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Wednesday, December 20, 2006

"Merry Little Christmas" 3x10

Wow. Just wow. That is what you call a hard-hitting episode. It's taken me almost two weeks to recover.

The title was all about the irony. About the only straightforward word was "Christmas," as it was definitely that holiday at Princeton-Plainsboro. There was falling snow and everything! However, there was nothing "merry" about it, and the events that took place were hardly "little" in the lives of the characters.

The show opens with Louis Armstrong singing "Zat You Santa Claus?" (awesomest Christmas song ever!). House enters his office to find Wilson and Tritter waiting for him. Tritter's opening line: "Merry Christmas." House's reply: "And a happy go to hell." Ah, the holiday spirit abounds at PPTH!

For much of the rest of the episode, everyone verbally scourges Wilson for "ratting" on House while at the same time laying into House to take the deal. Cuddy cuts off House's Vicodin supply, Chase shows off his bruise from the punch House landed on him the week before, Foreman is pretty much Foreman, Cameron is as eardrum-puncturing annoying and whiny as I have ever seen her, and Wilson breaks my heart with his willingness to sacrifice himself for House because, "statistically speaking," he believes House has a greater effect on saving human life than he does. I am a total sucker for Wilson, I admit it.

House himself is a patient this week, detoxing and breaking down emotionally. As always, he attempts to treat himself; however, since everyone's interfered with his status quo, he can't treat himself with his beloved Vicodin. So, as in "Detox," he finds, shall we say, alternate methods of pain management, up to and including stealing a dead man's Oxycondone by signing out the drugs from the hospital pharmacy as the dead patient! I think he did that deliberately to get Wilson off the hook. He had to know he'd be caught...he was detoxing, but he's not stupid.

The actual PotW was Abigail, a 15-year-old dwarf recovering from a collapsed lung. She faces a series of ever-worsening symptoms that the team works to diagnose before all her internal organs shut down. The best thing about this patient? Her mom, who is also a dwarf. Quote of the night: "Care to go for a spin?" delivered by House to 4'1" mom after a very snarky back-and-forth of sexual innuendo, including the mom telling House that her ex-husband used to "pretty much just lay there and spin me." And man, I love that little half smile he gets when he knows he's in a battle of wits with a worthy opponent. I'd love to see the mom return in a future ep; she was a great foil for House's trademark brand of snark.

The other patient we have (unless you count the House/Wilson friendship) is Mr. Zebalusky. Perhaps he is more appropriately called an ex-patient, as he's hardly in need of medical attention by the time we meet him. But we have to get the Oxycondone from somewhere, right?

The end of the show finds Tritter and House together again, this time in Tritter's office. With "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" as the background music (See? Irony!). House has agreed to the deal Wilson set up, but Tritter tells him they have new evidence and no longer need Wilson's testimony, the deal's off the table, and House is going to be charged. Last line of the show? Tritter again telling House, "Merry Christmas." Way to celebrate, Tritter!

Aaaaaaaannnnnddddd it'll be January 9 until we see new House on our TVs. Good luck staying away from the spoilers between now and then. Me? I don't wanna know; I want to watch it play out through the show! How about you?

Season's greetings to all!

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1 Comments:

Anonymous said...

Great idea for a blog, great irony in this past episode's title, too. Keep this up, it's great.

~nmb

December 27, 2006 2:54 PM  

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