Jump to content

House


Alice Holmes

Recommended Posts

We were just talking over in the Sherlock: TSoT thread about the Holmsian sense of betrayal when abandoned by Watson.  I think there is a very clear parallel between TSoT and the House episode, "Wilson."

 

Obviously, in TSoT, Sherlock spends the entire episode being the best "best man" and the best "best friend" that any Watson in history has ever had.  It's played to pretty decent comic effect through the whole episode - threatening David, folding serviettes, giving an epic best man speech - so that Moftiss can deliver the gut punch at the end of the episode, as Sherlock walks out of the reception alone, having watched John start a new life that doesn't include him in the same primary position that he once held.  

 

I think there's a very clear parallel here with the episode "Wilson," except the House episode does the trajectory in reverse.  When Wilson decides to donate part of his liver to that idiot Tucker, he goes to House and asks House to be with him during the surgery.  House, who has disapproved the entire time, refuses to support Wilson, ultimately breaking down and blurting out the truth:  "If you die, I'm alone."  In one of those wonderful Holmesian child-like bursts of emotion, House has just admitted that he's scared of being abandoned, and he can't watch; maybe it won't happen if he just refuses to watch it happen.

 

But, in a great piece of character development, our next scene is of Wilson being prepped for surgery and beginning the induction of anesthesia, and he looks up into the observation gallery to see House, grim and leaning on his cane, but there.  And House continues to be there for the entire rest of the episode, being not just in the waiting room but in the actual recovery room when Wilson is wheeled out, making Wilson laugh in his hospital room until his incision hurts, and sitting watch by Wilson's bed while he sleeps.  House has become the best "best friend" any hospital patient has ever had.  And Wilson ultimately rewards him by buying the condo that will at once serve as a way to get back at Cuddy and a way for House and Wilson to continue to live together without one of them sleeping on the couch every night.  

 

It's a real turning point in the relationship, as House and Wilson commit to one another as permanent parts of one another's life.  I kind of think this gives us some information about what to expect from the Sherlock/John relationship, but I guess we'll see!

That is so well-described, Boton, i am almost tempted to explore this House thing now! 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

This makes me want to rewatch House and see how many parallels and connections I can find.

Ditto,

and Boton, you remind me of how this was my favourite show back then. I should get my ass up and find what I left behind, I think I only watched up to Season 3 because lack of resources but never get my interest back until maybe now.

 

Another parallel that might be connected, there is one particular thing that really stuck in my mind about House. I can't recall the name of his team (the only team that I know is his original three), the lady in the team had massive crush with House and finally, he agreed to go on date with her, worst date ever, because he accurately point out that she doesn't really like him, but she likes damaged people because she wants to try to fix it, something connected with the guilt from her past.

 

Which makes me think about Molly.. and her 'type'..

 

 

Allison Cameron?  As Mollly.....hm, yes, I see it!  Nice!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

...and us. :D

You have no idea, I had an internal fight when I saw this post.

 

What is she smoking?

Oh.

But then we are liking characters, not real people.

Oh.

Characters, but with certain characteristics..

Oh?

That means..

Oh my god.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

OK, one last House/Sherlock comment since I have now finished my selective House rewatch.  I'm definitely spoiler tagging this, because it is about the finale, "Everybody Dies," which you may very well want to go into unspoiled if you are planning to watch.  

 

 

The episode opens in a heroine den! House is lying there after having trailed a patient there (no idea if the man's name was Isa or Isaac Whitney), and he's decided to just go ahead and start taking smack to ease the pain of Wilson's impending death from the thymoma. While he's high (and the building is on fire), he's visited by hallucinations of many people from his own past who either try to tell him how to save himself or who encourage him to just go ahead and let himself die.

However, by the end, House realizes that he has to live in order to be with Wilson until the end as he gets a glimpse of Wilson standing outside the burning building. The building collapses, House has died, and Wilson is left broken hearted to deliver House's eulogy about what kind of man House really was. (I love that he eventually breaks into, "House was an ass." ) House can apparently hear Wilson's words, because he texts him in the middle, and Wilson goes out to discover that House has faked his own death, and they are going to be together until the end in the most epic bromance ever. (They literally - literally- ride off into the sunset on motorcycles.)

