House Of Lies
Yeah, yeah, bad pun, stop rolling your eyes.
If somehow you missed the running theme of this episode (though I don’t know how because it was brought up at least once in every discussion) it was lies. Or, more specifically, lies our parents tell us. Oh, come on, I had to say it! How often can I tie House to Buffy? ;)
While I saw the common thread throughout the ep, I didn’t see it tie together until the very last scene. Early in the episode House commented that parents “lie to us because they love us.” It’s an echo of a criticism that he has made since the very first episode - people lie. And when people lie to him in the course of his job, people can die. (If the father had told them that he owned a scrap business instead of a construction business, would the son’s fate had been different?) Yet, emotionally, House seems to understand, even desire, the benefits that can come from lying. Compare how House reacts to his father’s honesty about his condition and the way he chooses to live versus his mother’s, “You’re absolutely perfect just the way you are.” Hell, we all know it’s a lie when our parents call us perfect, no one is perfect, but it’s what we like to hear. Even need to hear sometimes. When Cardel confesses how scared he is, his father tells him he‘s going to be just fine. The truth is too painful and what purpose would it serve?
My initial reaction to House’s father was the standard, ‘What a jerk!’ as he dishes out platitudes to House. ‘You‘ve got two legs.‘ “You just don’t know how lucky you are.” And while true on some level (considering House’s line of work he knows there are people worse off than him), you can’t put yourself in that person’s shoes and fully understand how they suffer. His dad doesn’t even seem to make an attempt to ask questions, to find out. But Wilson’s comment to Cameron, “You know what I figure is worse than watching your son become crippled. Watching him be miserable.” lead me to have a more sympathetic view of him. Wilson spoke from personal experience. He’s tried to get House to free himself from his self imposed state of misery with little success. If it pains him to see House live the way he does, what must it be like for a parent?
I thought this episode provided some very good forward momentum for all the characters. Have we had an episode prior to this one where we’ve seen the team work so well together? Each coming up with hypothesis that aren’t countered with mockery or derision by House. I’m not sure if he was just preoccupied by his parents impending visit or GASP! Does he have a growing respect forming for the opinions of his people?
Cameron’s maturity continues to develop, slowly. However, I had some issues with her going to Wilson to reveal the real reason behind his dinner plans with House. It’s not that she went behind House’s back, it’s that her motivation seemed born of nosiness rather than concern. And it was rather presumptuous to invite herself and everyone else to what would have been a very uncomfortable dinner party.
Chase seems to have finally made his way out of the dog house. He made a damn good joke in reference to the loan, “Bad night at poker or great night with a hooker?”, beating House to making the self-deprecating remark. And House seemed to admire his efforts in his own way, “Thank you for saving me the trouble of deflecting that personal question with a joke.”
Seriously, I don’t think we can use the term “subtext” with House and Wilson anymore. I lost track of all the double entendres and innuendo. Wilson just needs to hop on the back of the bike so they can get a room already. ;)
And how cute was Wilson taking charge in House’s absence and utilizing the white board? Cameron and Chase’s reactions to trying to figure out what the hell he was writing were priceless too.
I was actually a bit concerned as to why House needed to borrow money from Wilson. I always figured he was well paid for his work and he doesn’t seem to live extravagantly. I should have known there was a reason besides need. He wanted to measure just how much Wilson loves him. : ) I’m guessing had he continued on he could have bought himself a boat.
The exchange regarding the loans lead to the biggest LOL moment of the night for me…“I’ve been lying to you in increasing amounts ever since I told you you look good unshaved a year ago. It’s a little experiment. Ya know, to see where you’d draw the line.” And why wasn’t RSL nominated for an Emmy last season?
