"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.

Grey's Anatomy takes a "Flight"

This season of ABC's Grey's Anatomy doesn't end with happiness. In fact, it doesn't leave viewers with any good feelings at all. It's an uncomfortable hour of misery, with nothing resolved at the end. Which doesn't mean that it's bad by any means; the quality of the series is still quite high. The finale, "Flight," is just extremely unsettling.

Seattle Grace Mercy Death, er, West, sends six of its doctors to another hospital to perform a tricky surgery. En route, the plane goes down. It breaks apart, and the people and pieces are strewn throughout a forest. One doctor does not survive, and the rest are injured, as is the pilot. It's a gruesome scene, not made any better by the fact that the survivors are stranded, with no sign of rescue as the season comes to a close.

The worst part of this plot is the death of Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh). Coming unexpectedly early in the hour, Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) holds her hand, confessing his love as she slips away. This is a truly heartbreaking scene. Despite the fact that Mark has a serious girlfriend, the chemistry between he and Lexie has never gone away. The expectations are high going into "Flight" that they will soon get back together, and Mark even tells her they are meant to be just before she passes. Sadly, this is now impossible.

Even more tragic is the fact that Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), searching for missing husband, Derek (Patrick Dempsey), doesn't make it back in time to say goodbye to her sister. Meredith finds Lexie, but assumes she will be all right while Meredith searches for her spouse. This is a mistake she cannot take back, and leads to an incredibly powerful moment of Meredith breaking down. Pompeo is mesmerizing as the grieving sibling who has lost so much, and now loses the only family she really has ever bonded with.

Losing Leigh will be a blow to Grey's Anatomy. She is a terrific actress who brings a joyful spark to an often angsty show. Her character helps Meredith come out of her dark shell, and she certainly brings joy to everyone she touches, including the fans at home. Unlike some past deaths, where there isn't too much regret that the character is gone, Lexie is a hard one to take. Next year will not be the same without her.

Soon enough, viewers learn that Mark is also injured pretty badly, though his damage is internal. There is a second suspenseful scene where Mark appears to say goodbye to Arizona (Jessica Capshaw), ready to join Lexie in the afterlife. This doesn't happen, thank goodness. While there would be a certain poetry to the two former lovers dying together, Mark has a baby girl that he must raise. And so, for now at least, Grey's Anatomy spares him.

As "Flight" closes, Arizona, Meredith, Cristina (Sandra Oh), Derek, Mark, and the pilot, Jerry (James LeGros, Mildred Pierce, Mercy), sit in the woods, darkness drawing in around them. Rescue needs to come soon if Mark is to survive and Derek is to keep his hand, something Derek could not happily live without. What a depressing way to end the season, no matter how great the acting and storytelling of "Flight" is!

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, no one even knows their friends are missing. Owen (Kevin McKidd) is too busy all day to take the phone calls from the destination hospital, asking where his people are. Sending his phone to voice mail may make sense at the time, but considering Cristina is one of those lost, this is not something Owen will easily be able to forgive himself for.

Owen and Cristina are not in a great place. They have been fighting for most of this season, and have been separated for quite awhile. But there is obviously still a deep affection between the two. Cristina does say she will soon be moving away, but it's not an easy decision for her to make. Perhaps the plane crash will realign her priorities, and the couple will decide to give it another shot. One can only hope.

Cristina and Owen's relationship is very interesting. While he is not the first romance to come along for the seemingly chilly Yang, she really values him in a way that is a bit surprising for her character. Cristina may seem tough, but when she talks about Owen, she does so with a vulnerability and rawness. Even after the abortion and the cheating, these feelings do not go away. They may have hurt each other deeply, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily done.

Teddy (Kim Raver) is done. She is offered a very prestigious job working for the army, but turns it down. Owen has been a great friend to her since her husband died, and she wants to repay the favor, seeing how deeply Owen is hurting over Cristina. Staying true to who he is, and continuing to support his friend, Owen refuses to accept her giving up this grand opportunity, firing her so that she must go. Tearily, they hug, and she departs.

Unlike Lexie, Teddy won't be missed so much. At times, she is a character one can relate to. But at other times, she isn't. The arc involving her marrying a patient actually turns out quite sweet, but it has been pretty uncomfortable watching her deal with the death. This story proves that Raver has the acting chops to hang. Considering the unevenness, though, and that her particular story has come to an end, it feels like a good time for her to leave. There might have been other tales to tell with her, but if she is going to walk out before they are all told, now is the perfect time to do so. Plus, it leaves an open spot for a new cardio god, which Cristina would be more than qualified to fill.

Teddy isn't the only one fired. Owen also lets April (Sarah Drew) go because she fails her boards. This isn't a cruel choice, even though April has no where else to go; it's just business. Owen and April have long been friends, of a sort, and it's doubtful Owen wants to release her. There has been no announcement of Drew quitting the series, unlike Raver and Leigh, so this seems like the sort of thing that will be worked out next season. No idea how, though.

