In This Section
|
« House
April 10, 2007: Airborne
Tonight House and Cuddy are trapped on an 18-hour flight when a mysterious illness breaks out and passengers start up-chucking their dinner and breaking out in curiously artistic rashes. Even Cuddy succumbs and if her worst fears are correct it's bacterial meningitis and they'll all be dead by the time the plane lands. Thank goodness there's a board certified infectious disease specialist on the plane who can save the day or at least declare that there's nothing really wrong.
And that was my problem with tonight's eagerly anticipated episode. Conversion sickness or mass hysteria as House explained sparked by the onset of the bends from one scuba-diving passenger (who apparently spoke no known language). To sum up: There was no airborne virus as the episode's title would have us believe. No need to turn back as Cuddy would have the pilot do and no real need for House to do anything more than toss off some snarky one-liners. Aside from those, I was wildly disappointed.
Luckily the B-storyline, featuring a great performance from Jenny O'Hara, helped keep the episode afloat.. Fran is a woman nearly 60 who steps out of her safe life and ends up fearing that her adventures – snorting coke off the belly of a homosexual man and having sex with Gordo, a large Mexican man – may have ushered her to death's door. We first meet Fran when passes out as she's about to pay for yet another new experience, this time with Robin (Meta Golding), a call girl. Robin takes her to the hospital and ends up way more involved in Fran's life than she expected. With Wilson at the helm House's team runs through their usual list of possible diagnoses. Chase solves the mystery when he discovers Fran has been accidentally poisoned by fumigation from a neighbor's house with which her home shares piping. Overall it was a rather unexciting diagnosis.
That's not to say that there weren't some good tidbits. The writers crammed many character points in between the big storylines. We learned that House really needs his ducklings. So much so that when stuck at cruising altitude with a medical mystery on his hands he had to assemble a makeshift Chase, Cameron and Foreman from the plane's passengers in order to focus. We also received further confirmation that Cuddy does not handle pressure well as evidenced by her susceptibility to the it's-all-in-your-mind disease on the plane. Back in Princeton, Foreman's constant comments on Cameron and Chase's all frills relationship seems to indicate that he cares a lot more for Cameron than he's been letting on. The normally make-no-waves Chase is bothered by his surface only relationship but when he says that he wants more Cameron leaves him on the spot. Maybe Chase should have waited for House's return to give Cameron some incentive to continue using him. Then there's the lonely Wilson, who after a long day managing the ducklings makes one last call to Robin. Sure, he's just updating her on Fran's condition but let's say we'll probably be seeing more of this Good Samaritan.
Sometimes a change of place is good for a show, but if it is not going to pay off in a great way then I say, we keep House in the house.
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 10:31 AM
|
What an odd episode. I came away from it with a few thoughts:
1. Is it possible there really was only ONE flight attendant to help out on that whole flight? Just ONE??? Is the show that strapped for money that they couldn't spring for a second one?
2. Is Cameron the smart one? The slutty one? The common sense one? The impulsive one? I have no idea what/who they want Cameron to be.
3. Is Wilson the only specialist in the hospital to help diagnose strange illnesses when House is gone? Again, let's see a few other docs in this hospital.
4. Do they really have to fly over the pole - I think that's what they said - to come back from Singapore? My husband came back from China via Japan and while they flew far north, didn't go THAT far that they were 15 hours (I think that's what they said too) away from being able to land. What the heck did I miss here or did I mis-hear something?
5. House really does just keep guessing with his diagnoses until he gets lucky enough to have some glaring sympton hit him over the head with it. I say just put his collective knowledge into a computer so people can input their symptoms and the computer can spit out the possible diagnoses with treatment recommendations.
6. What kind of doctors have sex in someone else's house where they haven't established why the person is sick?
7. PPTH is one weird place and I would never want to be taken there if I ever got sick.
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 10:42 AM
|
I liked the ep simply because they are in the air. House is without his ducklings to bounce ideas off of and he really had no way to diagnose the patient- he could not run a ct, mri have any blood work done, nothing besides what he could see and hear and feel to tell him he's on the right or wrong track. I think he pulled off the diagnosis pretty well. Maybe it's just that the problem turned out to be so simple in the end that you guys feel let down.
And I have to agree with you, liketowatchtv, who has sex in someone elses house on their bed after they've come down with some kind of toxic and maybe contagious ailment-don't they remember what happened to Foreman and all he did was walk thru that guys apt. Besides it's just classless- I hope they washed her sheets
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 10:50 AM
|
|
It wasn't that bad. I loved the character stuff. It was hilarious to see House asking the other passengers about the diagnosis. BTW, a non-stop flight from Singapore to New York is flown over the Great Circle route. So, yes, it would be flown over the pole.
