House, M.D. Season 3 Ongoing Thread (1 Viewer)

[Chris]

I think that's why I love this show... because it's flawed but naturally flawed. Addiction to painkillers is serious; and tens of thousands of people get hooked and cannot get off.

Years ago, a friend of mine had both legs shattered in an accident. He went on Vicodin. Because of multiple surgeries, rodding, clamps, procedures, he was on constant treatment for more then two years. The addiction to painkillers became very real. Literally, he wasn't taking pain killers because he was a junkie - I believe he had honest pain, but at a certain point the real pain mixed with withdrawl and then it's almost impossible for the mind to sort out what's what.

That's the problem House has, and that's why I root for him and the show. I think this could be an honest evaluation of a very serious problem. I'm hoping they play this to the end and House ends up being forced to rehab.

What the show is basically telling us is that even the best and brightest people can find themselves addicted to prescription medicine. And that's absolutely true. I don't feel as though House is some super ass, I think this is doing an incredible job of showing that while he's incredibly talented, he's human. He's allowed real pain to control his life and he can't get away from it. A lot of shows treat addiction in ridiculous means where you can't relate to the addict or where the addiction is so over-the-top and renders people useless that you know they are an addict.

A great number of addicts are fully functional, they go to work every single day.. they just can't quit their prescriptions. They doctor shop. They get what they need to get. Etc.

I love the fact that in this thread, there is a lot of debate about how he gets out of it. Meanwhile, the show hasn't taken shortcuts, it has went straight down the real world path of what happens, and if it ends with House being forced to get help, it will be one of the best stories about rehabilitation I've ever seen air on TV in any form.

 

[NeilO]

I think this whole too many pills business appears to completely ignore what happened in the beginning of the season. Either loads of time has passed by and the characters have forgotten what happened at the beginning of the season or the writers have forgotten (or are just ignoring it). It seems improbable that House would have built up such a storage of pills in what seems to be a relatively short time. If he already had the pills, he wouldn't have needed to forge Wilson's signature on the prescription at the beginning of the season. I also find it hard to believe that he had all the presecription slips lying around as well.

Neil

 

[Chris]

What happened at the beginning of the season didn't take (1) and (2) House has had YEARS to collect up tons of prescriptions and have them filed away. For someone who pops pills as he does, I didn't find it suprising at all that he had a bunch of different bottles littering his house. While the procedure worked for a while, it doesn't mean he immediately went through the house and removed all old scripts. Hell, at my in-laws house they have 4 year old prescriptions still on the shelves.

In regards to having Wilson's scripts laying around.. he didn't. But pharmacies are required to keep them on file - especially those for controlled substances and narcotics, so all the cop needed was a warrant and a reprint if it's scanned or a copy - which he had.

 

[Rick Guynn]

Yes, but as Neil pointed out, if he had in fact been collecting them (those bottles were full) for that long a period, he would not have needed to steal Wilson's scrip pad.

And House's behavior can not all be attributed to his addiction. When the cop storyline started, I was torn. House's antics amuse me for the most part, so it was kind of annoying to see somebody messing with his fun. But looking at it on the other side, I think the cop is absolutely in the right. He could just let it go, but he hasn't done anything that House didn't have coming.

Up 'til now, House has had the hospital and it's lawyers/resources to hide behind. Now he is having to face the consequences of his actions and behavior on a very personal level. I think it's great. It will be interesting to see if the writers actually alter his character significantly after this experience.

RG

 

[Mikah Cerucco]

The responsibility for that would rest squarely on House, not the rest of the world for not allowing him to be a childish jerk, stomping on the rights of others and placing his place of employment at risk. Again, not someone I'd root for.

I root for House's patients. Thus, I root for House to be correct in his medical diagnosis, but I do not root for him to get away with his more abhorrent personality traits. Still, it doesn't make me dislike the show. I don't mind flawed characters, but I also don't feel the need to blindly root for them. I was sad about Tony Montana's ("Scarface") fate, but I think he got exactly what was coming to him. Likewise, I've no major issues with what the cop is doing to House. He's simply hitting him with the consequences of his actions.

It's a credit to the writing for House that folks are so enamored with the character that they're willing to turn on a cop who is essential doing nothing but bringing consequences home. Regardless of why he's doing it, he's doing it completey legitimately as far as I can see. He isn't framing house or anything like that. I guess there's just always going to be people in the world who feel certain people should be above the rules that govern the rest of society. I'm not one of them.

