs. Deeds" themes in the actions of the candidates during the "Survivor PPTH" arc.

As for music, my favorite musical "House M.D." moment is from the first season Christmas episode. We see Wilson and House eating Chinese food and, both of them, laughing. (Can anybody else remember any other moment from this series when either of these two characters laughed? I can't, but that just may be my limited knowledge/memory.) Over this scene we hear a beautiful piano rendition of "Silent Night." And then the scene changes, and we see that the person who has been playing the piano so soulfully is...House. Kind of an odd thing for a professed atheist to be doing on Christmas Eve.

Susanne-
You are right. Now that I think about it, each of the new ducklings have had their moments to shine. Taub in "Ugly", 13 pretty much in every episode, and Kutner had his moments too. But I think you hit it on the head when you said - "They are just trying too hard to make a flat character interesting." If their characters are flat (and not their acting) isn't it the writer's fault? This has always confused me, if a character comes out boring, do you blame the actor for it, or do you blame the writer?

BB-
I guess your point about "97 seconds" can be classified among your very clever analogy - MMV.

Andi-
Wow. Five times??? How many of those five were from the finales? If House was near death four times in the finale and then once in "97 seconds" then I am ok with it, because the whole theme for the finales was House putting himself at risk. I can't think of any other episode in season 4 when he was near death, other than in "97 seconds" and the finales.
You are right about blaming everything on the strike. Its not fair, but it does deserve some of the blame. The writers and actors deserve most of it, though.

Hi Bud. #1 - "Three Stories." House dies, is brought back to life by Cuddy and discusses the afterlife. I think "Three Stories" is perfection, so I have no complaints there. It was extremely important to the plot. #2 - House is shot in the finale of Season 2 and near death. #3 - House ingests an extremely toxic combination of pills (half a bottle) and alcohol on Christmas Eve after a heart-breaking phone call to his mother. If he had not vomited this concoction, he surely would have died. I don't have a problem with this "near death" experience because it was an extremely powerful scene, and showed House cracking under all the pressure and fear of going to jail. To me, that was the highlight of the whole Tritter arc. EXTREMELY powerful stuff. #4 - 97 Seconds - House deliberately puts a knife in a wall outlet. I have nothing positive to say about that scene, especially since the writers seem to have forgotten that House already experienced death in "Three Stories." In this season's finales, we have House going into cardiac arrest and having a serious seizure during a very risky DPS.

I guess that makes 3 out of 6 examples from finales, but I'm not sure how that changes anything. It's getting to be an eye-rolling event, in my opinion. At some point, it becomes a joke. Of the main six characters - not counting newbies - only Foreman has been near death - once. The rest are all House. It's like the FOX promos that every week tout the upcoming episode as the "most SHOCKING House ever." It's overkill.

Hi Andi. You're right. Out of all of his near death experiences the one in '97 seconds' does seem to be the most pointless. I also agree that it has been done enough number of times now and is on the verge of becoming a joke and "UNSHOCKING". :)

I love everyone's music selections. I won't really comment on them other than to say that they reflect my thoughts about the show's best music.

I'm enjoying the discussion and like the fact that agree or disagree with me, agree or disagree with the direction the show took in season four, it's quite a lively discussion we've got going here on Blogcritics.

I'm personally not so bothered by the fact that House has tempted death so many times. He is a character on the edge of a precipice. Although he may not have a real death wish, as Wilson says, House really doesn't care whether he lives or dies, especially.

Technically his near-death in 3 Stories happened before the series began, and was, in fact its impetus. He was ill, and his near-death experience came from his illness.

His being shot led to the revelations about his inner life--and the Ketamine, so I really didn't mind that either.

I agree, Andi, that the scene at the end of MLC was one the most powerful of the series. House, under pressure from all sides, and at the end of his emotion rope really, believable didn't care if he lived or died at that point (I'm still not absolutely certain there wasn't intent).

Season three, I would say the knife in the outlet was again a case of "don't care if I live or die," but was pretty calculated so that he would live to tell the guy with the knife to stop.

