Synopsis:
Dr. Gregory House (Laurie) is devoid of bedside manner and wouldn’t even talk to his patients if he could get away with it. Dealing with his own constant physical pain, he uses a cane that seems to punctuate his acerbic, brutally honest demeanor. While his behavior can border on antisocial, House is a maverick physician whose unconventional thinking and flawless instincts have afforded him a great deal of respect. An infectious disease specialist, he’s a brilliant diagnostician who loves the challenges of the medical puzzles he must solve in order to save lives.
Why We Watch:
Brutally honest and incredibly distrustful, House doesn’t exactly have anything resembling “bedside manner” but still people flock to him for help when they are sick, because no matter how acidic he is, his results speak for themselves.
Touted as a “modern day Sherlock Holmes,” Hugh Laurie’s House is refreshingly different from the now old doctor repartee from shows like “ER” and the like. Despite his almost constant scathing wit, he’s awfully good at solving the puzzle of each patient’s symptoms.
There are a few who try to curb his antisocial behavior, among them his boss Dr. Cuddy (Edelstein), and his ex-intern Dr. Cameron (Morrison). Despite their efforts, however, House has only one true friend who’s managed to put up with his orneriness over the years, Dr. Wilson (Leonard).
Each week, it’s interesting to watch House’s scathing reactions to his patients - and it’s equally as interesting to watch his interactions to his co-workers - all delivered with varying measures of respect. As we’ve seen the relationships he develops with his co-workers mature over the past few seasons, it’s just made the show that much more interesting.
After the major shake-up shocker of Season 3 (he fired his entire staff and was looking to replace them), we honestly thought it was the beginning of the end for “House,” as we had gotten so used to the interactions between the four (Laurie, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer and Jennifer Morrison). Thankfully, Season 4 seemed to be the best one yet, as House was able to abuse his power to hilarious heights by filtering out a large class of hopefuls to fill the now empty positions on his staff.
Now, with the additions of a surprisingly decent Kal Penn (never thought I’d say that) and Olivia Wilde, things are definitely looking up for the series.
And, with a recent death of Dr. Wilson’s girlfriend (due, in some part, to House himself), the relationship between House and his only true friend looks to be strained past the breaking point. Will House lose his only real confidant? If he does, will that cause him to draw further into himself and completely shut off the rest of the world? Even worse, will it distract him enough he won’t be able to save his patients anymore?
With all these questions and more, we’re definitely looking forward to seeing what Season 5 has in store.