Oh, and I don't care how witty someone insults someone else, it's still childish, and displays above all else that humanity and maturity don't necessarily go along with intelligence.

 

[JeremyErwin]

I'm rooting for House.
I'm not sure why, but I found House's motorcycle and his taking up of running to be very plausible as acts of rebellion.

 

[Scott_Sch]

I root for House too, and I'm pretty sure I know why....because its a TV show. Its not real. I think its hilarious that the character is so blatantly sarcastic and I find that entertaining. Besides, the show makes him out to be quite the bastard but every once and a while they show some emotion from him and that helps to solidify the audiences connection. So basically, I root for House because I don't want the character of House to change so that I can continue watching and enjoying the show. I don't root for House because I have this weird need to put drug addicts and pompous elitists on some sort of pedestal....big difference.

Same reason I root for Vic in the Shield.

 

[Joe_H]

Also, many medical professionals wish they could tell people some of the things that House tells his more ignorant patients. Personally, I think if you take House's attitude away, the show won't be nearly as interesting. When you think about it, without the interesting characters, its just a run of the mill medical drama.

Also, someone above said "Many people find the strength to lick addiction (or at least try)". House did too, from what I understand. He hadn't been taking pills the entire four months that he was rehabbing his leg. The pain came back, and he needed to start again. Sure he's addicted to the pills, but that doesn't mean that some amount of them isn't necessary as well.

 

[Mikah Cerucco]

People in every walk of life decide not to say whatever comes to mind, not because they can't, but just out of human decency. Since I personally experience such moments daily, I get it. It's one of the things that attracted me to House initially, and I continue to enjoy an appropriate dressdown.

It isn't necessary to take House's attitude away to make him a more decent person. More importantly, it's besides the point. I watch Vic from The Shield. I watch Tony Soprano from The Sopranos. I watch Tony Montana from Scarface. But no, I don't root for their abhorrant behavior to win.

As for his addiction to pain medication, I get that House needs meds in addition to being addicted to them. That's what makes his addiction so insidious. It's like people who are "addicted" to food. It isn't like a cigarette where you can quit using them. To lick a food addiction, you're faced with the daunting task of looking at-- and using -- your addiction daily. Still, you have to find some way to keep it under control. That's where House is with his meds. Again, I get it. What I'm saying is I'm not going to root for him to continue being an addict (going so far as to steal scripts and meds -- making him a thief) just because he's so intelligent. The cop is completely within his rights to go after him for his behavior. What I root for is for House to show some strength of character, in addition to strength of intelligence, and take some real steps to face his addiction (even if he struggles). That's a person I can root for. I'm never going to agree with anyone who thinks stealing scripts and meds is OK, or even that he should get a pass. There's a reason it's illegal. There's also a reason these addicts can't get the "required" amounts prescribed in the first place. These are fine points we discuss. Anybody can be addicted. It's also true that dishonesty (lie, cheat, steal) often goes hand in hand with addiction. I understand the addiction, but do not root for, or excuse, the resulting character lapses.

It's possible to like a show, and even to like things about a character, without accepting a character's abhorrent traits. My point continues to be that I do not root against the cop because I think he's more in the right than House. So far, the only reason I see folks want House to "win" is because folks like him better. That's a strange system of justice being applied.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Oh, House definitely dug his own grave. The cop is clearly exploiting House's flaws to accomplish what he's trying to accomplish. It just seems to me that House tries to save lives and the cop tries to destroy them. I'm not sure I'd still be on House's side in the real world, but knowing what I know at this point in the show, I'm definitely on House's side now.

 

[Patrick Sun]

The problem with the cop's actions is that he's abusing his police authority to correct a rudeness problem. In the grand scheme of things, that's just stupid. Plus, after the verbal sparring didn't go his way, the cop did trip House's cane (and House could have lost an eye from the coat hook on the back of the door when he caught himself from having his face bashed into the door, I checked the footage). It was only after the cop went "physical" in his response that House "acquiesced" in the request for a more thorough exam.

House might have abused his medical authority, but he did state (true or not, I have no idea) that the chewing of nicotine gum could have an effect with an oral temp reading, thus the ironic use of the rectal thermometer since the cop was being a pain in the ass for House.

 

[David Norman]

Other than just as a foil to the show's character, anyone think Cuddy should be held responsible for forcing her brilliant super subspecialist diagnostician to do the clinic scut work that should would be relegated to Intern/Resident level physicians in just about any major Hospital . Obviously she knows he hates the job and is going to cause as much disruption as he possibly can in that position. I'm assuming this is a Teaching level hospital.

