4/12/2009

in

A huge event rocks House and crew.

Manny Carrasco

This was a pretty big episode for *House M.D.* I'm a sucker for episodic fare, so count me in on shows like *Law & Order* (all three), *The X-Files* and *Supernatural*. I'd rank *House* as a show like those listed, although it is not case of the week or monster of the week. It is more like illness of the week.  
  
For this week's illness, we find a dying man speaking to his wife. While she is by his side, her windpipe collapses, sending her to House's team for them to perform their diagnostic magic. This story has special guest star Meat Loaf play the sick man. I'm always excited when I recognize the guest stars, especially since I can then gauge how good the acting in the episode is going to be from the get-go. For example, I think Meat Loaf was great in *Fight Club*, so I can guess this is going to be a good episode.  
  
But this all falls to the wayside as we discover what has happened to Kutner, breaking the mold for just another episodic story for the show and impacting the rest of the series. Since the last episode, we discover that Taub takes credit for one of Kutner's ideas, saving Taub's job in the process. Because of this, Kutner agrees to go along with Taub's lie, even though House sees right through it. To make up for it, when House realizes Kutner is missing, Taub lies for him, telling House he is caring for his dog. When Kutner still does not arrive, House sends Thirteen and Foreman to Kutner's house to find out what he is doing. Thirteen finds his body lying on his bedroom floor, in a pool of his own blood and a gunshot wound in the side of his head. Foreman and Thirteen try to resuscitate him, but he is dead.  
  
This is a total mind blower. Kutner was among the more likeable characters on the show and seeing his death changes the dynamic of the show greatly. Yet, this isn't something new for *House*; he's fired Foreman and Chase before, leading to Cameron quitting, and forcing fans of the show to become accustomed to a whole new diagnostic team. And while it was fun getting to this point, we had just started to become accustomed to his latest team.  
  
Each doctor tries to figure out Kutner's death on their own. Foreman chooses seclusion, leaving Thirteen to cope on her own. Taub denies Kutner any pity, thinking him weak for taking the easy road out. House tries to figure out the reasons why Kutner would perform suicide, leading him to conclude he was murdered.  
  
As each of the doctors work on Kutner's death, the couple finds that as the wife gets sicker, the husband gets better. This is all a false lead since the man's heart is still too weak and he will die. The wife, who does not want to live without her husband, tries to commit suicide so her husband can have her heart, but fails. Now, we are left with a wife with a failing liver who wants to give her husband her heart and a husband with a failing heart who wants to give his wife his liver.  
  
While House is trying to figure out who killed Kutner, he comes to the discovery that the wife went to Rio, picking up a parasite that is killing her. The husband, who has since found that he was misdiagnosed by his doctors and has a curable disease is still left with the decision to give up his life for his wife. When he tries to go through with the plans, Taub rats him out to his wife, and they are left with waiting each other out. When Cuddy announces that a liver is on its way for the wife, Taub tells her that their diagnosis came too late, she will die.  
  
Meanwhile, at Kutner's funeral, we see Cuddy, Foreman, Thirteen and Wilson. Thirteen is standing alone, suffering by herself, when Foreman comes by her side and grabs her hand, uniting them in this sad moment. Taub is left at the hospital and finally shows how Kutner's death affects him, breaking down while on a bench in the hallway. House is going through Kutner's photographs, looking for any clue. He finally selects a photo of Kutner alone. He is not smiling and looks grim, a true representation of what Kutner had been feeling.  
  
While this was sprung on the audience, the writers used this huge event well by spinning it into why didn't any of the characters know Kutner's suffering either? Each of them reflects this lack of knowledge onto themselves, but no one is more hard hit than House, who prides himself on not only being a great diagnostician, but knowing why people do things. This was actually something I noticed that the show does a lot; every character psychoanalyzes each other to death, but none do it to the great amount, or effect, as House.  
  
When House gets to the murder conclusion, you can obviously tell this is not going to go anywhere, but I really like how we get no answers about Kutner's death. House comes up with the murder conspiracy because he cannot recall any reason why Kutner would kill himself, thus murder could be the only answer. This is just a smokescreen he has created for himself, an attempt to hide that he really had no clue what was going on in Kutner's mind. Sometimes people suffer in silence and there is nothing we can do to help them. It was a realistic approach to a situation like this in which everyone wishes they had known so they could have done something to help. This episode was all the stronger for it.  
  
Kal Penn, who plays Kutner, asked to be written off the show so he could become an associate director for the Obama administration, but he will not be quitting acting. Perhaps, if the show lasts that long, we may see Kutner as a ghost or a flashback and just maybe, we'll have our answer.