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Post by annabelleleigh on Sept 22, 2009 11:57:54 GMT -5
Did anyone else here catch yesterday's two-hour season premiere of "House"?
Wow. What a brave departure for a hit network series. A beautifully-written script (by Russell Friend, Garrett Lerner, David Foster, and creator David Shore) that was itself a fully-realized film. Kudos also to director Katie Jacobs.
The story ditched almost completely the series' setting and regular cast and focused on House's recovery from last season's crack-up. It tunneled down into "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest," and skirted (but managed to miss) sappy "Patch Adams" territory -- all the while retaining its own nuanced, adult originality. And still it was true to the series and its star.
I am going to get annihilated by site members for writing this but I feel I must: House's breakdown and renewal make Season 7's Bobby Goren trials look like a Looney Tunes cartoon.
IMO, in this Season 6 opener, Hugh Laurie surpassed his own best "House" performance, and guest star Andre Braugher -- as the psychiatrist helping House -- was (as he always is) incomparable. I got chills.
Next week the series returns to its native setting and regular cast. If you're a "House" fan of any sort don't watch another episode until you've seen this one, called "Broken."
AL
P.S. For those who don't know: David Shore is an L&O alumnus.
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Post by jeffan on Sept 22, 2009 12:37:11 GMT -5
Thanks for this Annabelle.  I've been a fan of Hugh Laurie since his Stephen Fry days! I have a couple of doctor friends and House, surprisingly, is must-watch TV. I'll take up your recommendation and not watch any more episodes until I've seen this one which will be some time over the weekend. |
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Post by Patcat on Sept 22, 2009 13:02:36 GMT -5
Well, I'll give it a chance. But, as regulars here have undoubtedly been bored to tears by my comments, I've rarely been so disappointed so fast by any show as I was by HOUSE. But I want to like it...I really do.
Patcat
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Post by NikkiGreen on Sept 22, 2009 13:52:55 GMT -5
I thought the premiere was fabulous. And both Mr. Laurie and Mr. Braugher was outstanding. If HL doesn't win an Emmy based on this performance, I'd say that the awards seriously messed up (and that's putting it in polite terms!) I liked the little departure from the normal. I didn't miss not seeing the ducklings. Wouldn't have minded seeing a bit more of RSL, though! ETA: Mr. Braugher is also going to appear in next week's episode. |
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Post by DonnaJo on Sept 22, 2009 14:11:07 GMT -5
Gee, I clicked on the show last night - saw Dr. House in a psych ward - and though "Oh Brother, what melodrama now?" - and changed the channel. I guess that was a mistake.  Based on the opinions of those I value here, I'll watch it when it repeats. I do love Andre Braugher, and didn't realize that he was a guest. |
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Post by annabelleleigh on Sept 22, 2009 17:41:46 GMT -5
Well, I'll give it a chance. But, as regulars here have undoubtedly been bored to tears by my comments, I've rarely been so disappointed so fast by any show as I was by HOUSE. But I want to like it...I really do. PC, I know what you mean. I loved "House" for the first few seasons; then the character became repetitive and -- well -- just mean (instead of wickedly funny). The episodes became predictable, as though crafted by template (though I do think the dialogue generally has always been superior to most TV drama). But, really, do watch this season premiere -- and let us know what you think. AL |
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Post by dragonsback on Sept 22, 2009 17:54:34 GMT -5
I am riveted by your take on the House premiere, AL. For four seasons, I was besotted with this show, just in love with it, and bewitched by Hugh Laurie's performance. Then Season 5 came along, and the magic was gone. The show was just a shell of itself. (LOCI Season 5 redux). Slough of Despond for me. I am revived to hear that maybe all is not lost.
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Post by jeffan on Sept 23, 2009 8:33:46 GMT -5
Excellent summations AL and DB. I became somewhat hitty/missy watching this show each week.
Thanks for the link Nikki - the season premiere video is excellent as is the music! My must-watch TV show over the weekend.
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Post by Patcat on Sept 23, 2009 9:02:25 GMT -5
There have been moments when HOUSE is almost as good as its creators think it is. (I'm really annoyed when the people behind a show claim that it's groundbreaking television. One of the things I admire about Rene Balcer and the people behind the L&O shows is that they don't make such claims. They just do their work and write good stories.) Was it Season Five when the story line involving the police officer played by David Morse took place? I found that so unpleasant (and I'm a big fan of Mr. Morse), that I've never been able to get back to HOUSE. I did catch the last episode of last season and found myself sucked in by Hugh Laurie's performance. So, based on that and the comments here I'll try to catch this episode. But if House doesn't undergo some kind of change after this--well, that's it. There's misanthropic genius, and then there's just mean. And House has just been mean for too long.
Patcat
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Post by dragonsback on Oct 6, 2009 16:39:07 GMT -5
It is a terribly lazy and para-plagiarising thing to do, but I have to point to AL's post and to Nikki's, and say " Yes, exactly. Everything they said. Yes, me too." I've just watched the double ep premiere "Broken" twice. That makes four hours of House in a sitting. I could watch it again, but blowflies are beginning to settle on me. All the colours of "House" and Greg House that I loved at first sight five seasons ago are in this episode. Every one. Even RSL's small part seemed like a larger one, because every line counted, every line was pure Wilson. Re AL's Looney Tunes analogy... This ep's theme, of a protagonist hitting rock bottom and erratically crawling back without losing the essence of his original character, inevitably made me compare it with the indulgent mess of the writing and the performance that passes as the purgatorial angst of Robert Goren. This will make some people I love on this board angry, but I gotta say: Hugh Laurie is worth every centime of the huge bucks they now pay him, and VDO should have grabbed the $175,000 an ep offer as a gift from the gods, and just mentally tri-annualised it to soothe his pride. He's been overpaid for three years, balance is owing. IMO, of course. PS: On reflection, what I really, really liked about this episode as a piece was the effort, the critical self-appraisement that David Shore and company put into it. In Season 5, the writers and the casting people just skated by on shorthand of the show's canon. House himself was reduced to a snarky middle-aged queen. The audience by and large panned the season as a shell. Wha? Like thoroughbreds under the whip, the producers responded with gallant work. Even the sex was first across the line, the best we've (sorta) seen  . I'd wring more out of this racing metaphor thing with stuff about leading the field and winners' circles etc, but these blowflies, man.... |
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Ladyheather
Detective
An acquired taste.....
Posts: 441
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Post by Ladyheather on Oct 7, 2009 12:20:00 GMT -5
Loved the season opener of House. Incredible. Best ever. Caught the next one, with James Earl Jones. Pretty good. Hope they keep it up. Need to watch something to take my LOCI depression away.
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Post by Patcat on Oct 12, 2009 9:27:10 GMT -5
Ok, I finally saw the season opener. And now I've got to give HOUSE another chance. But if they jerk me around again....
Patcat
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Post by hargiteam42 on May 15, 2010 21:59:35 GMT -5
Ok, who is going to watch the season finale on Monday? *dies* I'm such a spoiler addict and I just... GAH. It should be interesting to say the least.
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. I'd wring more out of this racing metaphor thing with stuff about leading the field and winners' circles etc, but these blowflies, man....