But before I say any more about “House, M.D.,” let me briefly for the reader summarize the show. “House, M.D.” is a medical drama that takes place at a fictional teaching hospital (“Princeton-Plainsborough Hospital”). The story revolves around a particular doctor, Dr. Gregory House, an individual who has established himself as a medical genius able to solve difficult medical mysteries that other doctors have been unable to solve. Dr. House works with a small group of internists who are serving in residence under him, and who, despite their much less experience, actively work with House to solve medical problems through a technique called a “Differential Diagnosis,” a kind of group-based brainstorming session where diagnostic ideas are presented, written on a white board, and systematically eliminated by comparing each hypothesis with the ongoing list of patient symptoms. But Dr. House is more than just a diagnostic genius: he possesses a debilitating leg injury that keeps him in perpetual pain, and he regularly uses powerful prescription painkillers to the point where there is genuine concern that he may, in fact, be a pain medicine addict. But there’s more. Along with his genius, House has an incredibly insensitive and offensive demeanor, and seemingly has no concern for social norms, courtesies, or sometimes, even common decency. His unparalleled genius at helping patients is probably what keeps him employed in spite of his incredibly ongoing offensive behavior.

What makes this show so compelling, so unique, and so interesting? There is probably no one answer to this question. At the core of it is likely House himself, a character who is fundamentally a contradiction, a walking incongruity, a person that we desperately and increasingly wish to understand, and perhaps, even wish to control to correct his unacceptable behavior. We find ourselves watching this man and so strongly wishing that we can figure him out, to come to a true understanding and belief about him, to solve the mystery of who he really is, and by that knowledge, settle the manifold open questions surrounding him and his relationships to others that each episode more fully presents.

Unfortunately, or should I rather say, “fortunately,” such an understanding is not easily developed. The complexities, ambiguities, and open questions surrounding the character of House come tantalizingly close to being solved time after time, only to be later shown that what we thought was the answer to this man was really just another false lead, another misunderstanding, another fact to add into this increasingly difficult puzzle. Part of the show’s allure is this ongoing dissonance, not only between House and his coworkers, but deeply within House himself. Is he truly an uncaring person? Is he truly a person who views his entire medical career as simply a series of puzzles to be solved, and where people who recover are simply a side effect of the solved puzzle? Does he really look at every social, religious, or ethnic factor as a legitimate target of derision? Is he truly hostile to people’s religious convictions? Does he truly believe that his drug addiction is an irrelevant issue to his work? Each episode faces us with House’s reaction to these questions to varying degrees, and over time, we may find that we build an increasing understanding of this man, but we often find those understandings torn apart in a later episode, where new observations on House make us rethink what we think we knew.

In spite of House’s problems and deficiencies, we often find him an imminently likeable character, and we often see hints of goodness in him that he desperately tries to keep hidden from others. Often, it is hinted in the subtilest of ways that House himself wishes to hide from others the fact that he truly does care, but this hint is just as quickly dashed as we witness his next immature toy kicking. (It can sometimes seem that House is more of a four year old in a nursery who is testing his fellow nursery members for territorial markers. In other cases, he is the genius child who seeks to use others as fodder for his most recent theories on human and animal behavior.)

“House, M.D.,” if the truth be known, does not start out in Season One as a soap opera, but by Season Five for the series run, I think a defensible case can be made that the show takes on many of the trappings of a soap opera, curiously and ironically enough, mirroring the very soap operas that the character House in the show is seen so frequently watching (often, on an old, 1990’s style portable television located in his office). This morphing into the arena of the soap opera doesn’t really matter, though, for the viewer who has gone through the entire set of previous episodes in order. With no attempt to defend this shift in style, the show uses its first three seasons to genuinely establish itself as a puzzle solving, medical mystery show, with House serving as a medical Sherlock Holmes (sans the hat and the pipe, but plus the strange personality and temperament issues), and the stories are easily carried with each individual episode standing as a mental gymnastic exercise that keeps the viewer wanting more. But strewn through these episodes are myriads of strange, and often, very awkward character interactions that are left unfinished and unexplored, tantalizing us with seeming keys to unlock the mystery of House. It is perhaps inevitable that a show lasting so many years (now in its sixth season) and having such strong characters and unusual trappings would be inevitably drawn to revisit and examine such unfinished business. These “explorations” begin to occur more repeatedly in Season Four, and by Season Five, we see the exaggeration of much of this at the expense of series’ original, focal point of medical mysteries to be resolved, which by this point in the series often take back seat to the ever growing personal dramas. But even this doesn’t matter. The issues and themes explored in Season Five, while taking on the feeling of a soap opera, are still handled with great expertise and generally fascinating ways, so that we still find ourselves focused on each event, all the time still (unconsciously at times, I must admit) wishing that we can figure House out, get the mystery of House solved, and have some type of a resolution that fits our conception of the real world. By the end of Season Five, we still do not have an answer for this dilemma, and the show uses this dilemma to hold the audience’s attention in a powerful manner.

