"Everybody Dies" in House series finale

As "Everybody Dies," the series finale of FOX's House opens, Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) is lying next to the dead body of his patient of the week (or, POtW) in a burning building. Throughout most of the hour, House converses with hallucinations of some important people in his life, as he tries to decide whether he should live or die.

"Everybody Dies" is dark. There is no denying that. It's obvious when the first image House sees is Dr. Lawrence Kutner (Kal Penn), a fellow who killed himself. Strangely, though, Kutner is trying to talk House out of suicide, while House is the one arguing that life is pointless.

Then Amber (Anne Dudek) appears. Her death is more tragic, but she still argues for life. Stacy (Sela Ward) wants House to try to find happiness again, but he continues to resist. Finally, though, Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) tells him to just lie down, letting the choice be taken from him. This House does, before thinking better of it.

These people are House's subconscious, and as such, he appears to be waging a war within himself. It's thrilling to see these former characters reappear, but besides being a gift to viewers, who they are isn't so important as what they say. House knows that death is the easy way out. He is not going to be able to enjoy the sort of life he has been enjoying much longer, even though his life hasn't been all that fun. Soon, his best friend will be dead, and even sooner, House will be back in jail, wasting Wilson's (Robert Sean Leonard) final moments on earth. So why not end it all?

Even in this darkest of moments, though, House fights on, as he always has. By making the people from his past appear to him, he talks himself out of such a deed. It's telling that he starts with the most tragic figure, and builds to the ones that love him the most. The trajectory is an upswing, and in retrospect, House moves closer to life with each passing moment. But viewers are tricked into missing this by the POW scenes, which are of a more depressing nature.

While House is battling his inner demons in an extremely slowly burning building, he is not left to die alone. The two people he leans on most, who enable all of his crap, are desperately searching from him. Wilson and Foreman (Omar Epps) know that House is missing, and giving the desperateness of the situation, fear the worst. They even interrupt Dr. Nolan's (Andre Braugher) group therapy session to ask for advice. Eventually, they are able to put the pieces together and get to the building where House is.

But they arrive too late. House has decided to live, and is heading towards the front door, visible through the window to Foreman and Wilson, when the ceiling collapses. Gone in a rush of flame, a body identified as House is pulled from the wreckage. It's a tragic ending.

Or is it? House's wife Dominika (Karolina Wydra) and former colleagues, including Thirteen (Olivia Wilde), Taub (Peter Jacobson), Adams (Odette Annable), Masters (Amber Tamblyn), and Park (Charlyne Yi), wax poetic about him at his funeral. But Wilson alone lashes out in anger, instead, calling House a selfish idiot, which, of course, he is. Then Wilson is interrupted by a text message. He doesn't tell the others, but he goes and finds House, who has faked his death so that he can spend Wilson's final five months doing whatever Wilson wants to do. They ride off into the sunset together on motorcycles, great music playing, the ultimate happy ending.

Is this House's plan all along? Or is this something he comes up with at the last minute? It seems a little unrealistic that he is able to escape from the collapsing building, but at the same time, it's hard to complain about the perfect build up of suspense and twist. Not to mention, the metaphors of purgatory and hell are thrown in to make things even more surreal. "Everybody Dies" is a brilliant piece of art, and any inauthenticities can be chalked up to artistic license, not fretted about needlessly.

House has gone to dark places before, but the titular character has always emerged triumphantly. He argues that no one changes, but his growth over the years proves otherwise. Perhaps there have been backslides, as he is self-destructive. But in the end, the goodness within him wins out. This could be because of Wilson. The person House cares about most, the one who sticks by him through it all, needs him, and House wants to be there.

What will happen in five months when Wilson dies? House will not be able to just return to his former life. He gives that up for Wilson. Will he he hide out in a foreign land and practice medicine? Return and take his punishment so that he can honestly go back to his job? Who knows? Who cares? "Everybody Dies" is very satisfying and uplifting.

