House - 5x16 "The Softer Side" - Discussion and Spoilers

[LitmusDragon]

Would have voted "Excellent" if not for the reset button at the end. I think House on methadone would have been interesting to explore for a few episodes at least.

[Christopher]

HappyDayRiot wrote:

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This. Never thought I'd see House do a reset button, but as someone else said, the way it was done was really good.

I thought it was quite arbitrary and weak. House made one mistake that almost killed a patient, and he assumes that means his medical judgment is shot for good unless he goes back to the way he was? That doesn't make sense. The whole reason he hired Thirteen was because she made a mistake that killed a patient -- which meant that he could trust her to be more careful in the future.

And if the absence of pain was so profound for him that he'd sacrifice his job for it that readily, I can't believe he'd choose to go back to being in pain just as readily.

Instead of pushing the reset button at the end of the hour, they should've at least carried this through for several episodes. Maybe have him finally give up the methadone when it nearly killed him and the medical risk of continuing was deemed too great.

Or heck, do get rid of the pain but have him turn out to be just as jerky without it. I think the episode greatly oversimplified the source of his behavioral issues. Heck, didn't we already know that he was an obnoxious jerk even before the leg injury?

[sidious618]

ClayinCA wrote:

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And yet another episode with neither Cameron nor Chase...it's so sad that they're still in the opening credits...

Not for them. No work and a big paycheck makes them rather happy, I'm sure.

[Trekker4747]

Christopher wrote:

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I thought it was quite arbitrary and weak. House made one mistake that almost killed a patient, and he assumes that means his medical judgment is shot for good unless he goes back to the way he was?

Well this isn't the first time House has suggested to us that his "misery and pain" helps make him a good doctor.

And if the absence of pain was so profound for him that he'd sacrifice his job for it that readily, I can't believe he'd choose to go back to being in pain just as readily.

I think it's odd for him to have "sacraficed his job." As has been noted countless times, House is a world famous and renouned diagnostitian. He should be able to walk into any hospital and get a job with just his name.

Instead of pushing the reset button at the end of the hour, they should've at least carried this through for several episodes. Maybe have him finally give up the methadone when it nearly killed him and the medical risk of continuing was deemed too great.

Don't think we need to do ANOTHER arc this season. But that would've been interesting.

Or heck, do get rid of the pain but have him turn out to be just as jerky without it. I think the episode greatly oversimplified the source of his behavioral issues. Heck, didn't we already know that he was an obnoxious jerk even before the leg injury?

I'd argue that House's pain, misery, and Vicodin abuse is a large part of the "charm" of his character. It's been suggested -by Wilson- that House's misery increased greatly after his leg injury but Cuddy has suggested that House has always been this way. We've only seen House in one flashback before the surgery to remove his leg muscle and in that episode he was a bit jerky -though in pain so...

[HappyDayRiot]

Christopher wrote:

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I thought it was quite arbitrary and weak.

Insofar as there was a reset button at all, yes it did feel arbitrary. I would have to see it play out over a few episodes beyond this one, but I can live with the way this episode ended.

You're right about the parallel with what Thirteen did last season though - can't say I would ever have remembered that. It does make 'The Softer Side''s ending weaker when you figure that in.

It was still a much stronger episode than the past 3 or 4 even with the reset.

[PKerr]

LitmusDragon wrote:

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Would have voted "Excellent" if not for the reset button at the end. I think House on methadone would have been interesting to explore for a few episodes at least.

My thoughts exactly.

It seems like every time the come up with something interesting they kill it by the end of the episode or early the next, then they let the crazed "House Hunting" cop and 14 crap episodes go on and on and on.

[Serial thread killer]

I don't think House could get a job in another hospital or if he did keep it.
I think its well know that he does not play by the rules so no one would touch him.

[Trekker4747]

Serial thread killer wrote:

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I don't think House could get a job in another hospital or if he did keep it.
I think its well know that he does not play by the rules so no one would touch him.

The reputation of his name attached to your hospital may out weigh that.

[nx1701g]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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The reputation of his name attached to your hospital may out weigh that.

In the episode where the Director of Mercy fired Foreman didn't she tell Foreman pretty much exactly that? That House may get away with his crazy antics, but she couldn't let him.

[Trekker4747]

nx1701g wrote:

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In the episode where the Director of Mercy fired Foreman didn't she tell Foreman pretty much exactly that? That House may get away with his crazy antics, but she couldn't let him.

Pretty much.

Cuddy herself tells House in the first episode of the series that the reason why she doesn't fire him for not meeting his clinic obligations is that his "reputation still means something to this hospital" and it is suggested over and over that House is a world famous doctor that many seek out when they've an odd case.

Seriously, House probably didn't even need to clean up for his interviews.

[SlyCardie]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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Pretty much.

Cuddy herself tells House in the first episode of the series that the reason why she doesn't fire him for not meeting his clinic obligations is that his "reputation still means something to this hospital" and it is suggested over and over that House is a world famous doctor that many seek out when they've an odd case.

Seriously, House probably didn't even need to clean up for his interviews.

Yeah, good point plus I can remember at least 2 episodes about illegal immigrants coming to the US and lying about their validity in the country just to get treated by House.