 

 

 

So, I don't want to say that there are HLV parallels, but.....   :D

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be fair, both stories are based on Conan Doyle's Holmes, and of course that accounts for large portions of the overlap,

 

namely the drug den and the faked death,

 

though not for all of it.  The rest might be coincidence -- but might not.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Just saw the last episode and I have to say the ending is really good.

The ambivalence, the uncertainty if the last scenes are real or just another hallucination, funny song... Even if you think he's dead, it doesn't make you miserable...
Or I might be just not enough attached to the character.

 

 

Which was the episode when he jumped out of the window?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just saw the last episode and I have to say the ending is really good.

The ambivalence, the uncertainty if the last scenes are real or just another hallucination, funny song... Even if you think he's dead, it doesn't make you miserable...

Or I might be just not enough attached to the character.

 

 

Which was the episode when he jumped out of the window?

 

No, I agree with you, and I really got attached to both House and Wilson over time.  But the ending just left me pretty hopeful, for some reason.  After all, House has rarely met a mystery he can't solve; he'll solve this one too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I loved the show 'House'! Though I have to admit, that I stopped watching it towards the end. 

 

I totally don't equate Allison Cameron and Molly, but that's mostly because I loathed Cameron's character, and that weird father-figure crush she seemed to have on House. That almost teacher-student relationship that he has with Cameron, Chase and Taub (and others, later), is hard to find in Sherlock. In my mind, maybe Wiggins comes closest, though Anderson could be Taub, as House was always hilariously harsh on him.

 

One thing about House's character with his team, he seemed to always be knowingly trying to push them into acts that that led them to question their own morality. Our Sherlock does manipulate people, but mostly only in pursuit of a case, whereas House was, to my eyes an epic manipulator, who took pleasure from the entertainment of his victim's struggles. I do remember an episode where he was trying to goad Wilson into making a fool of himself over Cuddy, and Wilson's response to it- their relationship had so much humour and warmth.

 

I really enjoyed the Amber episodes, they were the high point of House for me, even better now I consider the Mary Morstan angle.

 

It's funny that Hugh played Benedict's father on a show in the past- I remember reading that he and Stephen Fry had always wanted to have a go at Sherlock Holmes (I think with Fry as Mycroft). As interesting as that may have been, I think I prefer the version we got.

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

There was some discussion in one of these threads on whether or not "House" had any influence on the making of "Sherlock". It did. Gatiss and Moffat said that they did watch "House" and they loved his curmudgeon type attitude and adopted it for their version of "Sherlock".

 

 

Bakerstreet Irregular said the above a few pages back J.P., so it does seem to follow that they may share other traits, e.g. a fondness for experimenting on goldfish.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What I think is funny - as for behavior towards goldfish, our Sherlock seems to be nearer to House than to the canon character. Did Mofftiss ever mentioned House having an influence on their writing?

 

It's one of the things I find interesting about our Sherlock kind of being a crazy-quilt of most other Sherlocks before him:  He seems to treat people more like House did, but he seems to respond to other people's actions a bit more like Jeremy Brett did.  I always have that feeling that House doesn't care what you think of his actions, but that you could hurt Brett's feelings with a careless word, and that's the overall impression I have of our Sherlock.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

I’ve been meaning to watch House for quite a while after a friend told me about the Holmes connection. I’d seen a couple of random episodes and liked what I’d seen. It was interesting to see Hugh Laurie playing a Holmes figure because a few years ago I read a newspaper (or magazine) over here where the writer was wondering if they would ever undertake a new Sherlock Holmes series considering how highly rated the Grenada series was and how highly thought of Brett was. The article writer mentioned that Fry and Laurie had been suggested as a potential Holmes and Watson. Naturally Fry was touted as a potential Holmes (especially as he’s a huge Doyle fan) with Laurie as Watson. Now here we are with Laurie getting the ‘Holmes’ role in House and Fry ending up as Mycroft in the RDJ movies. Personally I’d have liked to have seen them as Holmes and Watson (then again I do get Sherlock Holmes withdrawal symptoms) but I think we can safely say that this is no longer a possibility. 
 