Before the credits roll, viewers are reminded of the positive impact House has had in the lives of his fellows, too. Cameron is married with a baby. Chase (Jesse Spencer) has taken over House's department, with Adams and Park staying on under him. Taub enjoys spending time with his daughters. These may not all be House's doing, but he has certainly played a role in who they are. Freeing them from himself by his death actually helps them to move on from his crap, and so it is a favor to them, too. Though he deserves credit for teaching them to how to live.

Well, everyone but Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein). It makes sense that she doesn't appear, seeing as how House caused her more pain than anyone, and she has the least reason to still care about him. But to bake anything, there will always be a few broken eggs, and she qualifies as this.

The only person besides Wilson who learns of House's survival is Foreman. Foreman is the only one this information would make a positive impact on. Gone from the team, Foreman has already found his happy career. He might blame himself for not controlling House better if he is allowed to continue to believe the lie. By sending him a signal, as House does, Foreman can go on, knowing that he has nothing to feel guilty for. Plus, of all the fellows, Foreman is the one least likely to tell on House.

Thank you to the cast and crew of House for eight mostly amazing years. It is a series that will not soon be forgotten, and one that has, at times, touched viewers just as much as House himself touches the other characters. House reminds us that a procedural doesn't have to just be a procedural, and there is plenty of mystery still to be found when examining the human spirit. We appreciate the lesson!

I highly recommend you read Barbara Barnett's review of "Everybody Dies" when it posts, and also pick up a copy of her book about House, Chasing Zebras. She has been a brilliant House expert over the years, and who has spoken with wonderful insight and wisdom. Going by her past work, and her thoughts during her live online chat party last night, her article will definitely be something worth reading for every House fan.

One last bit of trivia. The POW in "Everybody Dies" is played by James LeGros. LeGros starred in the short lived medical drama Mercy, and, besides guest starring in the House finale, he also appears in this year's season finale of Grey's Anatomy, which aired last week. Talk about success in the fictional medical community!

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! To purchase House DVDs and streaming episodes, please click here. Article first published as TV Review: House - "Everybody Dies" on Blogcritics.

House #7.18 "The Dig"

     So much is going on in last night's 150th episode of FOX's House, that's it's hard to know where to begin. The episode is entitled, appropriately enough, "The Dig." Each of the various stories, some large, some small, many intersecting, deal with layers. There is always something beneath what is being talked about and obviously going on. Many of these layers deal with emotions and relationships. Some deal with disease. Some with morality. All allow serious insight into the characters of House.

     Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) and Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) are absent in this episode, strange for a special 150th entry to the series. Yet, there is just no room for them. Too many stories are happening, and the episode is bursting at the seams as it is. Yet, who they are pervades other storylines, even though at this time, they are not on the journey, so they are present in some abstract way.

     Cuddy has broken House (Hugh Laurie), as he has been seen with even more erratic than normal behavior in recent weeks. She also had begun to heal him. House has been in a bad state for the entire run of the series, especially emotionally. This seems to all stem from when he first hurt his leg, and what he went through with Stacy (Sela Ward). He has occasionally shown compassion, mostly for strangers, but rarely lets his team feel valued. This week, House actually expresses some real tenderness for a member of his staff, which will be dealt with more thoroughly later in this review. That shows House is becoming more of a well rounded person. Perhaps it's a slow change, but it's there.

     The worrisome thing for friendship is that Wilson does not know how to deal with this new House. Wilson has been able to assist his friend through many issues in the past. Wilson has been shown to have a weakness for women that need fixing, but isn't his friendship with House about the same thing? When House goes off the deep end, jumping from a hotel balcony, Wilson backs off, having reached his limit. Even the always helpful Wilson can only deal with one type of person, not the now baffling House. Wilson tries to get involved again, as House returns to work, and then House gets married. Wilson retreats, siding with Cuddy, who is the type of broken he can deal with. As House takes his road trip to a spud gun competition, he doesn't bring Wilson along. Is this simply because House has ulterior motives for the trip, or is it a sign of a growing chasm?

