(no subject)

[swatkat]

hv wtchd ep. fun. drwning in wrk - hlp!

Okay, I actually contemplated writing this entire post in SMS-speak, but I have now decided to spare you the trauma and write something brief instead on the obvious.

* I posted part of this in topaz_eyes's journal:

House: Cuddy…you see the world as it is and you see the world as it could be. What you don’t see is what everybody else sees. The giant, gaping chasm in between.

Cuddy: House, I’m not naïve. I realize—

House: If you did, you never would have hired me.
...
House: You’re not happy unless things are just right. Which means two things. You’re a good boss. And you’ll never be happy.

(2.3, Humpty Dumpty)

Add to this the title 'Let Them Eat Cake', and the reference to Marie Antoinette. I'm not happy she fell for the idea of a relationship with House, because she knows better, she has shown in the previous episodes that she knows better and she certainly deserves better than have her heart broken over House (I mean, the last look was 'I can't believe I fell for that, stupid'). But she did, and it makes sense with her character. We already know that House is a big scaredy cat and we already know House is the King of Mixed Signals and Emotional Ill-Health - but Cuddy is not very brave, either. In fact, she kind of sucks at relationships and emotional issues, things she cannot control, and that she put herself out there was an incredibly brave step on her part (tempered, of course, by a healthy dose of her vision of the 'world as it could be' - delusion, if you will; prompted, probably, by the melodrama in her life, her fear of loss esp. post 'Joy' and 'Last Resort', by Wilson's 'you can make it work!', by House's mixed signals, by the fact that she wants it), given her history of giving up on things and avoiding pain when they scare her (5.06: 'You're giving up.').

If House wants Cuddy, he's going to have to do something about it himself because she's not, the way she's now, going to drag him down the pool with his clothes on - at best, she will tug at his hand. And she's already done that.

* House's scene with Taub: why? Is he thinking about relationships and commitment? Those are some serious terms. Why the Big Romantic Gesture/Apology?

* Office thing was Stupid Plot Contrivance. Will make do, however.

* ♥ Wilson.

* House as Chaos Magnet. Hmm. Think later.

* Thirteen's story brought a lump in my throat. ♥

* There is much to be said about CCF and how they've grown. MUCH. Later.

* ♥ Taub.

* Poor baby Kutner.

* The singing patient was FTW! I couldn't stop giggling after that.

* I also liked the POTW.

Comments

[ijemanja.livejournal.com]

I disliked the ep as I was watching it because ((((CUDDY)))) I knew what was coming and I hate seeing her hurt. But now I've had time to think and I still don't like it, but I get it. Poor Cuddy. I just want to kidnap her and take her to a tropical island and give her lots of cocktails and pretty men who like her and are actually able to tell her so.

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I don't like that they're hurting her (has there ever been a REMOTELY non-angsty Cuddy storyline?), but she fell for it like she does and I get why she did it.

I just want to kidnap her and take her to a tropical island and give her lots of cocktails and pretty men who like her and are actually able to tell her so.

Yesterday hihoplastic and I decide Cuddy should change her name and run away to Alaska Hawaii because that's the only way she can get rid of House, who wants her but won't play when she's trying and won't let her have anyone else and RUIN HER LIFE and seriously, she needs to RUN FOR IT RIGHT NOW. But she also kinda needs a House (the House) in her life, so I think she'll have to settle for the Wilson route of getting what you need instead of what you want.

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

(has there ever been a REMOTELY non-angsty Cuddy storyline?)

Nope. I checked, actually. I just made a list (30 things!) that have happened to/around Cuddy in the past five seasons and NONE of them are good. This woman has not had a good past couple years.

I just want to cuddle her so bad. :(

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Seriously. I mean, Wilson at least had some happy time with Amber - why can't Cuddy ever get something nice?

(PS, I saw it, 'tis awesome and you must write it - will get back to you ASAP)

[ijemanja.livejournal.com]

I wanted Wilson to run for it. He came back, and... I can't be sorry about that, because I heart Wilson. But I want him and Cuddy to both be happy and this show has not shown me how that can happen as long as they have House in their lives.

