So…about last night’s House. The Great Cameron Exit (that felt a lot like previous Cameron exits)! Or “This Show’s Weaknesses, Now On Steroids.” There are things House does well, but “Teamwork” seemed to shine a too-bright spotlight on what the show can’t quite accomplish: Credible romantic relationships, dramatic exits, and meaningful progress or change from one Dr. Gregory House, M.D.
The Team I’ll admit that I am the strenuous opposite of Team Foreteen (which makes me either Negative Foreteen, or One Foreteenth! Math jokes!) and generally not a Thirteen person to begin with, which might be why House’s attempts to get the band back together rang so false to me. I like Taub an awful lot, but what exactly is the unexplored dramatic potential here? How many times will the show recreate the exact same story of an associate doc righteously leaving, only to be lured back in by House’s magnetism and the promise of challenging medical cases? A few more times, I guess. It’s just…I already watched the fourth season. I don’t need to relive it. Wasn’t House supposed to be turning over a new leaf, at least for him, this season? There was so much promise just squandered here.
Cuddy and Lucas Wilson’s one eyebrow furrow was more evocative and charming than an entire scene between these two. (Also, did Cuddy’s house, er, domicile, look ridiculously smoggy last night? I guess it was suppose to be moody, but sheesh.) I didn’t get them last week at all, and I get them even less now: Is he House-lite? I get why the writers want to put off a Huddy pairing for as long as possible, but I’m not buying this relationship at all.
Chase His Greasy Hair of Guilt is up there with David Silver’s Stupid Hat of Drugs. Take a shower, Chase.
Cameron’s exit Jennifer Morrison deserved a better send-off. House and Cameron’s complicated history has seen its fair share of teary monologues from her, which is why this one seemed so redundant: She loved him?! Yeah, we know. (“Honeymoon,” anyone?) And didn’t Cameron see House’s “dark side” when he convinced her to euthanize someone in “Informed Consent”? Hell, she’s even stuck out her hand awkwardly, only to be turned down, back in season one’s “Role Model.” (It’s at 6:09 in this video.)
Finally, haha, Thirteen has a fax machine.
What’d you think, PopWatchers? Was this the exit that made sense for Cameron, or did you want more for her?
Comments (1-15) of 43 Add your comment
The writers are just stretching everything out, so it all seems so repetitive. Please, end it on good terms. Announce that next season will be the last and do everything you want to do, and we’ll all move on but look back fondly on House for years to come.
She deserved much better. i also expect much more from this show. Not sure how much longer I can watch.
Cameron needed an extra episode. Her decision to leave felt too abrupt to me – especially if it’s permanent – and it wasn’t fair to the actress to send her off with just one all-to-familiar scene.
I actually really like Cameron, but personally (shallowly), I love a broken Chase more. Is that wrong of me? And I prefer his hair now over last season’s Chase hair.
Foreteen, I can take it or leave it. Getting tired of the back and forth with House and Cuddy though. “Are you killing a patient because of my relationship with Lucas?” Ugh.
I just wish the show didn’t hedge its bets so much.
If they wanted to blow things up at the end of season 3 (when Foreman left, Chase was fired and Cameron quit) that’s one thing. It probably would’ve angered loyal fans of the show, but at least it would’ve been a new, CLEAR direction: we’re blowing things up and starting with a new team.
Instead, Foreman came back and has been pretty much completely emasculated (he’s in charge, but he’s not – no wonder he’s in a sour mood all the time), while Cameron and Chase were little more than glorified extras for a while until recently. As a result, Cameron’s exit wasn’t as impactful for me, especially since (as Margaret mentioned) we’ve seen this movie before.
Even now, the door is open for Morrison to return…it’s just hard to take this show seriously when nothing really changes.
You hit the nail right on with your comments! It seems like they are trying to cover all the bases with their storylines, and I am getting tired of them always saying how they don’t know where the show is going. And even now they can’t even commit to saying that JMO has left the show! It’s getting to be very frustrating….
Yes, this! It is like the show wants to change but doesn’t have the courage to fully go for it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Chase and didn’t want him to leave at first, but really, how much tired old ground can we keep covering? They’re gone! No, they’re back! They’re really gone this time! Nope, just kidding.
Oh, and I despise Foreteen, but that is because I really don’t like Foreman. He was never a favorite, but in my opinion, the worst has been brought out in him the last couple of seasons. The fact that he was willing to fire Thirteen and still thought that the relationship would work says it all for their relationship right there. (Strangely, I don’t mind Thirteen that much. I know it is a minority opinion in this fandom.)
haven’t watched last nite’s ep yet, but just had to chime in with the “anti-foreteen” gang. GAAHH! what IS it the writers seem to think we find so compelling about this couple?? foreman has always been the wet blanket of the show, and thirteen– aside from being “the bitchy bisexual one”– hasn’t ever developed much of a personality within the team. i absolutely adore this show but PLEEZE for the love of all that is good and holy… no more focus on this horribly dysfunctional and terminally UNinteresting pair! *whew* ok, just needed to get that off my chest.
