Perils of Paranoia begins at trial. A lawyer aka our POTW is interestingly prosecuting someone with a false alibi, which could be interpreted as a very subtle link to House and the story of the prop gun (of which more later on). So things are not as they appear. Our POTW thinks he's having a heart attack but it's something much more diagnostically difficult to solve, of course. He shows signs of psychosis via hallucinations but a level of paranoia is discovered when Park finds an arsenal built into his house behind a bookshelf. Books, intellect, mind, so went my trail of thought. Another side to his paranoia is that he won't eat or drink anything not prepared at home which leads the team to think of poison. Instead he is poisoning his own mind. The arsenal is not on the architectural plans, inferring perhaps that the dianosis is not obvious.
Park's paranoia sets in when both Adams and Chase go for Taub as their partner. Adams says that House liked poking ant hills as a kid and that he is an ass who thrives on conflict. But Park retaliates saying he's an intuitive ass. So House does succeed in poking the ant hill, as Park is paranoid about the team not liking her and Adams is paranoid about Park being paranoid and the dynamics of the team. Adams and Park disagree diagnostically and House of course offers the brilliant idea of fighting about it in jello.
Taub recognises that Foreman's life is boring and that he's looking for excitement in the wrong place, ie, anything related to House. Foreman even lied to the patient and ruled out anxiety so House would look at him. He ends up dating a married woman and is paranoid about Taub setting him up when he meets her at the gym. Instead of accepting the invitation from the nurse, he chooses the married woman, choosing to engage in something dangerous and potentially self destructive (aka Housian).
Hilson. The funny antics of the bromance continue, with nets and decoys, both trying to be the cleverest and most devious. The shot of Wilson hanging from the net is priceless. Okay, so the more serious stuff. If you think of the nets they represent not only a literal trap but a feeling of being trapped. Wilson doesn't get House in the net, he traps him in the bathroom, the place of limbo between happiness and destruction we've found House in at key points.
Wilson was justifiably paranoid that House owned a gun. From my point of view House deceived him with the prop gun (which he says he got from a magician, where things are not as they seem, again) not only because he wanted to win but because of why he had the gun in the first place. "Why would I need a gun?". If you note the box says "House" as in it belongs to House from one perspective, but from a more sinister perspective, it is intended for House. It's a metaphor, I don't believe he would actually shoot himself but it's part of his destructive nature to have dark thoughts. House also says "Dangerous people don't break into your home they live in it". It's notable that we actually SEE House take Vicodin for what I believe is the first time since 'Twenty Vicodin' (we can assume he's been taking it when we haven't been looking).
The gun 'theme' runs throughout the episode (connecting the POTWs storyline to House's), and each team member talks about whether they owned one or why they didn't. Guns aren't destructive, people are. So we see a little more about who these characters are in their relations to it. Ironically House's gun serves as the epiphany trigger and the diagnosis is Diphtheria (for which a vaccine exists). The POTW is cured of his symptoms, but not necessarily his paranoia. But perhaps the experience contributes something torwards that. His wife makes them move out and says it's not worth living in fear.
From what I saw there were two notable very touching references to Cuddy. House says "Boggle winning words" when he talks to Park from the bathroom about the dianosis, and of course the sword which refers both to her and to House's father. I hope that means we'll be learning more about him in episodes to come.
The elevator moment between Chase, Park and Adams is just so wonderfully awkward. Chase more or less justifies Park's paranoia when he tells Adams he thinks Park is weird but she doesn't take his no as an answer for a date.
An episode rich in references and symbolism. The POTW story was more of a subplot from my perspective as the Hilson storyline is what captured my attention.
Ps. Reference to piano being the only thing in his apartment worth stealing. Sigh. Piano playing in future eps? Let's hope so.
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Parents Episode Review
Clowns are often the stuff of nightmares. A symbol widely associated with the happiness of children can also be terrifying. The fact that at the beginning of the episode the children are not happy indicates that the clown has a negative connotation, which is more actively expressed in hindsight. The nightmare (the first symptoms of the disease) begins with the clown and ends with the clown (the truth about the sexual abuse). House episodes are often cyclical.
The patient has a repressed memory, perhaps even one that has been completely erased from his unconscious. Because of the way the storyline develops we believe the mother is the guilty party for keeping the son from seeing his father. The inversion happens only near the end when the disease links to the father having sexually abused the child. This strongly reinforces the point which runs throughout the episode that biological parents are not necessarily the best parents. This actually applies to both parents: Maybe the mother "ripped off the band aid too late". While trying to protect him she screwed him up as he is perhaps now even more determined to make a connection with his father. His father also discouraged him from school, but does his mother not want him to become a clown because of what it represents or is it also about the need for her son to be a success? I found it terribly sad when I thought back to when Taub is talking to the patient and he says that he wants to pass on the joy that his dad gave to him. Which poignantly leads to his mother believing it's better for him to think his dad is dead but decent.
The question of nature predominating nurture takes centre stage. Does matching DNA mean you should have the right to raise your biological child? Legally it does, but morally? House says that all parents screw up their children, to which Taub (in other words) replies, then what does it matter if I keep my daughter?