Im working my way through House and I’m still enjoying it and not just as a kind of Holmes-lite substitute. I’m currently in series 2 and am half way through a two part episode where Foreman is in isolation and facing death unless House comes up with the goods which he will of course. Like Holmes House is a complex character as the brief re-igniting of the flame with Stacy showed and like Holmes he’s not always likeable but the humour lightens the load. Wilson is certainly a likeable Watson figure who deals with House without resorting to punching him. Like Watson he obviously sees beneath the exterior to someone worth knowing as well as recognising a genius when he sees one. Are Foreman, Cameron and Chase his Irregulars. Hardly scruffy, uneducated urchins are they? It would have been simple to cast three ‘nice’ characters to contrast the acerbic House but fair play to the writers they didn’t take that option. Obviously Cameron is the likeable one who gets criticised by House for caring. This is a direct pointer to Holmes dispassionate method of dealing with a case of course where clients are just part of a problem to be solved then it’s time to move on. I guess Cuddy is a sort of/ kind of Mycroft figure? Perhaps more like the Gatiss Mycroft treating House like a wayward pupil but without the added brilliance. She’s an authority figure who has invested in House but I think she has a similar attitude to Wilson although she probably wouldn’t admit to admiring House. I thought that Vogler was our Moriarty but he’s gone and I don’t think he returns?

 

I made the mistake of looking online at future storylines which is always a mistake so I know that the team breaks up and the sad ending with Wilson. I intend to work my way through it though there are so many episodes I don’t know how long this will take? So my question is - what will happen first? Me finishing House or a new series of Sherlock?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, HerlockSholmes said:

Naturally Fry was touted as a potential Holmes

Stephen Fry as Sherlock Holmes???  Then what would his brother Mycroft look like?   :blink:

 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/14/2021 at 6:32 PM, Carol the Dabbler said:

Stephen Fry as Sherlock Holmes???  Then what would his brother Mycroft look like?   :blink:

 

Maybe Mr. Fry was offered Mycroft as a sort of consolation prize, seeing as the vaunted Holmes-Watson project never got off the ground. His portrayal of Mycroft is one of the highlights of Game of Shadows, the other being Jared Harris as Moriarty.  SF was not always as portly as he is now, but he's never ever had the rail-thin physique associated with Holmes, nor, I should think, his rather manic energy.  He played Jeeves, the steady, calming bedrock butler to Hugh Laurie's Bertie Wooster, a daffy, not-bright and decidedly nervy aristocrat.  I can't really envision Mr. Laurie as Doctor Watson, and see him more as a Holmes.  SF could certainly embody certain features of Holmes--the erudition, the snottiness, the black moods--it's the extremely physical litheness & indefatigable energy of Holmes that seems missing there.  He is perfect for Mycroft.  I love his Mycroft so much, I want a whole Mycroft movie, with 'Sherlie' and Dr. Watson as supporting comedy relief.  

At best, Fry & Laurie present us with two Holmeses and we are still short a Watson.

Dr. Watson extends his hand upon meeting his flatmate's even more singular elder brother.

MH:  No! (walks away)

SH:  He doesn't.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Herl,

Glad you have discovered "House".  I bought the box set some years ago now and it's time for a revisit.  Mr. Laurie was of course one of Britain's famous comic actors prior to taking on the lead in this American TV show.   Untold numbers of Americans may have experienced a stroke upon first hearing 'Greg House' speaking like a toff, so brilliantly does Hugh embody 'American'.

Obviously Cameron is the likeable one who gets criticised by House for caring. This is a direct pointer to Holmes dispassionate method of dealing with a case of course where clients are just part of a problem to be solved then it’s time to move on. I guess Cuddy is a sort of/ kind of Mycroft figure? Perhaps more like the Gatiss Mycroft treating House like a wayward pupil but without the added brilliance. She’s an authority figure who has invested in House but I think she has a similar attitude to Wilson although she probably wouldn’t admit to admiring House. I thought that Vogler was our Moriarty but he’s gone and I don’t think he returns?

