THEY'RE ALL COMING BACK
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House: Simple Explanation
(S05E20) Whoa. So, who saw that one coming? As I mentioned last week, my DVR cut off and I never saw the teaser for this week's episode so I had no clue we were in store for this. Let's get into the nitty gritty after the cut so people who haven't yet seen the episode can avoid the major, epic spoiler.
So, Kutner killed himself. I'm frankly at a loss as to what else to say about this. We open the episode with Taub covering for a missing Kutner, since he hasn't bothered to show up to work. Now, right then is when I thought something had gone wrong. There were rumblings of a major surprise for this episode, so I was on the look out for anything different. When Thirteen and Foreman broke into his apartment, I knew it was going to be bad news. For my part, I expected to discover that Kutner was somehow ill, and everyone, including House, had missed the signs. I just didn't expect this kind of illness.
As with all suicides, in television or reality, those that are left behind spend the aftermath scratching their heads and wondering what they could have done differently and how they could have missed the signs. In this instance, it's the viewers and the doctors, including House, who are left in the exact same position.
Watch the scene here:
Update: Now, in the hours since last night's episode, the rumor mill has been churning over time. People have been speculating on the motives behind Kal Penn's departure and come up with some whoppers. Searches for the phrase "Kal Penn Death" are popping up all over Google. As far as I can tell, Kal Penn is not dead or even remotely sick in real life. In fact, Fox has scheduled a 1:30 press junket with the actor, so it's a safe bet he's alive and kicking. Also, he wasn't written off the show due to any friction with the other cast members or producers.
The truth is much, much nicer. According to an interview with EW's Michael Ausiello, Kal Penn has left House (and Hollywood) to work in the Obama White House. He tells Ausiello that during his time volunteering for the Obama campaign, he got to know the President pretty well and "expressed interest" in working for the administration. Now, Kal Penn will be the associate director in the White House office of public liaison. Not sure what that entails, but it sounds pretty fancy. Basically, he'll go from working with Hugh Laurie to working with President Obama, which makes him the luckiest guy on the planet.
As viewers, we're thrown into the same space as the doctors, each of us wondering what, if any, clues we might have been given that lead to this action. The truth is that we weren't given any clues. If anything, House's nod to Kutner's correct diagnoses in last week's episode would have been our only clue that something was off. House never delivers such praise. It didn't feel a like goodbye then, but watch it again, and it does.
ER' Show Photos
ER Maura Tierney as Abby Lockhart stars in the episode "Shifting Equilibrium." Airs Thursday, March 19, 2009.
NBC
ER Maura Tierney as Abby Lockhart stars in the episode "Shifting Equilibrium."Airs Thursday, March 19, 2009.
NBC
ER Parminder Nagra as Dr. Neela Rasgotra and Leland Orser as Dr. Lucien Dubenko star in the episode "Shifting Equilibrium."Airs Thursday, March 19, 2009.
NBC
ER Parminder Nagra as Dr. Neela Rasgotra, Leland Orser as Dr. Lucien Dubenko star in the episode "Shifting Equilibrium."Airs Thursday, March 19, 2009.
NBC
ER Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter stars in the episode "Beginning of the End." Airs Thursday, February 19, 2009.
NBC
ER Wallace Shawn as Teddy Lempel stars in the episode "Beginning of the End." Airs Thursday, February 19, 2009.
NBC
ER Wallacce Shawn as Teddy Lempel stars in the episode "Beginning of the End." Airs Thursday, February 19, 2009.
NBC
ER Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter stars in the episode "Beginning of the End." Airs Thursday, February 19, 2009.
NBC
ER Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter and Abraham Benrubi as Jerry Marcovic star in the episode "Beginning of the End." Airs Thursday, February 19, 2009.
NBC
ER Angela Bassett as Dr. Cate Banfield stars in the episode "Beginning of the End." Airs Thursday, February 19, 2009.
NBC
Does Kutner's death make any sense at all? No. But, of course, most suicides don't. And that's the point of the episode. There's no simple explanation, and House is wasting his time searching for one.
Say what you will about Thirteen, but the look on her face when she saw Kutner's body was chilling. The best actors can convey everything with just a look and she did exactly that. Taub responds to Kutner's death by cool detachment until he finally breaks down in the end. Foreman withdraws from everyone. Cuddy unfortunately had the coldest reaction. She seemed unfazed by it and only concerned about House. Wilson was empathetic as always, but much more so then I expected.
Perhaps House's reaction is actually the most sane. And Wilson, for once, was wrong. House isn't just interested in the puzzle of Kutner's death. This is really House's way of grieving. Yes, he can't rest until he solves the puzzle, but this may be the only case he can't really figure out. House spends his time digging through all the clues of Kutner's life trying to make sense of his final act. Of course, he can't. No one can. It's a devastating blow to everyone, doctors and viewers alike. The final funeral scene, set to the haunting 'Lose You' by Pete Yorn, was also well done.