Perhaps Owen has to let April go to meet Alex's (Justin Chambers) demands, as the two events happen at roughly the same time, and prior to learning that Alex decides against staying. Which, of course, he is unlikely to go through with, since Chambers just signed a new contract. So might Alex be willing to give a little to help a colleague out? If he learns of April's predicament, he very well might. Alex may act tough, but he's sweet at heart, and cares about the people that he works with.

Alex gets to show this side of himself in "Flight." Arizona is furious that Alex would leave after everything she has done for him. That's why she takes his spot on the plane. This is the opportunity of a life time, but Alex feels guilty for hurting her, of course, and calls to tell her so. His voice mail to her stays in character, but is exactly what he needs to say, within the constrains of being Alex. He isn't the jerk that he started out as, and Grey's Anatomy cannot afford to lose him.

The show can't loose any of the residents, soon to be fellows! Alex, Cristina, Jackson (Jesse Williams), Meredith, and by extension, Derek, all quit in "Flight" or just prior to it. This is a huge blow to the cast. All but Williams were at the end of their contracts, and might not have returned to the show. But now, they've all renewed. So what will keep their characters in Seattle? Perhaps they will be drawn together by this tragedy?

It's such a shame that these dark events have to keep happening to them, though. It has not gotten to the point where these sort of things feel forced into the story, but one has to admit that they do occur a lot. Cristina talks of wanting to leave simply because of the amount of bad luck that happens to the doctors at Seattle Grace. However, they also all have each other to lean on, and that just might be a good enough reason to take the risk and stay.

Webber (James Pickens Jr.) certainly wants them to stick around. He continues his tradition of throwing a dinner for the outgoing residents in "Flight." Strangely, only the main character residents seem to be invited, even though we know there are many more residents that work at the hospital. Regardless, it's a sad scene for Webber to sit at a dinner table and stare at the empty seats where Meredith and Cristina should be sitting. Hopefully, he doesn't take this as a sign of abandonment. He thinks he is losing them soon enough! If he believes they stood him up, he is going to be really hurt.

Which just leaves Bailey (Chandra Wilson) dealing with Ben's (Jason George) impending departure. See, Ben, who is not a main character, accepts a surgical internship in California. Bailey decides to marry him anyway, but they will now have to deal with a long distance relationship. This sort of arrangement might work fine for a few episodes, but both the character and fans will want Ben back. So can't Seattle Grace make room for him in their program? After all, Ben has already left the show before and come back, so it sucks to make him do it again. I smell the next main character for Grey's Anatomy, assuming his summer series, Mistresses, doesn't blow up. And it's a summer series on network television, so what are the chances of that?

This sad, tragic hour brings season eight of Grey's Anatomy, which shows no signs of its age, to a close. Luckily, season nine will bring almost everyone back in the fall! How exciting!

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here to read every Grey's Anatomy review I've ever written. To buy Grey's Anatomy DVDs and streaming episodes, please click here. Article first published as Grey's Anatomy takes a "Flight" on TheTVKing.com

Merci Mercy

    When NBC announced a new medical drama about nurses called Mercy, eyes, including mine, rolled.  Don't we have enough medical shows?  Not only that, but no less than two others were also premiering this fall.  However, Mercy has somehow set itself above and pack, and proved that there can still be fresh, fun medical shows.  I credit the amazing cast, all of which are wonderful, but I'm going to focus on the Top 5, hard as it was to choose 5.  Mercy airs Wednesdays at 8pm, and just returned to the air this past week.

     Virtual unknown Taylor Schilling stars as Veronica.  She is delightful, pretty, and sympathetically human.  The blond is really trying to make things work with her childhood sweetheart, Mike (Diego Klattenhoff), despite his cheating ways while she was in Iraq.  However, she also cheated on him during her second tour.  She is doing a highly entertaining job balancing all the personal crap with her job.

     Fresh off of the canceled Men in Trees, James Tupper plays the aforementioned lover, Dr. Chris Sands, who followed her home and is now a doctor at the hospital where Veronica works.  (Side note, Diego Klattenhoff was also recurring on Men in Trees near the end).  He gets to talk a lot more on this show, and it doesn't hurt.  Unlike many dramas, it does not seem inevitable that he will end up with Veronica.

     I'd never heard of James LeGros (Ally McBeal), but his performance as Dr. Harris has been the most interesting so far.  He started as a total jerk, and then, after his wife's murder, he became a grief-stricken total jerk obsessed with not letting anyone else die.  He manages to convey a character who doesn't fall into stereotypical growth, but gets to explore strong emotion in a very satisfying way.

     Child star Michelle Trachtenberg (Gossip Girl, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is also a nurse at the hospital, young, green, and gullible.  Her character, Chloe, is not just the comic relief, however, as her attempts at love have been well performed as well.  She adds an element to the show that is completely necessary to the series's success.

     Kate Mulgrew, perhaps best remembered as Captain Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager, is quickly establishing a new character to remember, Veronica's mother.  She plays the alcoholic matriarch of a "white trash" Irish Jersey family.  She has taken to the role with relish, and always steals the scene when she appears on screen.  Hopefully an upgrade to series regular will soon be forthcoming.