House – When recklessness becomes catharsis

“This is the new House? Half the leg power, twice the irresponsibility?” – Foreman

Huh. House is leaving me speechless (don’t worry, I’m sure it’s only temporary). Maybe not speechless, because I have a lot to say about the season seven finale, “Moving On.” I suppose what I mean to say is that I’m feeling numb, much like House was trying to make himself feel during most of this episode. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel, who I’m supposed to feel bad for or what judgment I’m supposed to make after seeing the happenings of tonight’s House.

The patient of the week was only there to help House get mad, mad because she was giving up her brain for a personal relationship, which in the end would only let her down (or that’s House’s current point of view after being dumped by Cuddy). But I don’t think that House truly values only his brain; he needs to feel, which is really what this whole episode was about. He finally got angry. In true, bigger-than-life House fashion, he drives his car into Cuddy’s house. This could be viewed as yet another reckless action of House’s, but I think it was actually just the opposite: this was House’s catharsis. He wasn’t at a dark, gloomy bar like Wilson suggested; instead, he was enjoying a tropical paradise and he responsibly cut himself off at the bar when he thought he’d had enough to drink.

It will be interesting to see the fallout next season, although it would have been infinitely more interesting if Cuddy was actually going to be a cast member. I’m guessing they’ll just say she left because she couldn’t take it anymore, she’ll be gone when House gets back from his island and that will be that. Regardless, how will House convince his peeps that he’s finally ready to go back to the way things were before he dated Cuddy? He really is ready to move on now, to stop doing reckless things, to admit that he feels hurt but that it’s not Cuddy’s fault. C’mon, you and I, we understand House the anti-hero, we know he’s okay now — but will Wilson believe him and continue to support him?

This and that:

• “How many of those have you had today?” – Foreman, when House pops some Vicodin
  “I don’t know, is ‘your mother’ a number?” – House
• It’s been a long time since we’ve seen House watch a soap opera. It was a fun return to the earlier seasons of the series.
• Taub, oh Taub. I don’t know where to begin, but you are in so deep. How is a selfish guy like you going to get out of this one gracefully?

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on May 23, 2011 @ 22:26 EST5EDT