The basic premise of the show is so startling unique and fascinating in its own right that the show does not need to rely on cheap “shock” tricks to maintain attention. It is true that there are a number of “shocking” events to occur through the series, and there can be no doubt that the show, being first and foremost a network based television format production, employs “cliffhangers” to hold the viewer through the regular commercial breaks, but it is amazing to see how the show is regularly worked into individual episodes that are artfully crafted into stories that flow, and work, from beginning to end.

Quite some time ago, I wrote a long review for “The Rockford Files,” a television show in the 1970’s that, in my own thinking, achieved the status as being one of the best television shows ever produced. I had written my review at a time when the first “Rockford Files” DVD’s were being released, and the opportunity to re-watch these shows reminded me again of the superior writing, the acting, and the impressive interworking of the cast which made this show, not just a cut above the average television show, but a true classic, one that could almost not be challenged in the realm of television. I still feel that way about The Rockford Files, and, truth be known, another very different show from a decade earlier, “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” had many of these same characteristics, all coalescing to make what eventual became in both cases a classic production. “The Rockford Files” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show” reached such pinnacles of performance that they remain examples of the very best television ever made, and even the ravages of 30 and 40 years of time have done little but solidify that achievement.

“House, M.D.” is, in my opinion, is likely destined for that same level of accolade. In the show, we find that same coalescing of features – a truly unique character creation, excellent writing, and a cast that works well together – that will argue for the show’s inclusion in that highest level of ranking. But whether that specific claim turns out to be true or not, the fact remains that House, M.D. is one of the most fascinating, intriguing, and enjoyable shows to watch. We witness medical problems and the difficult procedure in diagnosing and treating those problems; we witness the struggles, oddities, and offensiveness (and yes, there are many parts of the show that are incredibly offensive) of a main character who remains both a genius and an enigma, an inscrutable person who is endlessly fascinating to behold; we witness a cast of actors who must earn to interact with the powerful character of House while establishing their own credibility; and finally, but not least of all, we enjoy Hugh Laurie’s incredible rendition of the House character. Add these factors up, and you end up with one heck of a fascinating show. I’ll say it in conclusion again, that this is one of the best television shows to have appeared in years, and Hugh Laurie is superb in his role as House. You can enjoy it even more on DVD, where there are no commercial interruptions. I rate this as five stars, but the real truth is that it is one BIG star (House) with four other stars with him. Well, make that seven or eight other stars, depending on the season you are currently watching.

By Ray “A Reader”

Similarly, the side stories weren’t nearly as interesting this season. While I thought House looking for a replacement for Wilson was rather interesting, I was a little surprised by how quickly this story was over, thought I was thrilled to have Wilson back. Also, the budding of a new romance felt a little forced, and was ultimately not nearly as interesting as Cameron and Chase. Speaking of which, why has their role on this show been limited to a few lines an episode? I liked the story of them leaving, but if they were going to leave they should have been gone, not just showing up to remind us how much we miss the old days.