     Thirteen (Olivia Wilde) might just be the replacement friend that House needs. She is almost as messed up as he is. Despite making a go in a serious relationship with Foreman (Omar Epps), Thirteen mostly cannot allow herself to get close to people. It's part of why she and Foreman ended. Instead, she seeks comfort from random strangers in bars and clubs. How is this different from House's preference of hookers? She takes party drugs. How is this different from House's addiction to Vicodin? She can come across as cold and calculating, like House. But when the chips are down, as they were with her brother, she comes through. As House will do for her.

     This rekindled kinship, not romantic, but made through commonalities and a sort of friendship, may be necessary very soon. In a recent interview, Robert Sean Leonard raises the possibility of leaving the show, should House be renewed, which it has not yet been, but is expected to be. He is heading to Broadway, and would like to get away from series television, at least temporarily. This would rob House of the one real friend he has, for a few episodes minimum, and House cannot possibly take losing Wilson so soon after losing his relationship with Cuddy. Unless Thirteen is willing to serve as a replacement best friend. Wilson is invaluable, but it's intriguing alternate path should the actor decide to depart.

     Most of this episode centers on House taking Thirteen on a road trip. She is released from prison, having served a six month sentence for excessive prescribing, and he waits to pick her up and make her accompany him to a spud gun competition. At first, it appears that House is just pulling another stunt to figure out where she has been for the past year. As things play out, the stunt element fades and does not return, unusual for House. He actually opens up to her a little bit about Cuddy, with whom he would be celebrating a one year anniversary, had she not dumped him. He also shows real interest in what happened to Thirteen, and not just as a puzzle as he first frames it. While she may take his silence as a lack of emotion after she confesses the full story, House is processing and wants to help. He does not mock her.

     While House stands there stunned, Thirteen having admitted she killed her brother, who was suffering mightily from Huntington's, it seems he might open his mouth and offer to do the same for her, when the time comes. Instead, he doesn't. But why would he? That is not the kind of act House would normally offer to do. It seems strange that that course of action fit so neatly in the scene, when it is a bit out of character. The writer's hold off on it, though, until the very end of the episode. That makes sense, as House really is stunned by the depth of pain he gets from Thirteen, and needs time to fully consider such a drastic promise. He comes through for her in the end, and that's what's important.

     Masters (Amber Tamblyn) becomes fascinated with a puzzle of her own. The team treats a hoarder and her husband, and Masters can't wait to dig through the mess of their house and sort out what is behind it all. She has shown an aptitude and interest in strange behavior before, and so it makes perfect sense for the character. It is regrettable that she will soon be leaving the series for a new one, though if that gets quickly canceled, it would be nice if she returned. Despite a rocky start, she has staked her right to work among the other strong personalities, and brings a unique perspective to the team.

     Is it possible that Masters has a little crush on Chase (Jesse Spencer)? It seems odd, as Chase is a pretty boy, and tends to go after traditionally hot women. Masters does not fit that category. She is a woman of substance and intelligence, who probably could look more attractive, but has more important things on her mind. She is likely drawn to the puzzle of Chase, more than his good looks. In the time she has known him, he has stumbled a bit, still a little shaken up from his divorce. She can see the genuine sweetness buried within, something it took awhile for Chase to show anyone else, and he has kept hidden ever since. So her feelings may not be out of line. The real question is, could he ever be truly interested in her? If she leaves permanently, we will likely never find out.

     Foreman is still cocky and judgmental. After all the things that have happened that could have humbled him, he still thinks he knows better than anyone else. At first, he can't believe Taulb (Peter Jacobson) has landed a young hottie, and tries to figure out what his roommate's secret is. Then he catches Taulb with separated wife Rachel (Jennifer Crystal), and scolds him for messing with a woman's heart. It seems Taulb can't satisfy Foreman, whether he is playing the field with great success, or returning to his life partner. Is Foreman jealous of Taulb? That may sound far fetched, until you spend just a moment pondering their interactions as of late.

     Taulb is showing serious growth. His reconciliation with Rachel has been long and winding, but thankfully is back on track. No matter how many times they call it quits, they feel so natural together. Taub is ready to put Rachel first, wondering if Foreman is right about Taulb messing with Rachel. So he does the right thing, willing to set her free so she can be happy, despite his unhappiness with being away from her. She denies him release, glad to be working things out. These two are built for the long haul, even if their marriage is still currently very much on the rocks. They have shared history, and it's not hard to see what brought them together in the first place.


