hallelujah

[swatkat]

You already know what I'm going to say.


joy to the world:

I've had a strange relationship with the baby arc in my fannish life (in this fandom, that is to say). It was what brought me out of lurkerdom into full-fledged fannish participation as I posted a longish meta exploring Cuddy's possible motives in house_cuddy, back when the first spoilers about 'Forever'/'Who's Your Daddy?' came out. I didn't want a television baby, but if that was what she wanted, I was happy. And then a lot of things happened and the show seemed determined not to have any nice thing happen to Cuddy, EVER, and seriously, I could not have wanted this more. I don't care if House and Cuddy never kiss again—please, Shore, let her keep the baby. The novelty will wear down and she'll find out that it's hard to raise a child and she'll have other trauma in her life, I'm sure—but let her keep this baby. Because if there's one thing Cuddy has been consistent about as a character on this show is in her resilience. This is one of the things hihoplastic pointed out to me in a discussion once—Cuddy always bounces back. Let me cite two instances from this season: 'Joy', and devastation, and the next episode she's awesome and cool as though all is fine in her world; the previous episode and the embarrassment and disappointment, and here she is, being this awesome mentorly person to the poor child and a good doctor and not rising to House's bait and not giving up on herself… I'm not being very coherent here, am I? But bear with me, it's just that I'm very happy, and it's the last part that's just so incredible—she put herself out there, again, after the disappointment of the loss of the child and after the embarrassment of harbouring notions about House, and she did not give up on herself, like she always does:

Cuddy: See, that's not a good answer. Remember when you asked me if I'd had any kids? I don't. I don't know, maybe it has nothing to do with it, but I was good at school, good at work—lousy at life. I screwed up every relationship I ever had. I thought, why would I wanna bring a child into this? But then I got older, and…


She knows she's lousy at life, and she has a history of giving up on herself and that she's hardly as well put together as she likes to think she is, but she did it nonetheless. She went there and she's willing to fall flat again, and if that doesn't deserve a little reward I don't know what does. Please, Shore, please let her keep the baby.


can't always get what you want:


And again, this episode brought back why I ship and don't ship House/Cuddy: I ship because they're hot and awesome; I don't ship because it's not just the romance I'm interested in—their relationship is weird, and I want it all, I love every bit of bit. And so even if the House/Cuddy thing doesn't get thingier, I don't care—House just gave her a Look of Love and walked away, accepting that he's not number one in her life at this moment (although, I'm sure he'll start throwing tantrums in the near future). And that's such a reversal from the last time she was doing this thing, and we know how much it costs House to say the 'Merry Christmas'. My heart broke a little bit for him in that scene even though I mostly wanted to say 'Nyah, House, she gave you a chance, and you blew it and now you're only reduced to longing glances and baits that won't work because she's not gonna come play in your office again, she just graduated and left you behind.'



House is (*gasp*) actually being happy for her for a change. Never thought I'd see this day.


Etc.:

* Hello, Foreteen. I'm glad I predicted you right. That's right, Foreman, now she'll show you how to be less boring while you help her with your stable and calming presence. Man, I cannot wait for Chase and Cameron to find out and NEEDLE HIM MERCILESSLY. I cannot wait for Taub to find out and NEEDLE HER MERCILESSLY. *g*

* House/Foreman/Kutner/Cuddy—doctors and empathy.

* Clinic patients FTW!

* Wilson and Irene Adler reference—just SO AWESOME. He just gets awesomer with every passing day, doesn't he?

* The lack of social workers and protocol… did not surprise (or particularly bother) me. Because this show is ALL ABOUT 'law', you see. And 'realism.' *shakes head*

* Kutner's apology was a bit cheesy, but aww-inducing.

* LE, what have you done to Cuddy's hair? I don't care what you do with yours, just fix hers, please.

* Is it just me or has RSL has become blindingly beautiful of late? I have a hard time concentrating on his scenes these days.

* TAUB! I love that the D2 don't respect House at all. They really did manage to needle him pretty well, didn't they? It's a good thing that their dynamic is so different than what House had with their Ducklings.

* 'She could be making you think about another helpless, chubby little girl you recently met.'
'You are NOT really making this about the baby I tried to adopt.'

♥

* The D2's FACES in the aforementioned scene! And every time House tried to bait Cuddy in front of them!

* Nancy Drew Cuddy!

Comments

[ashe-frost.livejournal.com]

The look on his face is so amazing in that picture. I missed it. I went into this episode spoiled and I was so annoyed by the way things played out that I wasn't able to enjoy it. I'd built it up better in my head and I still think there were more believable ways for Cuddy to get a baby other than a girl having one that didn't breathe in an abandoned house and two drug addicts keeping it in 20 dollar cans of formula and 16 dollar packages of diapers for three weeks even though they were at the point where they could no longer afford a house for themselves..

But I want to enjoy it. Everyone else enjoying it is making it better.

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

See, this is why I try not to get into the spoiler discussions too much (though I can't help spoiling myself for this show). We build up these stories in our heads, and that's not always how the show ends up being. Also, most of the spoilers that are thrown around are inaccurate and grossly misleading - even the promos. I've been burnt before and I've stopped taking them seriously after that.

I do think there could have been other believable ways - oh, like a normal adoption! With social workers and questions on her work hours! I realize that they were trying to do a MIRACLE!, but that doesn't always work out so well. It worked for me, mostly because I'm very good at suspension of disbelief and because she finally got what she wanted, but I can see why you didn't enjoy it.

Look at her smile! Think of the awesome possibilities! I'm sure that'll help. *g*

[ashe-frost.livejournal.com]

I knew she was getting a baby and was minding it less and less.. I just.. Couldn't believe it. At all.

Like. This show is at a "jump the shark" moment for me.

I'm still going to watch it (I'm going to try to watch it spoiler-free) and I'm sure I'll enjoy it, just like I enjoyed 7 seasons (couldn't watch the 8th because at that point they were just trying to hard to make it interesting and watchable and nothing was the same anymore) of That 70s Show where it was only supposed to span four years but there were like, six Thanksgiving's and eight Christmases and seven summers... But I can't look at the show as realism anymore. Not really.

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

That sucks. It's never been about realism for me, what with the glass walls and all, so I can still enjoy it very much, but I can understand where you're coming from. Sigh.

[ashe-frost.livejournal.com]

I guess it's not really been about realism for me.. I viewed it as being in a "fictional world" and now I view it as being in a "fantasy world".. Which is sort of sad for some reason. But I'm going to try to go unspoiled from now on and I'm sure I'll like whatever they've got coming next.

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Hee! I've had my doubts ever since the glass walls and 'Department of Diagnostic Medicine', and I *knew* this was fantasy world ever since the Tritter arc. *g*

But do go unspoiled - or at least avoid the spoiler discussions. That kind of builds up very high expectations, and then there's the inevitable letdown.