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February 9, 2010

House: Um, Cuddy? Better You Than Us, Thanks.

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This week on House, we were treated to a day in the life of Cuddy.  Nightmarish.  Why anyone would invite that sort of stress is mystifying. 

We learned that Cuddy is not a woman one can cross.  That she really is tough as nails. She does not budge, and calling her itchy names does not shake her resolve. 

We would hate her job, but we admire her for doing it so well, even in the face of Serious Consequences.  Cuddy's got character, in spades.  Pun seriously not intended, really. 

More Cuddy after the jump!

Continue reading "House: Um, Cuddy? Better You Than Us, Thanks. " »

February 2, 2010

House: What Goes Around, Comes Around. Sometimes.

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Once again, this week on House we were given evidence that our favorite misanthrope has a conscience and really is a good guy beneath it all. Buried far, far beneath it all. Manipulatively so that his secret good side remains hidden. 

We heart Orlando Jones! We're thrilled that he was a guest cast member this week, and hope that we get to see more of him here and there as the season unfolds.  When House picked him up from prison and hired him, we were suspicious and in full agreement with Foreman when he said that the sole purpose of hiring him as House's assistant was to mess with Foreman.  

Ultimately, we think that House was just being his usual manipulative self, wanting Foreman to give his brother another chance and therefore manipulating the situation so that would be the end result...all the while keeping his reputation as a jackass intact.

Did Wilson and House deserve the pranking they received? More after the jump!

Continue reading "House: What Goes Around, Comes Around. Sometimes." »

January 25, 2010

House: A Conscience Can Be Such A Drag

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We share House's fascination with psychopaths, and we particularly dug the one this week. And by dug, we mean dislike yet were compelled to watch.  

So the theme this week seemed to be having a conscience, or the lack thereof. Miss Psychopath Patient was a great villain! When she was finally correctly diagnosed, treated, and started having feelings again...we still disliked her. So hooray for a good villain. 


More House after the jump!

Continue reading "House: A Conscience Can Be Such A Drag" »

January 11, 2010

House: One Singular Sensation, Every Little Step (s)He takes...

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What a great House episode to open 2010!  The patient in crisis plotline this week was a little formulaic...you know, House meets despicable sick guy/drug dealer, team is skeptical and self-righteous to sick guy/drug dealer, sick guy/drug dealer turns out to be an undercover cop, sick guy / undercover cop cannot be saved and dies a hero in his wife's (unseen in 16 months) arms.  Cheery!  Only the good die young. 

OK, maybe we're being a little unfair. The interaction between dying guy and his drug dealer scummy buddy (played by Nick Chinlund) was pretty deep and weirdly heart-tugging.  We're inclined to love anything Nick Chinlund does anyway -- the scummier the better.  But we have to say we thought his deep, obvious concern for his dying friend was touching.  Maybe after his arrest he saw the light.  Or maybe he went to prison, honed his skills for a while, and became a real badass. The latter seems more likely, yes?


Way more interesting was the personal-life plotline with House and Wilson.  Read about Wilson's outwitting House in the competition for the girl after the jump!  


Continue reading "House: One Singular Sensation, Every Little Step (s)He takes..." »

December 1, 2009

House: A Day in the Life of Wilson

House-Ep610_Sc10_1164.jpgIf we had to boil down this week's House into two thoughts, they would be these... First: "Wow! Someone other than House might get a character arc this season!" Second: "Wow, how does Wilson get anything done in a day? He's constantly interrupted by either Cuddy or House."

And we have to admit, House's interruptions are a breath of fresh air when we see things from Wilson's point of view. Their friendship makes much more sense to us now.

But most importantly in this episode, we discover that Wilson has hit his limit of niceness. He makes a huge sacrifice for one of his patients (who he thinks of as a friend) and things don't turn out the way Wilson thought they would. More after the jump, but first -- vote in the poll and drop us a comment.

Continue reading "House: A Day in the Life of Wilson" »

November 23, 2009

House - It's lonely being an intelligent, white male in America

NUP_136909_1071.JPGRight. So the theme on House this week is how lonely it is to be an intelligent, white male in America. Right. Riiiigghht. Well, we suppose if we're feeling like we'd like to punch somebody on this show we're not the only ones.

No, we're not talking about all the intelligent women in America who got the message that a genius would rather artificially lower his IQ than find an intelligent woman to share his life with. No, we're not talking about Chase - who decided to punch House rather than deal with another person being kind to him about his troubled marriage - and Taub - who used a photo of the injured House to "prove" to his wife that he can stand up for himself.

Fine upstanding examples of manhood, the both of them. Grrr. Sorry, House. We're baffled this week.


