"Maybe Foreman screwed up..."
A few thoughts on House. Well, last night practically everyone had a moment or two in which they needed to be smacked. And that includes the writers, director, and a couple of the cameramen. Wilson and Cuddy were just... weasels. I hated what they were doing and their attitudes and their... wrongness. But I think it did work for their characters and it played out well. I don't mean that I particularly like Wilson right now -because I spent several minutes thinking extremely hostile thoughts at him- but I do think he's still a well-written character - even in his weaselliness. And I will always love Cuddy's one-sided conversations with House - how she just plows on regardless of whatever inanities he's spouting on his own little tangent because she knows he's still listening. And how House almost always wins because eventually she just snaps. Hee!
No surprise that Cameron continues to irritate me. I blame the director, however, for the precise level of irritation that Cameron's overly telegraphed staring pointedly at House's leg the entire episode induced. Foreman's smackable moments were his repeated jibes at Chase's alleged incompetence. That's not a very pleasant side of him, which is sad because I used to like Foreman a lot. Chase needed to be smacked for his ill-advised attempt at humor. Which was only really funny because it was exactly what House had told him to do - take a moment and compose a witty comeback for Foreman. Hee. Chase takes House far too literally sometimes.
The writers earned their smack for making the chimera diagnoses so obvious that even I managed it as soon as the "alien" DNA clue popped up but it still took House another twenty-five minutes. Greg needs to expand his overindulgence in pop culture to include a few episodes of CSI. I think it may have been on Strong Medicine once too. I also thought that the up-close shots of Chase in the end were about six inches too close. And I really could live quite happily if I never ever EVER saw this show put another needle in somebody's eyeball. Really. Seriously. Please?
On to the stuff I liked, which is much more fun because I really did enjoy most of this episode. Lots of good fodder for my usual bias. It is of absolutely no surprise that of all the ducklings, open-minded Chase is the one who concedes the possibility of aliens. As usual, his gullibility when it comes to House baiting him was amusing, but what was also amusing was how Foreman also sat up sharply, clearly just as startled, when House claimed the sliver was possibly of non-terrestrial origin. Chase was just the only one goofy enough to say anything. But Foreman fell for it too.
As for the whole "Maybe Chase screwed up again" thing - Getting really old, but one very interesting note. When Foreman comes out snarking "Yep, Chase screwed up again", House literally does a double take and his "Really?" is not his usual sarcastic drawl. It sounded like a genuinely surprised reaction. He totally thought that Chase had been right. And I adore that. I also liked how Chase stubbornly kept insisting that he hadn't messed up. It's not that he's a push-over, like I think some people expect. He's just very selective about the battles he chooses to fight. Here he was certain and he knew it made a difference. I think he requires both before he stands up for something.
And of course, there's the kid. Of course Chase is the primary contact with him, connecting even more than his own parents do. I loved how during the MRI tests, Chase stayed with the boy whilst Cameron and Foreman had their usual unprofessional discussions in the control booth. They seem to be doing that more and more - Cameron and Foreman on one side and Chase separate from them. Which doesn't bother me as much as it might. I loved that Chase of course sat and listened to little Clancy - that he was the only one who would.
And finally, the scene with the parents. Granted, it didn't really tell us anything about Chase that we didn't already know, but I loved the whole forty-five second scene anyway. From the moment he pauses, turns around, goes back to the parents -hesitant but determined- until tells them to go in there and act like they believe in their son. Even if they don't. That was just... wow. There was a world of pain in those last four words. They may not give Chase the big flashy scenes, but they do give him the ones that punch.
Then there was Eureka. I love how they don't even bother to pretend that they haven't swiped plots from every genre show there is. Heh. I think they should get credit, however, for not necessarily taking the predictable routes with their characters. Stark could have been a two-dimensional antagonist for Carter, but they've allowed him to develop as a more rounded, more sympathetic character. He's not the Bad Guy; he's just not the lead. I find him to be almost as entertaining as Jack and I love the way they interact with one another. Matt Frewer also continues to amuse. He's just the right amount of over-the-top to fit right in. Fun episode. Too silly to analyse but it's an hour that makes me happy.
