I just finished my second re-watch of House. 177 episodes + 1 special in 27 days. After that massive binge, I can very happily say that it’s still my favourite show of all time. I can’t get enough of it, and probably never will.
House was the first show that I remember watching regularly and waiting every week for a new episode. If I’m not mistaken, it was Thursdays at 20 on Universal Channel. But that didn’t last long. I liked it so much that I couldn’t stand not being able to watch the latest episodes or having to wait a year for a new season (at that time, in Argentina shows used to be several months, or even years, behind), so I started watching it online and in a matter of weeks I was up-to-date. I think this was around season 4.
I remember being fascinated by the way the story went along: every episode was completely unconnected from the others from a medical point of view, but the the personal stories of each of the characters kept going as the episodes went by. At first, the medical mysteries were what got me hooked, but as the seasons went by, the depth and character development were what kept me hooked (and have been able to do so for so many years and still).
I don’t think I can say this about any other series I’ve watched, but I think I genuinely like all of the main characters the show had. Of course there’s a special place for House and Wilson, but Cuddy, Foreman, Chase, Cameron, Thirteen, Taub, Kutner, Amber, Masters, and practically everyone else are also so good. They all have such depth and are able to make you feel so connected with their story arcs. The job the writers of this show did was phenomenal. Not only for pulling that off with so many characters across so many seasons, but also for being able to mix, in my opinion, the right amount of drama, comedy, mystery, medicine and romance. It never felt like they overplayed their hands or dragged a story arc for more than it should. And, even though the last season wasn’t as strong as its predecessors, the series itself finished just when it should. And the ending! Oh that ending! I’m so happy with the way it was handled (considering the fact that I’m also a fan of How I Met Your Mother, and we all the train wrecks that were the finales of other great shows like Lost and Game of Thrones). Everything just felt right.
So yeah, House still rocks. I’m sure that I’ll have the curiosity to watch it again in full in a few years, and I’m sure I’ll love it as much as I always had.
To finish this post, here are a few of my favourites:
- Favourite season: I’m going to go ahead and cheat, right from the get go. I loved the stretch that went from seasons 4 to to 6. The whole “audition”, the characters’ deaths and the psychiatric hospital arc were top notch.
- The story arc I enjoyed the least: The Tritter one. But not because I didn’t enjoy the episodes, but because they made me uncomfortable. I couldn’t stand seeing House loose.
- Favourite main character: of course House.
- Favourite supporting character: Wilson and Thirteen. Honorable mentions to Cuddy and Chase.
- Favourite episode: Season 6, Episode 22 – Help Me. It was such a great episode. The acting range Hugh Laurie displayed was absolutely incredible. It had everything, it was an emotional roller coaster, and was also such a pivotal moment for the show. On of the best season endings I’ve ever watched.
Honorable mention to:- Season 1, Episode 21 – Three Stories.
- Season 4, Episodes 15 & 16 – House’s Head & Wilson’s Heart. These episodes are also the best season finales I’ve ever watched.
- Season 8, Episode 22 – Everybody Dies.
Comments by Nacho