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David Shore and Katie Jacobs, House’s executive producers, have never been ones to cower under the studio’s shadow. They understand that they have created a phenomenally successful show, but have not crumbled under that pressure like so many other shows we could mention. They have never chased ratings or offered easy solutions, and they have refused to soften a central character whose lack of social graces could have provided a headache for studio heads terrified of causing offence.
Having said this, at the beginning of season six it seemed that the show might be doing just that. Placing House in a psychiatric hospital, after actually admitting he needed help, might change the whole dynamic of the show. A throwaway remark by Cuddy in Season one – that if House considered seeing a shrink the hospital would hold a bake sale – appeared to have come true. We needn’t have worried. House went through therapy in his own way, becoming slightly less of a jerk but never losing what makes him unique. It seems that he can practice medicine without the drugs, but it doesn’t make him any more willing to play by the rules.
In its six seasons House has increasingly become more of an ensemble drama, learning to incorporate its supporting players and develop their storylines. In season six Chase and Cameron’s marriage was put under the microscope, Thirteen briefly tried to break free of the hospital, House and Wilson became roommates once more, and Cuddy was finally rewarded with a stable relationship in a genius stroke of bringing back Lucas, House’s one-time private eye, from season five. Chase and Cameron’s marriage troubles were made all the more poignant with the knowledge that a once-engaged couple, Jesse Spencer and Jennifer Morrison, appeared to be reliving the breakdown of their relationship for the cameras.
The show also became more adventurous, opening the season with its first two-part episode, giving us a chance to see a typical day at Princeton-Plainsboro through the eyes of Cuddy and Wilson – dedicating an episode to each of them – and giving Hugh Laurie a few days off. They also allowed Laurie to flex his directorial muscles in episode 17, which saw the return of a recently departed Cameron. The decision to write Cameron out of the show was an unexpected one, and something that even Morrison herself wasn’t expecting, but consolidating the core group of characters was probably wise in the long run.
As expected, the season finale was explosive (literally), with House becoming the unlikely support for a woman trapped under a collapsed crane. We saw House at his vulnerable best, relating to the woman’s plight and speaking honestly about how his disability had affected him. The final moments of the episode, however, focused on House and Cuddy, and the realisation of a relationship that had been burgeoning from the very beginning. With the doctor and his boss finally together, there are a world of possibilities for the writers to play with in season seven, as this office romance isn’t likely to run smoothly.
Hugh Laurie’s contract expires at the end of season seven, and we’ll have to see whether Shore and Jacobs have the guts to end the show before it gets cancelled. If this is the last season, they’ll want to go out on a high, so this has the potential to be the best season yet. Keep watching because when, and if, it ends, there will be a big cane-shaped hole in our lives.
House's seventh season began last night on Sky1 and can be caught up with on Sky Player. A repeat of the first episode ('Now What?') airs tonight at 9pm on Sky2
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