5.08 - Emancipation

Things I liked about the episode: -Chase,Cameron and Foreman actually "working" together. That was so nostalgic.. -House actually using the phrase "You are being an idiot". It's been a while since he said that. Things I hated about the episode: -They made it look as if Kutner was going to actually have an episode all to himself...Or hell, at least some character development. But he just kinda stops being mentioned after the first 10 minutes or so. I felt cheated. And why did he stop being important in the episode? -Because Thirteen,The Wesley, had to do the important talking throughout the episode. I mean after all she hasn't had ANY episodes about her character yet! *sarcasm* ...Basically, I hated thirteen again. And I wanted more Kutner screentime.

House seemed beyond disinterested in the patient and I wondered if he even still worked there. Agree about the re-watch. You'd have to pay me. I did like the Foreman/Chase/Cam screentime together. That was nice. But it was also boring.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I thought it had some great moments. Sure it was a standalone with no big pieces of the arc puzzle, but as such it had a couple of appealing patients (loved the big brother, and the main patient kept tossing them curveballs in terms of her lies). I really liked the way they're mixing up the teams -- everybody got a nice bit. We got a little more from Kutner's backstory, pieces of the old team ... and I love the way Taub gets under Thirteen's skin, even using her story on the patient, then accusing her of failing to tap into her own personal issues even when it's the right time to do so. Wilson being inscrutable was a giggle, as was his "don't mess with my stuff" on his way out the office, knowing what House was about to do. For me, the payoff was that pure Housian moment, though, in which Foreman finally gets it. That he has to stand up for himself and stop either blaming or relying on House for every decision he makes. I liked it, too. Everyone was used and was used well. For being in the middle of a story line about her, it seemed Cuddy wasn't there very long, but it served the purpose of the story to keep her at a distance. I loved how House stared at her at the end. I like to think that now House is no longer training Foreman to be a diagnostician -- he's training him to be a department head. He knows that's what Foreman wants so badly, and a big part of that is knowing how to use your resources without running home to "Daddy." I like it. I was actually surprised by the PoTW. She was completely unreadable. Although I knew she had a big "secret," I didn't see this coming, and I'm glad that her lying wasn't used as a symptom. Did anyone else have a moment of, "OMG! Thirteen has taken over Taub's mind!" No? Just me? Okay.

Did anyone else think House was taking an awful lot of vicodin? They don't normally show him taking so much in one episode. I noticed that too. But it didn't seem like the limp was worse. In fact in that scene - can't remember what part of the episode - where the camera is on the front door of the hospital opening and then you see the cane, it almost looked like HL forgot to do the limp for a few steps.

Did anyone else think House was taking an awful lot of vicodin? They don't normally show him taking so much in one episode. Don't forget that in House's world, Vicodin=emotional issues. So his increased Vicodin usage here is linked to his turmoil dealing with Cuddy -- just as he was popping Vicodin more frequently when Wilson was absent. It's one of the "show, don't tell" moments that the show uses frequently which I enjoy. And I'd much rather just have the visual of House popping Vicodin than have Wilson telling him he's miserable -- which is why I loved Wilson in this episode and their relationship. Wilson is certainly being "not boring," which drives House crazy, yet also makes him irresistible.

I did like the last scene with House and Wilson, everytime they leave together, I just let my imagination run wilde. :P Other than that, I don't know, everything and everyone just felt off. It didn't feel quite right. Of course, I have a cold at the moment, so it's possible it only felt very slow and off for me because of how drowsy I am.

I can't get the color thing to work to hide a spoiler. Did anyone else think House was taking an awful lot of vicodin? They don't normally show him taking so much in one episode. I just think it seemed like that, b/c we haven't really seen him take a lot of it so far this season. So either it is b/c he was in pain b/c it is colder (see winter coats), or it is supposed to be a reminder to clue us in how he is feeling about Cuddy (confused?). I thought this episode was ok. Not the best, but it had enough H/W to make me smile, especially at the end scene in the elevator. I thought the patient story took enough twists and turns to be interesting. I also think House looked very vulnerable w/ the patient at the end. More backstory about House to be learned perhaps?

I'm going to be puzzling over what Wilson's game is for a while. Maybe he's actually trying not to manipulate House for a change. I think Wilson was doing to House what House was doing to Foreman: Wilson has a opinion about what House should do, but unless House comes to this conclusion himself, and accomplishes it for himself, then it will be pointless. Foreman asked House, House said no, Foreman took a stand. House asked Wilson, Wilson said no, House is taking longer to take a stand.