I for one love the complexity of the writing and the characters of the show, I enjoy how the POTW’s case is woven or paralleled into the character’s personal lives. It was sad to see Cameron go, definitely, but I can’t see any other way for the writers to handle her departure, it wouldnt appease fans if they dragged her farewells longer. The House we saw in this episode was definitely pre-Broken but then again he has been this way for 5 years and has only been post-broken for a few months, the dude is entitled to stumble on his way to full nirvana and I love that the writers acknowledged that. Not a big fan of 13 either but surprisingly enough she didn’t quite bother me last night. One character that bothered me immensely though is Lucas, the dude needs to be taken out of the show…stat!
I wish I could see the “complexity” of characters. I prefer to call it “inconsistency.” The characters have been all over the place for the past couple of years, and it has gotten so bad that the WRITERS are having to fill in the blanks with explanations on their personal blogs.
I thought it was fine. Though I’m long over Cameron.
Same here.
This whole episode was just ‘meh’, and not a fitting send off for Cameron. I don’t think the writers did a good job with her character at all past the first season. Initially I thought she was supposed to be the kind of doctor most medical shows are about; young, deeply empathetic, and fumbling with how objective she needs to be to be a good doctor. Cameron was all over the place for Seasons 2 and 3, she practically disappeared for two seasons, and then she is gone.
The show is lagging this season. If it weren’t for HL’s brilliance, I’d change the channel.
I’ve never much cared for the character and never really got she and Chase as a couple. I also much prefer broken and unhappy Chase (happy and productive tv characters are generally quite boring), but if he wants to go back to being my tv boyfriend like he was in season 1, he’ll have to do something about the hair.
A lot of stuff happens on this show, but I find it far more enjoyable if you just don’t think about it to much and just sit back for the ride.
One nitpick: Chase hung the IV antibiotics the wrong way (Memo to prop department: big bag goes on the bottom, get gravity working for you). Maybe that’s why they weren’t working.
Also, agree with the haha on Thirteen’s fax machine. I thought my dad was the only person left with a fax machine at home and that’s only because he stole it from my grandma.
I don’t mind Cuddy/Lucas and thought their scene at Cuddy’s house was sweet. As far as Lucas being a little odd, well DUH? That’s why he and House connected so well last season. While I’d be surprised if the romance between the two lasts longer than a few eps, I am positively ecstatic to finally see Cuddy at least attempting to take back control of her life and regain her dignity! Her crushing on House has been cringe-worthy to watch. She was absolutely right to tell Wilson that her life doesn’t revolve around House! And if this ep is anything to go on, she’s chosen the right time to grow up and move on because it certainly looks to me like House won’t be. As far as Cameron? I enjoyed her little speech to House in the end and mostly agreed with it. House is a toxic personality in the extreme and anybody who truly wants a shot at happiness is life would be smart to get as far away from him as possible. But I totally think she over-reacted by leaving Chase. I’ll miss you Cameron. And Cuddy? Stay strong girl!
Yeah, seriously – fax machines?! What year is this?
This article is completely unintelligible. Learn to write, for gawd sakes.
“His Greasy Hair of Guilt is up there with David Silver’s Stupid Hat of Drugs. Take a shower, Chase.”
LMFAO!!! I’ve been praying that those chicks who tackle shampoo phobic men in the mall will find their way to Princeton-Plainsboro and tackle Chase for eons! The man just looks plain dirty! Eww…I second this statement.
I think Kutner’s exit was pretty damned dramatic! I’m not sure there is a better case of “dramatic exit” out there…
Am I the only one who loves Thirteen?
No i like her a lot. I don’t get why everyone hates her! I don’t get it!!! Someone please explain it to me.
For me it’s the whole foreteen aspect that bothers me. Thirteen as a character doesn’t bother me so much, it’s the forced romantic tension with Foreman that ruins her (and Foreman too for that matter).
Thank you! Yes, I can understand that. I’m not a fan of Foreman/Thirteen either, but I do think her character is really interesting. It isn’t often you get to see characters with terminal diseases (probably because it is really depressing to think about).
I dislike her because I am sick to death of her. She has gotten a ridiculous amount of her own storylines that don’t have anything to do with House. She has more backstory than ANY other character on the show. There were several episodes where there was more of HER than of HOUSE, and that simply is not done. This is NOT the Thirteen Show. And then there is the absurd and over-the-top drama surrounding her. She’s got Huntington’s! She’s an out-of-control bisexual looking for random sex and drugs! She’s been taken hostage! She’s being forced to ingest toxic drugs! She’s blind! She can see! She’s got a tumor! Now she doesn’t! She’s been fired THREE times by three different people! She’s back! Her mother died! Her boyfriend breaks up with her! I’m sure I’m forgetting at least a dozen more.