Brief spoilers for last night's "House" - and an explanation for why I may not be writing about the show again for a while - coming up just as soon as I wonder what took them so long to acknowledge the resemblance between Omar Epps and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin... Okay, we're now at a point in the show/reviewer relationship where I just need to walk away for a while, if not forever. It's clear that the "House" producers have a vision for the show that doesn't interest me: not only their belief that Thirteen is endlessly fascinating, but that the show only works if House acts like an abusive middle school jackass as often as possible.
I don't think they're completely ignoring the events of "Broken." House's ultimate reaction to the Cuddy/Lucas relationship, and to Chase punching him out, suggested he still retained some of the lessons he learned from Dr. Nolan. It's entirely possible that they're doing a one-step-forward, two-steps-back arc right now. House's progress would have peaks and valleys, after all.
But given things David Shore has said in the past about his belief that people can't change, and given how abruptly and permanently the show dropped previous changes like the ketamine leg cure, I fear that we're back to House as misanthropic bully for good. And even if we're not, I've grown to hate how far they've taken that version of the character - and grown so tired of the juvenile House/Cuddy non-relationship - that I need to take a break, from writing if not from watching.
Taking a step back from regular blogging helped me come to a new appreciation of "Grey's Anatomy." When I didn't have to write every week, it became easier to ignore the parts of the show I hated and focus on the parts I liked. Maybe that happens with House, but I'm not sure. Were it not for "Broken," I'm not sure I would have come back this season, and the part of the show that was keeping me interested was seeing House attempt to grow and change. I've long since lost interest in the patients, don't much care for most of Team 3.0, and wish Lisa Cuddy would take the baby and the pod person who has replaced Lucas and go somewhere very far away.
That leaves the occasional House/Wilson episode, plus a character arc they may have abandoned. And that's not enough, I don't think.
So I'll give them a handful of additional episodes where I'll watch but won't write, to see if they can turn this boat around. But if not, I'm out.
We'll always have Mayfield, I guess.
What did everybody else think?