The thing with the blood was House being very sure that he was not going to die. He was trying to prove a point, and had no intent to die (and I don't think it was a near death experience).

House's Head and Wilson's Heart was so well done--and all the events were tied to the case, so again, I had no problem.

Now, that said, I certainly would not not like to see his life endangered again for awhile :)

Buds

When I think about it, both the writer and the actor share the blame. The writers had a long time to choose their canadates. The writer's job is to come up with the goods for the character and the actor's job is to bring that character to life and take the material and make the character on paper into something more intriguing and more complex. It works both ways, one can't find function without the other. They dragged on 13's "mysterious" way too long and everytime they tried to shove her in front of my tv set they tried to throw something new like "guess what she may be bisexual!" It makes me want to roll my eyes amd OW and the way she plays her character makes the situation worse. So IMO both the writer and the actor share the blame.

IMO I think DS and co were forcusing so hard on "changing the show" and "shaking up the cast" that they didn't properly form a plan to make the change while at the same time no alienate the fans. The fact that they had months to do this before the stike just cancels the "strike excuse" plus there is also the fact the newbies had 15 episodes to show something.

Mary-

Excellent idea about testing other arcs with the words/deeds notion. And your use of the word trenchant - nice. That's why I love reading these comments.

I agree with everything sue said. All you have to do is go back and watch episodes from seasons 1,2 and even 3 to see the vast difference between the acting abilities of the original three and the current batch. As someone who has only watched on DVD(so no tv viewing, no commercials), the original three start to get annoying-Cameron's self-righteousness, Foreman's stubborness and Chase's sneakiness-these are mild on comparison to the marginally talented and disjointed performances of season 4. Seriously, is there a worse character than 13 or a worse actor? I really hope they dont' pursue a relationship with her and House because I might have to hurl. There is nothing interesting about her story and seriously, she's not even attractive. Re-visit past seasons and you will be delighted at the great dynamic between the original cast. They are great.

My long and rambling comments to add to all the others, LOL.
First of all, I admit I am more than a little miffed about David Shore's claiming that it would have been "unrealistic" NOT to have gotten rid of the first team and brought in a new one since typical fellowships are last only three years. Yeah, and in real hospitals, the laboratory and radiology and imaging tests are done by the professionals trained to them, not by doctors-so as long as the audience can swallow that bit of unrealism for the sake of dramatic license, I think the fellowships could have been stretched out to twice the usual length. I think there were still (and are) a great deal of interesting topics for Chase, Cameron and Foreman that have been briefly raised in the past (Chase's absolute hostility to obese people, Foreman's brother, Cameron's marriage to a dying man) that could have been delved quite satisfactorily for interesting storylines with them remaining as the team. I think it would have been interesting to have had the Foreman leaving done as a mini-arc, with him coming back with a greater appreciation for PPTH and House. (I disagree that what happened to him showed he was unprepared for the job, what happened was that, unlike Cuddy, he ran into a hospital administrator that was going to make him pay the price for going against protocol even though it did save the patient's life. Whatever happens in their personal relationship, there is clearly a debt House owes to Cuddy for her willingness to risk her own job to support him.) It would have been fun if they had somehow found the way to write Chase's emerging backbone and willingness to challenge House to his face emerge while still his fellow rather than (in a really unrealistic fashion) transforming him magically into a surgeon.
I have already said here and in other forums that I intensely disliked the survivor arc, particularly as it seems it was begun with no clue as to how it was going to be resolved, and I have started to wonder if this was also the problem with the Stacy, Vogler and Tritter arcs as well, which all seemeed to me to end in a rather abrupt and unsatisfactory manner, to varying degrees. I think one of the other problems with this arc has been the fact that I think the writers and producers felt that House had to act in an increasingly annoying and over-the-top way simply because we, the viewers, have had three years of seeing him act outrageously, and it was felt that had to 'up the ante' so to speak. Remember the days when it was usual for the patient and/or the family (particularly parents) to react much more to House's actions and words, sometimes even leading to fisticuffs? That has rather been dropped, not because what House does has become more socially acceptable, but because the audience has probably became so used to it, so it doesn't seem as natural for everyone else to be as annoyed or outraged as they probably should be by what he does.
In the end, I have to add that I have spent innumerable evenings happily watching my DVDs of the first three seasons, never failing to find something new and thought-provoking in them. My real dislike of season 4 can be shown by the fact that it has been a chore for me to sit through the reruns of the current season, I always seem to find myself finding something else to occupy my time as I wait for the few good 'bits' that I remember. I will buy the Season 4 DVD set also, just to have House's Head and Wilson's Heart, but I sincerely hope that Season 5 captures MY heart and head much more than Season 4 did.

