5.08 - Emancipation

I really loved this episode which was a pleasant change from the past... oh.... 8 weeks! I didn't even play on facebook while I was watching which has become a habit because while i still love the show, it's become just "meh" for me. So I was quite pleased. I think Cuddy's distance is a real reaction to the situation. I'm also an avoider when it comes to "work" boyfriends. I love that House usually gets his a ha moments from Wilson and Wilson wasn't giving in! Brilliant! I think House is acting weird b/c he's in unchartered territory. That would make anyone a little off. All in all delighted by the episode.

blacktop, thanks for the summary. The take-care-of-your-brother theme was like an x-ray into the episode's structure. I also appreciated the way House likened both his and the PotW's motives in avoiding their respective loved ones after the accidental deaths of the brother and Amber. House said that both of them abandoned their families (Wilson) not because of fear of rejection but because they felt deserving of rejection. (self-hate) In the same way, House did not leave Cuddy's home without ringing the bell because he was a coward but because he felt undeserving of her. (self-worth issues) He is only a partial match for her, she could find someone better. For some reason I was a little cheered by this differentiation House made between fear and self-hate. I guess I'd rather have him hate himself than be a coward.

I liked this episode alot and watched it twice through last night and once again while dressing for work this morning. I particularly was touched by the taking-care-of-your-brother theme that permeated each important relationship in this episode. I think that over the past three episodes we have seen that House is slowly becoming more comfortable with the idea of a fuller relationship with Cuddy. The hunger, longing and wistfulness with which he looked at the distant Cuddy in the final scene perfectly expressed his dilemma. The subdued and almost somber feeling of the episode is, I think, a deliberate reflection of House's inner turmoil as he mulls over a new direction for his long-standing relationship with Cuddy. I can't take credit for this, but it was mentioned to me that the two brothers, Evan and Jona, were more of a direct parallel of Wilson and House, and I think that's true. I think the whole episode was about balance, yes, but I think the brother's subplot could be effectively interpreted in a more literal sense in terms of Wilson's relationship with House, how it's been changing a little, what it means to them both, and how it should progress. I don't necessarily agree that House is shown as becoming any more comfortable with the possibility of a change in he and Cuddy's relationship. He still seemed, to me, as uncomfortable (well, perhaps more confused than uncomfortable) with it as last episode. He's thinking about it, and mulling things over about her, but it seems to me like he's not sure what to do, still, and isn't quite sure how to work it out. House definitely resorts to his drugs for any kind of pain, but I kind of wish we'd see the old motif of emotional pain translating to physical pain, even just for consistency. I loved your points. Such a nice way to relate the theme of balance to all the characters. I think this theme has some relevancy to House and Cuddy's situation in regards to how it can progress: neither avoiding each other, as they've been doing, nor going into a romantic deep-end would be a good idea, it seems. I think this episode really was wonderful in so many ways, as you've helped point out, and really was well done in its subtle yet visible points and themes.

This was my favorite episode of the season. I actually enjoyed it!! I love those quiet moments between House and the patients - I think HL brings his best stuff in those scenes, and the one with Sophie was excellent. I was interested in both patients, and I'm an unabashed Foreman fan and I thought OE was great in this one. And as I'm a sap, I thought the little brothers holding hands at the end was very sweet. Also, this was just the right amount of Cuddy for me. *ducks*

I can't take credit for this, but it was mentioned to me that the two brothers, Evan Hey, Evan is Wilson's middle name too. Cool.

PURE FANON: And fanon has it that House's middle name is Jonathan.

PURE FANON: And fanon has it that House's middle name is Jonathan. Why Jonathan? If he's named for his father, the casket in "Birthmarks" lists Col. John House, not Jonathan. And in my family, at least, the short version of Jonathan is spelled without the 'H,' so it'd be Jon. Sorry. Not on topic, really. So .... This is one of those episodes that hits more on the re-watch on the more you think about it. So many small bits that are dropped here and there that you don't fully see as they pass, but on reflection add up to a much broader picture. Like the issue of looking out for your brother -- and what goes wrong if you do too much or too little.

PURE FANON: And fanon has it that House's middle name is Jonathan. I could have sworn the police office says "James Evan Wilson" while he's arresting Wilson in "Birthmarks", which I didn't recall until just now, and that would make the Evan choice for the brother even better and even more direct.

House was taking lots of drugs this episode, wasn't he? We saw several close-ups of his hands grappling with the vicodin and sloshing it down with water. However, I thought that his steps across the lobby at the beginning and the end of the episode seemed especially light. I think his resorting to the drugs was an indication of his emotional turmoil rather than his physical pain. Interesting. I interpreted it very differently. I thought that House was walking more lightly because he was taking more Vicodin. In other words, because he actually needed the meds, not because his pain was emotional rather than physical.