I had never really thought of House's team of junior researchers as 'the Irregulars' before, but they do function as his go-to assistants, doing the scut work he does not condescend to do himself, so I think that comparison is brilliant.  They are not illiterate street urchins and are the top young doctors in their respective fields, so the comparison doesn't hold 100%  But as to their function, they are the regular Irregulars.  It would have been really funny if House had engaged some candy stripers to be his irregular Irregulars--those are usually high school kids.   Cameron and Chase have more of a hero-worship thing for their mentor.  Dr. Forman is maybe more akin to an Athelney Jones or a Tobias Gregson--an up-and-comer who often challenges 'the Great Brain', having a rather giant ego of his own.  Forman is a good doctor, and Omar Epps is, of that group, the one who is most convincing as a doctor.  The other two seem too lightweight and juvenile to really be the tops in such a competitive field.  They look like what they are--young actors in their 20s portraying doctors on a television show.   In Season 4, House cleans house and fires all of his regular Irregulars, launching a 'Survivor' style elimination tournament from a huge group of young residents to choose the replacements.  

I always thought of Cuddy as the 'Lestrade', being as she is the official voice of authority within the institutional structure and is actually House's boss, though he really pushes the envelope there.  There is also a long-running mutual attraction between these two, briefly acted upon, IIRC, but mostly kept as a subtext/fantasy element.  So Cuddy could also be 'The Woman'.  There is another relationship in House's life later on with one of his interns that doesn't end well . . .I think maybe she was intended to be The Woman, but I do not like her at all, so I'm sticking with Cuddy.

As for the 'Moriarty'--I don't think it's a person.  'Moriarty' for this Holmes is his pernicious addiction to narcotics & the pain that caused it.  It is the only thing that can destroy him and at several points, it nearly succeeds.  The various diseases that House and his team battle to diagnose each week are the minor villains.  

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/22/2021 at 10:53 AM, Hikari said:

SF could certainly embody certain features of Holmes--the erudition, the snottiness, the black moods--it's the extremely physical litheness & indefatigable energy of Holmes that seems missing there.  He is perfect for Mycroft.  I love his Mycroft so much, I want a whole Mycroft movie, with 'Sherlie' and Dr. Watson as supporting comedy relief. 

That sounds promising.  Please let me know when the DVD is available.  :D

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/22/2021 at 4:28 PM, Hikari said:

Herl,

Glad you have discovered "House".  I bought the box set some years ago now and it's time for a revisit.  Mr. Laurie was of course one of Britain's famous comic actors prior to taking on the lead in this American TV show.   Untold numbers of Americans may have experienced a stroke upon first hearing 'Greg House' speaking like a toff, so brilliantly does Hugh embody 'American'.

Obviously Cameron is the likeable one who gets criticised by House for caring. This is a direct pointer to Holmes dispassionate method of dealing with a case of course where clients are just part of a problem to be solved then it’s time to move on. I guess Cuddy is a sort of/ kind of Mycroft figure? Perhaps more like the Gatiss Mycroft treating House like a wayward pupil but without the added brilliance. She’s an authority figure who has invested in House but I think she has a similar attitude to Wilson although she probably wouldn’t admit to admiring House. I thought that Vogler was our Moriarty but he’s gone and I don’t think he returns?

I had never really thought of House's team of junior researchers as 'the Irregulars' before, but they do function as his go-to assistants, doing the scut work he does not condescend to do himself, so I think that comparison is brilliant.  They are not illiterate street urchins and are the top young doctors in their respective fields, so the comparison doesn't hold 100%  But as to their function, they are the regular Irregulars.  It would have been really funny if House had engaged some candy stripers to be his irregular Irregulars--those are usually high school kids.   Cameron and Chase have more of a hero-worship thing for their mentor.  Dr. Forman is maybe more akin to an Athelney Jones or a Tobias Gregson--an up-and-comer who often challenges 'the Great Brain', having a rather giant ego of his own.  Forman is a good doctor, and Omar Epps is, of that group, the one who is most convincing as a doctor.  The other two seem too lightweight and juvenile to really be the tops in such a competitive field.  They look like what they are--young actors in their 20s portraying doctors on a television show.   In Season 4, House cleans house and fires all of his regular Irregulars, launching a 'Survivor' style elimination tournament from a huge group of young residents to choose the replacements.  

