House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
Ehh.... I wasn't really a fan of this episode.
I don't know how you guys managed to avoid hearing that this was going to happen to someone on the show, but I couldn't go anywhere on a TV-related site without seeing something about it, so it wasn't a surprise to me.
This just seemed too much like a "Very Special Episode" and I think they blew most of their budget on getting Meat Loaf to guest star because it looked like they were lighting the sets with only one light bulb. Maybe if they had done a better job at making us care for these new characters (like a certain other show did that did something like this recently) I would have liked the episode more. Oh well!
I don't know how you guys managed to avoid hearing that this was going to happen to someone on the show, but I couldn't go anywhere on a TV-related site without seeing something about it, so it wasn't a surprise to me.
This just seemed too much like a "Very Special Episode" and I think they blew most of their budget on getting Meat Loaf to guest star because it looked like they were lighting the sets with only one light bulb. Maybe if they had done a better job at making us care for these new characters (like a certain other show did that did something like this recently) I would have liked the episode more. Oh well!
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
I was a little surprised to see it was Kutner. I missed the last episode with Mos Def, was there any indication in that one?
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#30
Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
Count me in as surprised.
I think I was a bit more surprised about [other show spoiler:]
but this was not expected.
I was thinking that Taub killed him - that is why he wanted House to focus on something else, but his breakdown at the end makes me think he may have nothing to do with it.
I think I was a bit more surprised about [other show spoiler:]
Spoiler:
I was thinking that Taub killed him - that is why he wanted House to focus on something else, but his breakdown at the end makes me think he may have nothing to do with it.
Last edited by Jadzia; 04-07-09 at 11:29 AM.
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
Please don't post spoilers for shows in other shows' threads! After an episode airs it's understandable that there will be spoilers for THAT show in a thread about it, but not for completely unrelated shows.
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
Back on topic, I knew the suicide was coming to this show, but I didn't know when and who. I had eliminated Taub and Wilson since information was available that revealed it wouldn't be someone obvious. Last week's preview basically gave away who it would end up being.
I thought the episode was mediocre, but it should most certainly be taken into consideration that this wasn't a shock to me.
Last edited by Arthur Dent; 04-07-09 at 12:07 PM.
#36
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
Go Ausiello's blog at EW and you'll see that Kal Penn directly tells them the exact opposite of that. Basically, Kal asked to get off of the show because he's going into politics. In fact, he's actually going to work at the White House. Seriously. He's taking a break from acting.
From http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/04/...sive.html#more
Part I: Kal Penn
I understand it was your decision to leave House. True?
KAL PENN: Yes. I was incredibly honored a couple of months ago to get the opportunity to go work in the White House. I got to know the President and some of the staff during the campaign and had expressed interest in working there, so I'm going to be the associate director in the White House office of public liaison. They do outreach with the American public and with different organizations. They're basically the front door of the White House. They take out all of the red tape that falls between the general public and the White House. It's similar to what I was doing on the campaign.
Will you actually be working in the White House?
PENN: This particular office is in the executive building. The White House has two buildings: the actual White House and an old Navy building called the Old Executive Office.
Are you there as long as Obama's in office?
PENN: A lot of that stuff is up in the air. This is a relatively recent development.
Safe to say you're taking a huge pay cut?
PENN: Oh, yeah. There's not a lot of financial reward in these jobs. But, obviously, the opportunity to serve in a capacity like this is an incredible honor.
How long has this been in the works?
PENN: I've been thinking about [moving into politics] for a while. I love what I do as an actor. I couldn't love it more. But probably from the time I was a kid, I really enjoyed that balance between the arts and public service. I went to a performing arts high school, but I still took a bunch of those dorky political science classes. It's probably because of the value system my grandparents instilled in me. They marched with Gandhi in the Indian independence movement, and that was always in the back of my head. So the past couple of years I thought about it a little more. And in '06 I started this international studies program at Stanford, where they actually let you do most of the course work online. So it was something I could do while I was acting. And I thought this might be the right time to go off and do something else. The ultimate irony, of course, is that I love being on House. There's not a smarter group of people that I've been surrounded by in television. So I thought about it for a very long time before I went and talked to David and Katie.
What was that conversation like?
PENN: We had a very long discussion. And I remember David saying, "Are you telling me that you're unhappy with the show and that you want to leave so you can go off and do a different show?" And I was like, "Not at all. I'm actually saying the exact opposite, which is I'm having an incredible time, but there's something aching in me to do something completely different and take a break from the acting thing for a while." And with their blessing, we were able to work it out.
From http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/04/...sive.html#more
Part I: Kal Penn
I understand it was your decision to leave House. True?
KAL PENN: Yes. I was incredibly honored a couple of months ago to get the opportunity to go work in the White House. I got to know the President and some of the staff during the campaign and had expressed interest in working there, so I'm going to be the associate director in the White House office of public liaison. They do outreach with the American public and with different organizations. They're basically the front door of the White House. They take out all of the red tape that falls between the general public and the White House. It's similar to what I was doing on the campaign.