     House continues its stellar seventh season Monday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX.

 

Article first published as TV Review: House #7.18 - "The Dig" on Blogcritics.

 

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House Tells "Two Stories"

     I always love it when FOX's House departs from its standard formula and does a different format episode. This week's "Two Stories" was the latest example of this, and it did not disappoint in the enjoyment factor. Framed by House (Hugh Laurie) talking to two fifth grade students, events are told disjointed and out of order, and often times, House is just downright lying. Add to that, parts of the episode involve House telling the young couple about him telling a fifth grade class a story. Mix in several bits he tries to pass off as reality, but were actually ripped from popular movies, and you have one entertaining hour!

     Despite the chaotic nature of the narrative, the plot is pretty easy to follow. I assume that's because the story House is telling is kept simple. There are only two elements, and both are relatively short. First, House's team treats a patient that literally coughs up a lung (gross, but funny). Second, Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) grows tired of House's inconsiderate nature and the duo have a fight. At first, House doesn't even understand why exactly she's angry, or that this is a culmination of a behavioral pattern, but instead seeks a singular event. Then House tries to figure out what he can do to make it right, but after his conversation with the students, he realizes his manipulative games are what got him into the mess in the first place. Simple, honest sincerity was what it takes to win the day.

    The fact that House can embrace such a concept shows just how far he has come, as well as how deep his feelings for Cuddy go. As House told the principal, he doesn't just love Cuddy, he needs her. Sadly, he has a hard time actually caring about her, as she is quick to point out. Which is what makes them such a great couple. She calls him on his faults, and he really does attempt to be a better man, one worthy of her. It's a process, of course, but I think they both realize that, and House's progress has been satisfactory, overall.

     The reason that letting the two leads pursue a relationship is usually avoided on television is because many shows quickly grow stale when that happens, though there are a number of notable exceptions, Chuck being the most recent. The tension of 'will they or won't they?', even when the audience knows that the answer is almost always 'they will, at the very end of the series', provides dramatic tension and allows fan interest to build momentum. The problem is, after many years of this, it begins to grow stale and feel unrealistic. At that point, it becomes a double-edged sword. If the pair get together, they could become a boring couple. Problems are either unrealistically forced upon them to try to build tension, which doesn't usually work too well, or viewers just can't see how two people can dance around each other for so long and not eventually make a move. There has to be some natural growth after the couples gets together in order for the concept to work, and that groundwork must have been laid long before the relationship begins.

      House has solved this by making the main character so anti-social in the first place. While House has always had a special fondness for Cuddy, I don't think the good doctor ever believed she would go for him until it happened. It is throwing his whole world out of order, and that's a good thing. There is plenty of story to mine about someone who got what he wanted and doesn't know how to keep or enjoy it. Suddenly, House, who has overcome plenty of obstacles, but remained a fairly static personality at his core, has to find his way. While fans know he hasn't always been the Grumpy Gus that we've watched for seven years, House has lived that way for so long that it's hard for him to remember who he used to be. This season has delighted in that discovery, and there's at least another season or two worth of material here.

     The foils of two fifth graders to Huddy's love story is clever. House is, at heart, somewhat childlike. It makes sense that his actions have an immaturity two children can relate to. I think that the young girl is a cross between House and Cuddy's more aggressive sides, while the young boy is their softer sides. Or what their softer sides need to be, as Cuddy is clearly more developed in this area than House. As such, House can learn from watching the boy's example. The boy chooses to support the girl, and be there for what she needs and wants. House does that, too, at the end of the episode.

     An elementary school is such a bizarre place for House to be, and not just because he doesn't have kids. But once I got over the fact that the teacher lets House keep going with his wildly inappropriate stories, which would never happen in real life, I enjoyed the way that kids don't buy into House's crap as much as adults do. They can see through his bluster. I especially enjoyed the kid who keeps pointing out which movies House is referencing.