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 11:18 AM
|
For me it was a bit of a come down after last week's episode. But still I thought it was good. I loved that House had to choose new ducklings to help him solve the case. The kid/Chase was especially good.
I ws more than a little confused by the mass hysteria diagnosis though. That didn't really seem to fit to me. I just don't know that it really happens that way. I can see it to a certain extent, "monkey see, monkey puke." But the development of the rash seemed too much to me. But then I'm not a doctor so what do I know. Perhaps it does work like that.
I was also a little confused by Cuddy falling victim to it. This didn't seem to fit in my opinion. I think she's smarter than that.
Oh another thing I liked about this episode is that Chase/Cameron are over. They were starting to let it get in the way. Also, I'm glad it ended before Chase fell too hard.
Meanwhile back at the ranch...
I think the writers missed an opportunity by not letting House tackle Fran's case. I think the one-liners and various zingers we would've gotten out of House in regards to that whole thing would've been absolutely priceless!!
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 11:38 AM
|
Urgh! I hate that Cuddy succumbed to mass hysteria! BAD writing! I hate when writers portray women as weak, especially women who started off so strong! I think they just wanted an excuse for House to feel Cuddy up.
Loved the old lady/call girl story line!!
Hated Cameron & Chase doing it in Fran's house. Poor taste! I think that's what really killed the cat!
Loved seeing Cuddy in pants. I believe that's only the 2nd time in 3 years?!
Loved seeing House's reaction to Cuddy's posterior in the pants.
Didn't understand why Cuddy allowed House to take the first class seat instead of shoving him to coach?!
Loved the look of jealousy? from Cuddy when the flight attendant was flirting with House at the end.
It absolutely looks like Foreman is jealous of Cam & Chase. Maybe not so much because he wants Cam to himself, but maybe because he's lonely & feels he has some sense of camaraderie when it's the "3 musketeers."
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 11:41 AM
|
|
I don't think Cuddy was jealous at the end because the flight attendant was flirting. I think she was pissed off because she worked as hard as House did on the case, before she got sick, and HE got all the credit! I was majorly disappointed in the episode, all the way around, EXCEPT for getting to see wonderful Wilson do a little more than usual. He is SO under-utilized in his role, and it was his chance to shine some. His comment "I'm starting to feel sympathy for House" cracked me up. If Chase and Cameron had their minds on business when they first looked over the house, maybe they could have spared the patient the hole in the head, and saved her cat. I have a cat who looks like that, and I didn't appreciate the cat getting sacrificed, basically so Chase and Cameron could have a thrill. What is Cameron gonna do for fun and games now that she's dumped Chase? Maybe SHE can call the female call girl and expand her experiences. I wouldn't put it past her. Plus I can't believe that the pilot wouldn't have turned the plane around before reaching the point of no return. The flight attendant no doubt reported there was a critically ill patient, and I'm sure that would have been enough.
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 12:08 PM
|
One thing that irritated me about this ep... were there NO barf bags on that flight??? Believe me, if I was a flight attendant on that plane, the first thing I would have given the first vomiting man would have been a barf bag. As soon as the second person started vomiting, I would have been handing them out to everyone on the plane. I guess its just the directors wanting us to see people tv-barfing. Unnecessary yuck IMHO.
On a side note... I wanted to take Chase home after he got dumped, and take his pain away. 
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 12:23 PM
|
I'd like to think that Cuddy succumed to mass hysteria, not because she was weak but because she was so stubborn and so wanted to believe that she was right that her body emulated the symptoms just to prove her point. That's what I want to believe. And there were barf bags, the mysterious Asian guy who speaks no known language was using a bunch of them. But if you throw up unexpectantly, you don't have time to reach for a barf bag.
I really don't know what the writers are doing with Cameron either. First season, she was the sensitive, empathetic doctor who wanted to heal people. Now she's the hospital slut, having sex on the bed of a patient with an unknown disease. What?? And
I've traveled between the US and East Asian numerous times and never once did I have to go over the North Pole (the farthest you go is like Siberia) so I'm not sure what crazy route that plane was taking, why there was only one stewardess and why she or anyone else didn't speak the language of the guy with the bends as most flight attendants on international flights usually speak both English and the language of the country they departed. I was once on an international flight where all instructions were given in four languages. But this whole episode was one big suspension of belief so I'm cool with that. I enjoyed House and his makeshift "ducklings", especially plane-Cameron and plane-Foreman. And speaking of Foreman, real Foreman is starting to get on my nerves. Is he jealous? Or do the writers want him to be involved in this Cameron-Chase relationship without actually having him have sex? Whatever it is, I really don't care for him.
