TVSquad

(S05E12) "We can not let House anywhere near this woman"-Kutner to Thirteen.

Sometimes I think I'm really close to having a problem with the way this show treats women. I know House's sexist and racist remarks are so over-the-top they're meant to expose the hidden misogyny and subtle racism around us every day, but his joke to Cameron about performing oral sex made me cringe something fierce. She did well and good to ignore him, but I think that deserved a slap in the face. I'm not offended by the joke or the copious come-ons he made to Thirteen, but jokes like that straddle the line between making House an unlovable curmudgeon you can respect into a mean-spirited jerk. Which I suppose is the point? Right?

Anyway, there were a lot of oral sex and penis jokes in last night's episode. And I'm no prude, but even I was rolling my eyes after a while. Not your best lines House writers, but considering your past record of total awesomeness you shall be forgiven.

There's a lot going on in the halls of PPH this week. Big changes. Cuddy's decided to become a full-time Mom for a bit and temporarily handed her duties over to Cameron, which, in turn makes her House's boss. Foreman and Thirteen come out to the rest of the team about their relationship (which gives House license to make some lesbian jokes) and a sweet elementary school teacher almost drowns in a pool of her own blood on the classroom floor, while her kids stare miserably over her body. Good times.

I have to say that the medical mystery was the least interesting part of this episode for me. It's not that it was bad...it was a solidly crafted story line, but it's just that everything else was so much more interesting. There was a lot of character development this week, for everyone else but House and Chase. It's nice to see Cuddy and Cameron and Wilson share a few scenes, since we don't see them that often.

I am especially enjoying the deepening friendship between Wilson and Cuddy. Wilson's sincere and sweet attempts to reassure Cuddy about bonding with her new baby are such a good example of what makes Wilson Wilson. I mean, even after Amber's death, he's managed to retain the sympathy and empathy that House so readily mocks him for.

I was never a big Cameron fan but she's grown on me quite a bit this season, probably due to the fact that she's had very little screen time, but, nonetheless, she did an admirable job going toe to toe with House. She's come a long way from the resident who always fawned over House, and we could really see that last night.

Every good show follows a format, but I think House is falling into a visible rut where the parallels between the patients lives and the doctors are too similar. This week, Cuddy's inability to bond instantly with her adopted baby was thrown into painful relief when compared with the patients instant bond to her classroom full of handicapped kids. The jarring contrast irked me at first because it made it feel like Cuddy's post-partum depression was unnatural. Yes, I know she didn't actually have birth, but even adopted mothers can suffer a kind of depression when new babies arrive. House, though, is too wise to fall for that. He suspects, and rightly so, that the patients ability to bond with the kids is actually unnatural and a consequence of abnormal blood flow to the brain. Clever show, very clever.

Also, Lisa Edelstein did a great job with her new role as harried mother. I thought we'd lose some of her spark once she became a mother, but I'm glad that's un founded.

To solidify all this bonding, there's a heart-warming scene between Cuddy, House and baby Rachel, who barfs adorably on House. House pretends to be unimpressed with her cuteness and her vomit. Cuddy, meanwhile, stares at the both of them with misty eyes of love and adoration. It's a very sweet, warm moment that's saved from being too saccharine by House conducting a differential with himself. Even though the scene is only about a minute long, I can see why Hugh Laurie keeps winning all these awards. Even though he verbally pretends to be unimpressed with the kid, his face softens enough for viewers to see otherwise.

And what about Chase? Chase, who, apparently, even though he has time to lounge around the cafeteria and eat pie with Foreman, has not yet found the time to bathe or get a haircut. Seriously dude, like shower. Or something. I do hope they find something for Chase to do or just dump him entirely.

Is it just me or has Thirteen's annoyance rating gone up this week? Her new found happiness has actually made her a twinge more irritating to me. And we should all jump on the Foreman/Thirteen bandwagon, because apparently he has got it bad for her. Only a fool in love would be willing to wreck his entire career on the off chance that it would buy him more time with his girlfriend. So, as House would (and did) say...Get a room you two.