I started out this review with mixed feelings, and then they got unmixed as I wrote. In the immortal words of an option not yet available on Facebook: Unlike! Jen Creer doesn’t like this!

“Broken” was cliche in so many ways. I don’t want House to get better and to grow. I want House still to be House. It’s not like he is a real person whose growth I am preventing. If he starts to heal, then I am going to lose interest in the show really fast. A functional (oh come on — yes, he was having hallucinations, but that was the writers’ choice. He functioned for a long time at a pretty high level) miserable asshole is much more interesting to watch limping along like the rest of us than a wet noodle trying to feel good about himself.

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As many of you know, we have our own take on “Jumping the Shark,” with a twist: We all know when shows start to suck, but when do good shows become truly great? When that occurs, we call it “Blowing the Hatch.”

Interestingly enough, our name for this phenomena comes from a moment when a lot of Clackers believe that Lost achieved greatness: When the plane crash survivors blew open the Hatch and all sorts of interesting things began to happen.  However, I have a different opinion of when the show really began to surpass being just a wonderful, interesting show and became one of the most creative, imaginative pieces of media I have seen. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a lot to write and think about the Season Finale of House. I know some people who were livid, shocked, saddened, and disappointed. I was none of those things: I was fascinated and interested. I am also curious about what will happen next season. But I’d like to focus my remarks on the colors chosen in this episode (and last week’s).

What first springs to mind is the stark contrast in lighting between Wilson and House driving toward House’s fate and Cameron and Chase’s wedding. Presumably both events are transpiring at the same time, because Wilson is not at the wedding (and House, obviously, wouldn’t be). However, the wedding is sunny and beautiful, but there is a shadow cast over House and Wilson. A literal pall, as they ride together in silence. What is there to say? Read the rest of this entry »

I bet there are members of the deaf community who are not very happy with this week’s episode of House. The team is usually pretty opinionated about the patients and their families. Granted, most of the time they think the patients are idiots. However, I was amazed that everyone across the board seemed to think that the patient, a 14-year-old deaf wrestler, needed cochlear implants.

When House, at Amber’s (aka, his subconscious’s) bidding, orders Chase to insert a cochlear implant, even Wilson thought it was a caring and nice gesture, a selfless act, rather than an incredible invasion of privacy and violation of patient rights. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been so long since I’ve seen an episode of China Beach (thank you whomever is responsible for making TV series into DVDs for being so lame) that when I found the pilot on YouTube today, I was all verklempt. I have signed up at Amazon to be alerted if a DVD ever appears for sale; I think I signed up over ten years ago.

I remember when I caught my first glimpse of China Beach. I was in college at Brigham Young University. I was at the apartment of people I didn’t know well; I don’t remember why. The people watching the show were excited because Brian Wimmer, who played Boone, was Mormon. I didn’t start watching the show in earnest until later when I caught the episodes in great succession on Lifetime. Read the rest of this entry »

I had the good fortune, yesterday, to participate in a conference call with actor Kal Penn and House creators David Shore and Katie Jacobs. Unlike Kona Gallagher, I was not able to ask my question, but plenty of other people asked my questions for me, so it was okay.

You’ll be happy to know that Kal Penn is alive and well. He sounds remarkably like his character. I have been on conference calls with other actors who were jerks to the callers, but Penn was completely relaxed and polite, despite being asked directly what his new salary will be at the White House. Read the rest of this entry »

Oh my goodness! I knew from a variety of sources that something shocking was going to happen on House. I knew that a cast member would be leaving. However, I didn’t know that it would happen tonight. For some reason, I thought last week’s preview was more for the rest of the season in general than tonight’s episode specifically.

I felt bad for Meat Loaf that this was the episode that shook things up on House. His performance as a dying man who wants to do right (finally) by his wife was lovely and understated. However, it was certainly a memorable episode to be a part of.

I think it’s okay to be frustrated and a little angry about this episode, even if it’s not for the same reasons that the characters are frustrated and angry. Form follows content: If some of the events this week seem sudden, shocking, pointless or meaningless, then we are in sync with what the characters are experiencing. Read the rest of this entry »