CaptainWacky
I want to smell dark matter
I started watching House in the beginning because Hugh Laurie was in it and I have been a fan of his for a long time and was curious to see how he would be in a medical drama speaking with an american accent. It turned out he was really good! I think pretty much everyone IN THE WORLD agrees that the main reason House was a successful show was because Hugh Laurie was so much fun to watch. THAT SAID it was also a well written show and Laurie's performance wasn't the only good thing about it.
So the show as a hit and went on for eight seasons. The initial high quality...went down. It was still at least decent for most of its run (some episodes were pretty awful, but it would usually make a decent comeback and keep me watching) but it tended towards the stupid and the extreme as it went on. Like because House was popular for being an asshole, they'd sometimes make his assholeness REALLY over the top, to the point where he wasn't funny or likable anymore (even though Laurie still did a good job.) Or because he'd sometimes do some WACKY STUNT they'd have him do a completely over the top wacky stunt involving BLOWING UP BUILDINGS (I don't know if that ever actually happened) that would just ruin the credibility of the show completely.
As it was an episodic show they also struggled with character development. Sometimes House would seem to change or learn something only to go back to normal the next week. I don't know how many times he beat his addiction to vicodin only to end up taking it again half a season later (okay, I do know, it was twice) but it was too many times! And there was that season where he kept trying to kill himself (he wasn't even suicidal, it was all connected to wacky schemes to fool his friends or save a patient or something.) House in a mental institution did turn out to be entertaining (and did change his character a bit!) but House in prison two seasons later just felt like a retread. Then there was the "will they/won't they" relationship with Cuddy. When they finally did get together the writers didn't know what to do with their relationship so they of course broke up and House of course drove a car threw her living room window. As you do. Then she left the show and it was all a bit awkward.
BUT ANYWAY the last season was a bit of an improvement over the few before. House wans't an complete dick all the time and they kept the tone lighter. Of course they also went completely over the top with the team pranking each other (they always have to go over the top with something!) and you'd watch whole episodes of something like Wilson discovering he had a long lost son ONLY TO DISCOVER at the end that the boy was an actor House had hired. And crazy scenes like House and his Russian greencard bride auditioning new hookers for him. It certainly wasn't the same show it was in the first season (other than the medical drama part still following the same basic formula.)
So, the finale...it was one of those non-linear episodes they do sometimes and it all felt a bit rushed and random. A few epsidoes earlier (just a few since they never had very long story arcs) Wilson had found out he was DYING OF CANCER so House wanted to spend his last six months with him. But House is facing prison again for some silly thing and will have to go away while Wilson dies. This episode apparently saw House considering killing himself then seemingly dying, then a rushed funeral with lots of old cast members cameoing (want to see Olivia Wilde say one line? Watch this! But no Cuddy at all) then a twist which would shock no one showing that House had faked his death (and it wasn't really clear if that was the plan all along, but why would he have been having convestations about sucide with ghosts of ex castmembers if it had been?) and he can spend Wilson's last six months with him after all. Wilson still dying after that is kind of a downer though! The final montage was quite nice. The rest of the episode though...it certainly wasn't one of the best finales ever. Not completely terrible either though...
KIND OF LIKE THE SHOW ITSELF? Maybe. But House was a very good show for quite a number of seasons. If it had ended at say season five it would probably be remembered as a great show, but as it stands it'll be remembered as...pretty good on the whole. Was it worth watching for all these years? Well, the reason I started watching was Hugh Laurie and he never let me down, even if the show did. All in all I wish I could have skipped the bad episodes, but I'll remember the show fondly on the whole.
So yeah, this review is far too long. House: decent, sometimes great, often frustrating tv show. House finale: meh. I hate having to use the word "meh" though...
So the show as a hit and went on for eight seasons. The initial high quality...went down. It was still at least decent for most of its run (some episodes were pretty awful, but it would usually make a decent comeback and keep me watching) but it tended towards the stupid and the extreme as it went on. Like because House was popular for being an asshole, they'd sometimes make his assholeness REALLY over the top, to the point where he wasn't funny or likable anymore (even though Laurie still did a good job.) Or because he'd sometimes do some WACKY STUNT they'd have him do a completely over the top wacky stunt involving BLOWING UP BUILDINGS (I don't know if that ever actually happened) that would just ruin the credibility of the show completely.
As it was an episodic show they also struggled with character development. Sometimes House would seem to change or learn something only to go back to normal the next week. I don't know how many times he beat his addiction to vicodin only to end up taking it again half a season later (okay, I do know, it was twice) but it was too many times! And there was that season where he kept trying to kill himself (he wasn't even suicidal, it was all connected to wacky schemes to fool his friends or save a patient or something.) House in a mental institution did turn out to be entertaining (and did change his character a bit!) but House in prison two seasons later just felt like a retread. Then there was the "will they/won't they" relationship with Cuddy. When they finally did get together the writers didn't know what to do with their relationship so they of course broke up and House of course drove a car threw her living room window. As you do. Then she left the show and it was all a bit awkward.
BUT ANYWAY the last season was a bit of an improvement over the few before. House wans't an complete dick all the time and they kept the tone lighter. Of course they also went completely over the top with the team pranking each other (they always have to go over the top with something!) and you'd watch whole episodes of something like Wilson discovering he had a long lost son ONLY TO DISCOVER at the end that the boy was an actor House had hired. And crazy scenes like House and his Russian greencard bride auditioning new hookers for him. It certainly wasn't the same show it was in the first season (other than the medical drama part still following the same basic formula.)
So, the finale...it was one of those non-linear episodes they do sometimes and it all felt a bit rushed and random. A few epsidoes earlier (just a few since they never had very long story arcs) Wilson had found out he was DYING OF CANCER so House wanted to spend his last six months with him. But House is facing prison again for some silly thing and will have to go away while Wilson dies. This episode apparently saw House considering killing himself then seemingly dying, then a rushed funeral with lots of old cast members cameoing (want to see Olivia Wilde say one line? Watch this! But no Cuddy at all) then a twist which would shock no one showing that House had faked his death (and it wasn't really clear if that was the plan all along, but why would he have been having convestations about sucide with ghosts of ex castmembers if it had been?) and he can spend Wilson's last six months with him after all. Wilson still dying after that is kind of a downer though! The final montage was quite nice. The rest of the episode though...it certainly wasn't one of the best finales ever. Not completely terrible either though...
KIND OF LIKE THE SHOW ITSELF? Maybe. But House was a very good show for quite a number of seasons. If it had ended at say season five it would probably be remembered as a great show, but as it stands it'll be remembered as...pretty good on the whole. Was it worth watching for all these years? Well, the reason I started watching was Hugh Laurie and he never let me down, even if the show did. All in all I wish I could have skipped the bad episodes, but I'll remember the show fondly on the whole.
So yeah, this review is far too long. House: decent, sometimes great, often frustrating tv show. House finale: meh. I hate having to use the word "meh" though...