House, in his usual habit of analysing his team, talks about their parents and how they screwed them up using varying techniques. Chase had a workaholic father and an alcoholic mother who neglected him, but which led him to read medicine and become a successful doctor. Park’s parents were overbearing and so House says she has to measure their affection in hours (as she believes a child needs stability and dedication of time from both parents), Taub is a parent (his daughters have the potential of being "screwed up squared")…and finally after House manipulates her by not manipulating her we find that Adams’ parents were very good parents but that she ended up being screwed up because of it. Instead of working hard as an escape to suffering, she romanticised it and made it happen, which makes her "the most screwed up of all" (and which led her to work in a prison).
When we see Taub at Rachel’s door, what we assume he’ll say is that they can take Sophia (now hilariously also referred to as Sophie; his other daughter) with them. He still believes that it matters to his daughters that he is there for them, that they will somehow recognise that and not be indifferent to who raises them at this early age.
The subplot of the boxing match was superb. I sensed some funny business was happening when Foreman was telling Wilson that he had to be his friend to keep House out of jail, and then when Wilson walked into House’s apartment I just knew. House manipulated him because of his kindness. Wilson takes it on the chin like a champ though. “I’m going to that fight, you let me worry about logistics.”
The clinic patient: Ironically the treatment for the imaginary disease (diabetes type two) is the cause of his actual disease. Incidentally House drinking "urine" before we knew it was apple juice made me simultaneously laugh and shudder. Also, the clinic patient's imaginary disease linked to his dad is an inverted parallel of the patient's dad actually giving his son syphilis.
House's parents: He faux reluctantly says that his decent daddy of the cloth was indecent with his married mother. His step father (John, a marine) was very strict and demanding. House is screwed up and he needs someone other than himself to blame. House hates being a disappointment so it made me wonder whether he had had any contact with his mother since jail.
I really enjoyed this episode, it was very rich in layers and the patient's story really captivated my attention which isn't always the case with the POTW.
Ps. I found it absolutely hilarious that House was stroking Taub's daughter like the Bond villain (and Dr. Evil) strokes his white Persian cat.
The patient has a repressed memory, perhaps even one that has been completely erased from his unconscious. Because of the way the storyline develops we believe the mother is the guilty party for keeping the son from seeing his father. The inversion happens only near the end when the disease links to the father having sexually abused the child. This strongly reinforces the point which runs throughout the episode that biological parents are not necessarily the best parents. This actually applies to both parents: Maybe the mother "ripped off the band aid too late". While trying to protect him she screwed him up as he is perhaps now even more determined to make a connection with his father. His father also discouraged him from school, but does his mother not want him to become a clown because of what it represents or is it also about the need for her son to be a success? I found it terribly sad when I thought back to when Taub is talking to the patient and he says that he wants to pass on the joy that his dad gave to him. Which poignantly leads to his mother believing it's better for him to think his dad is dead but decent.
The question of nature predominating nurture takes centre stage. Does matching DNA mean you should have the right to raise your biological child? Legally it does, but morally? House says that all parents screw up their children, to which Taub (in other words) replies, then what does it matter if I keep my daughter?
House, in his usual habit of analysing his team, talks about their parents and how they screwed them up using varying techniques. Chase had a workaholic father and an alcoholic mother who neglected him, but which led him to read medicine and become a successful doctor. Park’s parents were overbearing and so House says she has to measure their affection in hours (as she believes a child needs stability and dedication of time from both parents), Taub is a parent (his daughters have the potential of being "screwed up squared")…and finally after House manipulates her by not manipulating her we find that Adams’ parents were very good parents but that she ended up being screwed up because of it. Instead of working hard as an escape to suffering, she romanticised it and made it happen, which makes her "the most screwed up of all" (and which led her to work in a prison).
When we see Taub at Rachel’s door, what we assume he’ll say is that they can take Sophia (now hilariously also referred to as Sophie; his other daughter) with them. He still believes that it matters to his daughters that he is there for them, that they will somehow recognise that and not be indifferent to who raises them at this early age.
The subplot of the boxing match was superb. I sensed some funny business was happening when Foreman was telling Wilson that he had to be his friend to keep House out of jail, and then when Wilson walked into House’s apartment I just knew. House manipulated him because of his kindness. Wilson takes it on the chin like a champ though. “I’m going to that fight, you let me worry about logistics.”
The clinic patient: Ironically the treatment for the imaginary disease (diabetes type two) is the cause of his actual disease. Incidentally House drinking "urine" before we knew it was apple juice made me simultaneously laugh and shudder. Also, the clinic patient's imaginary disease linked to his dad is an inverted parallel of the patient's dad actually giving his son syphilis.
House's parents: He faux reluctantly says that his decent daddy of the cloth was indecent with his married mother. His step father (John, a marine) was very strict and demanding. House is screwed up and he needs someone other than himself to blame. House hates being a disappointment so it made me wonder whether he had had any contact with his mother since jail.
I really enjoyed this episode, it was very rich in layers and the patient's story really captivated my attention which isn't always the case with the POTW.
Ps. I found it absolutely hilarious that House was stroking Taub's daughter like the Bond villain (and Dr. Evil) strokes his white Persian cat.
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