*cries*

I HATE THIS SHOW JUST LET HER BE HAPPY OMG.

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

But I want him and Cuddy to both be happy and this show has not shown me how that can happen as long as they have House in their lives.

And they don't seem to WANT House out of their lives because they love him so much.

I HATE THIS SHOW TOO

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

and pretty men who like her and are actually able to tell her so

...or, you know, we could just tell her so.

[ijemanja.livejournal.com]

...or we could do more than just TELL her. *is shallow*

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

*joins in your shallowness gleefully*

I just want to hug her and pet her and tell her that everything's going to be okay :(

*SIGH*

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

Agreed, about Cuddy. On pretty much anything. I just wrote a giant Cuddy!meta thing, but it's so disorganized and I should SO not be doing this right now, that I'm going to wait to post it to I can fix it. But yeah. What you said. ^^

I'm still conflicted. 'Cause on the one hand - touchage! Voluntary touchage! Classic deflection, brought her the desk, "next logical step" - !!!!

(There's this nagging shipper in the back of my head going, "Look. House is a jerk. But, it was almost kind of sweet, in his own jerk-like way. As if he was trying to say, 'I'm a turdface. I'm emotionally inept. I don't want to date you. Can we just go forth and see what happens? Also, you're hot.' And Cuddy just totally missed the ball and took it as..." dude. I don't even know what she took it as. She just looked so disappointed.)

And on the other hand, Oh House. You rutty jackass. Oh, Cuddy. You lovely fool. Let me hug you.

(There is also a possessive cynic in my head that's going, "Wow. What an utter schmuck." and "Hey! Get your paws off my girlfriend!")

[ijemanja.livejournal.com]

I know! Cuddy says 'we're supposed to kiss now.' TO HOUSE who is completely incapable of doing anything the way it's supposed to be done. And he shows her by groping her in the most crude and offensive fashion - god, he really is such a dick. But I think she needed that wake-up call. No matter how gross it was. (And no matter how much I want to tell him to fuck off and die. So much do not want. Ugh.)

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

But I think she needed that wake-up call.

Oh, she did! You allow yourself to believe that House can be you think he can be - House will prove you wrong. Always.

The groping was House going the 'zero expectations' route. Because he would rather be an ass than disappoint people (especially people with unusually high expectations; especially people whose disappointment matters). He didn't seem too happy after the hurt walking off (I wanted her to knee him in the balls, but never does do that), which is why the desk was an apology. And trust Cuddy to have her hopes up and then have it dashed by the world as it is.

Although, I seriously wonder - did House mean for her to see him with the hooker?

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

'I'm a turdface. I'm emotionally inept. I don't want to date you. Can we just go forth and see what happens? Also, you're hot.'

Yes, it was House saying 'This is me, this what you're going to get, I'm never going to make it easy and actually I have no idea what I really want, can you handle it?' And Cuddy misreading it as 'I want you and I'm going to at least make an effort, like you have always believed I am capable of.' But Cuddy has very consistently, from 1.1, believed that House is capable of better (I could find quotes but I don't need to convince you, do I?) - which, as we know from 'Humpty Dumpty', is her greatest gift and curse, so to speak.

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

'I want you and I'm going to at least make an effort, like you have always believed I am capable of

I got that more from the desk thing than the inappropriate groping. Which, yeah, classic Cuddy thinking better of everyone than they really are. (I'm convinced.)

Man. These two are so opposite, it would never work. And yet it totally should. And yet it so, so shouldn't.

[shutterbug-12.livejournal.com]

Reposted and added bits from topaz's LJ, so you can have it all in one place.

