Doing the Maths - Time is an Illusion

[menolly_au]

I haven't read the episode discussions yet so apologies if this has already been mentioned / thrashed to death.

House got sentenced to 12 months jail. At the beginning of 20 Vicodins he'd served 8 months (4 to go). At the beginning of Transplant he said he had 8 months added to his sentence 2 months ago. So assuming the 8 months was added immediately then he had ten months to go. To have another 6 months to serve now (parole can't increase the original sentence) that means the whole season took no more than 4 months. They've gone through winter (deep snow in the alzheimers ep) so I can't see how its only taken 4 months. Honestly, Wilson has five months to live (how do they even know that, is there a schedule?) and House gets sentenced to six months jail - how contrived is that? I read a spoiler for that and it just seemed so unlikely I thought it couldn't possibly be true until House started strangling the patient.

(Somebody tell me if my maths/timeline is wrong)

The rest of the episode - incredibly sad but some great moments (and some signs that House needs some serious mental health help - now - trying to kill a patient, not so good), but the ending pisses me off. (I guess it's so Wilson can do the chemo to stay alive for House)

ETA : Besides the fact that there's no way House would have to ask Foreman how long the rest of his sentence would be - pretty sure that information would be engraved in his mind.

ETA 2 : brindlewolf pointed out in the comments that House & Dominika had to be together for *six* months for her to get Greencard status so this season has definitely been longer than four months.

ETA 3 : Okay, should have researched first - it looks like the time you spend on parole doesn't count towards your original sentence, so if you violate parole before the end of that time they can make you serve the rest of the original sentence (the bit you missed out on by being on parole), so he well could have six months to serve. So never mind me....

Comments

[sassyjumper.livejournal.com]

I wrote the same thing on the H/W comm about the ending being so contrived. I'd really liked the episode up until then, despite some weaknesses. I cannot even begin to guess if your math is correct -- but I trust it more than TPTB's!

I did think House and Wilson were both a bit OOC in this episode, but I accepted it because of the situation. And I was just so grateful to see honest, raw emotion from them. One thing I've hated about this season is that everything - everything - has been a joke, a prank, a fake-out, gotcha-type scenario. I just loved seeing simple (or not so simple), human emotion. And I thought HL and RSL were f-cking fantastic...

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

I've only got half way through the post mortem comments, I had an unexpected visitor which prevented me seeing the episode until later than normal which was frustrating to say the least! The ending sort of ruined the episode for me.

I just said to petitecuriosity that I thought they were a bit OOC - but also excused it with the circumstances. I think this episode should have been two episodes and the end of the series, it was a bit rushed (and they might as well not have pretended to have a patient)

[brindlewolf.livejournal.com]

My math might be wrong too -- but didn't they imply that SIX MONTHS passed JUST between episode 13 (Man of the House) and episode 17 (We Need the Eggs) ... wasn't there supposed to be a new and monitored SIX MONTH period in which House and Dominika had to appear happily married through any potential spot checks in order for her to get her green card - which she finally got notification of at the end of ep 17?? Seems to me that there is no way that AT LEAST nine or ten months haven't passed in canon. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong in my recollection of what that Immigration man, Nate Weinmann, told them about that time frame they had to appear happily married = 6 months).

Every thing you said is spot-on. I thought this episode was very rushed and somewhat ooc too, but also decided to overlook all that because of the finally shown honesty between House and Wilson. I guess this is all part of the DS agenda of "one-step-forward-and-TWO-STEPS-BACK" ... which would make for the math time of it now being ten months BACK in canon ... so House is just now STARTING his original parole time in SHORE-Land.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Ha! Yes, i was thinking there was some period of months mentioned somewhere but couldn't remember where - you're right, six months *plus* the period of time when Dominika wasn't responding to the *multiple* letters from the department of immigration (it's a government department, no way are those things going out efficiently). House's prison sentence must be nearly up - no way does he have six months still to serve. Originally at the beginning of the season I figured the timeline and had his parole ending in the last episode.

Now, they could of course haul House into court for this 'felony vandalism' and get him a conviction for it or even the somewhat (apparenly) lesser crime of attempting to kill someone - but it wouldn't be the end of his original sentence, it would be a new conviction.

Also wouldn't he have to be *convicted* of a crime before his parole was revoked? This isn't like a parole violation like being out of state, or out of work, or associating with the wrong people or something. Presumption of innocence and all that.

[brindlewolf.livejournal.com]

Also wouldn't he have to be *convicted* of a crime before his parole was revoked?
This seems rational. There we go being all rational again.

This whole thing was SO CONTRIVED! It's like they had to find SOME WAY to screw things up after the emotions were finally admitted.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's all so strange, it's like a 'surprise twist' for the sake of it. All season House has been violating his parole left right and centre (including last episode!) with zero consequences. Now, DS solemnly says that 'we believe in consequences for actions on House' - they do? since when? (Notice that are apparently no 'consequences' for attempting to kill someone though!

I don't know, maybe it's a clue or something. Maybe they really are going to do the 'it was all a delusion/hallucination/drug induced psychotics state' or something.

I must admit I don't know much about plumbing but a blocked pipe leads to half the ceiling collapsing? I did think the way they showed the water thing in the show was clever though, it all seemed trivial and minor and stupid until suddenly bam! life changing!

[brindlewolf.livejournal.com]

I did think the way they showed the water thing in the show was clever though, it all seemed trivial and minor and stupid until suddenly bam!
Yes ... I was thinking WORST PLUMBERS EVAR ... I mean the water just kept coming and kept coming throughout the whole episode - it was sorta like a running sight-gag.

it's like a 'surprise twist' for the sake of it.
THIS!!