If somehow you missed the running theme of this episode (though I don’t know how because it was brought up at least once in every discussion) it was lies. Or, more specifically, lies our parents tell us. Oh, come on, I had to say it! How often can I tie House to Buffy? ;)
While I saw the common thread throughout the ep, I didn’t see it tie together until the very last scene. Early in the episode House commented that parents “lie to us because they love us.” It’s an echo of a criticism that he has made since the very first episode - people lie. And when people lie to him in the course of his job, people can die. (If the father had told them that he owned a scrap business instead of a construction business, would the son’s fate had been different?) Yet, emotionally, House seems to understand, even desire, the benefits that can come from lying. Compare how House reacts to his father’s honesty about his condition and the way he chooses to live versus his mother’s, “You’re absolutely perfect just the way you are.” Hell, we all know it’s a lie when our parents call us perfect, no one is perfect, but it’s what we like to hear. Even need to hear sometimes. When Cardel confesses how scared he is, his father tells him he‘s going to be just fine. The truth is too painful and what purpose would it serve?
My initial reaction to House’s father was the standard, ‘What a jerk!’ as he dishes out platitudes to House. ‘You‘ve got two legs.‘ “You just don’t know how lucky you are.” And while true on some level (considering House’s line of work he knows there are people worse off than him), you can’t put yourself in that person’s shoes and fully understand how they suffer. His dad doesn’t even seem to make an attempt to ask questions, to find out. But Wilson’s comment to Cameron, “You know what I figure is worse than watching your son become crippled. Watching him be miserable.” lead me to have a more sympathetic view of him. Wilson spoke from personal experience. He’s tried to get House to free himself from his self imposed state of misery with little success. If it pains him to see House live the way he does, what must it be like for a parent?
I thought this episode provided some very good forward momentum for all the characters. Have we had an episode prior to this one where we’ve seen the team work so well together? Each coming up with hypothesis that aren’t countered with mockery or derision by House. I’m not sure if he was just preoccupied by his parents impending visit or GASP! Does he have a growing respect forming for the opinions of his people?
Cameron’s maturity continues to develop, slowly. However, I had some issues with her going to Wilson to reveal the real reason behind his dinner plans with House. It’s not that she went behind House’s back, it’s that her motivation seemed born of nosiness rather than concern. And it was rather presumptuous to invite herself and everyone else to what would have been a very uncomfortable dinner party.
Chase seems to have finally made his way out of the dog house. He made a damn good joke in reference to the loan, “Bad night at poker or great night with a hooker?”, beating House to making the self-deprecating remark. And House seemed to admire his efforts in his own way, “Thank you for saving me the trouble of deflecting that personal question with a joke.”
Seriously, I don’t think we can use the term “subtext” with House and Wilson anymore. I lost track of all the double entendres and innuendo. Wilson just needs to hop on the back of the bike so they can get a room already. ;)
And how cute was Wilson taking charge in House’s absence and utilizing the white board? Cameron and Chase’s reactions to trying to figure out what the hell he was writing were priceless too.
I was actually a bit concerned as to why House needed to borrow money from Wilson. I always figured he was well paid for his work and he doesn’t seem to live extravagantly. I should have known there was a reason besides need. He wanted to measure just how much Wilson loves him. : ) I’m guessing had he continued on he could have bought himself a boat.
The exchange regarding the loans lead to the biggest LOL moment of the night for me…“I’ve been lying to you in increasing amounts ever since I told you you look good unshaved a year ago. It’s a little experiment. Ya know, to see where you’d draw the line.” And why wasn’t RSL nominated for an Emmy last season?
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tired
There's an intriguing visual. Especially the part where you do the tying.
I didn't the father was an ogre. Maybe because I think House could benefit from a good smack in the chops. You could possibly do that for him after you tie him to Buffy?
When House announced it wasn't his mother he hated, but his father I was expecting to see some horrible person appear. And while I think the expression of 'it's not what you say, but how you say it' could perhaps apply to his dad, I did feel that he cared about his son and doesn't understand why he chooses to make himself miserable. Maybe the guy can be a pain in the ass (like father, like son), but he certainly was no ogre.
And hilarious.
'Archie Kennedy''Horatio Hornblower' fan has certainly awakened my inner slasher. Because of that, as I was watching 'House' this week, I was reminded of an expression I had heard on some other TV show - this is as gay as Elton John's underwear drawer. :pAnd don't forget the shallow - House climbing on his bike and riding off into the night (handicapped sign notwithstanding).