I can't say I'd would expect to see the Michael Debakey, John Kirklin, or various icons to being doing the front line run of the mill clinics anymore than I'd have expected to see Michael Dell assembling computers on the line, Bill Gates writing routine code, or the CEO of Shearson Lehman making cold calls to clients selling the latest stock tip. OTOH, the clinic visits are the source of too many laughs to write out of the script with the various toys in the nose, cow loving guys, and various bizarre maladies he runs across there.

 

[JeremyErwin]

I recently came across a site that purports to grade House on its medicine

The author writes:

I'm far from an authority (or an authoritarian) on drug abuse, but the distinction seems reasonable (and useful) to me.

 

[JeremyErwin]

The cinic is an organized "pro bono" program. Sometimes, doctors imitate lawyers.

 

[David Norman]

Possibly, but there are a lot of patients coming through this clinic that have good jobs which usually will have insurance coverage.

Some clinics at Teaching institutions are free, some are basically operated the same as any Private Practice, some are designed to follow up patients from the Hospital or evaluate patients referred into from outside doctors. I can't tell how this so called clinic is set up, but it looks like it's anybody that wants to be seen for any reason at all. And being around many clinics over the year I have rarely if ever seen an Attending Level Specialist take point. He might well be a supervising MD, but the Student//NP-PA/Intern/Resident/etc have main responsibility for initial patient encounters.

I'm quite sure House's services for his inpatients are Pro-Bono since it looks like he chooses or sometimes steals cases that he determines necessary and insurance/payments don't seem to be addressed very often -- prisoners, homeless, kids, adults, millionaires, CEO, etc. Won't talk about the Adult/Ped specialty stuff since that would rarely happen either at that level, but House isn't really written to be even close to medical reality. Didn't Foreman become a Neurosurgeon again his week? Wasn't watching closely at that point, but was he doing the surgery or was he just in the room?

 

[JeremyErwin]

neurosurgeon, neurologist, what's the diff?

 

[Mikah Cerucco]

I'm not. It's a drama set in the real world, and I judge the situations and characters on that basis. I detest the portion of House that makes him think the rest of the world is there for his amusement, to do with as he pleases. I admire the portion of House that saves lives (even though the show has gone to great lengths to tell us he isn't primarily interested in saving lives, just solving medical mysteries). I have no struggle in harboring both thoughts at the same time.

Anyway, I wouldn't change a thing. It's great drama. I just don't root for House when he's doing something wrong. I also don't tell my friends they're right when they're doing something wrong just because they happen to be my friends. There's enough people in the world that'll do that. I don't think I need to be another one.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I meant that if I were just John Q. Public and I went into the clinic and had him as my doctor, I might not be on his side. Although, I'm not one of those patients that needs to be coddled, so maybe I still would.

Regardless, I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree on House. You've clearly articulated your perspective I've (tried to, anyway) articulate mine.

 

[JeremyErwin]

I think the conceit here is that House has brilliant mind, and functions well when he has his Vicodin. It's a conceit, because Vicodin has some serious side effects, which have not been integrated into the show. I think it would be unfair of the writers to suddenly put in a "driving under the influence" subplot.

But I suspect that writers are not so careful about side effects. I get the impression that the common sentiment that "crack cocaine" leads to psychosis is not all that well supported-- more a comedic cliche than a nuanced portrayal.

 

[David Norman]

5 years up front and Half Million thereafter? It's still a TV show so I'll forgive an awful lot for an entertianing plot. Real Hospital life is pretty boring most years.

I can certainly understand not liking House as a Doctor of person because of his personality and abuse of power. I don't understand how to defend Morse's character who is certainly abusing his authority in a personal vendetta in the same way though a much less in your face attitude. Neither would be likeable in the real world, neither is acting in a professional or appropriate manner, but the confrontation between the 2 egomaniacs is certainly fun.

The difference between Dependence and Addiction is critical. There are an awful lot of people out there who function quite appropriately (or sometimes function at all) being fully dependent on a lot of things (legal, necessary, or not). House hadn't shown any real Addiction problems until he forged that prescription, it will be interesting to see if they slowly work in any of the the other addiction issues if he slowly stop functioning well.

Vicodin certainly can have its side effects, but long term dependence with a large Tolerance effect could likely be hidden of even absent for extreme lengths of time -- certainly much more so than too little Vicodin and inadequately controlled pain.