Now,DS solemnly says that 'we believe in consequences for actions on House'
But that's all only because of the fans' outcry over that whole car-in-the-house thingie. They never cared before - or since - until NOW. This is just to twist the knife since DS felt backed into a corner and being forced to admit feelings between House and Wilson ... he just had to do this to have the last word and prevent any happiness or fruition on their relationship before Wilson dies and stops it once and for all.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Yeah - if they try and say this is a consequence of car-into-house thing I might get angry :)

Anyway I just found out I was wrong about the parole - time on parole doesn't count against original sentence so they could make him serve out the time left on his original sentence when he was paroled. Note that they don't have to - it's up to the PO's discretion, he must be pretty pissed at House (which I guess would be normal for anyone dealing with House).

[brindlewolf.livejournal.com]

OK ... so the time that has passed while he was on parole doesn't count against the time remaining on his sentence -- he has to serve out his parole completely and THEN it's over and he's free? And if he screws up while on parole then the clock starts over and his whole remaining sentence goes back into effect? OK. But ... THE POINT IS (stupid writers) it has ALREADY BEEN LONG ENOUGH for his parole to be OVER ALREADY. Everything that has supposedly transpired in canon would have taken at least as long as his parole time at the beginning of this season. It's too convenient and too contrived. Period. ♥

OT: I never got the impression he was trying to kill the potw - he was just showing the kid that he really DID want to live - in typical reckless Housian fashion (and I think he's done the same thing before - just can't recall specific examples right now). The kid's mother didn't seem concerned afterwards. I think all that was just to give Park a chance to do something besides gargle her lines off of cue cards. :)

I don't think any of this is a clue. TPTB aren't that deep. I think the "actions" that must have "consequences" are the admitting of feelings (the actions) must be squashed before it can go anywhere with a contrived consequence.

I think this whole thing is just a set up to throw House into an even deeper despair in the finale. It makes my brain hurt to try and figure out wtf they're trying to do/say because I can't suspend rationality far enough. My blurry icon says it all for me: "whatever". ♥

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

But ... THE POINT IS (stupid writers) it has ALREADY BEEN LONG ENOUGH for his parole to be OVER ALREADY.

Yes, that occured to me after I finally went to bed :) The MAX amount of time he had left on his sentence was 10 months (and thats assuming the two months got added immediately after he saved Nick's life) - he has to be very very close to that.

[readingrat.livejournal.com]

(Notice that are apparently no 'consequences' for attempting to kill someone though!
This! The patient is fully conscious, the mother is watching - and nothing happens. How unbelievable was that? Furthermore, this puts blocking the plumbing on the same level as driving cars through houses.

They do this all the time: mess up a perfectly good episode by pulling some sort of crappy stunt at the end. When they tell us there's going to be a 'shocking twist' at the end of an episode I mentally prepare for shockingly bad writing.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

I'd heard about the jail thing, and it seemed so unlikely so I dismissed it, and then when House decided to do a bit of strangling I thought - ah, he *is* going back to jail....

There is no way *any* mother is going to overlook that, it wasn't some sort of diagnostic stunt, the kid had already been diagnosed, House was only stopped when Park hit him with the cane. For the good of everyone else in the hospital it *had* to be reported. it does make me wonder if there is another *shocking twist* coming - it was all a dream....

[barefootpuddles.livejournal.com]

At least we got some dates on Wilson in general. He's been at PPTH for 12 years, meaninging four years before the series started. Nightdogbarks said on her LJ that she heard that Wilson is 46 (which I missed. I may rewatch and catch that) which makes a lot more sense timeline wise than his being 42 or 43. I so wish they would lay the timeline of everything out. Screwed up numbers drive me crazy.

ETA : Besides the fact that there's no way House would have to ask Foreman how long the rest of his sentence would be - pretty sure that information would be engraved in his mind.


Yeah, that was absurd. Of course House would know. I bet even Wilson knew how much longer House had left.

[srsly-yes.livejournal.com]

Gah! LJ ate my comment. Will try again.

Wilson's age was mentioned. I figured Wilson was RSL's age, 44, or close to it up through season 7. Add the year skipped during House's imprisonment and he would be 45. Forty-six is reasonable.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Well, it can't be six months left on his sentence when he got out on parole because he's been out on parole more than six months. So he must have had more than that and the PO is exercising his discretion to send him back for a lesser amount of time - hence House's uncertainty.

Arghh, this part of the episode really bothers me - I should focus on the good parts.

[damigella-314.livejournal.com]

I heard it, andit was forty six. I listened twicebecause it actually makes Wilson older than me ;) and also it fits very well with theawesome hwshipper's cronology.

[srsly-yes.livejournal.com]

Math word problems--my worst nightmare. Maybe tptb obscured it deliberately for people like me.

The 6 month sentence vs. Wilson's 5 months seems a set up for Wilson to get treatment. It could very well be. But from the preview I'm not sure of the timeline. Could be next week's episode takes place right after this one, before House goes back to prison and Wilson doesn't have to change his decision.

What annoyed me was the trumped up excuse to send House back. Because he pulled a prank and stuffed up a toilet? Why weren't the plumbers cited for not fixing the initial problem properly? Why not the subcontractors who installed the plumbing, the construction crew, or engineers who didn't make the load-bearing floor safe in case of a break in the water pipes?

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

For what I can work out the PO has discretion to send House back or not - if Foreman explained to him what exactly had been going on, and that the hospital was going to deal with House for the prank - he'd have to be a hard man to send him back to prison, especially because his parole period must be very, very, close to being up.

I just hated the last couple of minutes tacked onto such a good episode. I hope they go somewhere good with it next week.