House: Whinefest ’09
February 4, 2009 by Cameron Cubbison
Filed under Television
“I hear Cuddy’s SEAL training finally came in handy.” Wilson utters that to House during a scene in this landmark 100th episode of House. It seems that Cuddy is feeling a little hostile toward our loveable misanthropic protagonist for making her hire a nanny and come back to work. She expresses this hostility by rigging trip wires in House’s office and tricking him into believing the elevators are out of service. She has finally sunk down to his level, which probably makes House perversely happy and maybe even proud. When Wilson tries to morally frame the situation and provide House with some pearls of wisdom (as he always does), House replies, “Thank you Rationalization Man, you have saved the village!”
The patient this time is one Dr. Miller, a highly regarded cancer researcher who quit her job to take cooking classes and go to reading groups. She collapses during one said cooking class and there you go. She then serves as a catalyst for Wilson and Taub to examine their lives, their level of happiness, personal fulfillment, moral superiority, etc. But again, the patient A story isn’t the draw. The team just needs some case to work on so that we can listen to their conversations along the journey.
And most of those conversations this time around consist of whiny sob sessions. Cuddy whines about not being home with her baby, as if it is House’s fault that she has a serious job with serious responsibilities she needs to do. Cuddy, it’s 21st century America, you’re not the only mother who has to work for a living. I mean are you kidding me with this crap?
Foreman whines about being conflicted about having made the choice last episode to sabotage his Huntington’s trials to try and get Thirteen on the experimental drug that could help her. Of course when Thirteen goes temporarily blind and grows a brain tumor thanks to Foreman’s choice-which naturally he lied to her about-she gets a little angry. Then she whines about being blind. Then Foreman whines about having made Thirteen blind and about her not appreciating his feelings for her. Then he tries to play the martyr and sabotage his medical career but House intervenes.
As if that’s not enough whining, we get a rare scene of Taub at home, whining to his wife about how now he wants to have kids and she doesn’t. I thought Taub’s wife was a moron for marrying him (and staying with him through his infidelities), but she scores points with me for not wanting to have his babies (or any babies for that matter). Then, are you ready for this one? Wilson starts whining AGAIN about Cutthroat Bitch being dead. Didn’t we already deal with that head on for like twelve episodes already? I thought we were done with that, but apparently not. Gag me. I still don’t understand how her death could have been that traumatic for him. How could he claim to have loved her if he was only with her for such a short time? What did they possibly have in common? Then again, Wilson has always been a whiner.
So, as you can probably discern, the key word to describe this episode is Whinefest ’09. I might have tried to come up with something a little more exceptional if this were the 100th episode of my show, but there are some great House lines and the episode is at least technically put together very well.
Season 5, Episode 14: The Greater Good (originally aired February 2, 2009)
For another take on this episode, check out I’m a doctor! And I need a doctor! by Robin Reed.
For more on House, click here.
House, Tuesdays 8/7c on FOX
Photographs courtesy of FOX Broadcasting Company and IMDbPro