I didn't think it was boring, but it did illustrate for me how you can't really work with a cast this big. This time both teams got a decent amount of time, but House was AWOL for a lot of the first 45 minutes. That's not a good thing IMO. I was relieved that they didn't rush into any more drama about House and Cuddy. (Though I noticed they did put her in a gratuitously unprofessional outfit.) I'll admit, as a parent, I found the A plot ending almost unbearably sad. That's OK, because it was well done and true and I didn't feel manipulated like some other emotional scenes. Glad to see Foreman not being wallpaper, and I'll have to disagree,extra_cat, and say that Foreman as well as Cameron and Chase always seem much more fluent and confident in ddx that the newbies. Also, the show indicates via House's comments that they do it better, for what that's worth. Is this the first time Foreman had the lightbulb moment? About time they let him. I'll agree that it was predictable, though I'm not as good as you. I fingered the vitamins as soon as they were mentioned, but I didn't connect the girl killing her brother. Figured it had to be murder, but I didn't know who. Excessive parallelism is way too hokey, so I hope they stop doing that. Must add: Hugh's last scene with the PotW was great, and almost made up for the lack of House earlier, and for House being just a snark machine for the most part. And the commercials! They seemed way, way too intrusive tonight. Every single time the show got going, it'd come to a halt. Memo to Fox: This is hurting your shows.

It definitely felt like 13 hijacked Kutner's story early on and then it was all about her again. That really bummed me out. I thought we would finally get some good Kutner time.

Frist thoughts on the episode not enough Hugh. I also thought that when the girl told House that she killed her brother that he was thinking about Amber's death. Trying to re-watch it right now but either my tape or my machine is messing up. :cry:

No, it wasn't the most exciting episode, but I think it did get a bit of character advancement going that really needed to happen. Wilson is actively trying to change how he interacts with House, not just by not enabling but by not trying to actively control him. (Though he is still a manipulative little turd.) Foreman, as bored (and boring) and as he has been these past episodes, what with grumpily trying to blend into the wall and showing no drive when he used to be so ambitious finally found something to strive toward. Not only that but he showed a bit of spine, something that has been conspicuously absent for the entire season. Thirteen made an emotional connection! She showed emotion! She cared about something other than hiding her emotions and dying! This is the most passion and believable her character has been since the survivor arc and sets the stage for her deciding she suddenly wants to live in the next episode. Plus, loved the little smile Taub had when she blew up at House. The only thing that was really missing was House/Cuddy interactions, and I think we'll have plenty of that in coming episodes.

I enjoyed this one. Foreman was really doing something about the weird middling place he's been hanging out for a while now. His teaming up with Cameron and Chase was nostalgic fun. (Also, I swear there was a little meta bit there with Foreman asking "Are you two getting along?" Heh.) I also always like when the show gives a character a theme with an emotional load for them without directly referring to it - and brotherhood has that for Foreman. The girl's story was a little predictable, but on the other hand I liked her lies on lies. I kinda feel like it's been a while since a patient was really hiding some built up stuff. Plus, House's reaction during the revelation was beautifully empathetic - not squishy or overly warm, but he seemed genuinely stricken by what she told him. House also didn't seem disinterested in the case - talking to the patient was always House's last resort move, and they seem to moving back to that. The new team's interactions were interesting. Taub's "I have Huntington's" bit was a nice little twist that went along with his by any means necessary attitude. I also liked that it actually made Thirteen *react*, in a much more passionate way than House's needling has. I think we got all the Kutner time we were going to get with a patient who lied to him and betrayed that trusting nature. (Also, I, um, kind of cried at the end. Was that Nick Drake? Nick Drake always makes me cry. Or maybe I just miss my sister.) The ridiculously smiley promo photo of Chase and Cameron is apparently their ship's equivalent of the Huddy piano!sex shot from All In. Heh. House and Wilson were fun, too. Wilson refusing to step in so House would act was both funny and actually quite sweet. Wilson is truly trying not to interfere so much and let what happens happens. (On the other hand, I'm pretty sure Cuddy handing Foreman that case was playing dirty pool.) One small fail, but the show failed to mention, as they did during Family, that the girl's Latino heritage lowers her chances of finding a donor in the general pool. I feel like it never hurts to hammer that one home.

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