House, M.D., starring Hugh Laurie, has made drastic changes so far. Few episodes remain due to the WGA strike.
Season 4 of House, M.D. is nearing to a close. The basic formula of the show has stayed the same, but the main characters have changed. The show's nucleus still includes Dr. Greg House (Hugh Laurie), administrator Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) and House's best friend Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard). But as the end of Season 3 promised, a plot shake-up has relegated House's team (Drs. Foreman, Cameron and Chase) to the background.
What's Happened So Far in Season 4
The season began with Dr. House on his own, but since he the doctor needs to bounce his ideas off others, he "deputized" a janitor and used him as his sounding board. Forced by Dr. Cuddy to hire a new team, Dr. House brought in forty potential fellowship candidates, most of whom he fired right away. From there it was down to ten, with fierce competition and mind games to play alongside diagnosing the mysterious illnesses. In true House fashion, candidates are not called by their names. Some started with numbers (and kept them in 13's case), others were given coarsely honest nicknames ("Big Love" for the Mormon, "Cutthroat Bitch" for, well, the cutthroat bitch).
Sometimes the diseases, as well as House's old team, seemed to take a backseat to the drama between the new candidates. The episodes were also spiced up by plot turns like: sending House off to the CIA and almost hiring an ex-CIA doctor and a documentary film being shot of a craniofacial surgery. All this, don't forget, set against the brutal rush for the candidates to have great ideas, the answer, or at the very least, the gumption to show House just how far they'll go for the position. The competition was so relentless that it almost jeopardized the health of the patient being treated, but it made for great entertainment.
Wanting the Old Team Back
While some may be miffed to see House's old team no longer working beside him, it's actually one of the best steps the show has taken. After all, the team positions are fellowships (originally slated to be a three-year position), so it's both logical and creativity savvy for the show to move on. The original team are fantastic characters worthy of remaining on the show. Whether the new three will prove to be as interesting remains to be seen. Drs. Cameron and Chase are still working in different departments in the hospital and are often consulted for their opinions (mostly on House himself). Dr. Foreman, not surprisingly, was fired from a different department for being too much like House, a fear he seems to have come to terms with. He now works, at Dr. Cuddy's request, with House and his team, with interesting results.
The Writer's Strike and What's To Come
Like nearly every show, House, M.D. will be having a truncated season due to the WGA's strike. This season is slated to have 12 episodes. With nine having aired, only three remain, beginning with January 15th's It's a Wonderful Lie. In addition to suffering from the shortened seasons, many shows this fall have had a real feeling of rushed writing, no doubt in anticipation of the impending strike. House, M.D., on the other hand, really has the feeling of being thought through, whether or not the fans like the choices.
Rumors are few and wild. An article in the Chicago Tribune says Dr. Cuddy has a "major make-out session" in store for her. Most promising is the enticing news that Emma Thompson is vying for a guest appearance. Thompson and Laurie dated in the 80s and remain very good friends. Thompson was once quoted as describing Laurie, "He is one of those rare people who manages to be lugubriously sexy, like a well-hung eel." It will be interesting to see what's in store for the last three episodes and it will be impossible to wait for the fifth season.