Continue reading "House - It's lonely being an intelligent, white male in America" »

November 16, 2009

House - All together again... mostly

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House lost a lot of things at the beginning of this season -- his team, his medical license, his mind -- and he's been working hard to regain them all. Sure, he had his old-school team consisting of Foreman, Chase and Cameron, but it just wasn't the same without Thirteen and Taub. Sure, he starts to work first on getting his sanity back. Then he worked on getting his medical license, without too much difficulty. But there's a problem with reassembling the team.

House has four fellows on his team -- and five people he wants to slot in. This is the episode where he resolves this problem in a very House kind of way. The old House kind of way. More after the jump.
  

Continue reading "House - All together again... mostly" »

November 10, 2009

House - Complications

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So, evidence that House has truly changed and is a whole new man is right there in that photo up there -- see it? Nah, we think he was a Mac user before rehab. No, he usually breaks down and talks to the patient eventually. Look closely.... yep, that's House's cane right there. Not just touched by someone else, but held by a patient. Granted, she's using it as a drumstick, and that might make it okay to both the old House and the new House. But what matters is that he handed it to her to let her try. (She failed. Her arms soon stopped working because her potassium was too low.) Yes, it's the little things that make us happy. More after the jump.


Continue reading "House - Complications" »

October 20, 2009

House: Midlife Crisis

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Did you love the promos for this episode of House as much as we did? It's true, we could watch Foreman freak out like that over and over and over and never get tired of it. Especially since he's been so full of himself these last few episodes. Sheesh, new boss guy, relax! Or, well, you know. You could try getting the bejeezus scared out of you in the morgue instead. We the viewers vote for the latter. A lot.

There was, of course, other drama and a patient of the week (or two?). We'll get to those next...

Continue reading "House: Midlife Crisis" »

October 12, 2009

House: Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Ka-meeedicine

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This week on House, we learn family is more important than being wealthy, a good job is no compensation for a lousy relationship -- oh, and also, karma's a bitch. Thanks for the advice, House writers! This was an okay episode, but it seemed like they sorta lost the funny. There were just too many loose ends being tied up. What's happening with Thirteen, what's happening with Foreman as head of the department, what's happening with the dead dictator? Our heads were sorta spinning by the end.

Still, House the character was incredibly compelling to watch, and his team was the same old set of characters we've always loved -- just dumped into the deep end with responsibilities they weren't really ready for. So yeah, there was still some good television here. More after the jump.

 

Continue reading "House: Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Ka-meeedicine" »

October 5, 2009

House - who's the tyrant here?

House-Ep604_Sc37_2038.jpgWho thought House was a good platform to talk about serious issues like genocide and assassination of dictators? Whoever it was, we think they should be taken out and shot. Ahem.

We know, in previous years they've tackled serious topics like addiction, divorce, accidental death of a loved one, and of course suicide. But these are all very personal issues -- not big-picture political issues. It's true that they looked at the death penalty in the past, and they do a nice little call-back to it, but yikes! You can't get much bigger than genocide and calculated murder. We don't know about you, but most of us watch House for black comedy, not political commentary. We're a little worried about where this is all headed this year -- but then, what season of House were we not worried at the beginning? More after the jump. 



Continue reading "House - who's the tyrant here?" »

September 28, 2009

House - it's a long road back

NUP_136068_0010.JPGOkay, this is the House show we know and love. Well, except for the part about House quitting his job and taking up various hobbies. But other than that... We did get to see all the old gang and see how the intervening months treated them. Chase was still funny. Wilson was still kinda lame. Foreman was still overestimating his capacity for genius. Thirteen was still the smartest one on the team. Taub was still all about the self-preservation. You get the idea. It was pretty standard really. Except that House and Wilson were doing a standard buddy comedy. If House hadn't broken out the Mandarin I would have been worried about the writers' sense of what made this show great. But he did. And we're pretty sure House will be as good as ever next week.

We have a few more observations, of course, but you'll have to take our poll and then read them after the jump. 

Continue reading "House - it's a long road back" »

September 22, 2009

House Premiere - Oh House, we love you too!!!

House-20090713_Sc43_3062.jpgWelcome to the broadcast television premiere of House MD - The Movie. Oh wait, no. Sorry. This was supposed to be the two-hour premiere of Season 6 of House. Right. So do we ever get to see all these people we've fallen in love with again? We're thinking no. Come on, we adored every single one of the crazy people on the sixth floor (hah hah, is that a pun? sixth floor? sixth season?) but to us it looks an awful lot like the true season 6 premiere will air next week.

