I was sick the past few days, so I rewatched some of Season 5. And now I've taken a few screencaps and wrote up some thoughts on the season as a whole.



"People die! You, Amber, everyone. Don’t act like you just figured that out. I gave you a diagnosis. You don’t like it, there are exits on every floor. [...] Almost dying changes nothing. Dying changes everything."

I enjoyed "Dying Changes Everything" the first time through, being an angst-whore and all. This is the third time I've seen it, and I still like it. Honestly, I don't see what's wrong with the early Season 5 episodes (but then again, I'm the freak who doesn't see what's wrong with Season 4). Instead of beating around the bush, the show's jumping into the biggest issues, tying back to Amber's death - Wilson's grief management (or lack thereof), House and Wilson's relationship, and Thirteen reacting to having tested positive for Huntington's. Maybe a little too much Thirteen, but so what? She's actually relevant to the story.

I don't remember the medical case, but I liked the patient's story. When the episode first aired, I thought she was voicing the reasons Wilson would ultimately come back, but looking back, she sounds more like House - "If you're coming back because you're attracted to the shine of my need...I'm okay with that." The patient also had ridiculous chemistry with Thirteen, so Thirteen's relationship with the patient in "Lucky Thirteen" and Foreman early on really paled in comparison. Season 5 undercuts a lot of stuff it's trying to sell the audience on like this, unfortunately.


"How do I look?"
"Sad."

"Not Cancer" is a pretty average-quality episode, but I enjoyed it then and now. I mean, Mr. Sprinkles Lucas makes his first appearance and Felicia Day guest stars! How could this possibly go wrong? There's even plenty of House and Wilson angst on top. The only particular stand-out moment I can think of is Cuddy actually using her itty lady brain and put guards in front of the patient's room, because saying no isn't enough--of course House outsmarted her by using Lucas to get past them, but the point is that Cuddy didn't act like a moron. And that makes the show entertaining.


"You wanted her to see you in a different light, and not only didn't she see it, she didn't even believe it was possible."

"Adverse Events" is another pretty average episode, and despite lacking Wilson, I enjoyed. Let's blame Mr. Sprinkles. I knew I really, really loved Taub after this, considering I thought he and his wife are freakin' adorable and wasn't bored at all by the storyline. I have to say, Season 5 undercut itself again in this episode, though. What's the point of showing Cuddy having chemistry with Lucas within episodes of starting a (bad, unfortunately) House/Cuddy storyline? I guess we're supposed to believe the sudden "competition" made House interested. Even though said competition disappears off the face of the planet...


"Hey, out of 3,000 people at that convention, you were the one I thought wasn't boring. That says something."

"Birthmarks"--hey, it's written by Doris Egan, of course I enjoyed this one! It's a bit disappointing looking back and knowing that this is supposed to be the entirety of House and Wilson's reconciliation rather than the beginning. But this is an episode I can rewatch over and over like a moron.


"Be prepared to tell her the words she's going to hear for the rest of her life: 'Mommy has to go to work now.'"

Here's where Season 5 started getting a bit off-track, but still managed to hold a lot of promise for me. "Lucky Thirteen," I would have to say, is a case of Too Much Thirteen. But it's a Thirteen-centric episode! Yeah, but what was the point besides the fanservice and "Thirteen's depressed"? The show also made unfortunate implications by having Thirteen only have one-night stands with women--but she's able to have a steady relationship with a man later! Lucas also disappears off the face of the earth after this episode with no explanation.

Ah, "Joy." If the ending were changed so that right after Cuddy calls House a son of a bitch, she slams the door in his face, this would have been a perfect episode--and would have set off an interesting story arc in which House and Cuddy must reevaluate their slowly deteriorating relationship. After all, House was downright abusive towards Cuddy in this one. But TPTB took the easy way out and went with the "oops, my tongue slipped!" cliche. (With a side helping of more unfortunate implications--that Abuse Is Sexy.)


"Its funny, I've leaned on friends in the past, never leaned so far my tongue fell into their mouths."

In all honesty, I couldn't bring myself to rewatch "The Itch," despite a completely awesome House/Wilson scene, and having a Cameron-centric storyline. I remember the awful anvils at the end. And it doesn't work. Why do I care about House wanting to get his rocks off with (I mean, romance) Cuddy, especially when I'm still waiting for a full reconciliation between him and Wilson after a storyline much bigger in scope?


"I killed my brother...every time they look at me, it's like I killed him again."

I can't believe I forgot how amazing "Emancipation" is, but then again, it was shoved between two pretty shoddy episodes. It has the quality writing I normally associate with Doris Egan's episodes--all of the plot threads actually tie in together to form a bigger picture. Plus I loved the solution to Foreman's case--I'm a sucker for the simple explanations. After the sudden onslaught of Huddy, it was nice to have an episode touch on themes relating to House and Wilson's story arc, if not about it directly. This was also a good episode for Foreman; I actually felt like he learned something and changed (though very slightly).


"If you don't think your life is worth more than someone else's, sign your donor card and kill yourself."

Couldn't get myself to sit through "Last Resort." I actually had faith TPTB would successfully play with a cliche plotline, but at the time, I didn't realize Season 5 was when they decided to stop being clever and just use cliches wholesale. On top of that, the episode was a whole lot of nothing to tell us just two things: Thirteen wants to live, and Cuddy loves House. (Where are the people going "Gyah! Platonic relationships have value!" when House is assumed Cuddy's boyfriend because she's...worried he might get his brains blown out?) I also didn't sit through "Let Them Eat Cake," which was a huge-ass contrivance, though Kutner had the best subplot ever.