Huh, wow. That Humpty Dumpty quote really is still true, and it seems that, this time, in this past episode, Cuddy was definitely seeing her world as it could be, but, more precisely, how it could be in terms of her ideal personal life. She did seem somewhat naive to me, and it was so painfully obvious that she was idealizing a relationship for herself, and wasn't looking at the world, and House, as it or he is, but wanted it all to be "just right". Is this a product of all the emotional toil she's been through? I suppose it could have been exacerbated by it, and Cuddy was subconsciously looking to idealize her world that was really messing with her lately, but, based on this quote, it's part of her character and I'd say it's her primary flaw. The way that flaw came out in this past episode, though, made her look so weak it was painful. I'd love for her to start seeing "the world as it is" again, more like the way Cuddy of long ago acted most often. (Granted, it's so nice that Cuddy has depth and dimension, etc., but it would be great to see her get back on her horse and stop becoming such an emotional doormat, and be more realistic about her life and the people in it.)

It's hard for me to conjure up much sympathy for her, because she really set herself up, and she should know better. She was escaping to her own fantasy world for a while, idealizing all of that for herself and buying into it, when she shouldn't have. I can see how the past little while in her life has been hard on her, but if I thought anyone could pick herself up and move on, it would be her.

I think House was being...himself, no better or worse than he ever was to Cuddy, and I can only really blame Cuddy for not seeing it and expecting something unrealistic of him. And if Cuddy continues to be this way, letting herself live with those idealistic delusions, I'd think she'd become less appealing to House, but I'm interested to see if this was a wake up call for Cuddy and that she'll ground herself in reality more now.

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

*spams*

I preface by admitting that I'm insanely biased towards Cuddy and harbor no illusions that I can look at this with as much objectivity as I'd like. ^^ BUT.

I can't help but point out that, even while it might be "her fault" for idealizing things, and that is one of her (flawed) character traits - the woman's been through hell in the last few episodes. Joy alone would be enough to cause an emotional breakdown in anyone, but a hostage situation in her hospital, her doctors, her patients, her office on top of that? (And we all know about Cuddy's massive guilt complex...)

Joy was Cuddy's self-proclaimed last shot at motherhood, something she's wanted so badly for the past four seasons. To have your dreams crushed like that, I can only imagine. And, okay - yes. Becca probably wasn't the smartest decision to go with, and House pointed that out. But I think it's only human, that when you want something that much, when you need something that much, you're going to have a few blind spots, you know? And I don't really think she can be blamed for that.

As for House... yeah. It's part of her character flaw. But I also think it has a lot to do with what she's been through. It's been pretty much established that Cuddy is alone, and lonely, and really has no one to reach out to. And House keeps changing his mind - there one minute, gone the next. And, having her character flaw, always trying to go for the ideal outcome, she's trying to cling to him for some kind of emotional support, even when in the back of her head she knows she can't get it, because he's not that kind of person.

I'm not really upset with House for anything that's happened/he's said/done, but I don't think Cuddy's behavior as of late is "blame" worthy.

So. Um. Yeah. Sorry for the spam! I really am very, very biased. ^^

[ijemanja.livejournal.com]

Hell, I think Cuddy's idealism is one of the things House is most attracted to. He thinks it's beyond stupid, and it irritates the heck out of him, but he admires it, too. It's something he's completely incapable of. But occasionally, secretly, he wishes he could hope like that.

[shutterbug-12.livejournal.com]

I know I'm going to ramble and repeat myself at some point, so I apologize in advance.

You're definitely right that Cuddy's been through very hard times lately, and would have an emotional toll, but Cuddy's been falling victim to her own idealizations rather than thinking more rationally (which people are capable of doing in really bad situations), and we know that she's capable of doing both. But the fact that she's only been looking at an ideal life for herself has been making things worse, and only she can choose to see it differently.

she's trying to cling to him for some kind of emotional support, even when in the back of her head she knows she can't get it. And that's what I'm criticizing her for, mostly. Not that she wants emotional support (who wouldn't, really?) but that she's turning to House for it, and ignoring the part of her mind that's telling her not to. Wilson would be a much better person for this kind of support, especially considering the loss he's experienced, but Cuddy is disregarding all of the warning signs in her brain and seems to be seeing what she wants to see, and not what is actually there.

