Is House capable of a normal relationship?

“You were thinking about Wilson while we were having sex? That’s so cool … so was I.” – House to Cuddy

While I enjoyed House‘s seventh season premiere, I wasn’t blown away by it (unlike last season’s premiere which was the best TV movie I’ve ever seen). Rather, it got me excited to watch the rest of the season and how it all unfolds.

What I did love about this episode, “Now What?” is that it was extremely well-acted and well-written, much like we’ve come to expect from House, and it stayed true to the characters and gave us everything we love about a House episode:

• Wilson thought House was hallucinating Cuddy again … c’mon, didn’t we all go there for a moment?
• Instead of the case of the week being completely creepy, they gave us a bit of foreplay over a bloody wound … ewwwww.
• The team all read the letter from Thirteen to House, whether they ripped it open, steamed it, whatever. No boundaries and little respect from our crack team, but complete honesty that of course they would read it.
• It makes sense that House couldn’t say, “I love you,” to Cuddy … at first.
• Wilson and House on the phone, complete with House’s fake “beeeep.” They have such a unique relationship and interactions like this are what keep me coming back for more.
• Hijinks at the hospital, with Richardson and his poison frog egg hallucinations.
• OK, we got Thirteen drama too, for better or for worse.

You can cheer or complain all you want to about the way the House-Cuddy dynamics are unfolding, but there’s two things I really appreciate about them. The writers have done such a good job in making House and Cuddy real. Sure, as viewers we could get all nervous about the looks at the end of the episode and what they might mean for the future of the relationship, but when it comes right down to it, that’s pretty much how every human being starting a new relationship under these circumstances would feel. Hopeful, honest and clearly nervous because there is so much riding on it. Those are real feelings represented so well through our beloved characters.

Also, House continues to show his growth: he’s honest, open, and dare I say it … normal. At first, when House was immediately comfortable with the relationship, I was thrown off a bit. I thought he’d be awkward for a while … but his insecurities finally did show through. It was such a beautiful moment between House and Cuddy when he was able to admit that he did horrible things to her, and she was able to honestly profess that he’s “the most incredible man I have ever known” and always will be. I’m so glad House was finally able to tell Cuddy that he loved her … how could he not? Cuddy has so much faith in House as a person, and if he can be his true self with her, then the relationship will work.

I’m really excited about this season. I feel no signs of Dave and Maddie syndrome and the writers proved last year that House can experience character growth and still be the delightful ass we have all grown to love watching every week.

How did you feel about the premiere of House’s seventh season?

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Sep 20, 2010 @ 21:00 EST5EDT