We would usually be grumpy about this kind of completely contained episode, but come on! Who could really be mad about two House premieres in one season? Not us. Frankly, we're just swooning over the idea and can't wait to see the crowd back in the differential diagnosis department next week. Cuddy - what have you been doing all this time while House was in therapy? Chase - did you finally get a hair cut? We want to know!

But let's focus on this week. Our favorites after the jump - but first, you tell us. Who did you like best on the sixth floor of the mental ward this week? Vote in our poll - and use the comments section to explain why.

 

Continue reading "House Premiere - Oh House, we love you too!!!" »

August 28, 2009

Fox's Fall Season Scoop

It's the end of summer but things are just starting to heat up...TV-wise, that is. You can tell it's almost time for the Fall season to start when the gossip and spoiler chatter intensifies. What's a FOX fan to do? Check out our cheat sheet of course! We've pulled together all the latest dish on BonesDollhouseFringeHouse and Lie to Me in one convenient, byte-size package. Spoilerphobes -- you may want to avert your eyes. Everyone else: Read on!

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We've already brought you up to speed on Angela's love life, Brennan and Angela's BFF status being challenged and the potential for some new faces on the FBI side.

That doesn't mean EW's Michael Ausiello doesn't have more to add. First, the season premiere "features a time jump that's longer than two weeks but less than six months. And an MRI holds the answer to one of the show's biggest questions." Oh, and series creator Hart Hanson has this to say about the show's most important romantic relationships: "Angela and Hodgins belong together every bit as much as Booth and Brennan -- perhaps more. And they will get there. But it'll be a rough, rough road."

Continue reading "Fox's Fall Season Scoop" »

July 30, 2009

The House Big Bad Bracket: Backstabbing Division

house bracket.jpgWe're back with the final initial round of the House Big Bad Bracket. Last week, the competitors in the Blunt Trauma Division showed their stuff. We had two very close matches -- Internet Porn fell to Ignored Minions, while Famous Guest Stars bested Cuddy's Low-cut Shirts. Apparently being prurient will only gt you so far in this game. A Trip to Cuddy's Office intimidated Rare Collectibles and gained a resounding lead. But hte biggest blowout cam ein the CLinic Hours vs. Stopping a Patient's Heart match, with Clinic Hours completely dominating the floor. Congrats!

Now it's time for the Backstabbing Division to take the floor. Will Lupus sneak up on Minion Love? Can Glass-Walled Rooms contain Amber Hallucinations? Can Sarcoidosis face the might of Vicodin?  And can the patient Psych-Out inthe teaser defeat Cuddy Interfering? Your votes decide! Polls are open until August 5, so get voting!
Minion love
It's happened twice now - two of House's minions fall in love, bonding over the suffering imposed by their boss. There's got to be something to it.

Lupus
It's never lupus, but it always *could be* lupus. And one day, it'll catch everyone by surprise and actually *be* lupus
Glass-walled rooms
These are amazing glass walls - you get a great view of everything happening inside, but miraculously can't hear conversations through them. And how many scenes do we get of the team standing outside the glass wall watching the patient? This one is silent but deadly.

Amber hallucinations
Creepy as hell, you never know when she's going to lean in and scare the pants off you.
Sarcoidosis
It's never sarcoidosis - UNTIL IT IS!

Vicodin

It's the running villain throughout the whole show - House can't live with it, can't live without it.
The patient psych-out in the teaser
That short bit at the beginning before the theme music rolls, where we're first introduced to our patient - no wait, it's not the one who looks sick, it's the other guy! Back there! Bleeding from his ears!

Cuddy interfering
Think about it. House is a force to be reckoned with, but Cuddy's interferance can derail him for days.

FOX Sourcies Weep for These Moments!

The Sourcies are sobbing quietly as we contemplate this year's most heartbreaking moments on FOX. There were plenty of three-hankie episodes throughout the network this year -- we're almost wondering if the writers all have stockin antidepressants! Here's what we picked as the best sob-inducing moments:

Kutner's suicide
House

Kutner's suicide was so traumatic that it even spawned a memorial website. There was no explanation for his death, which makes it all the more painful for us - and House. In fact, House is so discombobulated by the death that he starts crying homicide - until he finds a candid picture in Kutner's apartment of Kutner looking away from the camera, showing a side of him that perhaps no one else saw.
  Derek's death
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Derek lived through Judgment Day, a computer-controlled nation and multiple travels through time, all in an attempt to keep humanity alive. He grew into a man living in old nuclear fallout tunnels, and when he returned to 2007 he got to watch over his family, knowing that they were destined to die once Skynet took over. And after all of that, he still got killed by a terminator and was buried in an anonymous grave.
     