As Stacy pointed out to Cameron last season, House was pretty much as he is now before the misdiagnosis with his leg. Still, you are left to wonder what caused the personality he has to form. Was it his parents? Foreman seemed sold on the idea that only a mother could mess one up that much (projecting there Eric?). But I agree with you, there didn't seem any overt indication that his parents were horrible poeple that abused him in some way or failed to support him. Hopefully we will see more of them or at least hear more about House's formative years.
And don't forget the shallow - House climbing on his bike and riding off into the night
Me? Forget the shallow??? ;)
freakin' KILLED me!
i even laughed out loud... after the scene was done... and again, later the evening...
i wish i'd said that.
Now I'm left to wonder if House will be clean shaven next week?
mmmmm... house scruffy.....
no yes no yes....
*gets whiplash
Oh, maybe because the Television Academy is run by myopic idiots who can only remember the names of actors from old shows?
Wilson and House are abosolutely adorable, and remind me so much of the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (are the intials of the characters' last names a mere coincidence?) They aren't exactly alike, but similar - Arthur Conan Doyle based the character of Holmes on his medical school instructor Dr. Joseph Bell. I keep imagining a similar scene in 19th century England - Dr. Bell with a room of student/interns, getting them to think diagnose a patient. Holmes could be cold, calculationg and devoted solely to solving the case, though he could display empathy. He also had an addiction - cocaine, and Watson spent years trying to get him to quit. I think he only succeeded in getting him to rely on it less. Watson, like Wilson, had a wife we never saw, and who he was always willing to ditch to help Holmes on a case :) There have also been people who have tried to slash up the Holmes/Watson relationship, though most just dismiss them as typical old lifelong English bachelors.
I loved last night's ep. I was a bit irritated at Cameron for her nosiness, she really had no business budding in. I felt some sympathy for House's dad - he clearly doesn't like seeming him miserable and tries the only way he knows how to get him to see the good in his life. But, people who are determined to be unhappy will not see it.
Nope. I think soem folks involved with the show may have even mentioned the connection to the Holmes/Watson relationship. I wish I was more fmailiar with Conan Doyle's work because it would be fascinating to explore the similarities and differences in a post.
Cameron needs to get a life, not cling to House's...which is non-existant. ;)
Re: Cameron - how sad does that make her life right now?
First very good observations and write (as usual) I would make these observations:
1. The House Dinner party - Who says Cameron, Cuddy and the others Cameron was trying to get to attend, were going to be at the same table as House, Wilson and parents? I actually had them pictured sitting at a seperate table watching the event like them new fangled televisions with the movin' pictures and all.
2. Even before watching this episode I had overheard two students discussion the boy's father's lie about the death of the mom. The discussion was on does the ends of a lie justify the action. What I did find very interesting after watching the episode, that discussion with the students never brought up the son lying to his father. So again it seems lying is ok as long as you are doing it...
3. It was interesting for me to see the tumor in the spine surgery decision. This is a decision/situation my parents went through when I was nine months old. One doesn't get a chance to peek into a window of your parent's life from another source than them very often.
4. Being an employee, I "loved" the whole scene where it was stated that you can't lie to a patient (customer) but its perfectly fine with management to lie to the Dr (staff).
What I did find very interesting after watching the episode, that discussion with the students never brought up the son lying to his father. So again it seems lying is ok as long as you are doing it...
I didn't see it that way and without hearing the discussion of the students I'm thinking that was not what they were trying to convey. It wasn't OK for the son to lie to his father, but it also wasn't OK for the father to put his son in a position in which he felt he had to lie. And perhaps it isn't right to judge a lie by the size of it, however, lying to the boy about how his mother died to instill fear in him is far more damaging than lying about what you did on spring break. And the son would have told the truth if he hadn't been sure he was going to be met with disapproval simply because he wasn't making the choices he father wanted him to make.
And perhaps I was mixing the two in my observation of the students discussion.
It just occurred to me while watching the show, how as House (and you) said previously, "Everybody lies", and running in parallel to that everyone gets upset when they get lied to.
Seems to be an ironic paradox of human nature.