"Greg--made me think of you."

"Joy to the World" was an enjoyable, average-quality episode. The only real negative is that it got my hopes up that the Huddy storyline was over. In past seasons, it would have stopped here and forever be a "what if?" Of course, my feminist hackles went up at the implication Cuddy's life was screwed up because she had neither a man nor a baby. Meanwhile, I still can't believe House wore Wilson's tie and there was no joke about it. Boo. I stopped watching for a few episodes after this one. For some reason, I rewatched "Painless," though I don't know why. I already forget what happened in that episode.


"You used to do this job." "And now I'm doing THIS one!"

"Big Baby" is another episode of "almost, but not quite right." I though Cameron being House's boss would end in chaos, but Cameron actually did a great job--better than Cuddy. But Season 5 is determined to tell the story where Cuddy is "needed" in the job, and that she's actually good at it, and just undercuts itself once again in the process. Second, the stuff with Cuddy and the baby was actually good (except for screaming at her until she magically stops and smiles angelically), particularly Cuddy and Wilson's first scene together, and the final scene when Cuddy is returning to work. I really think the most believable route to take for this one would have been to have Cuddy out for a bit longer, and have her miss her job, feel torn between the baby and the job, and finally deciding to return. (Would also give the damn woman some agency.)


Can't think of a quote. And, LOL, Wikiquote doesn't even have a quote for them...

I started watching again, only to catch two dull episodes, neither of which I bothered rewatching. I remember feeling a bit positive towards "The Greater Good" because it picked up on Wilson's storyline, which had been ditched in favor of some cheap action. But I don't remember what else happened in that one. I think "Unfaithful" is Thirteen's magical brain tumor episode. Yeah...it really feels like the writers were replaced with pod people this season.



After a long stretch of poor episodes, the season started to pick up a bit with "The Softer Side." The use of Thirteen in this episode didn't irritate me, since it was appropriate to the story--Thirteen doesn't like being put in a box, after all. Cuddy honestly creeps me out in this episode; she seemed to take joy in giving House nothing and being thanked for it, and the wanting him to continue methadone not because he seemed happy, but because she liked him more when he wasn't himself. Erk? Surely that was meant to close the door on Huddy. Right?



"The Social Contract" was a pleasant surprise when it aired. I didn't even know Doris Egan wrote it, and I had resigned to the remainder of the season sucking thoroughly. Instead: House working himself into a jealous rage and harassing Taub, and Wilson's brother turns up and is named. On top of that, House actually voluntarily puts himself out there a bit to be supportive of Wilson. (Another way Season 5 undercuts itself--House is capable of making an effort for someone he cares about. And yet he simultaneously secretly loves Cuddy and can't bring himself to say anything beyond abusive words to her?) Honestly, this is one of the few episodes House that I'd actually describe as "sweet." I can rewatch this one forever.



I like Taub and Kutner, so I enjoyed "Here Kitty" plenty. But let me say it now--when a death cat shows up in my webcomic, I was planning on that long before this episode aired! I almost forgot to rewatch "Locked In," even though I liked that episode. The main thing I liked, though, was the patient's running commentary.



So, uh, the show offed another one of my five favorite characters in "Simple Explanation." But I'm the only one who's not angry. I'm satisfied with this episode--Kutner's suicide doesn't have a pat explanation, House trying to rationalize it, Foreman and Thirteen's drama actually interested me, my instant denial at seeing Kutner's body...what can I say? It worked for me, and still does.



I don't remember anything about "Saviors" except Chase and Cameron. Who I like. Together. Yes, including their clusterfucks. Oh, and I remember the mindfuck ending when "Amber" appeared--and I literally screamed in joy. "A House Divided" was fun in a way Season 5 largely failed at (and not because there weren't enough strippers). From here to the end, I chalk up most of my enjoyment to Hugh Laurie and Anne Dudek's performances.



Anne Dudek playing off Hugh Laurie is the best part of "Under My Skin." The last 10-15 minutes of hallucination is interesting to rewatch after realizing this, but doesn't hold up to further rewatches, unfortunately. (Fortunately, the fake make-out, while not hot, isn't gross like the kiss from "Joy.") But at least I'll always be able to remember Huddy shippers justifying the rampant OOCness and logic fail only to be proven wrong, and smile.


"So, this is the story you made up about who you are."

I went into "Both Sides Now" not expecting much, but nothing too awful since Doris Egan was writing. The reveal of the sex and detox being a hallucination was both awful and awesome. On rewatch, it's pleasing to know Cuddy's pissed because House talked shit about her daughter (granted, I except her to maintain this stance for only a handful of episodes until everything House does is fabulous again). And I can only hope Season 6 will keep to what the end montage showed - Cameron and Chase together, Foreman and Thirteen together, Taub and his wife together, Cuddy with her baby, and House and Wilson.

So, my assessment of the season hasn't changed overall - 1/3 sucked, 1/3 was mediocre, and 1/3 was good or better. The season's most coherent at the beginning and the end, and the Huddy storyline was the one thing consistently bad every single time.

And now I'm going to rewatch Season 4 to forget this trainwreck.