Ok, I know I’m making this season seem terrible, but it wasn’t. House is an excellent show, and I loved the personal stories. When Cutty finally got a child, I loved that she wasn’t very good at it at first. Most shows would have given her the child and made everything perfect. This show portrayed the problems and compromises that go along with becoming a parent, and I loved it. Also, I loved Wilson. Like Holmes and Watson, Wilson is the likeably foil for House, adding a much needed feeling in House that wouldn’t be there without his character. But while I loved a number of things for this show I can’t help but feel the show’s premise is running a little thin. Can’t we go one episode without multiple fails for a disease I’ve never heard of? Maybe not, I don’t recall Angela Lansberry taking one trip on Murder she wrote that didn’t result in a dead body.

I love House, but this season didn’t add anything new, just rehashed a lot of the same. I’ll keep watching, but won’t be nearly as excited.
By  M. Herzog

By snwlprd

By L Gontzes

I literally stumbled upon this little gem on the Internet. I’d heard about it before, but never bothered to sit down and watch it. But when I read more about it, it sounded like a type of show I’d like, so I went to the library and all it had was the first disk of this season. So I tried it out. And fell in love.

Hugh Laurie poses as an ingenious but ill-tempered doctor, Greggory House. With each new episode comes a new cold case that House and his band of talented and miraculously good-looking hand-picked doctors must solve in 40 minutes. You’d think that this typical whodunit medical formula would get boring by the fifth time you’ve watched it, but it really doesn’t. It’s a quirky, rare show that has some brilliant writers working in the back-drop and absolutely fantastic actors posing as a medical team in a hospital in New Jersey.

I love Hugh Laurie’s character the most. He’s a scruffy-but-handsome kind of guy who’s charming in a way he doesn’t mean to be. He is incredibly rude, and makes his team member’s lives a misery, and his rudeness doesn’t stop with his patients. But he is brilliant, and his wit almost always surprises his team as well as his patients when he correctly diagnoses and cures a case. And House’s sarcastic, mean humor almost always makes me laugh. Hats off to the writers and Hugh Laurie, who carries it out beautifully.

I don’t think I could get tired of the team, either. Omar Epps plays Dr. Eric Foreman, a very smart and rather sarcastic guy. He can pull some great expressions, and his signature high eye-brows always make me smile. Jennifer Morrison is Dr. Allison Cameron, the strong-willed beauty of the team. Her character is pretty hard to hate, and the only reason I don’t like her is because she gains Chase’s attention. Now we come to Dr. Robert Chase, the adorable Aussie of the team, who is as clever as he is amusing.

Robert Sean Leonard plays Dr. James Wilson, the smart and good-natured department head. He is very respected by the team as well as the patients, and his calm nature makes his close friendship with the eccentric House all the more puzzling. Wilson is adorable, in a kind of older-guy way, and he has a great sense of humor- and not to mention patience, to deal with House and his sometimes strange antics.

And finally, Lisa Edelstein is Dr. Lisa Cuddy, the boss reining over all the aforementioned characters. She’s a no-play-business boss who does her work well and is respected by the team; that is, everyone but House, whose rude antics don’t stop at his boss. She takes it well, though, and there is a sort of adorable affection between the two that even an outsider to the show could recognize. I don’t want to be really mean, but Liza Edelstein has a bit of a horse face. I mean that in the nicest way possible, because she is truly beautiful, but sometimes on the covers of HOUSE, MD, her face looks a little long. Anyways, I just hope she and House hook up in the sixth season.

The show is a gem, I truly love it and all its characters. There hasn’t been a dry episode yet, and having to wait for them in Netflix and being forced to skip around when I find random seasons at the library is tough, and even watching epidodes on TV get confusing. Yet there is no way I’m going to buy all the seasons- it’s WAY to expensive. I reccommend buying these only to die-hard fans who need every single episode to be happy.

The one thing about this show is the blood. I’m not a pansy, but when I see operations and inner body parts and nasty stuff like that, I get a little freaked out. Medical stuff like that scares me, as I am a bit of a hypochondriac, and that is one drawback to this TV show: the blood and guts.

Now, before I let you go, there is one last thing I’ll comment on. Practically every episode goes by a typical formula that is entertaining all the same, but about thirty minutes in, when House realizes what’s wrong and the camera zooms in and he makes a thoughtful face, well… by the 20th time of seeing that, it gets old. I feel bad for Hugh Laurie, who has to act like he’s just made a brilliant discovery and make a serious face time over and over. It’s amusing, in a way, but it gets boring.

