House - Time To Go.

Was it me or was the final episodes of both House and Eastbound and Down very similar? OK, spoiler alert, just in case you have half the last season of House still on your planner, which, let's face it, is a distinct possibility. But with Gregory and Kenny both faking their own deaths, it a bit much. Although I would say, Kenny's was a lot more believable. Didn't we see the entire burning house fall on House? Anyway, he got to ride into the sunset with Wilson, so I suppose we were all happy.

 

You had to say it was probably time to call it a day on House (not Eastbound and Down though). It had all got a bit rudderless, once you send your main  character  to prison you know you're on a slippery slope. But it's a little sad that we'll never hear the words: 'It could be Lupus, or Sarcoidosis' for it never to be Lupus or Sarcoidosis. And come on, own up, we have all, at least once, thought we had the symptoms of one of the wacky diseases. 

Also Gregory House, in a way became like a Freddy Krueger type character, all the things that shocked us about him in the early shows became the things we enjoyed most as the years went by. Efforts to freshen up the format never really worked. House was always at its best with the good old, disease mystery of the week and the moment when House suddenly gets the answer. "It's Orinoco Flow syndrome put her on steroids" But you have to hand it to Hugh Laurie, his performance levels never dropped and he was always a joy to watch. 

Having said all that about, time for the show to go, I will kind of miss it. Perhaps Kenny Powers could take over at Princeton Plainsboro?

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House Proud

I have a secret, one shared by thousands, it's something the general public scorns, but no more, I'm coming out. I watch House...I like House... I never miss House. There, I've unburdened myself and it feels great. Now it is your turn to say it. You know you want to.

How many times have you been asked "What you watching on telly these days?" And you fudge it by replying "Downton Abbey, Dexter, Newsnight" When your whole being is shouting "House! House! House!" But you know what would happen if you had of said it. "Is that still going? Is it still disease of the week? Is that geezer from Neighbours still in it?" On the defencive you'd squeak out a timid yes. But, yet again, your soul is screaming to elaborate.

House is so much more than its formula. The man has been in a mental institution and prison. The show is a portrait of a complex, flawed, and tortured genius. An intense study of his working relationships. His self destructive love for Cuddy and his complicated friendship with Wilson. You want to yell this, but you can't. You want to say how you much prefer the American Hugh Laurie to the English one. The cocky, pill popping, razor tongued one to the fop who has been corrupted by Stephen Fry and Black Adder. But, at the risk of being treated as some special needs case, it is bottled up, kept in the dark and hidden deep.

Well I won't be like that any more, I'm stepping out of the closet and embracing my new found freedom. Come on, say it loud, I'm House proud!

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House is in fine health.

House has reached the end of its seventh season and (I'm sorry, but I can't resist, please look away) it's in fine health. Ok it's still wedded to the formula of weird disease of the week, and there are plenty of House moments where he freezes on hearing something seemingly inconsequential, that is really the key to the case. But that comes with the territory.

This season has seen the House / Cuddy will they wont they, romance finally happen then split apart just as quickly, sending our esteemed hero into an even more self destructive tailspin. That has been one of the joys of House, he has always been deeply flawed and nothing, it seems, can rectify that. Any flashes of sentimentality are swiftly swept away in a haze of Vicodin and self loathing. And, as usual, Hugh Laurie has been excellent. I much prefer the American Hugh Laurie to the British one.

His team of sidekicks, Foreman, Chase, Taub, and Thirteen have all had their own story-lines to break up the formula a little. Although Olivia Wilde (Thirteen ) only showed up in the last five, or so, episodes, it has been the Wilson character who seems to have suffered most this season. He has been shunted aside, with his only real task being shaking his head at House.

But surely the highlight of the season must have been House, unsuccessfully, trying to remove tumours from his leg in his bath tub. He had stolen a new drug, that seemed to regrow muscle, only to find out all the lab rats had died of tumours. It was a harrowing scene, as the initially confident House descended into shaking fits.

The season finale had our hero ploughing his car into the front of Cuddy's house in a fit of jealous rage, then running off. The final scene had House wandering along a beach. What next, we ask?

So, season seven won't have made many new converts, but fans will be looking forward to season eight.

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