Will you actually be working in the White House?
PENN: This particular office is in the executive building. The White House has two buildings: the actual White House and an old Navy building called the Old Executive Office.
Are you there as long as Obama's in office?
PENN: A lot of that stuff is up in the air. This is a relatively recent development.
Safe to say you're taking a huge pay cut?
PENN: Oh, yeah. There's not a lot of financial reward in these jobs. But, obviously, the opportunity to serve in a capacity like this is an incredible honor.
How long has this been in the works?
PENN: I've been thinking about [moving into politics] for a while. I love what I do as an actor. I couldn't love it more. But probably from the time I was a kid, I really enjoyed that balance between the arts and public service. I went to a performing arts high school, but I still took a bunch of those dorky political science classes. It's probably because of the value system my grandparents instilled in me. They marched with Gandhi in the Indian independence movement, and that was always in the back of my head. So the past couple of years I thought about it a little more. And in '06 I started this international studies program at Stanford, where they actually let you do most of the course work online. So it was something I could do while I was acting. And I thought this might be the right time to go off and do something else. The ultimate irony, of course, is that I love being on House. There's not a smarter group of people that I've been surrounded by in television. So I thought about it for a very long time before I went and talked to David and Katie.
What was that conversation like?
PENN: We had a very long discussion. And I remember David saying, "Are you telling me that you're unhappy with the show and that you want to leave so you can go off and do a different show?" And I was like, "Not at all. I'm actually saying the exact opposite, which is I'm having an incredible time, but there's something aching in me to do something completely different and take a break from the acting thing for a while." And with their blessing, we were able to work it out.
Good for Kal for getting his new job at the White House. I guess we won't be getting a Harold and Kumar 3 anytime soon now huh?
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#38
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
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#40
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
To see exactly what Chew is talking about, watch this video.
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#44
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
I hated this episode. Hands down, worst episode of the series (I'm guessing some people will disagree). If anything spells out "jump the shark", it was this one.
It wasn't just the fact that his death seemed rushed up until this point - I know suicide is a catch-you-off-guard thing, but the way House handled it was ridiculous. Trying to make his suicide in to a murder for him to solve was just unreal. House's overall reaction to the suicide was out of his character. I know they tried to make it like he was more involved in to the actual suicide itself, but he felt way too emotionally attached to him which he definitely was not. Then Cuddy throwing in the line about Kutner being just like him.. really? Nobody ever thought that until he died.
Then when it came to the actual case, a couple of things bothered me. First, Meat Loaf was just wasted. He's a great actor, and I think he was just kind of thrown away with his minimal role (especially in an episode like this). Cameron's total willingness to basically ask him to die on the table for his wife was WAY out of character. Then, at the end, House doesn't care that his patient died? Whhaaattt??? I know we had the Kutner death to deal with, but that's just not typical.
In a show that was once originally brilliant, I think it's safe to see this will be the beginning of the downward spiral.
It wasn't just the fact that his death seemed rushed up until this point - I know suicide is a catch-you-off-guard thing, but the way House handled it was ridiculous. Trying to make his suicide in to a murder for him to solve was just unreal. House's overall reaction to the suicide was out of his character. I know they tried to make it like he was more involved in to the actual suicide itself, but he felt way too emotionally attached to him which he definitely was not. Then Cuddy throwing in the line about Kutner being just like him.. really? Nobody ever thought that until he died.
Then when it came to the actual case, a couple of things bothered me. First, Meat Loaf was just wasted. He's a great actor, and I think he was just kind of thrown away with his minimal role (especially in an episode like this). Cameron's total willingness to basically ask him to die on the table for his wife was WAY out of character. Then, at the end, House doesn't care that his patient died? Whhaaattt??? I know we had the Kutner death to deal with, but that's just not typical.
In a show that was once originally brilliant, I think it's safe to see this will be the beginning of the downward spiral.
#46
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
Well ya know tough shit to anyone who hasn't watched it yet. The episode has already aired.
#47
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
I met Penn on Sunday at the Laker game. He was with Jamie Gertz and the guy in post 35 above. They were a nice group.
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#49
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
Well, if your surfing Yahoo.com/Message Boards the day after a pivotal episode of a scripted show airs or when a result of a Reality show is revealed and not expect to be spoiled, than your only kidding yourself.
Wire stories, Entertainment news stories will be flooding the net the next day or hours after the episode airs.
Wire stories, Entertainment news stories will be flooding the net the next day or hours after the episode airs.
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Re: House -- "Simple Explanation" -- 04/06/09
More hack writing from the House team. The only reason I occasionally watch this show is because Hugh Laurie is so good, otherwise it would be completely worthless.
Well at least they got Kutner off of there who was never good on the show or believable anyway. Now they need to lose Taub.
Well at least they got Kutner off of there who was never good on the show or believable anyway. Now they need to lose Taub.