I was mesmerized by this show, could hardly draw a breath while watching it, and didn't cry until it was nearly over. I don't know when I've felt such deep shock over the death of a TV show character. Kutner's tragic suicide shook me nearly as much as it did Gregory House and his team. I thought "Noooo, not Kutner..." Ever since he turned his "6" upside down into a "9" I loved him for his humor and his dimples and the apparent simple joy he took in living. "Why??" we demand to know, right along with House, but no answers are revealed to us, either simple or complex.
Meanwhile there are two more looming deaths: Charlotte (Colleen Camp), suffering from respiratory failure of unknown origin, and her husband Eddie (Meat Loaf Aday, in an excellent performance), a terminal cancer patient who has been admitted to Princeton-Plainsboro just so Charlotte will remain for treatment.
Eddie, an emotionally distant man, realizes too late that he wishes he had been a more loving husband, but Charlotte also feels guilt over her own passive role in their marriage. They both want so badly to make it up to the other that each in turn is willing to commit suicide so that the other may live.
The episode illustrates the devastating effects of suicide on those left behind. Neither House nor his team are functioning at their usual level; House himself is uncharacteristically unreceptive to any new ideas and instead fixates on making sense of Kutner's death. Charlotte could have been saved but was diagnosed too late, and it took Cameron from the ER, who only had to see Eddie once, to question his cancer diagnosis. If she hadn't, the team would have lost Eddie as well.
But by juxtaposing Kutner's death with Charlotte's attempt and Eddie's planned attempt at suicide, the episode asks a great deal of us. Does suicide ever make sense? We are forced to accept that Kutner's does not. Charlotte "selflessly" tries to kill herself so Eddie can have her heart, but Eddie needs redemption more than a heart; if Charlotte had been successful, she would have been condemning him. Eddie himself wants so badly to make amends that, even after learning he can be cured, still wants to die in order to give Charlotte a chance to live. We ache for him but want to tell him this is not the answer. The writers provide a solution in the form of a liver arriving by medivac, but this only begs the question, what if there hadn't been one available? I have a feeling this episode will long remain in the thoughts of everyone who saw it. I felt not only sorrow for Kutner, but also sympathy for House and his team, and most especially for Eddie and Charlotte. A heartbreaking moment during Kutner's funeral occurred with a fade to Eddie and Charlotte's hospital room just as Pete Yorn sang the line "I'll settle for less" and then again when he sang "cause I'm gonna lose you" just as Eddie tenderly kisses Charlotte's hand goodbye, making her smile and making me cry.
This episode was so very well done, and the cast's performances were all either as good as always, or exceptional. Thirteen hasn't been a favorite of mine, but Olivia Wilde was so real upon finding Kutner's body, and in her scene at Foreman's door, and again at the funeral, that I'm looking at her in a new light.
The interaction between House and Eddie was fascinating and also surprising. We've come to expect patients to react to House's insensitivity in predictable ways, such as shocked silence, feigned indifference, or defensive anger, all of which stem from the perception of House as a threat on some level. But Meat Loaf portrayed Eddie as completely unintimidated by House. Eddie is not distracted by any defensive feelings and only wants to get to the bottom of things. Emotionally remote by habit or nature, he chuckles at the suggestion that his "emotional state" had affected his health. The last scene between House and Eddie is in fact almost a role reversal; House shows uncertainty while his patient is unwavering, with a quiet but steely resolve. House has genuine concern written all over his face, but Eddie's eyes are flinty.
At the end of the episode, most loose ends are tied up. Peter Jacobson's Taub, who has been in a cold, cynical state of denial, is finally able to cry. Thirteen and Foreman appear to have reached an understanding, at least for now. But I want to know what happens to Eddie. As Charlotte was dying, he gave her all he could, and what she most needed: simple affection. Will that one generous moment be enough to redeem Eddie in his own eyes? Eddie is not a warm and fuzzy person, but Meat Loaf makes us believe he has a forgiving heart, and gives us the hope that he can change. I wish we could find out how he fares.
And Gregory House, in the very last scene, is still looking with confused puzzlement at a photo of Kutner. Wilson had accused House of caring only about the puzzle, not about Kutner. But when Wilson had said "I was wrong about you," House had replied (too quickly?) "No you weren't." I want to know if House will be able to reach an understanding of his own feelings, and whether he will be changed by the experience. But I don't expect to have my question answered. The elusive nature of House's personality, arising from the conflict between what he says he believes and what we wish to believe about him, is a major driving force of the show. He makes us laugh, so we like him and want to find shreds of humanity in him. This can be difficult, but Hugh Laurie's exceptional talent makes us keep searching.
