outlier-3 posted:

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The reason why they couldn't keep the old team is simple: they would have run out of provocative situations. Even late Season 2 and Season 3 were getting to be a bit formulaic, with the only "spice" being House having personal crises: House gets shot or House is persecuted by cop etc. How many more House-crisis-centric arcs in a row could we take? One more and I would have balked. Throwing in a team-centric-crisis was a good change of pace. Now I suspect that the person asking the question won't "get that" -- as the question asked suggests somebody who is more into the character driven aspect than the plot driven aspect. If not, I apologize beforehand for lumping him/her with fandom, but the commentary will likely still apply to a great many others asking the same question.

Fandom is all about characters. Unfortunately, fandom is usually not enough to support a show. For the extra to take the show to the hit level of House, you need good writing and some pretty good plot arcs. Interesting plot arcs often make life tough for the preferences of fandom, but the nice thing about fandom is that they're hooked. The rest of us are not. Fandom wanted the old team back relatively early in Season 4, but instead of a quick fix, we got lots of complications with the new team being winnowed down. Fandom wanted "Amber the Cutthroat Bitch" back long term, but they got her back only to be killed because it made a better story and set up better complications for next season. Bottom line, fandom wanted more of the same even if it would be boring because they love their characters more than complications. About the only changes fandom of dramas usually go for is the furtherance of their preferred on-screen romantic relationship or the demise of a character that they particularly despise.

Unfortunately I'm a little too old, too jaded, and have seen too many predictable TV show plots to be so taken by characters that I'd rather see characters serviced ahead of an interesting plot. So I like the controversy and I like the churn created by the exodus of the old team and the prolonged hiring process of the new one. If House were to revert to the same old formula to make fandom happy, I suspect I'll be walking away soon thereafter. I'll wager the critics would also make a quick exit in terms of praising the show too... after which show would limp out another season on the support of fandom to then be canceled on FOX. It might get picked up by U.S.A. Network for one additional season of reduced run and reduced quality thanks to the now obligatory on-line "Save Our Show" campaign and then die an ignominious death as a cable network flunk-out. That kind of death even sours some of fandom's fiercest because the cut-rate cable versions aren't "the same-old-show" either.

Bottom line: those who are whining and wishing for a "return to the old <insert preference here>" after Season 4, which as far as I am concerned was the most interesting season yet (especially the fantastic finale) ought to thank your lucky stars it WAS complicated. If it went back to that same-old that you seem to want you'd be well into the countdown for either direct cancellation or a scaled-back show followed by cancellation. My advice? Take the complications and like it because the alternative would soon be no more House at all.

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LilyHobbitJedi posted:

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I too hope there's not another Tritter in the making. That was definitely a mistake from the very beginning. Do we have to endure another cop getting after House for his drug addiction? It's getting old.

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Mar17swgirl posted:

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Hugh Laurie REALLY needs to win. He got snubbed twice with the Emmys already, and I think in this series we've seen his best performance ever.

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LilyHobbitJedi posted:

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Here is another crazy season 5 promo.

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