8.04 - Risky Business

[menolly_au]

I have to ask, did anyone besides me find the final scene where Adams smashes hell out of the orthapedics office with a baseball bat while House watches with a satisfied smile a little...disturbing? Especially in the context that he has just got out of jail for committing a violent act because he was angry at his ex-girlfriend (drawing a parallel between that and Adams violent anger at her ex-husband). I mean obviously Adams method of letting out her anger was better than House's but still...As Adam's method was given to her by House maybe it's supposed to show how much progress he's made or something...

I don't know - I think I'm annoyed at the idea that it's a great thing to destroy expensive, possibly life saving, medical equipment because you're angry. Maybe it's just me, most people seemed to love that scene...

And then there was House about ready to punch the orthapedics doctor for the sin of...doing his work in his own office? There seeems to be a theme of punching people out in this season. Yeah, the orthapedics guy was a bit of jerk to House but House was more of a jerk to him (borderline assault to shine a light in someone's eyes and deliberately make them ill in my opinion)

I don't really want to grouch on this season, it's at least heaps better than last season, but this episode left me feeling...uneasy.

Comments

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Also had the feeling that the TPTB might be trying to mitigate House's violent act by showing Adams capable of rage too. Not the same thing.

I just have this feeling that the TPTB are thumbing their noses at the people who pointed out the problems with 7.23 and more or less forced them to treat it as the serious crime it was.

And just thinking about this but it was *Adams* smashing up the expensive medical equipment - she who wants to help the poor and disenfranchised people, save the world etc...

[srsly-yes.livejournal.com]

And just thinking about this but it was *Adams* smashing up the expensive medical equipment - she who wants to help the poor and disenfranchised people, save the world etc...
--Excellent point! Like the above, I found the episode at times to be somewhat confusing. Statements and actions didn't always match up. In some cases it was smart writing that called upon the viewer to put 2+2 together, but it would have immensely helped if the script had an additional rewrite to remove any unnecessary ambiguities.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Now I'm wondering if House's smile at the end wasn't just the enjoying of wanton violence/revenge on ortho guy but also at the fact that he has 'corrupted' Adams already.

Too bad if anyone needs that ortho equipment in the next few days. House might have paid for it (he must have done *really* well with those shares!) but I can't imagine replacements will turn up on the doorstep overnight...

[petitecuriosity.livejournal.com]

Now I'm wondering if House's smile at the end wasn't just the enjoying of wanton violence/revenge on ortho guy but also at the fact that he has 'corrupted' Adams already.

This sounds like a decent possibility.

It certainly is a waste to destroy medical equipment, but with the type of person Adams seems to be, it seems somewhat likely that she didn't take her anger out on her ex-husband, and possibly wanted to take it out on an inanimate object as it didn't do any direct harm.

It's possible that in her frustration, she didn't consider possible indirect consequences.

But House's anger toward the orthopedics guy and his encouragement toward Adams to smash the skeleton were indeed rather violent. I wonder if this is possibly building up to something? It's possible that, as you said, it's supposed to show that House has made progress...but is it possible that he's actually escalating, maybe to some sort of breaking point?

I'm likely wrong in my speculations, but almost punching someone in the face isn't nearly as violent as indirectly destroying his equipment. The latter has long-term consequences. House seemed...on the verge of violence in this episode, not acting on it directly. Is it possible that, as he seemed to do in Season 6 in terms of cutting remarks and general nastiness, he is trying to hold himself back, ultimately ending up with him failing again?

It's difficult to say, because I felt as though in Season 6, he was trying to be a better, healthier, person (in terms of society's view) in the hopes to gain happiness and in Season 7 he tried for a "normal" "healthy" relationship in an effort to gain happiness. (I believe that David Shore once mentioned that he enjoys this aspect of "striving" in House, but perhaps never quite obtaining.) Yet this season, I feel as though, so far, House has been particularly...neutral. He certainly seems a little more open, showing his kind side a little more, although certainly allowing for his sarcasm to show, which he seemed to hide around Cuddy. He seems to have kept the intelligence and the sarcasm, but perhaps lost some of the nastiness. Perhaps it's remorse, guilt, change...I'm unsure. I'm frustrated that we have no clue as to what happened during House's time spent in prison. It's possible that his more neutral and slightly subdued demeanor is as a result of fear of his fellow inmates; he was sort of at the top of the food chain where he worked and was knocked down to the bottom when he placed himself in prison.

Again, I'm merely speculating. It's certainly early in the season and something that seems odd or confusing now could possibly be explained or dealt with later. (Or that's just me being overly hopeful again lol)

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

He seems to have kept the intelligence and the sarcasm, but perhaps lost some of the nastiness.

I would agree with that to an extent as he has shown kindness towards his fellows, helping them with their problems in his own unique way. But then there was the violence of this episode so now I'm not sure. He's been very intent on regaining what he lost - his office, his fellows, his other office, so maybe once he has that back some of the anger/frustration will go.

It's certainly early in the season and something that seems odd or confusing now could possibly be explained or dealt with later.

I'd like to have confidence that this is all part of some grand overarching plan for the season but yeah, I'm not confident lol.

[petitecuriosity.livejournal.com]

But then there was the violence of this episode so now I'm not sure. He's been very intent on regaining what he lost - his office, his fellows, his other office

This is definitely true. His intense need to regain a sense of normalcy is rather interesting.