In the fourth season premiere of House, the Good Doctor only needed to share the screen with alternatingly Cuddy and Wilson. In Tuesday's (Oct. 2) second episode, there were suddenly as many as 40 potential underlings scurrying around.

[Spoilers coming, though I'm not sure that anything meaningful is really going to be spoiled.]

I've watched the episode twice now, since FOX sent it out before the start of the season. The first time through, I was just entertained by seeing so many familiar faces popping up. There were the actors everybody recognizes (your Olivia Wildes and Kal Penns) plus where-do-I-know-them-from folks like Peter Jacobson (somebody's got to get Method & Red released on DVD, man), Anne Dudek and Carmen Argenziano. It was like the first day of school only without having to write "What I Did Over My Summer Vacation" essays or needing to redecorate my Trapper Keeper.

On a second viewing, the relationship between the A-Plot (House and his fellowship candidates attempt to cure a potential astronaut experiencing visual hallucinations) and the B-Plot (Wilson encourages House to believe he's having visual hallucinations because he's seen Chase, Cameron and possibly Forman) felt a bit too on-the-nose -- plus the episode was called "The Right Stuff," which is both an astronaut reference and a reference to House's rigorous examination process. I tuned out extra-early on the episode's main medical case. She ended up having a genetic condi...Zzzzzzzz.

As we were reminded last week with Dr. Buffer, it's always good to see House interact with new characters and even if many of the candidates came across as half-dimensional (who has time for even one-dimensional when you're writing 40 characters in a week?), it was entertaining watching Hugh Laurie with new sparring partners. The best immediate dynamics came with Wilde's character, who immediately shifted House into amateur psychoanalyst mode, and Argenziano's old-guy-with-a-secret. In general, House always deals most interestingly with people who share his willing disregard for ethics (like Penn's character) or polar opposites he can battle (like Edi Gathegi's unlikely Mormon).

House was playing with loaded dice when it came to his actual selections. The people we spent time with in the episode appear to have advanced to the next round and we shouldn't be shocked that those people just happened to be the actors we knew best coming in. There was a minor surprise when the Cameron-esque E.R. doc who flirted with House last week was taken out of contention within 30 seconds, but when Penn's character was fired first as No. 6 and then as No. 9, did you really think he was gone for good? Then again, I guess you might not have expected Penn to stand in the background for the duration of Superman Returns without saying anything either, so who knows.

And we all really knew that Cameron, Chase and Forman were coming back at some point and in some context, but what did we make of the way House treated Cameron and Chase this week? What was up with Chase shaking his head at House from the observation window? Was that a "You'll never change?" head shake? And did Cameron really correctly interpret House's motivations for lying to this week's patient? And did House actually see Forman or was that particular sighting really a figment of his imagination?

Other quick thoughts on the episode:

House was quick with a backhanded compliment about Cameron's new 'do ("The hair makes you look like a hooker. I like it."), but why didn't he offer her a sandwich?

Another week of extra-obscure references, with Schrodinger's Cat and Kitty Carlyle both generating punchlines.

Was House surfing for woman-on-porpoise pornography? Between this and last night's episode of Weeds, I appreciate television opening my eyes to new veins of erotica.

So have you chosen any favorite new docs yet? Or did this week's clutter make you want things to return to normal?

Comments

Good episode--I still think they should bring the old gang back!! Who knows!!

Michele | Oct 2, 2007 9:30:47 PM | #

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Great episode as usual. The previews for next week were hilarious. Especially House's homage to Survivor lol

Fightdfuture | Oct 3, 2007 4:36:30 AM | #

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Loved the show but bring the old gang back, please.

Karen | Oct 3, 2007 6:07:40 AM | #

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I liked it. The old gang can come back or not, doesn't matter to me. I enjoyed all the fresh new faces and their wise-ass interactions with House.

Chris | Oct 3, 2007 7:05:29 AM | #

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Olivia Wildes.. yummy! I like Penns and Wildes, I definately hope they stick around as real employees. Chase is the only one I miss, he was a fun character. Foreman and Cameron got boring.

Josh | Oct 3, 2007 7:10:12 AM | #

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Interesting!
Loved the science jokes, the drinking jabs, and the smarmy contestants-- err, interns.

I'll be fun to see the new kids interact with the old kids for the first half of the season. It may not have been my dream episode, but it was still loaded with great writing among the trainees.

pakopako | Oct 3, 2007 7:17:05 AM | #

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Am I the only one who hates this new "format" of house? I want Cameron, Forman and Chase back ASAP. I couldn't possibly care less about these 40 new people stealing screen time. The most interesting part of this show has always been the complex character relationships. House interacting with people he doesn't know or care about does nothing for me or the character.

ahhhh | Oct 3, 2007 9:01:45 AM | #

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The part I found most interesting was Chase's observation of the surgury. I think he has progressed beyond the point of thinking he needs House and he is starting to see him as Foreman does. His easy, quick diagnoses and casual demeaner showed a confidence we don't normally see from Chase. I have always loved his character and I hope he comes back.
I am glad they made Kal Penn's character have a similar character to House. When he comes can as 9, I was loving it! I was first annoyed with the one blond woman who tricked the other candidates into leaving while washing the car, but as the episode wore on, her utter disbelief was entertaining. She had no problem justifying her own deciet, but never expected House to approve, or to reward others for theirs. The one intern I wish got to stick around was the tattletale. He was funny and was an excellent actor. I would have liked to see more of him.

Mandy | Oct 3, 2007 9:33:23 AM | #

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SPOILER: The Hollywood Reporter Says:
Kal Penn as Dr. Lawrence Kutner
Peter Jacobson as Dr. Chris Taub
Olivia Wilde as Dr. ? ? "Thirteen"

Have been Cast as Regular's on the show and willbe part of Dr. Gregory House's Team.

LINK: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3id267c422b4feb353c7afa74ac8785e84

Pak | Oct 3, 2007 6:59:41 PM | #

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I love House, but I gotta say, I really, really want the old gang back! I just don't do well with change, and I agree that House's interaction with his team and friends was great! It was a good episode, and I am a lifelong fan, but I really do hope the writers will bring the old gang back sooner or later.

Becky | Oct 4, 2007 3:46:02 PM | #

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