I always thought of Cuddy as the 'Lestrade', being as she is the official voice of authority within the institutional structure and is actually House's boss, though he really pushes the envelope there.  There is also a long-running mutual attraction between these two, briefly acted upon, IIRC, but mostly kept as a subtext/fantasy element.  So Cuddy could also be 'The Woman'.  There is another relationship in House's life later on with one of his interns that doesn't end well . . .I think maybe she was intended to be The Woman, but I do not like her at all, so I'm sticking with Cuddy.

As for the 'Moriarty'--I don't think it's a person.  'Moriarty' for this Holmes is his pernicious addiction to narcotics & the pain that caused it.  It is the only thing that can destroy him and at several points, it nearly succeeds.  The various diseases that House and his team battle to diagnose each week are the minor villains.  

 

Good points. Perhaps the disease, as well as being cases, are all ‘Moriarty’s? I’m on series 3 and already House has had 2 enemies. 1st Vogler and now there’s a Cop whose trying to get House jailed for drugs (I’m looking forward to see how House ‘defeats’ him and how he avoids completely alienating his long suffering Dr Watson-figure?)

I thought of the Lawyer as The Woman (can’t recall her name at the moment) You get the impression that she might have been ‘the one.’ Then just as he gets her back he pushes her away.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/22/2021 at 3:53 PM, Hikari said:

Maybe Mr. Fry was offered Mycroft as a sort of consolation prize, seeing as the vaunted Holmes-Watson project never got off the ground. His portrayal of Mycroft is one of the highlights of Game of Shadows, the other being Jared Harris as Moriarty.  SF was not always as portly as he is now, but he's never ever had the rail-thin physique associated with Holmes, nor, I should think, his rather manic energy.  He played Jeeves, the steady, calming bedrock butler to Hugh Laurie's Bertie Wooster, a daffy, not-bright and decidedly nervy aristocrat.  I can't really envision Mr. Laurie as Doctor Watson, and see him more as a Holmes.  SF could certainly embody certain features of Holmes--the erudition, the snottiness, the black moods--it's the extremely physical litheness & indefatigable energy of Holmes that seems missing there.  He is perfect for Mycroft.  I love his Mycroft so much, I want a whole Mycroft movie, with 'Sherlie' and Dr. Watson as supporting comedy relief.  

At best, Fry & Laurie present us with two Holmeses and we are still short a Watson.

Dr. Watson extends his hand upon meeting his flatmate's even more singular elder brother.

MH:  No! (walks away)

SH:  He doesn't.

 

I really think that they should make a movie from the Michael Kurland books. I loved them. I can’t recall if you read them Hikari?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/24/2021 at 5:40 PM, HerlockSholmes said:

I really think that they should make a movie from the Michael Kurland books. I loved them. I can’t recall if you read them Hikari?

Yes, I have, and I agree that they would make for wonderful film adaptations.  Lots of action and humor.  Kurland's Moriarty is definitely not Conan Doyle's Moriarty, so it's bound to put some purists off.  Having a villain who is 'pure evil' as ACD wrote him is pretty boring and one-dimensional.  Nobody is 'nothing but evil'--even Hitler was a talented artist who loved his dogs.  The key to a sympathetic villain is recognizing that no one is purely bad in his own eyes--he may acknowledge bad acts, but according to one's own internal motivations and reasons, they can believe they are operating for noble purposes.  Such is the case with Kurland's antihero, whose criminal enterprises fund his scientific endeavors which are very expensive.  Conan Doyle's Moriarty seems to be in the business of robbery and terrorism strictly to create mayhem and get rich for himself.  Kurland's Moriarty views himself as something of a mathematical Robin Hood, stealing from the rich, whose gains are ill-gotten anyway and stolen from others (like the treasure of Indian jewels he heists in one episode).  He's stealing from the stealers in the interests of science.  I don't recall exactly, but it doesn't seem like the body count is very high either . . there may be a few unfortunates here or there, but this Moriarty is not interested in terrorism or global domination--he only wants to pay for his observatory .. and continue his very nice lifestyle and creature comforts.  A successful consulting criminal also has a lot of  underlings to pay and keep happy.