     On the other hand, I also see House's appeal to the children. He is an interesting man who does exciting work. It's readily apparent that he is also a very smart, talented individual who excels in his field. Plus, his manner of storytelling is just plain fun, and makes you want to hear more. I can relate to that. After all, I've watched six and a half seasons about the guy! Kids haven't yet developed their preconceived notions, and are more open to hearing about the world, as they are not fully in it. This was the most receptive audience that House could ask for, save a room full of med students who have been studying his cases. But that's already been done.

     House is, at his heart, a teacher. Perhaps an abrasive one, but he knows how to set people up to learn. Look at how he treats his team. You cannot tell me that any of them haven't benefited from working under House, learning his techniques and how his mind works. He espouses unconventional thinking and self-motivation. House teaches you how to learn and figure things out for yourself. Any teacher will tell you that teaching someone how to learn is far better than just giving formulas and answers. Whether he is in front of young children, med students, or his own staff, this element, which often gets buried beneath his blustery, over-sized personality, is essential to knowing who House is.

     Now that I've gotten through the serious, deeper elements of the episode, I want to delight in the fun parts. Besides peeling aside the layers of House's soul and the inner workings of his romantic relationship, this week also brings along some of the funniest moments the show has exhibited in awhile. The fact that most don't actually happen in no way lessens the enjoyment. We see House shoot a college student to influence another into hacking into Cuddy's laptop. Taub (Peter Jacobson) and Foreman (Omar Epps) help House stage an elaborate break-in to Cuddy's office. House shouts at a student, "You can't handle the truth!" All wonderful moments.

     My favorite scene in the entire episode, though, was when House makes up dialogue for his fellows, playing on broad stereotypes. Chase (Jesse Spencer) and Taub both proposition a new nurse in lecherous ways, but also in references to sexual experiences both have had (Taub cheats on his wife in past seasons, and Chase engages in a threesome at an administrator's wedding). Masters (Amber Tamblyn) is shot down by other team members, and Foreman takes control, even though he isn't actually their boss. It is a smart play, not wholly out of character for any of them, and yet, of course, using dialogue they would never actually say. The entire scene deserves continuous laughter.

     Also, just the basic image of House being sent to the principal's office is plenty entertaining. That he gets into a fist fight in the classroom, of the sort that elementary students might engage in, only adds to the scene. In some ways, the hospital where House works in like a school, and Cuddy is like a principal. Too bad for House, the principal in this episode doesn't have the same fondness for him that his boss possesses.

     The last thing I'd like to mention, since I don't review every episode, is something that happened last week. Taub moves in with Foreman. Their bonding over video games and love troubles is a high point of the series, showing characteristics of both men that we haven't seen that much of. I am very pleased by this development, and hope the series shows us plenty of downtime together for the two of them in future episodes. Though most of the show takes place in the hospital or wherever House is, Taub in particular has been getting a lot of outside material lately, and it is something I'd like to see more of for all of the other cast members.

     House airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX.


Article first published as TV Review: House tells "Two Stories" on Blogcritics.

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House "Small Sacrifices"

***There are spoilers below. If you have not yet viewed the episode, please do so before reading.***

     Most episode of FOX's House are great, but sometimes an episode so superb comes along that I can't not write about it. This week's entry, "Small Sacrifices" was one such episode. There was so much going on, from religious debate, to major character developments, that I will likely miss some important aspect in this review. However, I'll try hit all the highlights. For more information on it, I recommend you check out Barbara Barnett's take. She is also a writer (and editor) on Blogcritics, as she delivers excellent, weekly in depth coverage of the show.

     The main medical case this week involved a patient named Ramon (Kuno Becker) who annually has himself nailed to a cross (through his palms, not his wrists) as part of a deal he believes he has made with God to make his daughter cancer free. House (Hugh Laurie) wants to offer Ramon treatment he believes will heal his patient, but Ramon refuses to accept it, thinking it would break his pact. As House doesn't believe in God, a standoff between the two begins, with House only eventually winning by lying to Ramon, making him believe that his daughter is not cancer-free, calling into question his faith.