The more I think about it, the more those two brothers creep me out. Never have I encountered a boy that age who is that attentive and caring, I mean, I have two little brothers and they're not mean to each other, but they don't go around mothering each other either. I'm extrapolating because they didn't mention it, but I thought the older brother might have taken on that attentive role because Dad didn't seem to be in the picture. Obviously every kid doesn't react that way, but it does happen.

The more I think about it, the more those two brothers creep me out. Never have I encountered a boy that age who is that attentive and caring, I mean, I have two little brothers and they're not mean to each other, but they don't go around mothering each other either. I though the writing for the older brother was pretty bad, as most of what he said rang false for a kid that age, thus telegraphing the solution to that subplot. Actually that whole sideplot had a rushed and sketchy feel that doesn't bear close scrutiny. But it was time for Foreman to do something besides look bored, and it did include some good moments for the old team, so I shouldn't complain. It's on another page, but whoever said the quiet scenes allow Hugh to bring his best, great comment. And a hearty Amen to the person who objected to Taub's little lecture to Sofia. Notice how the show let her shut him down? She was one of the more interesting patients in a while.

Hi, I don't post here very often anymore, but I came over here from *the other place*, way back when, and continue to lurk here. I must admit, I kind of lost my House-love a bit during seasons 3 and 4 (starting with Tritter, big surprise), but then end of season 4 and so far this season have struck me as absolutely brilliant, and I'm happy to report that my House-love is back in full force :) Anyway, I haven't read every single post in this thread so I'm sorry if I'm repeating something someone else has said. I was surprised at how many people early on said they were bored by this episode. I really enjoyed it, and thought it was great to get a breather from all the OMG!DRAMA. ... and then I thought about it for a while, and I ended up coming up with the theory that this episode is all about House and Wilson. Seriously. Check it out: Okay, for the purposes of my argument, I’m going to say that there are three storylines in this episode: the teenage girl with leukaemia, the little boy overdosing on Iron, and Foreman pulling away from House. My suggestion is that each one of those stories is about the relationship between House and Wilson. The girl with leukaemia killed her little brother by abandoning him when she was supposed to be looking after him. She left him alone and he drowned. Earlier this season, Wilson left House alone and House “drowned”, he wasn’t able to cope. The big brother of the little boy was trying so hard to help his little brother by giving him “what was good for him”, he nearly poisoned him to death. Last episode we saw Wilson being extremely interfering, even for him. He was in over-drive, giving advice left, right and centre, and even trying to trick House into getting with Cuddy through jealousy. He was over-dosing House with “helpfulness”. A big hint that these two cases were related in this way, and that they were “about the same thing”, was that they were both about older siblings looking after their little brothers and failing by going too far in one direction or the other (over-caring, or not caring enough). Wilson needs to find a healthy middle-ground. The Foreman storyline was about House and Wilson too. Foreman gets sick of House bossing him around and telling him what to do, and so branches out and does his own thing. At one point he thinks he’s in too deep and goes back to House for advice. House turns him down, and he ends up standing on his own feet and solving the case. This mirrors what happens between House and Wilson this episode. House is always getting frustrated and annoyed by Wilson’s constant advice and meddling, and makes that quite clear. But then at one point he doesn’t know what to do and goes to Wilson for advice. He doesn’t ask for advice, but usually bringing up the subject of Cuddy (“I went round to her house…”) would be enough to get more than enough advice from Wilson. But Wilson “turns him down” by not saying anything. We’ve yet to see if this will result in House standing on his own feet, but we’re given the suggestion that he will by Wilson’s last comment “you’re going to be okay, House”. Wilson and House walking out together mirrors the two brothers walking out of the hospital room together.

I love how this "boring" episode brings out so many great analysises. Makes me wonder though how many of the non online fandom viewers see these parallels.

Honestly, it's occurred to me that that may be why they made last week's parallels so "anvil-ish". Those of us used to looking for them rolled our eyes, but maybe it woke some people up to the fact that the parallels exist.

I could have sworn the police office says "James Evan Wilson" while he's arresting Wilson in "Birthmarks", which I didn't recall until just now, and that would make the Evan choice for the brother even better and even more direct. Yes, the arresting officer absolutely said "James Evan Wilson," and a long time ago (season 1 maybe?) we saw a degree on a wall in Wilson's office which read "James Evan Wilson." I love how this "boring" episode brings out so many great analysises. Makes me wonder though how many of the non online fandom viewers see these parallels. Just because some of us found the episode boring, it doesn't mean we didn't understand the episode, and it doesn't mean we didn't analyze it and see all the references and parallels to House and Wilson. It just means we found the execution of the storyline to be boring.

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