I don't know, I think it's blameworthy in a sense, since part of the reason why she's found herself in this mess is because of her own idealizations. Even in regards to her desire for a baby, she's idealizing the situation. She's been disregarding the reality of a choice like that, thinking she can have the same professional life she has plus a baby, and it was something House was trying to remind her of throughout that whole episode. She's looking for an ideal sort of life, almost as though she wants all of her big dreams to come true, but doesn't realize that life really doesn't work like that for most people. She wants an important job that will give her respect. She wants romance, and a relationship with someone who can give her emotional support, who can be intimate with her, and express his feelings to her (which, I think has a lot to do with her self-esteem issues). She wants a baby. And while those, on the surface, may not seem like unattainable goals, Cuddy only seems to want the best, picture-perfect versions of them--the world as it could be--and I think House was right that, because she wants all of it in that way, it makes it unattainable and she'll never be happy.

I suppose the way someone is isn't really their fault. It's not really House's fault that he is the way he is; it's a combination of traits that have developed over time. So I guess I have to say that Cuddy, then, isn't blameworthy for being that way. But, in addition to seeing the world the way it could be for her, she also has the ability to see it how it is, and she's hasn't been doing that much for a long time. That is something I feel is more blameworthy. She CAN see things rationally, she's capable of it, but she's been falling into her own trap of seeing her own idealized versions of it. And I think this past episode really brought that out in a painful way. I think she'd be better off looking at the world realistically, because that would help save her the trouble of becoming an emotional doormat and from being burned like that.

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Oh, she so set herself up. She *always* sets herself up and falls flat (and then gives up). The very opposite of House's 'never expect anything so never get anything'.

Granted, it's so nice that Cuddy has depth and dimension, etc., but it would be great to see her get back on her horse and stop becoming such an emotional doormat, and be more realistic about her life and the people in it

I think you're being a little unfair here (um, you do know my biases and where I come from, etc.), because you're making it sound as though Cuddy has always been out of touch with reality (or at least, since the mythical season one) and she misreads everyone in everything (er, I exaggerate, but you get the point I hope). I would say this season has been an even balance of in-control!Cuddy with not-so-controlled!Cuddy. 'The Itch', 'Emancipation' - how many episodes ago were they again? I love Season 1 Cuddy, but I'll keep the character development instead of the two-minute 'no, House!' routine. And even then, she usually let him have his way, or lost.

I think House was being...himself, no better or worse than he ever was to Cuddy, and I can only really blame Cuddy for not seeing it and expecting something unrealistic of him.

I disagree, because, after the random kiss in 'Joy' (which he initiated) and the very apparent pulling her pigtails in the previous episode, even House's usual games with Cuddy hold a different meaning. He's made it very apparent that he wants her, except that he's not going to do very much about it except annoy her endlessly. I think, in Cuddy logic, the drawer breakage was House putting the ball in her court, and the entire immature game that they played in this episode as her answering him in his own language. And logically, that should take them to... kissage, because that's what he wants, right? Except, you know, she misread House because he's not going to do what he did again in the dark of her house (and he ran away after that). The desk thing, again - typical House. It was unusually sweet. It was a thoughtful, apologetic gesture. I can't (actually, I can, and I do, but not entirely) blame her too much for hoping for something different, given that she generally is optimistic beyond reason.

House also needs her optimism and her loyalty. Cuddy has to temper it down, for her own sake, but the day she gives up on House completely is a loss for House, because that's another person lost right there. That's why he went to her place to comfort her, *after* the child was lost and he was number one in her life again.

[shutterbug-12.livejournal.com]

I'm not trying to say she's always been out of touch with reality, but she's incredibly susceptible to seeing the world as she'd like to see it. She's willing to give House the benefit of the doubt when she shouldn't. She's willing to dismiss the fact that House is a jerk a lot when she shouldn't. I think this season Cuddy has been superficially in control, for the most part. (I'm generalizing, but it's from what I can recall.) She already seems to have her own ideas about her world and the people in it. I'm not saying that it informs her every decision, because it doesn't, but I think she's especially idealistic when it comes to her personal life and people she's closest to.