     Is it ethical to call into question a belief system to save a life? Of course House thinks so. Ramon isn't upset with House for his deception, thinking it only proves god all the more real. So was anyone really hurt? Well, yes and no. Ultimately, House's goal of saving his patient's life was met, but at what could have catastrophic costs. Ramon could have sued Princeton Plainsboro, got House's medical license revoked, and made all sorts of trouble. Luckily for House, Ramon is a forgiving guy.

     But is it ever ok to lie to a patient, even in a life and death circumstance? After all, Ramon has a right to choose his treatment (or lack thereof), and House went against Ramon's known wishes. For the audience, there is now a character to bring life to that very question, as well as a whole slew or moral and honesty issues, in the newest doctor on the team, Martha Masters (Amber Tamblyn).

     Masters has already appeared in three episodes, and been given an "Also Starring" opening credit line, putting her in the same league as House's second team these past few seasons. Meaning, it looks like she is here to stay for the foreseeable future. I don't like her. I don't know if my distaste is about her, or about how she is getting in House's way and making doing what he does that much harder. I also think my distaste for her is far from universal, so I'll try to break it down.

     House likes Masters. He likes a challenge. Masters has already carved her niche in the team, which admittedly, has gotten more accepting of the way House does things. Complacent, even. For that reason I should welcome Masters, as House has, in his own way. But I can't help but feel the patients would be better off without her, and if she does get kicked off the team this year at some point, that will be the reason for it. Even Masters was the first to admit this week that if House had let her in on the plan, she would have spilled the beans and the patient would have died. Yet, that is not enough to make her rethink her beliefs. She is like Ramon in that even why her way defies what needs to be done to save a life, she will stick to it.

     That certainty should make me admire her, as I would most people with such strong convictions. It makes her a truly unique character on the series, and an interesting addition. Somehow, though, I don't. I think in this case, her inexperience is coloring her work, and it's not helping anyone, least of all her. In order to be the best doctor that she can be, she has to start seeing the world in shades of gray. Honesty is a virtue, but not an infallible one.

     Which kind of brings me around to the House-Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) relationship, which I am enjoying, even as I worry about the blow it recently suffered. For weeks, House has maintained that he did the right thing by lying to Cuddy to save a patient's life. While Cuddy may have accepted that before they became a couple, she cannot separate her personal and professional lives, and so has forced House to resort to self pleasure.

     By this week, it felt like make it or break it time for the pair, as Cuddy seemed tired of fighting with him about it. Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) kept telling House to lie and apologize the save the relationship, but instead, House was determined to prove to Cuddy that lying is sometimes necessary and beneficial. It was classic House, and of course he succeeded. But it didn't fix anything. In fact, it made it worse. Because Cuddy wasn't ever debating the positives or negatives of lying. She was upset about a lack of trust and openness that the two of them need to make it work. In the end, House took Wilson's advice. While I would have called this uncharacteristic of him a short time ago, it reflect the new House, who really cares about someone other than himself, and it looking for a new balance.

     Will Cuddy ever find out about this latest deception? Will it change the way she feels about him? Surely, she knew going in that she couldn't change House. Not fundamentally. The audience is quickly learning, though, that if anyone could shift who House is, it's Lisa Cuddy. I like the growth. It looks good on House, and I hope that we've seen the end of this particular fight. It would serve no purpose for her to know he was lying when he apologized. In fact, that he was willing to speaks volumes.

     Sadly, House and Cuddy were the only strong couple on display this week. I was very disappointed to see Sam (Cynthia Watros) leave Wilson shortly after his proposal, even though her reasons were solid. Maybe the patient files were forged, but it doesn't seem to me that Sam did it. She was pretty consistent in her statements. It may even have been a manipulation by House to undermine them, and if so, it worked. Wilson missed the point by thinking if he told her he was proud of her for lying, she would be happy with him. Again, it wasn't about the act or the words, it was about some fundamental communication level in their relationship, and Wilson sailed it. But I was enjoying Watros, having been missing her since her way-too-early departure from Lost, so I hope that a reconciliation is in the cards, even though it felt like her leaving was final.