Anyways, it is an AWESOME show. As a matter of fact it’s testing The Mentalist, for me, as my favorite show, and that is huge, since I am in love with Simon Baker. So if you’re like me and can’t afford to give stupid Amazon a thousand dollars to buy every season, at least watch it, because this is one TV show EVERYONE ought to watch before they die.

House is rude to his patients and avoids them whenever possible, but part of what makes him repugnant to almost everyone around him is that he is about the search for pure truth, and superficial niceties have no place in his life. He doesn’t wear a lab coat, and he sports tennis shoes and a scruffy beard. Thus when he does actually talk to the patients he lays it on the line and expects them to do the same. However, they almost always lie to him, something that he says he expects and one reason he avoids contact with them in the first place.

So why would such a rude unkempt character be so popular among viewers? Possibly it could be because as a nation we are sick of being lied to in every aspect of our lives by blow-dried poll-tested representatives of large corporate interests who are only interested in image, profit, and covering their backsides, and House is the antithesis of all of this.

This particular season has some superb episodes. Several said they did not care for the arc with House’s ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner, now married to a man with all of the s ex appeal of the Staypuffed Marshmallow Man, and who is still unable to walk while recovering from an illness that House treated him for at the end of season one. I personally liked the arc because it showed the side of House that was capable of love. Stacy has already made the admission to House that he was “the one guy” for her, but that there was no room in House’s life for her and there was room for her in her husband’s life. This sets up the possibility that House and Stacy may reunite. First, however, House has to find out the absolute truth of Stacy’s relationship with her husband – and what House does to get that information costs him dearly when Stacy finds out. House does make a new friend this season – a rat living in Stacy’s attic whom he names “Steve McQueen”.

As for the individual cases, they are interesting as always, but there are three episodes that really stand out. Two of them consist of the two-parter “Euphoria” in which Foreman is infected with a deadly disease that is of unknown origin and an unknown method of transmission. It turns out that Foreman, who is the most similar to House of any of his assistants, is different from House in one key way. He is willing to use any means necessary to preserve his life regardless of the possible future quality of that life. The final episode has House being shot by a disgruntled ex-patient. The big question left unanswered here is not so much will he survive, but will he be able to recover the use of his leg as a result of the shooting. You see, for Foreman the important issue is just staying alive, because he has no first-hand knowledge of life with chronic disability. House has been dragging around a useless but painful leg for five years now, and when the chips are down, for him just being alive isn’t enough.

The extra features are spread out over the discs this season and include:
“An Evening with House” featurette
“It Could Be Lupus” featurette
Blooper reel
Alternate takes: the “Valley Girl” versions
Producer commentaries

The extra features here are better than the season one features, and I really enjoyed the commentary on the final episode “No Reason”. Another improvement is that this season is spread out over six single-sided discs rather than the three dual-sided easily scratched discs of season one.

By calvinnme “Texan refugee”

At the end of the season House’s ex-girlfriend Stacy resurfaces with an ill husband in tow, asking House’s help to diagnose and cure her husband. The husband is not only combative – he at first denies there is anything at all wrong with him – he also has all of the se x appeal of the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man. She had to have married this guy on the rebound and furthermore he has to have known that. This rather unbelievable triangle plays itself out in season two.

Seeing the episodes in order I did realize I had seen several of them before, including the pilot. What impressed me was that at the time I saw it I didn’t realize it was the pilot, or necessarily even in the first season. That’s one thing that really impresses me about this show – from the beginning of the series the players are completely in character. House being assigned to clinic duty in the hospital – a task he most reluctantly takes on – allows the opportunity for short funny cases to break up the bigger mystery of the one large case that dominates each episode, and really keeps things going.

As for the packaging, this season was originally on dual sided discs, and that made for easy scratching and even some problems on some discs that showed no signs of scratching, so be aware that these dual sided versions are all over the place if you decide to purchase this season used. This new version’s primary feature is that it is on single sided discs.

By calvinnme “Texan refugee”