Bad, bad things (and some good ones)

[rj_anderson]

Okay, so I have learned my lesson about using fresh pineapple rings on my cooked ham, because if you leave the rings on overnight to let the juices soak in and then warm the whole thing up again, the ham tastes like it's been partially pre-digested.

EWWWWWW.

In other news, I cannot get this week's House out of my head. I mean, I could have DEFINITELY done without certain parts of it (those of you who've seen the episode will probably have no difficulty guessing what those parts are, and most of them, alas, belong to Lisa Edelstein), and there were the inevitable bits of plot that were far-fetched to the point of absurdity. But Hugh Laurie was brilliant as always, there were some Good Chase Bits, and the foreshadowing was a thing of beauty. It was so cool how the Mystery Woman looked like a young Stacy, which was also a clever way of putting viewers off the scent even though the clues to her real identity were there right from the beginning.

But what's really driving me crazy is the horrible anticipation of how bad, how very very bad, things are going to be next week when Wilson finds out why Amber and House were together on the same bus. Because that was very heavily foreshadowed in this episode, too -- right down to the nature of Amber's injury which was like a gigantic Freudian anvil dropped on the viewer's head.

And when Wilson puts the pieces together RSL is going to make the Eyebrows of Anguish and then I will cry, I just know it.

On the other hand, my edits on Knife are going well, the pain in my arms is much better today, and I found some great pictures and made a new Paul icon out of one of them. (And no, I didn't use the mouse. This is what my pen and tablet are for, even though the pen is going wonky and doesn't always behave as it should, thanks to my toddler DROOLING IN IT.)

Comments

[sannalim.livejournal.com]

...if you leave the rings on overnight to let the juices soak in and then warm the whole thing up again, the ham tastes like it's been partially pre-digested.

Well, it has been, really. Fresh pineapple is quite acidic, and so is your stomach.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

So I see. Next time I shall stick to canned, and save the fresh pineapple for things like fruit salad.

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

Well, of course the ham tastes like it's been partially pre-digested. That's what pineapple juice (fron fresh pineapple) is for. That's the justification for it.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Yes, but canned pineapple isn't nearly so acidic, so that mushy texture on the outside of the ham came as a rather nasty shock. I've often heated up the same dish before with no problem when I used canned, but this time the ham was so disgusting I had to throw it out.

Fortunately, it was only one slice.

[sunsethill.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's the acid in the fresh pineapple, though I could be wrong. I think it's the enzyme that it has that keeps jello from jelling if you use fresh pineapple. The canning process kills the enzyme, so canned pineapple is O.K.

[cette-vie.livejournal.com]

And when Wilson puts the pieces together RSL is going to make the Eyebrows of Anguish and then I will cry, I just know it.

Oh, no, you really think so? I don't think that Amber and House are together right now, if they were before in some sort of context. I think it's very possible that they may have been, but I just can't see her doing that to Wilson. Dear. Sweet. Wilson. I'd cry too. And House! Having sex with yourself would just be WEIRD.

[jennifer-j-s.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Amber's like a younger, hotter, female version of House. I will not believe it unless it happens.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

My rationale for dreading next week's episode is here (http://rj-anderson.livejournal.com/512948.html?thread=3478452#t3478452).

Also, the title of the episode is "Wilson's Heart".

[durayan.livejournal.com]

Glad to see you watched this and are walking around with it in your head. I came to Houseobsession late, and haven't seen most of the 4th season everyone hates so much. But this last episode! Wow!! I think I'd have watched it more than twice if I'd had any time.

I can't believe that there's anything to House being involved with Amber--they were together for some other reason. I think it's a red herring that they might have been seeing each other. I just can't sort why he'd be drunk.

And, as a total aside--why do so many Housefen dislike Stacy? I liked her alot!

[snickelish.livejournal.com]

Yes, definitely on the red herring. At least, it better be, because Wilson/Amber has been the best thing about the show the last few episodes. And yeah, why *was* he drunk? Hmm...

Actually, on an episode-to-episode basis, I've liked 4 better than 3. It's just that as a whole, I'm less excited about the character arcs than I used to be - and House, in particular, doesn't seem to have one.

[durayan.livejournal.com]

I'll admit to having the initial impression that this show format would not hold up long-term. (I'm spoiled by ensemble casts, far reaching story arcs and really excellent writers--the repetitive format of this show kinda bugs me). But I LOVE House. And I LOVE his interaction with the other characters. To heck with the puzzle of the week.

Anyway, I'm now speculating as to who is dying--and am not prepared to believe that the "symptom" House saw and is now driven to find was the pole in Amber's leg--that doesn't answer why House was getting plastered so early in the day.

