Season 5 shows signs that House’s premise may be wearing a little thin. The premise of course is that every episode involves someone getting sick, several failed attempts to save said person, then House hears or says something that makes him realize the actual disease/problem and saves the patient. While this was cleverly intermixed with a number side stories, usually involving personal issues, this season the premise was wearing a little thin to me. Most the time I didn’t care much about the case this season as I knew the pattern and wasn’t very surprised. This is the trouble with all premised shows, eventually you get used to the pattern, then get a little tired with it.

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