House Call: Diagnosing Bad Criticism
by Jessica Jimenez
There was an interesting article posted on Yahoo!'s Entertainment section this morning. It had nothing to do with the accusations being hurled at Chris Brown, nor did it deal with the Grammy Awards or Kate Hudson's love life. It was, instead, about something more interesting: House, M.D. In the article, blogger Angel Cohn (and you can find the article here) makes the bold claim that the latest season of House "...has been kind of a mess." Now, it isn't the claim that should be rebuked (after all, all shows have their flaws and every viewer has their opinion) so much as the way that the claim is defended. While Cohn does make one or two valid points as to why the fifth season of House, M.D. isn't living up to his standards, most of his reasons don't hold water. Not all of these will be reproved, but those that really are as vaguely supported as they are false must be exposed.
The first of his points that must be rebuked is his claim that there is "too much" of the "whiny" Thirteen (one of Dr. House's staff members) and that, once rid of her, the show can go back to being about "people treating patients, not becoming them." Now, had Cohn actually been watching this season it would have been made clear to him that Thirteen's previous whininess (probably valid considering she has a genetic autoimmune disease) has decreased considerably since she joined the Huntington's clinical trial hosted by Foreman, another character on the show which she is simultaneously sleeping with. And, while having Thirteen get sick on the job isn't entirely necessary (though believable considering doctors aren't infallible), it does shake the show out of its regular course of events, which you'd think this blogger would approve of after stating that the show relies too heavily on its weekly "formulaic", status quo plot development.
Also, while the series is indeed about Dr. Gregory House, that does not mean every minute of the show must be dedicated to him and his patient because, let's face it, there are only so many angles and so much character development that can occur before things seem forced, repetitive or drawn out; the subplots centered around Thirteen's disease, Forman's love affair, and even Taub's (another of Dr. House's staff members) marital issues give the show some room to maneuver in and they make House's onscreen time even more effective.Another of Cohn's faulty points is his claim that, "House seems to have given up" and that the House that used to "revel in making people miserable" is now, dare it be said, being nice. Cohn makes a point of mentioning the example of episode fourteen when House didn't retaliate against Cuddy's (Dr. House's supervisor on the show) mean-spirited pranks, and when he counseled Foreman not to throw away his career. Delivered in that manner it really does sound like House has become "nice;" then again, anything can sound convincing if examples aren't clearly explained so as to be able to defend one's opinions.
Now, had Foreman wrecked his career and lost his license to practice medicine he surely would not have been able to work for House any longer. No matter what House's feelings for Foreman are, he knows Foreman is a huge asset to his team. If he weren't, House wouldn't tolerate him. Thus, counseling Foreman and trying to persuade him not to throw away his career was ultimately in House's own interest. And hasn't it always been House’s prerogative to make sure his interests are met?
The example of being "nice" to Cuddy, despite her making him walk up flights of stairs on a bum leg, can also be refuted. As revealed by House himself in episode fourteen during his conversation with Wilson (Dr. House's best friend on the show), he was "nice" because he knew Cuddy would eventually feel guilty and stop. Had he provoked her, she would have kept making his life miserable. That, of course, would not be to House's advantage because for him to do his job and "treat illnesses" he requires the approval of risky procedures. All this was attested in summation when Cuddy asked House what caused his sudden transformation from saint to sinner after her apology. Cuddy concluded that House did it because "That's the part [he thinks he needs] to play".
While all of House's actions are done for his self-interest, there are instances where he bases his actions not merely on self-preserving interest, but on emotion and morality. That doesn't mean he's "given up" or that his "heart isn't in" his entertainingly terrible, irritating ways; such behavior merely adds another dimension to his character. Such development is necessary so that House doesn't become a flat character, or a 2-dimensional caricature. So, while Dr. House has lately been growing a conscience and has been showing us more emotional turmoil and internal conflict, he is still the self-serving, egotistical asshole everyone loves.
House, M.D. is flawed and, just like any other series on television, can be improved; however, if there is going to be criticism, let it not only be constructive, but let it also be based on facts and evidence, not just vague observations or misinterpretations.
