House Series Finale (Everybody Dies) – Chase’s story ends in an open-ended note

That’s according to Jesse Spencer, who seems to be asked more questions about House than about the show he’s currently promoting (Chicago Fire), heh.

While mum on details, Spencer says Chase’s story ends on a rather open-ended note that may surprise people. “I can’t tell you what it is. It’s actually very short, but it’s so great. It’s this tiny little bit [that] opens up a whole new story, and we go ‘Oh my God.’ And [it leaves you] wondering,” he says. “You kind of know where it is going, but you’d like to see where it goes from there. Then the series ends. I like it. I can’t wait.”

Open-ended note? What does that mean? A bit worrying, this, since I thought Chase’s arc ended perfectly in the last episode. It would be a shame if they messed with it just to get an OMG! reaction or something in the series finale.

I guess there’s a memo going around for the casts and crews to use the word “bittersweet” to describe the finale …

“The final episode, I hope the fans enjoy and are satisfied by it. I think it’s an appropriate ending, and a satisfying ending. [It’s] still bittersweet, but I think they really wrap it up very nicely, and they’ve done a fantastic job on that show.”

Link: http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/14/jesse-spencer-house-finale/

House M.D Series Finale (Everybody Dies) – Chase-Cameron, Together Again?

Not really, according to Jesse Spencer, Chase and Cameron shared a brief scene together. It’s not clear whether he meant a scene with JUST Chase and Cameron, or a scene with other characters around. Okay, seriously, what kind of event except a funeral or a wedding would bring past characters together with current characters? I don’t think anyone in the show is getting married, so ….

Other stuff about the finale:

Spencer would not elaborate on the nature of the Chase/Cameron scene, only saying that the finale as a whole “is not going to be the happiest thing in the world” yet does serve up “an appropriately satisfying ending for longtime viewers.” And specific to his alter ego — who quit in last week’s episode and is not seen tonight —  he enthused, “Chase has a final moment which I’m very, very happy that they approached.”

Link: http://tvline.com/2012/05/14/house-series-finale-chase-cameron-reunion/

Sneak Peeks and Cast Interviews from NBC’s “Chicago Fire”

“Fiery Tempers”. The speechifying by that guy who was boxing is a little too TV-movie-of-the-week. Did he say “truck versus squad”? I guess that means Jesse Spencer’s character and Taylor Kinney’s character are leading different units within the firehouse. I thought it was weird that they’re both Lieutenants, but this would explain it. Spencer’s American accent sounds fine to me, except when he’s saying the name (“Severide”).

This from the end of the video confuses me a bit. The promo picture above made it seem like Kinney is the main character – it’s obvious that they photoshopped the picture so Kinney appeared much bigger and more prominent than the rest of the cast. But from this one, it seems like Spencer in the main character. Or maybe they’re both the main characters and NBC is just switching things up in the promo to keep both of them happy, heh. Where are the female characters, though?

“No Man Left Behind”.

Interview with Taylor Kinney. His character, Kelly Severide, is a lietenant in the Rescue Squad.

Interview with Jesse Spencer. His character, Matthew Casey is the lieutenant of Truck 81. Notice the adjectives Spencer used to describe his character – smart, capable, intelligent, effective. Compare that to Kinney’s way of describing his character – busting balls, doing things his way. I guess that’s the show’s way of highlighting the contrast between the two characters. Hopefully the show will let both grow more complex as the show goes on, and not stick to a broad brush of characterization that could so easily fall into stereotypes.

Interview with series creator, Dick Wolf. “It’s not a fire-of-the-week show.”

David Shore talks about House’s finale

Shore used the word “bittersweet” to descrie the ending. Well, hopefully it’s more sweet than bitter. But then again, he also said they don’t really do happy endings:

It’s definitely an ending,” Shore says about the series finale. “I don’t want to say more than that. We never do happy endings. But we also try not to simply do miserable endings. Bittersweet is the most you can hope for us.”

