House MD 4.6 Review

House MD

FOX Tuesday's at 9 pm EST

Episode 4.6 "Whatever It Takes"

Grade: B-

General Summary: A race car driver gets vertigo and then collapses after winning an important race. House is not her doctor this week however, although I'm sure he'd have fun revealing all kinds of steroid use or family mishaps if he was, but is taken by the CIA as a consult on one of their agents. Foreman and the Numbers are left behind to work on the race car driver, and proceed to never listen to him, and Cameron puts her nose where it doesn't belong. Both cases are solved by House in the end, and another Number bites the dust.

What was good: House, as always. My roommate is watching this show for the first time with me, and she constantly mentions how impressive Hugh Laurie's performance is. I think I've grown so used to it that I forget how amazing he is. So Hugh Laurie, always of the good. Chase and Foreman finally telling Cameron to get out of House's business. The crazy Number. Cuddy at the end. Wilson freaking out on the phone line to the CIA. The CIA woman.

What was bad: The CIA case really didn't grab me, and the answer felt bland. The CIA woman is on my bad and good list, which will be explained below. Foreman being a dick as always. The cases are less interesting now that the focus is too much on the characters.

Comments: I've mentioned that I like what they've done with this season so far, but have been disappointed with the continued appearances of Foreman, Chase and Cameron. This continues. I really was hoping for this show to go forward, and while Chase at least seems to be moving on, the other two are not. I get it the reasons, I'm just not sure if it's necessary or even really interesting to the show. The Ducklings are done, people, can't we focus on the Numbers? This is why the medical mysteries were so boring this week; there are too many characters on the show, and therefore it's dragging our attention away from the point of the show. Either fire all the Numbers, or take the Ducklings off for real. This addition of the CIA woman is interesting, because I did not mind her character so far nor the actress, but more than slightly unbelievable.

They need to whittle back to the characters that are necessary, and back to the show we love. I appreciate risk and change, especially if you're trying to make positive changes, but losing sight of what was so popular in the show is a real stupid move. Both patients this week had very simple illnesses, and nothing particularly different, unique, or interesting about their stories or personalities. Get to the point, House writers. It's still funny, witty, and keeps my attention, but it won't for much longer if this becomes like every other medical drama and forgets ... I don't know ... the MEDICINE?

Another problem I have is Foreman, which has been a constant one since I believe he's an arrogant, self-important ass just like House, only less amusing and less intriguing. Yes, he was right about the heat stroke, but when the patient was infected with polio, whether or not it was his fault he still was so stubbornly self-righteous that he refused to see anyone's point of view but his own. I put up with it in House; we don't need two of them. Foreman was a jerk this episode, basically ignoring all the Numbers ideas and only supporting his own, and he doesn't have the record to support that kind of arrogance. I liked him last week because he was more on the humble side, but I can see how fast that evaporated. Blech. You have to make him either more compelling or more likable, but as he is, Foreman's holding the show back rather than helping it.

Questions I'm Left With: Why would the CIA woman join the team? Isn't this a big step down for her (in pay as well as in status)? Why don't they use Chase more? Who is going to stay and who is going to go? Does this mean only one position is open, and therefore we'll only have ONE Number staying? Who is going to throttle Cutthroat Bitch first? Can we find a way to fire Foreman for real? So when exactly is House going to bump uglies with the CIA woman?

Tune in next week!