Michael's death
Prison Break

As if Michael's life wasn't dramatic enough, his death was a real kick in the gut. He survived multiple prisons, countless close calls, a whole bunch of escapes, and a worldwide conspiracy bent on bringing him down... but he couldn't survive the ticking time bomb in his head. He accomplished his goals -- he saved his brother, took down The Company, and convinced Sara that he loved her - but he didn't get to enjoy the fruits of those labors. Sob!
  Jack's coma
24

Jack faces death all the time... so his being exposed to a brain-eating bioweapon that will kill him in a matter of days is sad, but we're sort of prepared. What we weren't prepared for was Jack (1) refusing to let Kim contribute the stem cells that may save him, and (2) seeing Jack agree to be put into a morphine-induced coma - before Kim can tell him that he has a granddaughter. He may die without ever having met her.
     
Adam's defeat
American Idol

Those screams of anguish you heard on May 20? Those were the heartbroken wails of countless Glambert fans reacting to Kris Allen winning the American Idol title over their beloved Adam. YouTube was awash with screaming, crying and otherwise agog fans who couldn't believe their man had been denied. Was it because of questions (now resoled) about Adam's sexuality? Was he too cool for the show? Did the voting public just feel more comfortable with Kris? Or did Kris win on his own merits? We don't know - but we do know a whole bunch of Idol fans who are still nursing their broken hearts.
 

Polls are open until August 6, so get voting!

Congratulations to Bones, which won the Best Plot Twist category with Brennan's Baby Business! Bones is the show to beat -- are any other shows up to the challenge? Talk about it in the comments!

July 29, 2009

Why we hate our House

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Oh House, you heart-breaker. It's true. You can only hurt the ones you love. *sniff* New episodes have been off the air so long we have slunk back to reruns and DVR'd episodes like the pathetic high-schoolers we truly are underneath that thick skin we've nurtured just so we can get along in the world of grown-ups. *sniff*

Anyway, while we've been indulging in reliving the past, we've been dealing with the pain by making a list of all the things we hate about House. *sniff* It's cathartic, yes.

So is the ice cream.

Our list after the jump...

Continue reading "Why we hate our House" »

July 28, 2009

FOX Sourcies Are Hanging Off a Cliff!

We're back with an exciting, nail-biting cliffhanger in the Sourcies... which we're not going to tell you about right now. First, we're going to give mad props to Ryan O'Neal, who won the Best Villain competition with a commanding lead. Congrats, Ryan!

Now we're heading into the Best Cliffhanger competition. Which of these nerve-wracking unanswered questions are you most eager to see resolved? Polls are open until August 4, so get voting!
House
House checks himself into the loony bin

We were thrilled when Cuddy and House finally got together - and got it on - but of course, all was not as it seemed. House hallucinated that particular pairing, and that was the evidence he need to prove that yes, something is seriously wrong, and yes, he needs help. House does the unthinkable: he checks himself into a psychiatric ward with Wilson's help. No one else knows what he's done, and no one can tell how it will change him. Will he be cured next season? Happy? Nice? Or will he still be seeing Amber, spitting venom, and being the House we know so well? And if he is cured, what will that do to the show? We're just going to have to wait and see...
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Back to the Future

Here's a cliffhanger that will just keep us dangling, since the show was (sob!) cancelled. We've got various alternate futures in play - one where Derek is alive, where John's father is alive, where everything we think we know is actually in flux. What kind of world is John in now? Can he get back to our world - and should he? What's going on with Allison and Cameron? So many questions - and, in the ultimate cliffhanger they're never going to get answered.
Dollhouse
Everything changes
Here's another show that left us with loads of questions - but in this case, we have a shot at finding out the answers. How will Echo deal with having multiple personalities in her head - and how is she able to resist her programming? What kind of havoc will Alpha wreak now that he's on the loose and Echo has rejected him? How will Paul Ballard fit into all of this - has he really bought into the Dollhouse's plan? So many questions -- and we're looking forward to some mind-blowing answers!
24
Jack is infected
While fighting terrorists, Jack defused a biological weapon that threatened to infect the Eastern Seaboard - but in the process, he himself got dosed with the toxin. The upshot? Jack is doooooooomed! Perhaps. Yes, he's infected with a variant of Mad Cow disease that takes hold quickly and has a 100 percent mortality rate, and yes, he already started showing som syptoms in the last season. But there's a chance an experimental stem-cell treatment, using Kim's genetic material, can cure him - IF Jack will let that happen. Sigh.
Fringe
Are we in for an interdimensional war?