 

They had to wrap up Chase’s story a litlle earlier than expected because Jesse Spencer was doing the Chicago Fire pilot. His arc was always meant to end the way it did, with Chase moving on. Good for the show for giving Spencer the flexibility. Presumably he’s contracted to the show till the end of the season, and the producers could have said “no” and prevented Spencer from doing another show until House if done.

 

Even Jesse Spencer, whose character Dr. Chase just left, is set to pop back in for the last episode. “He was asked to go do a pilot. It happened right at a time where we were considering a storyline that happened in the last episode where he decides to move on. So it worked nicely,” Shore says about Spencer’s recent absence. “To a great extent, we were looking for ways to wrap up the stories—primarily the House-Wilson thing was the focus—but we were aware that the supporting characters needed some element of closure in the broadest sense. And we didn’t want to throw it all in the final episode. And Jesse’s been with us since the beginning so we decided to give him his own little ending story. I thought he was great.”

 

I don’t really understand why so many people bashes the House-Cuddy relationsgip. I thought the way it ended with House crashing the car into Cuddy’s house is ridiculous, but I don’t have a problem with the relationship itself. But I’ve read so many stuff about how Huddy destroyed the show etc etc. You know, given any of the other possible romantic entanglements House could have had on the show (House-Cameron, House-Thirteen, House-Dominika, etc etc), at least House-Cuddy didn’t make me want to go – oh please, this is just indulging the fantasy of middle-aged male writers! Anyway, Shore was asked if he has any regrets about House-Cuddy:

 

 “I’m not big on regrets. That’s not to say it was perfect,” he says. “I do fundamentally believe that we had to do it. I know a lot of people think we could’ve done it better, a lot of people think we shouldn’t have done it, a lot of people think once we did do it we should have kept them together. I think it was going to be a lightning rod no matter what we did. You can’t have sexual tension go on and on and on and on. It was there from the beginning and I enjoyed working with it from the beginning, but at a certain point we had to put them together.”

 

Link: http://www.eonline.com/news/watch_with_kristin/house_boss_drops_ominous_finale_scoop/314274

Dr Chase has a new job!

Errr, I mean Jesse Spencer. His pilot “Chicago Fire” is officially picked up by NC for for its lineup next season. I don’t think there was any danger that it wasn’t going to be picked up, coming from the Dick Wolf stable and all, and with Wolf’s long-term relationship with NBC, but it’s nice to know that at least one alum of House M.D already has a job lined up. The synopsis of the show:

Chicago Fire, from Universal Television and Wolf Films, stars House‘s Jesse Spencer and is described as a action-driven drama exploring the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department.

Link: http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/nbc-renews-law-order-svu-inks-new-deal-with-dick-wolf-picks-up-chicago-fire/

TVGuide House M.D Spoiler – Is Chase gone for good?

Apparently not, he’ll be back for the series finale (Everybody Dies). I’m guessing probably just a cameo.

Is Chase really gone for good on House? — Christine
ADAM: Not exactly. While he has definitely resigned, executive producer David Shore confirms that Chase is scheduled to appear in the series finale. But more surprisingly, one of his colleagues might follow him out the door. In Monday’s penultimate episode, another doctor is readying a career life raft in case House implodes under the strain of Wilson’s increasingly grim diagnosis.

The doctor “readying a career life raft” is probably either Taub, Park or Adams. Heck, all three of them should be looking for new jobs right now.

Link: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Mega-Buzz-House-Vampire-Diaries-Spoilers-1047202.aspx

House M.D S08E20 (Post Mortem) – The “It’s About Time, Chase!” Edition

What is that expresssion on House’s face at the end?? The tumor hasn’t shrank? It wasn’t a tumor in the first place? I can’t believe the show resorted to cliffhanger, this late in the day. They’ve never done this before, have they? Come on, House writers, if the viewers are still invested in anything on the show these days, it’s the House-Wilson relationship, you don’t need to milk it for all it’s worth like this. Cancer, bucket-list road trip, and now a cliff-hanger? How low can they go? But of course I have to admit I was manipulated into tearing up, especially in the bus scene with Wilson’s monologue. (Extra poignancy point for the conversation taking place on a bus, with the Amber-bus-accident thingy). You know, I’m starting to think they WILL kill Wilson after all.

