(no subject)

[ebonlock]

Look, I know you've heard the whole "Moonlighting" thing repeatedly and you're probably laughing all the way to the bank, waving your hands at the silly plebes who just don't understand that t.v.'s come a long way since then and you're ever so much more sophisticated than the writers on that series. Yes, you're certain you can do what no one has successfully managed to accomplish before.

The problem is, you can't and you're really mucking up this season. Badly.

Not that I have anything against the concept of Cuddy and House having feelings for each other. I mean obviously they do, they've got an incredible amount of history and the sexual tension has always kept the dialog popping between them. However, we've already established that at some point in the past they did sleep together and that Cuddy was over it and advised House to do the same (in the ep with the Marine where House had the peeing problem). She's a pragmatist and while she's often let her guilt get the better of her where House is concerned, she's never seemed romantically interested in him because she had a very realistic picture of who and what he is.

And yet now that her whole baby plan has gone up in smoke suddenly she's thrown all her common sense out the window and has decided he's a viable prospect. The drug-addicted misanthrope with the emotional maturity of your average teen boy. That guy. Indeed, she's so moony over him that the SWAT guy from the last episode actually gave her lip over it (and OMG the Cuddy of old would've flayed him alive for that). And let's not even go into her behavior in this latest episode which was, in a word, pathetic.

The whole thing is a) making me lose respect for yet another once strong (and sane) female character, and b) fumbling the wonderful anti-chemistry and banter between House and Cuddy all the while dragging both characters almost completely out of any recognizable shape.

And may I add that I'm also a fan of the fact that the main character of a t.v. series has been single for the past 5 years and hasn't been actively seeking a relationship in that whole time. Or at least not really, sure there's the whole Stacy debacle, but I contend that was far more about making sure she still wanted him and that he could have her if he wanted to. Which, ultimately, he didn't. Also he wasn't enough of a bastard (despite what some might think of him) to saddle someone he actually cared about with someone as damaged as he is.

See, the thing is, I like him damaged. Indeed, I think we all like him damaged, it's what makes him who he is. It's the same thing that makes him so good at what he does, they're inextricably linked, which he knows as well.

So let's say you guys don't like the whole "Moonlighting" analogy, let's go back to your inspiration, Sherlock Holmes. Have you ever watched any of those dreadful movies they've made over the years? You know, the ones where they throw a woman at the great detective and hope she sticks. See, I've watched 'em all, awful as they are, and I can see where this whole insane concept is going if you don't knock it off. Look 'em up, trust me, they're worth it as a vision of what's to come.

I'm not saying you can't change the show, let the characters evolve, indeed I'd be unlikely to continue watching if everything stayed static indefinitely. And I'm willing to go along with the whole Foreman/13 thing you're working up to. Hey, the Chase/Cameron thing grew on me so I'm open to this one too. But House/Cuddy is dragging the characters down and the series along with it. I'm not necessarily saying it'd be impossible to make it work, I'm just saying I can't imagine it working and so far from what you're showing me, you can't make it fit either...at least without doing some serious tinkering with the characters.

That really should, you know, be telling you something.

Comments

[elenderel.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I've been watching House lately (including some House-a-thon last week) and ... from what I've seen so far, I agree.

My letter to the writers would be something along these lines:

Please, O writers, do not throw in a relationship where none is called for. Because Cuddy has already been there, done that, was supposed to have moved on. Because I don't want to see a strong, smart, capable female character become ... less than that. Don't screw with the characters just as I'm getting to know them.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

My fear is that we're witnessing the declining years of the series, which makes me very sad as I didn't get into it all that long ago either. But when I compare the best ep from this season (the road trip, IMHO) to the best eps from previous seasons I'm left with no other conclusion.