I found the entire survivor arc to simply reek of desperation. I know they wanted to shake things up before they got stagnant, but instead, the arc suffered the way two popular reality shows I watch did this season - from obvious endings and blah characters. I just can't believe that Kutner wasn't chosen the moment Kal Penn was cast, and Kutner having hardly any interaction with House and still making it through confirmed that. Was there any doubt that Olivia Wilde was cast the moment the camera panned in on her during the Right Stuff? Their fate as winners was every bit as obvious as Kristi Yamaguchi and Cristian Siriano were on DWTS and Project Runway. I actually had episodes of House on my DVR that I went a couple of weeks without watching because I really didn't care about what was happening. That's never happened before, even when the show was competing with must-watch Veronica Mars. It's not like deep things weren't happening, but the "game" suspended the feeling that these were real people - the third dimension fell away for me, and what was left was pretty much flat.

Frankly, I was sorry to see Chase leave the team because it would have been interesting to see House with a real contender nipping at his heels professionally. It's the one domain where he's absolutely superior, which makes House confident in his ability to get away with anything. Instead, they took Chase out of diagnostics entirely with no explanation, and essentially declawed Foreman. Cameron, IMO, came out a little better, eventually figuring out how to move on and avoid adopting House's lousy departmental management style (Because House can be a good teacher, but also a bad manager). I was actually more curious about Chase walking away from something he was plainly good at than in anything the newbies were bringing. To paraphrase House, Thirteen's gonna die. Boooring. Of course, considering that his new team is already magically performing at the same level of the old team in S3, maybe House will get the sense of competition yet.

There were moments in the arc that I really enjoyed (Ugly is probably in my top ten all-time favorite episodes, I loved the magician in YDWTK, and I thought Games was a strong outing, to name a few), and actually, the way the stories rolled out I understood the hiring decisions House made, and I assume I'll be used to the new team eventually. After all, I enjoyed them more the moment the survivor arc was over! I also think the actors cast are quite fine, even if they haven't been given much to explore yet - my opinion is formed largely from seeing their work elsewhere. But for what I did enjoy, I still regard it as a piece of milled road we had to drive on to get to someplace that's actually worth visiting.

Hi Barbara, I like all your reviews very much

I just wanted to say something about this one.
I think that House fired Cole not only (and most of all - not mainly) because Cole made a deal with Cuddy but because of the deal itself. Because Cole decided to put Kutner's job in danger because of a deal. House admires friendship, and he respects friends loyalty and I think that's what he didn't like about Cole. House is capable to choose a friend over a patiend or maybe even a lover. Cole betrayed his friend Kutner and that is a betrayal that House does not want to support.

I agree with you that House admires and values friendship. I was actually thinking about that last night as I was writing a new article. He has a history of this, going back to Crandall. Think about how much guilt House harbored over Crandall's girlfriend (despite the fact that the girl was crazy and Crandall was always falling in love). Years later, and so greatly changed because of the leg as House was at that point, he used information that could have destroyed Crandall to help him and make his life better and happier.

that said, I don't think that's why (or at least the main reason why) he fired Cole. I do think he was disappointed that Cole made a deal with the devil. But you may be onto something about a secondary motivation. House also hates betrayal. Look at what Chase did in season one.