Edited to add Wilson’s lovely, sad, heartbreaking monologue on the bus:

Wilson: (Sighing) I blew it.
House: Oh god! Here it comes.
Wilson: As always. All I wanted was some meaningless fun, but I couldn’t even last 3 days.
House: Sound asleep. But I’m sleeptalking.
Wilson: I had the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream.
House: I swear, I will jump out of this moving bus if you don’t shut up.
Wilson: But instead, I sat with a sad old woman for an hour and a half who forgot I existed three seconds after she left. And the stupidest thing? I never even had a crush on Julie Christie.
(House turns to look at Wilson)
Wilson: In 12th grade, I was madly in love with Melanie Roberts, who happens to look exactly like Julie Christie in Dr Zhivago. And she really liked me, played spades every lunch period in Mr Charlton’s classroom. But of course, there was this other guy. A great guy, very popular. He had a car, he had a band, mustache.
House: Kyle Callaway.
Wilson: (Sad smile) I assumed that … I hoped, that we’d go to the senior prom together. But she asked me for a favor, she asked … (laugh) … if I minded if she went with him. She asked me, if I minded. And I said I didn’t. And that was it. And I just did it again. I let it go, just like I let everything go. And here I am, sitting on a bus, with tickets I bought with my watch, heading back home, so a CT scan can decide my fate. My fate. (Pause) I don’t wanna go back, House. I just … I just wanna keep being Kyle.
House: Kyle, would have ditched that sad old woman from the bus stop. Probably would have ditched me, too. I can live without Kyle.

Good to see that unlike other doctors leaving PPTH, Chase at least has the sense to look for another job before quitting, heh. I like that Park is the one he talked to about leavng (and about calling other hospitals), that’s a nice bit of continuity with the previous episodes touching on their friendship. Sad to see Chase leaving before the series finale, but this is a pretty good exit for a secondary character, by this show’s standard (certainly miles better than Cuddy and Cameron’s exit). Yes, there wasn’t really a build-up to this, but it feels organic rather than forced, and fits the character well. Like a lot of things in this show, there’s not really one motivation for Chase leaving House’s team, it’s a mixture of things. I’m sure part of it is pride and bruised ego – how far other people like Cameron and Foreman have moved up, and moved on. But also the realization that he can stand on his own now, that “it’s time to step out of the shadow”. Foreman was being a friend and not a boss in their last scene together, the friend who says “it’s about time” instead of trying to convince Chase to stay. Have these two ever hugged before?

I still find the whole “Chase’s father the famous doctor made a phone call, so House hired him” stuff really weird. House of all people is not going to be influenced by stuff like that! But maybe House hired Chase initially just to screw with him. “Who is this spoiled brat whose daddy made a phone call to get him a job? I’m going to make his life hell!”

House: Did you come here so I can talk you out of it?
Chase: I came to say thank you.
House: It’s been fun.
Chase: Fun?
House: Sounded pithier than “we’ve shared a variety of situations”.
Chase: Let me know about Wilson.

Did House seem surprised when Chase said he came to say thank you? Can’t blame him I guess, usually his minions leave with a torrent of “you’ve ruined me!” or “you poisoned my husband so he dooesn’t know right from wrong!” or “I don’t want to be like you!” etc etc. A heartfelt “thank you” and a simple handshake must feel earth-shatteringly weird to House. “We’ve shared a variety of situations”. I like that. It’s typically acerbic House, but also honest and understated.

House M.D S08E21 (Holding On) Press Release and Promo Pictures – Where is Chase??

Hmmm, Jesse Spencer’s name is on the cast list, but I don’t see Chase in any of the photos, even the ones where the team are all together.  Add to that the sneak peek for Episode 20 (Post Mortem) where the patient was dissing Chase for still being House’s fellow after all this time, I’m wondering if Episode 20 was Chase’s swan song. Maybe that’s the pretext for Thirteen coming back, to replace Chase (ughhh!). Jesse Spencer also has been shooting the Chicago Fire pilot, so it’s possible they had to say goodbye to him early on House, before the finale. I don’t mind, I guess, as long as Chase’s exit makes sense, and not some stupid, spur-of-the-moment decision to leave the team. Wilson is not in the photos either, but he’s mentioned in the press release.