Kathy Borror, 10 April 2009
Meanwhile there are two more looming deaths: Charlotte (Colleen Camp), suffering from respiratory failure of unknown origin, and her husband Eddie (Meat Loaf Aday, in an excellent performance), a terminal cancer patient who has been admitted to Princeton-Plainsboro just so Charlotte will remain for treatment.
Eddie, an emotionally distant man, realizes too late that he wishes he had been a more loving husband, but Charlotte also feels guilt over her own passive role in their marriage. They both want so badly to make it up to the other that each in turn is willing to commit suicide so that the other may live.
The episode illustrates the devastating effects of suicide on those left behind. Neither House nor his team are functioning at their usual level; House himself is uncharacteristically unreceptive to any new ideas and instead fixates on making sense of Kutner's death. Charlotte could have been saved but was diagnosed too late, and it took Cameron from the ER, who only had to see Eddie once, to question his cancer diagnosis. If she hadn't, the team would have lost Eddie as well.
But by juxtaposing Kutner's death with Charlotte's attempt and Eddie's planned attempt at suicide, the episode asks a great deal of us. Does suicide ever make sense? We are forced to accept that Kutner's does not. Charlotte "selflessly" tries to kill herself so Eddie can have her heart, but Eddie needs redemption more than a heart; if Charlotte had been successful, she would have been condemning him. Eddie himself wants so badly to make amends that, even after learning he can be cured, still wants to die in order to give Charlotte a chance to live. We ache for him but want to tell him this is not the answer. The writers provide a solution in the form of a liver arriving by medivac, but this only begs the question, what if there hadn't been one available? I have a feeling this episode will long remain in the thoughts of everyone who saw it. I felt not only sorrow for Kutner, but also sympathy for House and his team, and most especially for Eddie and Charlotte. A heartbreaking moment during Kutner's funeral occurred with a fade to Eddie and Charlotte's hospital room just as Pete Yorn sang the line "I'll settle for less" and then again when he sang "cause I'm gonna lose you" just as Eddie tenderly kisses Charlotte's hand goodbye, making her smile and making me cry.
This episode was so very well done, and the cast's performances were all either as good as always, or exceptional. Thirteen hasn't been a favorite of mine, but Olivia Wilde was so real upon finding Kutner's body, and in her scene at Foreman's door, and again at the funeral, that I'm looking at her in a new light.
The interaction between House and Eddie was fascinating and also surprising. We've come to expect patients to react to House's insensitivity in predictable ways, such as shocked silence, feigned indifference, or defensive anger, all of which stem from the perception of House as a threat on some level. But Meat Loaf portrayed Eddie as completely unintimidated by House. Eddie is not distracted by any defensive feelings and only wants to get to the bottom of things. Emotionally remote by habit or nature, he chuckles at the suggestion that his "emotional state" had affected his health. The last scene between House and Eddie is in fact almost a role reversal; House shows uncertainty while his patient is unwavering, with a quiet but steely resolve. House has genuine concern written all over his face, but Eddie's eyes are flinty.
At the end of the episode, most loose ends are tied up. Peter Jacobson's Taub, who has been in a cold, cynical state of denial, is finally able to cry. Thirteen and Foreman appear to have reached an understanding, at least for now. But I want to know what happens to Eddie. As Charlotte was dying, he gave her all he could, and what she most needed: simple affection. Will that one generous moment be enough to redeem Eddie in his own eyes? Eddie is not a warm and fuzzy person, but Meat Loaf makes us believe he has a forgiving heart, and gives us the hope that he can change. I wish we could find out how he fares.
And Gregory House, in the very last scene, is still looking with confused puzzlement at a photo of Kutner. Wilson had accused House of caring only about the puzzle, not about Kutner. But when Wilson had said "I was wrong about you," House had replied (too quickly?) "No you weren't." I want to know if House will be able to reach an understanding of his own feelings, and whether he will be changed by the experience. But I don't expect to have my question answered. The elusive nature of House's personality, arising from the conflict between what he says he believes and what we wish to believe about him, is a major driving force of the show. He makes us laugh, so we like him and want to find shreds of humanity in him. This can be difficult, but Hugh Laurie's exceptional talent makes us keep searching.
Kathy Borror, 10 April 2009