Kurland writes Moriarty as Sherlock Holmes likely would have been if SH had chosen to be a consultant criminal rather than a consulting detective.  He's got a 'Boswell'/friend who is a writer; he's got a loyal staff and a devoted cadre of Irregulars.  He's got a singular address, a signature dressing gown and all his little habits.  It's particularly amusing when he stands at his sitting room window and amuses himself with observing a certain consulting detective who is observing *him* from the street in a variety of disguises which do not fool the target.  In Kurland's world, SH is a bit of a buffoon.  That would make for some pretty good comedy relief.  Who do you see as our cast of characters?  RDJ, Jude Law and Jared Harris probably can't appear since they 'belong' to the Guy Ritchie franchise.  I think to do all the books Kurland wrote justice, this would have to be a series project on a streaming platform.  'Enola Holmes' was so successful for Netflix, more than I would have thought.  It's a nice thought but it probably will never happen.  Those books date back to the mid-1970s.  Too bad Hollywood didn't offer Mr. Kurland a contract back then; so many Sherlock projects were being made:  The Seven Percent Solution; Murder by Decree; the Granada Brett series . . it may have been market saturation. 

Kurland's books are some of my very favorite pastiches . . even if SH comes off as something of a buffoon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/24/2021 at 5:38 PM, HerlockSholmes said:

Good points. Perhaps the disease, as well as being cases, are all ‘Moriarty’s? I’m on series 3 and already House has had 2 enemies. 1st Vogler and now there’s a Cop whose trying to get House jailed for drugs (I’m looking forward to see how House ‘defeats’ him and how he avoids completely alienating his long suffering Dr Watson-figure?)

I thought of the Lawyer as The Woman (can’t recall her name at the moment) You get the impression that she might have been ‘the one.’ Then just as he gets her back he pushes her away.

Have you finished Series 3 yet?  That was a very good season, but it is also the one in which House starts to cease being a loveable curmudgeon and quirky bad boy of the hospital and starts doing unredeemable things as the hardcore drug addict that he is.  Brilliantly played by Hugh, of course . . but what House does to his loyal friend Wilson ventures, for me, into the 'unforgiveable' territory.  If I were Wilson, I could not continue to be friends with a guy who nearly costs me my career and gets me sent to prison.  Of course Wilson had to eventually forgive House or else the series couldn't go on with its 'Watson'--but if it were me?  I would most likely change hospitals, get a restraining order, if not other means of legal recourse for defamation and I would never speak to the a****** again.  My heart would be broken but it would have to be done.  Many times throughout the series, I wanted to kick Wilson for being so weak.  That's what addicts do--they exploit personal relationships as far and as often as they can, because unless they can successfully seek treatment, *nothing* is more important to them than their next high.  'Kindness' is not really recognized by them as anything but opportunity.

That's David Morse as the cop . .one of our finest actors.  I love this character as one of the few individuals on Earth who House cannot browbeat, charm or bully.  He's not having any of it.  Anyone who could make Greg House afraid is a formidable being.  And David has a way of being super-menacing with this silky-smooth tone that never raises the volume.  He's played villains and good guys about equally--he played the father of the United States in John Adams, and the resemblance is astounding.  I don't view this cop as vindictive though, really--he is dedicated to upholding the law, and he is committed to making the miscreant answer for breaking the law.  House is so brazenly unrepentant that it maybe gets a little personal . .must rewatch! . . but actually--even though House is our antihero and we've been smiling at his antics . . we don't want him to get away with it this time.  Was this before or after House pretends to have brain cancer so he can get free drugs for a clinical trial?  His team thinks he's dying and all the while he has stolen another patient's x-rays and is using an alias.  Addicts are extremely inventive and House is a genius-level addict.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Hikari said:

Have you finished Series 3 yet?  That was a very good season, but it is also the one in which House starts to cease being a loveable curmudgeon and quirky bad boy of the hospital and starts doing unredeemable things as the hardcore drug addict that he is.  Brilliantly played by Hugh, of course . . but what House does to his loyal friend Wilson ventures, for me, into the 'unforgiveable' territory.  If I were Wilson, I could not continue to be friends with a guy who nearly costs me my career and gets me sent to prison.  Of course Wilson had to eventually forgive House or else the series couldn't go on with its 'Watson'--but if it were me?  I would most likely change hospitals, get a restraining order, if not other means of legal recourse for defamation and I would never speak to the a****** again.  My heart would be broken but it would have to be done.  Many times throughout the series, I wanted to kick Wilson for being so weak.  That's what addicts do--they exploit personal relationships as far and as often as they can, because unless they can successfully seek treatment, *nothing* is more important to them than their next high.  'Kindness' is not really recognized by them as anything but opportunity.