Press release:

A PATIENT’S ILLNESS HAS ITS ROOTS IN THE BODY AND MIND ON THE ALL-NEW PENULTIMATE EPISODE OF “HOUSE” MONDAY, MAY 14, ON FOX

Thirteen (Olivia Wilde) Returns to Princeton Plainsboro

The team takes on the case of Derrick (guest star Skylar Astin), a 19-year-old college student who had a mysterious nose bleed during cheerleading practice, and discovers that his health issues are likely both physiological and psychological. Possibly suffering from schizophrenia, Derrick claims to hear his deceased brother’s voice in his head. Meanwhile, Wilson gets advice from former colleague Thirteen (guest star Wilde) and Foreman tries a different approach with House in the all-new “Holding On” episode of HOUSE airing Monday, May 14 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (HOU-821) (TV-14, D, L, V)

Cast: Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House; Robert Sean Leonard as Dr. James Wilson; Omar Epps as Dr. Eric Foreman; Jesse Spencer as Dr. Robert Chase; Peter Jacobson as Dr. Chris Taub; Odette Annable as Dr. Jessica Adams; Charlyne Yi as Dr. Chi Park.

Promo pictures:

Links: http://www.spoilertv.com/2012/05/house-episode-821-holding-on-press.html

http://www.spoilertv.com/2012/05/house-episode-821-holding-on.html

House M.D Castmembers’ Favorite episode

Hugh Laurie and Omar Epps played it diplomatically (don’t really have one), Robert Sean Leonard’s is the pilot episode, Odette Annable’s favorite is Nobody’s Fault (the one where Chase was stabbed), Peter Jacobson’s is the episode where Kutner killed himself. Wait, Charlyne Yi is sitting right there, and she didn’t get to give an answer?? What the heck? And where is Jesse Spencer?

House M.D S08E18 (Body and Soul) – The C-Word is Cancer

Let’s start with the big shocker first – Wilson has cancer. No really, he does. Judging from the preview for the next episode (The C-Word), this is not a prank, or joke, or trick. I’m not sure how I feel about this, on the one hand, the House-Wilson relationship is the most important one on the show, so it’s entirely appropriate that the last few episodes of the show should focus on the two of them. On the other hand, really, show?? You’re going the “my best (and only!) friend has cancer” storyline now? Feels very exploitative.

I don’t really buy that House would be willing to leave the boy un-cured just because he doesn’t want religion to get the credit. Like Adams said, since when does House care about getting credit? Interesting though that the episode left the levitating incident unexplained. House must have been so distracted with Dominika; usually I would have expected him to try and figure out how the patient managed to levitate. Serves him right that Dominika left, what he did was abominable, like Wilson said, basically keeping her a prisoner.

Taub: So, you’re worried about what it means?
Park: I’m not worried, it means nothing. It means something, doesn’t it? I work with him, I can’t want to sleep with him.
Taub: Maybe Chase just represents work, and you’re in love with your job.
Park: It … has been very satisfying lately.

Snerk! Hihi. I was hating the Park-Chase storyline at first, because it feels like making fun of the not conventionally attractive person for fancying the more conventionally attractive person. But the two of them are just so sweet together. And of course Chase then had his own dream about Park:

 

I knew it was a dream even before they satrted kissing, the minute they said “bitch” and “dick”. Come on, that’s not something these two would really say to each other!

Park: Was I good?
Chase: It doesn’t mean anything. The idea got planted, it was probably inevitable.
Park: It means something.
Chase: What?
Park: Well, it could mean the obvious, that you want some of this. When will you learn that that look is insulting? Or … it could just mean that we like each other. I’m weird, and you’re pretty, but we connect. We feel safe, we trust each other.
Chase: Maybe.
Park: Just testing my theory.