     Taub (Peter Jacobson) also faced martial woes. His wife, Rachel (Jennifer Crystal), who is seen too infrequently for my taste, as Crystal does such a bang-up job, is having an emotional affair. That it is with a guy who lives across the country and exists only in email is immaterial. Taub is right to ask her to stop it, because as long as she has someone else to open up to, she won't ever do it with him again, a necessary step if their marriage is to survive. Yes, Taub cheated. And unlike Taub, I didn't think that Rachel had moved past it. But to see her so blatantly defy him to speak with another man was sad. They had a lot of work if they're going to make it. My money regrettably is on a divorce by February sweeps.

     Chase (Jesse Spencer) is embracing the single life, having hooked up with three women at one wedding (two were part of a threesome, if that makes it any better). No one could have been sadder than I when he split with wife Cameron (former cast member Jennifer Morrison) last year. I guess I should be glad that he's getting some, and beginning to get over for her. However, the behavior is destructive, and will not lead to anything good.

     Foreman (Omar Epps) is on a long dry spell, and just when Chase was helping him get over it, his co-worked abandoned him. I think Foreman still pines for Thirteen (Olivia Wilde), but as that doctor isn't coming back soon, it will be sometime before a resolution is in sight.

     All of this points to a major erosion of House's core team, with each member (except Masters) on a path that could lead to self-destruction. Could it be that once the titular character finally gets his own life under control, those around him have theirs come crashing down? It makes a twisted kind of sense. And gives us fans plenty to look forward to as the season continues to unfold.

     House airs Monday nights at 8pm on FOX.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional tv news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

Article first published as TV Review: House - "Small Sacrifices" on Blogcritics.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret

     The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret is a wonderful new show, airing on IFC  in the United States.  If you don't get IFC, as I don't, it is also available via Amazon on Demand digital video download, or from the iTunes store.  The show is set in London, England, and also airs in the UK.  As such, only six episodes have been ordered, typical for a UK series.  Two have aired, and they are very, very funny.

     The show stars David Cross (Arrested Development, Running Wilde) as Todd Margaret, a temp at an energy drink company in America.  When Brent Wilts (Will Arnett, Arrested Development, Running Wilde) buys and visits the company, he sees Todd in a rare moment of confidence.  As such, he interviews, and believing Todd's lies, promotes Todd to run a new office he wants to open in London.  GIven a large salary and a big expense account, Todd flies to the UK.  He arrives, only to discover the office he is running has a mere one employee named Dave (Blake Harrison, The Inbetweeners).  Todd continues to tell whatever lies he percieves will help him, and bluster around like he's important.  It seems that Dave sees through this, and so becomes an enabler, who likes to get Todd into hotter and hotter water.  Oh, and the energy drink is actually pretty toxic.

     In between ridiculous circumstances that left Todd ever more soiled and scarred, he pursues a romantic relationship with the owner of a local cafe, Alice (Sharon Horgan, Big Babies, Pulling).  Alice is hard to read, because she goes back and forth between being furious at Todd's antics, and somehow finding him sympathetic and charming.  It's not clear if she's sees through his crap, but if she does, she overlooks it.  Todd also keeps talking about feeling guilty about a girlfriend back home, who really, he just had a one night stand with.  Played by Amber Tamblyn (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Joan of Arcadia), we have gotten a number of short scenes revealing that she isn't thinking about Todd at all.

     The episodes are framed by an opening with Todd in a courtoom, persumably charged with all sorts of crimes that he racks up during his time in London, although the list seems a little harsh, as while Todd is bumbling, he isn't malicious.  At the end of each, after the credits, we catch up on Todd's Portland, Oregon apartment, where his cat has died, and the place is being overrun by wild animals.

     The whole thing is so ridiculous, I can't help but frequently laughing out loud.  Cross has proven himself adept at comedy, and in the series that he created, he is at his best.  As a viewer, I do feel a bit bad for him, although he brings most of his troubles on himself.  With only four episodes left, I'm anxious to find out how everything comes together.  I don't know if this would work as a 22 episodes a season series, as Todd has already effectively destroyed his life in just two half hours.  It's probably better that it's a limited run.  If you haven't already, please check out The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret.

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