That's David Morse as the cop . .one of our finest actors.  I love this character as one of the few individuals on Earth who House cannot browbeat, charm or bully.  He's not having any of it.  Anyone who could make Greg House afraid is a formidable being.  And David has a way of being super-menacing with this silky-smooth tone that never raises the volume.  He's played villains and good guys about equally--he played the father of the United States in John Adams, and the resemblance is astounding.  I don't view this cop as vindictive though, really--he is dedicated to upholding the law, and he is committed to making the miscreant answer for breaking the law.  House is so brazenly unrepentant that it maybe gets a little personal . .must rewatch! . . but actually--even though House is our antihero and we've been smiling at his antics . . we don't want him to get away with it this time.  Was this before or after House pretends to have brain cancer so he can get free drugs for a clinical trial?  His team thinks he's dying and all the while he has stolen another patient's x-rays and is using an alias.  Addicts are extremely inventive and House is a genius-level addict.

 

I’ve just watched the court room episode where Cuddy lies to prevent House going to prison. You can’t help wondering how far he would have to go before his friends and colleagues would decide to wash their hands of him. I love the character of House but it’s impossible not to gave sympathy with Wilson. You almost find yourself telling at the screen “just tell him to *^@&^*”

David Morse was brilliant and understated. I’ve seen him before but I can’t recall what he was in?

I haven’t seen the ‘pretending to have brain cancer’ episode yet. Couldn’t imagine Holmes behaving like House.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, HerlockSholmes said:

David Morse was brilliant and understated. I’ve seen him before but I can’t recall what he was in?

I haven’t seen the ‘pretending to have brain cancer’ episode yet. Couldn’t imagine Holmes behaving like House.

David Morse shot to fame in the 1980s medical drama St. Elsewhere.  Maybe you saw him in The Crossing Guard (with Jack Nicholson); 12 Monkeys or The Green Mile16 Blocks, Disturbia or The Hurt Locker?

David is one of those actors, like Anton Lesser, a supporting actor who has been in a million projects, a face that people recognize but don't necessarily remember his name.  I hadn't seen him in anything lately so I looked up his resume and was surprised that it was so long.  I'd seen several of his movies and forgotten that he was in them.  Not an easy feat for a guy who is 6'4" to fly so under the radar and be unmemorable, but he manages it.  And then you watch him at work and wonder--why doesn't everyone know this guy's name?  When speaking of his role as Gen. Washington in John Adams, he said he didn't feel his face projected enough authority, so he suggested a prosthetic nose and that did the trick.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Morse

Last night I watched the 'House meets his nemesis' scene on YouTube, and laughed all over again.  Tripping a guy with a cane isn't very nice, but House had it coming.  House does not respond well at all to other alpha males, and only marginally better to alpha females like Cuddy.  He is a tiny bit nicer to people with boobs, but only if they are strong.  If they are weak like Cameron he will make them cry at any opportunity.  Wilson is more like a woman in his demeanor and knows his place in the hierarchy of their relationship.  This cop was too much of a threat to House's sense of himself so he was on his extra-crappy behavior.  When DM pulls House over and physically whips him around to be cuffed, the expression of shock on Hugh's face was worth an Emmy by itself.   

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Hikari said:

Have you finished Series 3 yet?  That was a very good season, but it is also the one in which House starts to cease being a loveable curmudgeon and quirky bad boy of the hospital and starts doing unredeemable things as the hardcore drug addict that he is.


Probably just as well that I never started watching the show, then.  At that point I would have either quit in disgust or else like you I would have spent the rest of the series yelling at the screen.

I suppose they were going for "realism," but if I wanted that I'd watch the news.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Who's Online   0 Members, 0 Anonymous, 11 Guests (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of UseWe have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.Privacy PolicyGuidelines.