HOUSE: "House Vs. God"

[rj_anderson]

I really, really liked this episode. It reminded me of all the things I enjoy most about House when the writing is really on. Also, it was a good episode for Chase, who has been ignored too much lately, and I always enjoy House and Wilson playing conversational tennis. Unfortunately it was yet another example of this season's persistent sex = death motif, and it's about the 10,000th time we've all seen a story about a passionate young charismatic preacher who turns out to be a hypocrite in the sexual morality department, but those are minor quibbles in what was, overall, a really great script.

However, what I really have to say right now is this:

I CANNOT CONTAIN MYSELF ANY LONGER.

THE WORLD IS READY. IT IS TIME.

Seriously, I have had this idea bubbling in my mind for weeks, but it is so heretical and would drive so many people in House fandom nuts for so many different reasons that I --

Actually I don't know why I haven't written about it before, come to think of it. But anyway. My heartfelt thanks to Doris Egan, a brilliant writer who has confirmed for me in the clearest possible terms what I have been thinking for weeks now:

CAMERON = WILSON. WILSON = CAMERON. They have the SAME hangups when it comes to House, and when it comes to patients, and when it comes to life in general. Cameron makes House's coffee and does his paperwork. Wilson buys House's lunch and lends him ridiculous amounts of money. Both of them show a persistent and obsessive interest in House's personal life, including trying to insinuate themselves into areas of it where they aren't necessarily wanted. Cameron married a man dying of cancer. Wilson moved in with a woman dying of cancer. House accused both of them of being parasites obsessed with trying to fix needy people. In any case, all of this means:

IF HOUSE/WILSON IN ALL ITS DYSFUNCTIONAL GLORY WORKS AS A RELATIONSHIP OF *ANY* KIND, THEN THERE IS NO REASON THAT HOUSE/CAMERON COULD NOT WORK EVERY SINGLE BIT AS WELL.

THANK YOU.

GOOD NIGHT.

Crossposted to house_cameron.

Comments

[singingtopsy.livejournal.com]

Wilson=Cameron except Cameron is younger, female, and less worn down by endless blows to her idealism (she's less smooth than Wilson). Which makes Cameron interesting to House in a way Wilson is not. House thinks he has Wilson completely figured out; Cameron still has that stimulating capacity to throw him for a loop.

In the end, I thought House vs. God was amazingly sensitive towards religion for television. I mean, they obviously had to partially debunk the kid's powers, but they didn't do it completely (as shown in Chase's tally and his defense for it). And at the end, Crazy-Charismatic-Dad wasn't crazy at all, but quite, quite sensible, much to my utter surprise. How perfect is this quote?
Kid: Dad, I need you to have faith in me.
Dad: I have faith in God. You, I trust. As much as you can trust a fifteen-year-old boy.
See, even charismatic Christians don't have to be crazy Oh World *snaps*.

Oh, and I should thank you for introducing me to my now-favorite show. I started watching House this season directly because of your posts about it in the fall :).

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Which makes Cameron interesting to House in a way Wilson is not. House thinks he has Wilson completely figured out; Cameron still has that stimulating capacity to throw him for a loop.

That is a really, really excellent point. I like that!

And yes, I agree about how well and sensitively the issue was handled. The Chase element kept this from being yet another tiresome diatribe about the vacuousness of religious faith and how everything can be explained by science (Star Trek: The Next Generation, I'm looking at you).

[singingtopsy.livejournal.com]

I was actually musing about House/Cameron on lj last week, and I decided that Cameron affects House's character development regardless of whether or not they ever interact romantically. Cameron is quite different from Chase and Foreman I believe. She's obviously a real (albeit young) adult and a gifted doctor, but she doesn't have the typical personality type. She's idealistic, (fanatically, in House's opinion) ethical, and empathetic. Real people, or at the very least real doctors, House thinks, are just not like that. There must be some kind of catch here. House knows Wilson's "catch": womanizing and a leetle bit of codependency. Cameron hasn't revealed hers yet, in my opinion. So he's watching her very closely to see when she'll finally crumble into cynicism, and tries not to think that it be more of an issue of "if" rather than when.

But...I could just be making this up.

[vanityfair00.livejournal.com]

I don't think you're making it up. I think that Cameron's ideals and ethics challenge House in a way maybe he hasn't been challenged before. Last week's episode where they went back and forth shows that perfectly. Especially when she asked why he had to sedate Hannah if he was right. Those few moments where he wonders is priceless. And then there's the appeal of trying to prove to her that he is right that gets him, especially now that she doesn't immediately believe he is.

[singingtopsy.livejournal.com]

Yes exactly. Most telling of all in last weeks episode was when House explained his decision to her, she went *meh*, and then he CONTINUES to explain himself to her. House doesn't explain himself to ANYone on the principle that if they are intelligent enough, and therefore worth his time and effort, they will figure it out themselves. Usually he doesn't care whether others understand his actions and motivations.