We finally get an idea of what's causing all the scientific wonkiness in Fringe when we see Walter standing over Peter's grave. That's because our dimension's Peter died as a child, and Walter apparently snatched another dimension's Peter to take his place. Poing! Is this the start of an interdimensional war? Did Peter's absence from that dimension cause all the problems they seem to be having? Is William Bell one of the good guys, or is he scheming for our dimension's downfall? Is he even from our dimension? And what's Olivia's place in all of this? We're counting the days until we find out!


July 24, 2009

The House Big Bad Bracket: Round Three

house bracket copy copy.jpgWe're back with the House Big Bad Bracket! Before we get into the Blunt Trauma Division, let's take a look at the results of the Technique division. Technology didn't do well -- Old X-Rays fell to House's fame, while CT Scanners were crushed by Broad Spectrum antibiotics. Foreign Accents fended off Whiteboard lists at the last minute. But the biggest blowout came when Wacky Cane Hijinks prevented MRI Scans from garnering a single vote. Take that, advanced technology!

Will we see a similar blowout this week? That's up to you! Polls close July 30, so get voting!
Stopping a patient's heart
This was really dramatic - the first time. Kill the patient, then revive them and save the day. Now it seems like they do this every other week, so the potency may be falling off.

Clinic hours
These seem to be House's nemesis - Cuddy threatening him with them will always prompt some extreme defensive action.
A trip to Cuddy's office
When the drama and conflict get to be too much, everything gets moved to Cuddy's office - where magically the conflict is resolved one way or another. There must be something formidable in that trip to Cuddy's office.

Rare collectibles
A stunning car...a new motorcycle... a classic guitar... these are the things House seeks after when he's a little more sober. They give his life meaning.

 

Internet porn
House always claims he's using his office computer for Internet porn. His team and Wilson always assume he's indulging in Internet porn. It's either a running joke or another addiction holding House in its grip.

Ignored minion
Many, many episodes we see one of the minions suggests the correct diagnosis about half way through, and House ignores the suggestion for no good reason. This ignored minion is always right. Always.
Famous guest stars
These last few seasons especially have seen guest stars turn up for just an episode or two that are extremely famous. Don't underestimate the power of the cameo.

Cuddy's low-cut shirts
Cleavage!

July 23, 2009

The Sourcies Do the Twist

We're celebrating great FOX plot twists this time in The Sourcies, but first lets take a moment to congratulate Bones for winning the Best OMG moment. Bones is on a role! Can it fend off hte competitors this time around? Your votes decide!


Dr. Saunders a Doll
Dollhouse

All season long, Dr. Saunders was a calming - if somewhat timid - presence on Dollhouse. But in the last few episodes, we find out that she's not what she seems: Saunders is actually Whiskey, a Doll. Alpha carved up her face because she was the number-one-requested Doll, and he preferred Echo. Then he killed the real Dr. Saunders, and Whiskey took his place. She had no idea she was an active - and neither did we.
  Hallucinatory Huddy
House

Fox and Cuddy FINALLY give in to their attraction as Cuddy helped House detox. Squeee! One thing: It never happened. After Cuddy fires House, House discovers that his vivid recollections were just drug-induced hallucinations. That's what finally gets him to admit he needs help. We end the episode with Wilson driving House to a mental hospital while the rest of the staff is at Chase and Cameron's wedding. We never saw it coming.
     
Brennan's baby business
Bones

Brennan has never really been the warm, maternal type. Sure, we've seen her entertain the occasional tot with her "Phalanges!" trick, but she's never struck us - or anyone on the show - as mommy material. But one day, she figured out that the world deserves her spawn, and that Booth has the perfect genetic material to contribute. Where did this new baby-mania come from? Who knows - but it made Booth's amnesia all the more heartbreaking.
  Peter is dead
Fringe

We had dark intimations that something weird happened to Peter when he was a child all season. Walter mentioned an illness, a car crash... and when he talked about the performed on children (including little Olivia), we got worried. But the reality was so much worse - Peter died as a child, but he's still here. Did Walter snatch another version of Peter from an alternate dimension? Is that what kick-started The Pattern - is it part of an inter-dimensional war? Oh, Walter, what have you done - and what's Peter going to do when he finds out?
     
R.I. P. Bill Buchanan
24

Tony's betrayal, rehabilitation and bigger betrayal shocked the pants off of use this season, but for our money, the bigger twist was Bill Buchanan's untimely death. Poor Bill had been a behind-the-scenes guy for so long - and he'd survived so much - that it didn't occur to us that he'd be in danger. But this IS 24, and they have a habit of killing off our favorites. So when Juma's men threatened the President in the White House, Bill made the ultimate sacrifice to help defeat him. Oh, Bill....