So. Wilson? Is dying? Splains much.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I'm about 90% sure that the "pole" in Amber's leg was House's broken-off cane, which we conspicuously saw fly out of his hand earlier when the bus was smashing around. All the bus fixtures -- poles and seat frames -- seemed to be bent but intact, so that's the only thing it could have been.

The reason I call House/Amber hijinks is that

a) House initially remembered seeing Amber in the bar, standing against the wall and looking amused and slighly seductive;

b) he got so drunk the bartender had to take his keys, at an odd hour in the afternoon, which is unlike House and suggests he was trying to drown either his guilt or his reservations;

c) the entire episode was laden with sexual metaphors and references, including that direct conversation with Wilson in the MRI unit where he reasons out that House is "not objectifying" Amber and in fact has feelings for her;

d) the mystery woman (who represents Amber) looks like a former lover (Stacy) and she caresses House's hand seductively when he's hallucinating her in his apartment;

and the discovery that e) House's cane had ended up through Amber's inner thigh in the bus accident seemed like a massive "Paging Dr. Freud" moment if I'd ever seen one.

I like Amber, and I agree that she is a female version of House -- but the thing is, they're both given to elaborate and ruthless schemes and harsh actions to get what they want and occasionally, to force the people they care about into doing what they believe is in those people's ultimate best interests.

If either one of them came to the point where they believed it was in Wilson's best interests to be forced to decide which of them he trusts more, and whether what matters to him most is Amber's love or House's friendship -- I could see one of them coming up with the idea that cheating on Wilson is the only way to shock him into making that choice. And if it turns out he washes his hands of both of them, well, then, that might be something Amber and House could agree would be in his best interests, too.

Also, both House and Amber are essentially narcissists, in that they simultaneously loathe themselves and think they're better/smarter than everyone else. So I don't see the similarity putting either one of them off.

This is not to say that I WANT this to happen, by any means. I like Amber/Wilson and I don't at all like Amber/House (especially since I have come to the conclusion that the only true match for House we've ever seen on the show is South Pole Cate, but I don't expect the writers will ever agree with me on that one!). But after watching last week's ep it seemed like the idea that House and Amber had, or (perhaps more likely) were on their bus-bound way to have, a one-night stand was pretty obvious.

That being said, I will be VERY HAPPY if I am wrong about that.

[durayan.livejournal.com]

I don't buy the House/Amber thing. I think Amber's recent calling out of Wilson on trying to accomodate her--"don't you do that to me" evidenced a strong desire on her part for their relationship to work out. It's important to her. While I could buy House trying to have an affair with Amber, I don't think she'd do that to Wilson.

My theory is that she's pregnant. Admittedly, I don't have a huge amount of support for this (she tells the bed salesman a couple of episodes ago she is--it would be a reason for House to both go and drown his sorrows and to sip celebratory champagne, and it would likely be the sort of thing that House would notice clues for before anyone else--including Wilson--picked up on it.

And the pole in Amber's leg? I went back and looked. It's metal. So, not that it's not horribly Freudian and all, it's just not as blatantly so.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I have mostly loved S4, actually. S3 strikes me as being the weakest (I don't know if I'd say "worst", because I tend to reserve that judgment for individual episodes) season of the show overall, and I'm still inclined to think that S1 was the best. But I thought the idea of firing the original Ducklings and hiring replacements (and the whole Survivor-style recruiting process) was refreshing, I adore Kutner and like Taub and Thirteen just fine (I truly don't get the Thirteen-hate at all, but then I never got the Cameron-hate either), and I'm enjoying the whole Amber/Wilson arc.

That doesn't mean I trust either Amber or House not to shatter Wilaon's heart into a million tiny pieces, though... which is why my further thoughts on the last episode are here (http://rj-anderson.livejournal.com/512948.html?thread=3478452#t3478452).

[annamlewis.livejournal.com]

Cool, a House discussion! My 16YO DD and I are big fans... DD got me hooked... she loves Hugh Laurie!

My sons TiVoed other shows the last few weeks so we painfully missed a couple weeks. This week was wonderful! Hope you are back discussing next week!

Never done the pineapple thing on ham... sorry!

[solo-1.livejournal.com]

I too though this episode of House was awesome. It took me a while to figure out where it was going, but as soon as House said something about "it's the wrong person dying" that I got it. I hope it's not heading into a House/Amber relationship.. I heart Wilson too much for him to be betrayed by the people he loves.

Oh and yes, fresh pineapple should only be used on meat if you wish to tenderize it and then for only a very short time. Otherwise, yup, it digests your meat! I heard from a nurse at the hospital where I volunteer that if you feel a cold coming on you should drink a couple of glasses of pineapple juice, forget orange, pineapple just kills the bugs..

[terihall.livejournal.com]

Yay! Good news all around--good edits, arms better. Glad to hear it.