For my part, I'll miss Kutner a great deal. Kal Penn was fantastic in this role and House will be missing something critical now that he's gone.
Also, it's a shame that Meat Loaf was wasted on this episode. He was another sympathetic patient, but one who got totally lost in the shuffle.
Anyway, this is really an episode that begs a discussion rather than a review. Does Kutner's death work as a dramatic decision for the show? What happens from now on? Is Wilson right and House is really worried that he's losing his gift? Were there signs that we all missed? Thoughts?
50 Best TV Dramas Ever
It's not easy winnowing more than 50 years of small-screen gems into a list of 50, but AOL TV's picks of the top TV dramas include the most brilliant doctors and lawyers, the angst-iest teens, sci-fi series that transcend their genre molds, family dramas that both warm and break your heart, terrorist- and mobster-fighting heroes ... and a show that combined the best of family and gangster drama into one unforgettable series.
Click through to see all 50 of the best TV dramas of all time. -- By Kimberly Potts
NBCU Photo Bank / Robert Voets, CBS / HBO / WB
50. 'House'
(2004-present)
In a lineup of TV's crabbiest characters, Dr. Gregory House is right up there with Archie Bunker, Mel Sharples and Oscar the Grouch. But being a smug know-it-all with no bedside manner works for House (Golden Globe winner Hugh Laurie) mostly because he does usually know it all, using his incredible diagnostic skills and intuition to ferret out treatment for even the most baffling medical mysteries.
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49. 'Little House on the Prairie'
(1974-83)
Ma, Pa, Laura, Mary, Carrie and the many adopted Ingalls small fries remain one of the tube's most endearing bunches, because when the going got tough, the Ingalls always stuck together. 'Prairie' life was often difficult -- ruined crops, harsh weather, Mrs. Oleson -- but the Ingalls, particularly father Charles (Michael Landon), always stuck to their principles, and by their friends, no matter what.
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48. 'Moonlighting'
(1985-89)
Dramedy, romance, fantasy, lightning-quick dialogue and even the occasional song-and-dance -- 'Moonlighting' had it all, including a will-they-or-won't-they relationship between private eyes Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) and David (Bruce Willis). Off camera, the two leads butted heads, but their on-screen chemistry was scorching, as epitomized in the series' classic spoof of 'Taming of the Shrew.'
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47. 'The Practice'
(1997-2004)
Handsome Bobby Donnell (Dylan McDermott) was the face man for his scrappy Boston legal firm, whose attorneys and clients weren't exactly the cream of the crop. In fact, Bobby and his colorful cohorts often resorted to desperate, unsavory antics to win their cases, leading to outrageous courtroom drama, memorable characters and, eventually, one of TV's greatest bromances, Denny Crane and Alan Shore.
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46. 'Kung-Fu'
(1972-75)
Shaolin monk Caine was trained to believe in peace and the powerful skills of kung fu. But after using kung fu against Chinese royalty, he fled to the American West. David Carradine's quiet, thoughtful portrayal made Caine a hero of few words, torn between using his skills to help others and wandering the Earth alone, avoiding Chinese agents and bounty hunters and searching for his brother.
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45. 'Mod Squad'
(1968-73)
This groovy cop drama lured younger viewers with Linc, Pete and Julie, hipster slackers who made amends for their own parole-earning misdeeds by investigating the uncool adults who were trying to prey on members of the Mod Squad's generation. Besides showcasing trendy duds and breakout star Peggy Lipton, 'Mod' also kicked off a decades-long streak of youth-oriented hits for TV legend Aaron Spelling.
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44. 'Northern Exposure'
(1990-95)
Small-town America never seems more quirky and quaint than it does in TV land, and Cicely, Alaska, is the quintessential TV small town, filled with endearing characters like pushy retired astronaut Maurice; Maggie, a pilot who thought she was cursed to see all her boyfriends die; and Dr. Joel Fleischman, a big city guy who rued the day he was sent to practice in Alaska to repay his med school student loan.
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43. 'Dr. Kildare'
(1961-66)
The drama set the standard for doctor shows that go beyond medicine and focus on the lives of the staff and patients of a large metropolitan hospital. 'Thorn Birds' star Richard Chamberlain became a teen star as the titular Kildare, an intern who juggled honing his medical skills and winning his mentor's respect with learning how to treat his patients humanely in life-and-death situations.
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42. '24'
(2001-present)
Premiering shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, the real-time action-packed show follows counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) as he risks life and limb to save the country from baddies bent on destroying it. Controversial for Bauer's use of torture tactics, the drama was also ahead of its time for giving the country its first African-American President in the beloved David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert).
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Fox
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