princeton-plainsboro roundup 2006

Premieres starting up over the next few weeks and caught House Tuesday night at the new timeslot. Not a heavy hitting episode, but just fun reintroductions to characters back from summer exile, new hair cuts and neckties, etc…

‘Meaning’ as and episode worked well getting back into the hospital, catching up and priming a few motifs the writers have in store for season three, one of which I think is going to be the meaning of the job. Distinct personality shift in House, which other characters recognize, but especially now this quest for something other than ‘distraction from pain’ which has been SOP for two seasons. Then also lots of toss ups setting the stage for arcs throughout the season, promising to be interesting as reapercussions manifest on House and Company.

After a little discussion with Pooks I’ve decided the most important things of note in this episode are:

1. The distinct psychological differences between “Greg” and “House” and how long Greg will actually be with us until House takes over and goes back to stabbing people enthusiastically with syringes and getting decked by angry bystanders.
2. Chase may actually be the only really suitable heir to the House legacy.
3. Wilson’s insane passive-agressive sabotaging.

There are of course other things that happened (although I may have slipped into a coma at some point when House started flirting), but I suspect the vicodin = doubt isn’t going to play very subtle, so that will become a major issue sooner rather than later. It’s fairly obvious House is going to have problems getting out of those self destructive patterns of the past; even though I would pay good money to have him ‘see music’ in the shower again. Cameron is also going to totally hook up with someone guarenteed, without a doubt, but at the moment I’m still holding out for Wilson because in all likelyhood Wilson’s BS is going to come out violently at some point. Don’t get me wrong, I like Wilson, and I don’t think this is going to be a real deliberate thing, he obviously feels like he’s protecting House, but it’s been a long time coming, House is honestly a horrible friend. We’ve got little to no backstory on their friendship from his pov and I imagine he’s stretched thin. Right now however Cuddy will be the foil for the cortisol-Man issue and the tension between House and Wilson will be a slow burn. What I can really see is mid-season House and Wilson having a falling out and throw Cameron into the mix, if Greg/House is kinda starting to feel warmly towards her… fireworks!

But as is the case with any speculation it’ll probably go down the tubes. I think it’s going to be a fun season, I think it’s going to be a rough season on House, although that’s sort of the premise of the show – Let’s torture Snarkmaster General and see him be a genius. Foreman will probably have it easy, he had a good 2nd season, but there is the cloud of his Mom floating in the wings ready to rear up. Chase is still really nebulous, but I’d like to see that slow boil stretch out until he completely loses his marbles- at which point he can actually become a clone of House. Cameron is like a super-bouncy-ball in that she seems to plummet along and take little damage, but eventually she’ll have to confront the fact she either likes House or she is totally schizo for the terminal-types.

Then there’s David Morse. Oh, David Morse. Tall, intimidating, and joining the cast around episode 5- which should air sometime after the October break. Another great actor on an already great show, should be fun.

Oh and I want to throw in a mention for cortisol-Man who is an actor named Edward Edwards and who has been in almost every awesome TV Show ever. And some others. Bot for real, he’s cool.