You raised a legitimate argument about the nature of online forums, blogs, and message boards. Many of them are inundated with mindless pages of negativity, based solely on some people’s propensity to find fault with anything in his/her path.

My opinion, and that is all it is, is that GMMR has fostered a community of readers who react strongly to shows that they feel passionate about. For the most part, we celebrate the amazing talents that put shows like House on the air each week. However, after six seasons on Fox, there are occasional misfires, and those are worthy of examination, too.

It is analogous to the degree to which certain musical acts are followed. A band like U2 or Dave Matthews Band sells CDs to a large mainstream audience. Some people would buy a ticket to one of their concerts based solely on the enjoyment of a guitar riff or a particular radio hit. Others, while smaller in number, congregate online to interpret lyrics, plan meetups before concerts, and report back on the pros and cons of a particular show.

I would argue that neither the casual fan or the die-hard fan is a better fan. They simply express their enthusiasm in different ways.

I’ve been in the medical field for quite a while — trust me — it’s TV.

OK – There should be a ‘HUDDY”. Part of one season (maybe) of that. Bye-bye “House” while the whole sexual tension thing sates itself – and that will be a GREAT thing! I’ll be first in line to watch. The show shouldn’t end there. This is such an incredible acting and dialogue sensation that I hope it goes on and on, and it’s dependent on all its participants — Hey Writers!!! excellent job … Hugh Laurie could do any thing that was set in front of him – and am gaining respect for the others. However. Hugh is just too darn good

Why aren’t first names used on this program? Erik – I bet you can tell me !!!!!

Thanks
Chris

If you were introducing a new viewer to House, and could only Season Six to hold their attention, are there any episodes outside of the “Big 3″ we’ve been talking about that would be worth sharing?

It’s an interesting question to consider, particularly as we look ahead to the last batch of episodes. I’d be eager to read everyone’s ideas…

I do hope that “5 to 9″ will serve as evidence that Cuddy serves a non-romantic purpose on the show, and that the producers can orchestrate a future Huddy pairing in an organic way. Simply tossing Lucas aside and throwing them into bed together would be a colossal failure, in my opinion.

The distinction I make between “Wilson” and “5 to 9″ is purely subjective. They are clearly the 2nd and 3rd best episodes of this season, bowing only to the masterpiece that was “Broken.” So long as everyone has the chance to enjoy Lisa Edelstein & Robert Sean Leonard’s standout efforts, the decision on where to rank them is a joyful debate.

Welcome back to the fun, and let’s see where the rest of this season takes us!

But overall, glad to see LIsa take center-stage and match it with a good performance. All those hate-filled comments against her, the name calling her character underwent over the past should finally come to an end.
Oh wait, they are exactly the kind of people who would use the “B” word on her..

I apologize for turning this comment into a discussion of the Wilson episode–the Cuddy episode was huge in scope and I think an excellent foil for the Wilson episode and it shows how rich and multifaceted the House program really is. I agree that Lisa Edelstein deserves an Emmy for her tour de force performance and the writing was first-class. Her interactions with House were well worth waiting for after wading through several painful episodes when she avoids contact with him. I’m hoping we’ll get to see a continuation of the wonderful interacts we saw between House and Cuddy. Ok. Now I’m done. Thanks for your patience.

Hopefully, with the events of this episode in mind, viewers won’t presume that Cuddy simply waits for House to barge in to propel her day.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and please return to the discussion for upcoming episodes. I always learn more about House from the GMMR community than I do from the show itself!

Tash: The pace of this episode, from a big picture standpoint, could definitely be a problem for fans who enjoy House’s regular format. As in the “Wilson” episode discussed above, I can put myself in the shoes of a regular viewer, tuning in to see Hugh Laurie do his thing, and be taken out of the story when Cuddy, Wilson, or any other characters dominate the story. I am thrilled that Lisa Edelstein’s performance brought back fond memories of Cuddy for you, and I hope that she continues to be a favorite in future episodes, when you’ll have smaller doses of her to consume!

In addition, your thoughts on the episode reminded me that Lucas’ name never appeared in my review. As a fan of Michael Weston, it seemed almost bizarre to have written about Cuddy’s day without thinking about her boyfriend. Your argument is the most logical explanation. Their relationship, while full of charming moments, is as functional to Cuddy as the nurses who stand in for her non-existent assistant and the heads of Princeton Plainsboro’s various departments. They are all means to an end. Fortunately, we saw that the “end” Cuddy prioritizes is a full and happy life. We should all be so lucky…

Pithy, topical, witty, thoughtful, compassionate and, I thought, brilliantly written and acted. Definitley my favorite episode so far this season.

This episode was very powerful. As a woman it was really compelling to see the story of a working mother told in a very deliberate but meaningful way. Sacrifices were made at every turn, and it’s all she could do to keep all the balls in the air. Just as Rachel’s fever and rash could have quickly turned into something worse, so could have the negotiations with Atlantic Net.

What I really saw in this episode was the loneliness of Cuddy’s life. Lucas may be in her life but she can’t count on him any more than she can count on House. And in the hospital she has to make decisions by herself that affect so many. House always says “everybody lies”, but Cuddy doesn’t want to believe that. She wants the best for people. It’s why she believes one of her employees when she says she just took a few pills to lose weight. Seems every time she turns around someone is letting her day. She only has herself to rely on.

I really loved what you had to say about how they demphasized the word “bitch” by dovetailing it to ignorance. The first time someone called her that I was taken a back, but by the end of the episode it didn’t hold the same meaning. She has to deal with people like THEM all day….they have one encounter with her and label her in such a way? So sad.

Kudos to your great recap and to the writing team that pulled this episode together. It’s risky, but well done.