I agree that House needs her loyalty and her belief in him, but I think he also needs people to see all of the aspects of him, and it seemed as though that was what he was pushing her to see. He knows she has a tendency to see the good and excuse or dismiss the bad, so I believe many of his efforts in the past few episodes were attempts to open her eyes, make her see the reality--bad and good, as evidenced by the desk gesture--before he ever were to feel somewhat safe in making a serious move. If she couldn't handle that reality, then I doubt he would seriously consider going after a relationship. I also think House would only want loyalty and a positive approach to him if it was realistically justified, and I think that's part of the reason he "pulls her pigtails" so much. If Cuddy can see the whole picture of him and still be loyal and still believe in him, then it shows that she's looked at him in a rational way, weighed his pros and cons and made a decision. If she only views him in an idealistic sense, that she believes in him because she knows there must be some noble goodness in there somewhere, then it's not a logical thing. She wouldn't have examined all the evidence. I don't think House is interested in that kind of belief and optimism, but something grounded in reality. (I also think, however, that he realizes her idealism has worked in his favor, as he said in Humpty Dumpty, and I think he knows that on a professional level, it's good for him, but on a personal level, it's not.) I think that's been part of the whole point, as I said, of all the tests and games; House is looking for something he needs, and it's someone who will be fully prepared to deal with his good and bad qualities, and not be disappointed when he does something immature, or stupid, or acts like a jerk. I think House would believe that if Cuddy were to go into a relationship with him not entirely certain of what she was getting herself into, she would eventually realize that she wasn't able to deal with the disappointment of his bad qualities after all, and it would fall apart. (Personally, I think he believes it would fall apart anyway, but he seems to be looking for either a confirmation or denial of that theory anyway.)

Also, while I think House wants her, I don't think he knows himself or not if a relationship would be what he wants. Does he want to get into bed with her? Oh, yes. Does he care for her? Yes. Is she important to him? Yes. Does he love her? Yes. But a 'yes' for all those questions isn't what would prompt him to make a move. It's all about how Cuddy responds to all these tests, to reality, and what that tells him.

[shutterbug-12.livejournal.com]

I totally agree that he wants her in his life, and needs her in his life for the support she offers, and I agree that House went to her after she'd lost the baby in order to ensure that she didn't bolt and that he didn't lose her. To me, that kiss grew out of wanting to keep her in his life, because House was at a loss of how to communicate it to her, because Cuddy had lost the 'big picture' of him, but in the opposite way. At that moment, when she lashed out in anger at him, she was so focused on the negative aspects of him (kind of an opposite-ideal), that he had to balance it and let her see more positive ones. To me, it's very similar to what was going on between them in the recent episode. In both cases, House seems to want to make her see a full picture of him in order to keep her in his life, but I'm having a hard time seeing that, at the time, the kiss was meant to advance a romantic relationship.

I think it's been a big balancing act for House this season. Wilson left in the first episode because he was so focused on the negative parts of House and was unable or unwilling to see the entire picture. Since then, I think House has been doing a lot of ground Cuddy in the reality of who he is to keep her from ever disappearing, and I think it's partly because he knows that Cuddy is susceptible to viewing the world (and him) in an unrealistic way.

(I don't even want to look for typos, because that was more thinking than I should do at 3 a.m. I hope that makes sense. LOL)

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

I only saw half the episode and have come to realize I missed something really awesome. :O

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Watch it! For Chase and Cameron and Kutner!

[jaybee65.livejournal.com]

The problem I have with the whole Cuddy/House arc this season is...well...I have an embarrassment squick. And watching this makes me feel *so* embarrassed for Cuddy. It's mortifying to the point where, if I weren't watching the show with someone else, I would want to fast-forward through their scenes.

I enjoyed the other subplots (Kutner's online venture, Thirteen's backstory), but if they drag out Cuddy/House for too much longer, it might just make me nonfannish (in other words, I'd still watch the show, but probably skip the LJ posts).

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

This episode hit my squick to a certain extent - it hasn't done so in the past. As I said, I'm not really happy with this, even though it makes sense the way they've done it.

It would take a lot more than this to make *me* non-fannish. *g*