To-knight’s episode of House returned to the formula

Something really strange has been happening to me this season as a House viewer. In previous seasons, I’d get agita every time they veered from the familiar formula. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, so just do what you do with greatness every week and stop trying to be something else.

Cut to season six, and my whole world has gone topsy-turvy. Some of my favorite episodes this season — “Broken,” “Wilson,” “5 to 9,” “Lockdown” — have busted right out of the formula and done it with such finesse that I’ve fallen in love with House all over again. So tonight’s episode, “Knight Fall (cool title),” left me feeling generally disappointed and unsatisfied, with nary a quote (though some scenes were so great I could have quoted the whole thing). Back to the old hum-drum….

While this wasn’t my favorite episode of the season, the case of the week had some twists and turns that kept me interested. I even thought we might get a procedural-like murder mystery out of the deal before all was said and done, but then they twisted right out of that one too. I gotta say, Hemlock mixed with steroids was pretty inspired. We did get some great Middle Earth stuff though:

• The king with the cell phone.
• House with the sword, through the entire episode.
• The whole Hobbit exchange was funny, but Chase’s final quote just made the scene: “I don’t even know who Frodo is.”
• “Just tell them you’re a time traveler or something.” – Thirteen to Foreman at the festival

I’m hoping that Samantha’s (Cynthia Watros from Lost) presence makes for some more fun scenes like we got tonight, rather than a blip in the formula I don’t appreciate … time will tell. Naked House, a transvestite hooker dinner date from her hometown, the conversation when they both laid it on the line with each other and House tossing the information on Sam that Lucas (awesome to see him as a PI again) dug up all make for a promising relationship for House and his new enemy.

I leave you with a question, because there were some character dynamics I just didn’t get tonight: What was with Taub and Chase flexing their machismo with each other? I don’t recall them having this animosity or one-up-man-ship before, and though it was somewhat subtle it was definitely there.

Were you happy to return to House‘s formula tonight, or did you miss some of the creative fun we’ve been having this season?

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Apr 19, 2010 @ 22:24 EST5EDT