Tonight, new Bones. The promos do not make me like Cam any more than I already don't. *sigh* I want my shiny show back.
No surprise that Cameron continues to irritate me. I blame the director, however, for the precise level of irritation that Cameron's overly telegraphed staring pointedly at House's leg the entire episode induced. Foreman's smackable moments were his repeated jibes at Chase's alleged incompetence. That's not a very pleasant side of him, which is sad because I used to like Foreman a lot. Chase needed to be smacked for his ill-advised attempt at humor. Which was only really funny because it was exactly what House had told him to do - take a moment and compose a witty comeback for Foreman. Hee. Chase takes House far too literally sometimes.
The writers earned their smack for making the chimera diagnoses so obvious that even I managed it as soon as the "alien" DNA clue popped up but it still took House another twenty-five minutes. Greg needs to expand his overindulgence in pop culture to include a few episodes of CSI. I think it may have been on Strong Medicine once too. I also thought that the up-close shots of Chase in the end were about six inches too close. And I really could live quite happily if I never ever EVER saw this show put another needle in somebody's eyeball. Really. Seriously. Please?
On to the stuff I liked, which is much more fun because I really did enjoy most of this episode. Lots of good fodder for my usual bias. It is of absolutely no surprise that of all the ducklings, open-minded Chase is the one who concedes the possibility of aliens. As usual, his gullibility when it comes to House baiting him was amusing, but what was also amusing was how Foreman also sat up sharply, clearly just as startled, when House claimed the sliver was possibly of non-terrestrial origin. Chase was just the only one goofy enough to say anything. But Foreman fell for it too.
As for the whole "Maybe Chase screwed up again" thing - Getting really old, but one very interesting note. When Foreman comes out snarking "Yep, Chase screwed up again", House literally does a double take and his "Really?" is not his usual sarcastic drawl. It sounded like a genuinely surprised reaction. He totally thought that Chase had been right. And I adore that. I also liked how Chase stubbornly kept insisting that he hadn't messed up. It's not that he's a push-over, like I think some people expect. He's just very selective about the battles he chooses to fight. Here he was certain and he knew it made a difference. I think he requires both before he stands up for something.
And of course, there's the kid. Of course Chase is the primary contact with him, connecting even more than his own parents do. I loved how during the MRI tests, Chase stayed with the boy whilst Cameron and Foreman had their usual unprofessional discussions in the control booth. They seem to be doing that more and more - Cameron and Foreman on one side and Chase separate from them. Which doesn't bother me as much as it might. I loved that Chase of course sat and listened to little Clancy - that he was the only one who would.
And finally, the scene with the parents. Granted, it didn't really tell us anything about Chase that we didn't already know, but I loved the whole forty-five second scene anyway. From the moment he pauses, turns around, goes back to the parents -hesitant but determined- until tells them to go in there and act like they believe in their son. Even if they don't. That was just... wow. There was a world of pain in those last four words. They may not give Chase the big flashy scenes, but they do give him the ones that punch.
Then there was Eureka. I love how they don't even bother to pretend that they haven't swiped plots from every genre show there is. Heh. I think they should get credit, however, for not necessarily taking the predictable routes with their characters. Stark could have been a two-dimensional antagonist for Carter, but they've allowed him to develop as a more rounded, more sympathetic character. He's not the Bad Guy; he's just not the lead. I find him to be almost as entertaining as Jack and I love the way they interact with one another. Matt Frewer also continues to amuse. He's just the right amount of over-the-top to fit right in. Fun episode. Too silly to analyse but it's an hour that makes me happy.
Tonight, new Bones. The promos do not make me like Cam any more than I already don't. *sigh* I want my shiny show back.