(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]

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!")

[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.

[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)

[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.

[shutterbug-12.livejournal.com]

She totally should have had a thing with the P.I. Stupid Cuddy.

[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*

[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]

'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]

*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]

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 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?

[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.

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

REALLY. I say we write DS a list of demands.

(Hehee. Thanks you! I so appreciate it. Brain = not functioning)

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

WORD.

Where did he go anyway? I want him to come back and hit on Cuddy some more.

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

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

[ijemanja.livejournal.com]

Because he would rather be an ass than disappoint people (especially people with unusually high expectations; especially people whose disappointment matters).

That's it exactly. Especially with Cuddy, whom he knows is the queen of setting her hopes too high. And then he disappointed her anyway, but better now than later, having started a relationship, when she's all invested and he fails her even worse? I guess? She still should have kicked him.

The weird thing with the desk is that it would have taken time. When did he arrange it? (I LOVE THAT HE A) KNEW ABOUT THE DESK AND B) CALLED HER MOTHER OMG HOUSE YOU DORK.) I also don't think he meant her to see him with that girl. I think that was spur of the moment, on his part, because he has all these conflicting feelings and Wilson is bugging him and he just did something stupidly romantic for Cuddy after totally blowing her off, and so going out with this girl is like justifying to himself that he really doesn't like Cuddy, really. At all. Blech.

[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.

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Hee. I just wrote this: 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. And I add, House knows very well how easily she can give up. She doesn't give up on people, usually - she gives up on herself. But she can and she might, and I'd like to see where *that* leaves him.

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Watch it! For Chase and Cameron and Kutner!