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 1:00 PM
|
veinia, loved your comment about how chase and cameron killed the cat!! That was hilarious. I knew the cat would end up dying as soon as they showed the full cat food bowl, I hated that!
I didn't notice the one flight attendant until iliketowatchtv mentioned it, but that is very strange. No way would there not be more. When I flew Italy to NY there were 2 in first class and 2 more in coach (where I was, unfortunately  )
I had to look away at all the barfing on the plane. I can handle almost any kind of TV grossness on this show and Bones which is another favorite show with plenty of gross outs but I can't stand to see someone throw up. That was way too much.
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 1:08 PM
|
I would imagine that the route you take to fly to east Asia would depend on where in the US you're leaving from. I find an Arctic crossing believable if flying there directly from the east coast. Departing from the west coast would require a different route. 
I must have missed seeing the barf bag. But seriously, you could see him about to throw up. If it were me contemplating throwing up like he was, I'd have been frantically looking for the bag in the back of the seat of the person in front of me. But then again, if that had happened, there wouldn't have been the mass hysteria storyline. No one would have seen the barf to react to and it would have been a boring, looooong flight.
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 1:15 PM
|
One flight attendant...heck...there were only 2 doctors on the plane? Was no one else from the US at the medical convention?
House continues to not just be a jerk, to be actively cruel...
Some of the other doctors finally show some intelligence, but I continue to wonder why Wilson has no staff of his own. He's the @#$@$2 head of Oncology. No one wants to cure cancer anymore?
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 1:51 PM
|
Mixed feelings on this episode.
I loved the hospital storyline. Thought that was great. Could not believe what the King of Queens mom was up to with the call girl! 
Hated the Cameron/Chase stuff. Was all this just a way for us to like Chase more? I'm with Rachel - I would've liked to comfort Chase!
I don't like that Wilson called the call girl at the end for an obvious date. Did he realize what she was? Once she told him that she had just met Fran he immediately told her to leave. I really liked the woman playing the call girl - where was she from? It was kinda funny when she saw Fran pass out the first time and said, "Oh great" and then went to help her. Made me wonder if this had happened to her before! She was very sweet to stay with Fran through the mamogram. Hooker with a heart of gold I guess.
As soon as Cuddy started talking to House on the plane, and that girl passenger started to panick the flight attendant should have made them stop talking. That really bothered me that she would let that continue. At that moment House was absolutely right in how he acted. Is it ironic that he kept the mass hysteria at bay until he made the announcement over the speaker? Which the flight attendant would never have let happen. Wait - I just need to let all that stuff go. It is just a TV show.
I think Cuddy came down with the sickness 'cuz she believed that was what it was. Not 'cuz she was weak. She just bought into her own diagnosis.
One thing that bothered me was no one worring about the pilot coming down with this mysterious illness. I kept wondering who would fly the plane if that happened - but I guess at only an hour that wouldn't have happened. Maybe in a "very special" two hour House.
P.S. Dead Poet's Society was on Sunday on TCM. Had to watch that again. Made me smile to see such a young Wilson. It would have been great a few weeks back if could have had some scenes with Kirkwood Smith.
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 1:58 PM
|
olomaya I like your thinking about the Cuddy sickness, she sure did seem convinced it was meningitis.
I thought when Mr Bends got sick they said he was from Korea. Must have been taking a 'round the world trip. Scuba diving in China then off to New York (maybe to skate in Rockafeller center?). It just turned out that there was no one else who spoke his language. Although there is no telling how much he could have told them anyways.
If they had operated on the plane I wonder if they had a way to stitch him back up, a travel sewing kit? I can't imagine them having something like sutures in the first aid kit.
I'm going to chalk the lack of other visable flight attendants to the idea that they were there but not important to the story so why show them?
Anyone else flash to 'Airplane' when House was listing off the symptoms and the passengers where showing them as each one was mentioned. Thank god he didn't throw Flatulence in as well.
And finally, I think Forman was right about their relationship. They missed the cat food thing being 'distracted', and the value of having 3 of them is to get differing opinions, which is cut down if one is always going along with the other.
Just some random thoughts.
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 2:07 PM
|
At one point when the Asian guy was groaning House asked if anyone spoke Korean. I remember an episode where House spoke Chinese so he could be familiar in knowing it was Korean. An airplane from Singapore with only one Asian on board? How far-fetched it that? Why didn't the pilot repeat over the radio what the Asian guy said to a control tower for translation?
My question: If they couldn't understand the man how could they read his ID cards and a sales receipt written in Korean characters? You go to France, Germany or Italy the sales receipt is written in that language. I can figure out some of the Italian or French words but Korean? No way.
|
|
Apr 11, 2007 2:14 PM
|
|
|
