© (C) 2009 Fox Olivia Wilde and Hugh Laurie in HOUSE -Season Six - "Teamwork"

Television:

TV Review: HOUSE - SEASON SIX - 'Teamwork'

An adult film star faces his past while the team deals with history of its own in this above par episode

Grade: B
Stars: Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, Jennifer Morrison, Peter Jacobson, Olivia Wilde
Writer(s): Eli Attie
Director: David Straiton
Release Date: November 16, 2009
Rating: NR

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By CARLOS DELGADO, Associate Editor
Published 11/17/2009

Ah the past. Dirty secrets (or not so dirty, as was the case of this week’s patient) always come crawling back at the worst times and bite you right in the rear. But the past, as everyone knows, is something you can’t change. No profound statement there, granted, but it is something that we often overlook, the past conveniently stashed away in some cluttered back drawer of our brain, the only reminder a being a few corners of papers poking out. But inevitably those secrets come flying out, doing damage beyond our control or comprehension. HOUSE had been brewing for a while now. The vacation is over.

The medical end of “Teamwork” deals with a porn actor, Hank (Troy Garity), who is suffering from a multitude of symptoms, most of them painful and potentially fatal. House (Hugh Laurie) and his team struggle to find the cause for any of his symptoms, and in typical HOUSE fashion, every treatment they try usually worsens Hank’s condition. Eventually, Taub (Peter Jacobson) and Thirteen (Olivia Wilde) figure out what’s going on, calling just in time to stop House from performing a fatale treatment while a stunned Foreman (Omar Epps), Chase (Jesse Spencer), and Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) look on.

The business end of HOUSE is far more involved. In the last episode, “Known Unknowns”, Chase finally admits to Cameron that he is responsible for Dibala's (James Earl Jones) death. Cameron is surprisingly supportive. They agree to start their lives over, quitting their jobs and preparing to move away. Their decision to leave sets in motion a series of events that ultimately forces House, Chase, Cameron, Taub, Thirteen, Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), heck, nearly everyone on the show, to reexamine who they were, who they have become, and who they want to be.

One of the great strengths of HOUSE is the ability to weave together the medical and the personal aspects of the show to deliver one hard hitting message. Hank is an unapologetic adult film star, as is his wife, Lexa (Jolene Blalock). Throughout the episode, he is constantly lectured to, warned that his lifestyle may eventually kill him (it is suggested as an early diagnosis that he contracted his disease sexually). Ironically, it was his over protective parents and his ultra shielded childhood that didn’t allow his body to develop the necessary defenses to live in our germ ridden world. It’s that darn past, rearing its ugly head when you least expect it.

History also haunts Chase and Cameron. There was no way Chase could keep the murder of Dibala a secret from her. But when Chase decides that he doesn’t want to start over, that he wants to stay and work with House, Cameron severs all ties with Chase, House, and by the looks of it, the show as a whole.

In Cameron’s eyes, House and Cameron have become unethical monsters. House, knowing the true cause of Hank’s condition, allowed him to be misdiagnosed to nearly the point of death, all to persuade Taub and Thirteen to return to work for him by enticing them with the challenge they are missing at their current jobs. Chase, apparently follows in House’s footsteps, downgrading the value of human life to the point that he feels he can make the decision whether someone deserves to live or die. Cameron blames House for Chase’s transformation and decides that she can no longer associate herself with any of them.

“Who have I become?” That is the question “Teamwork” poses. While you may be content with who you see in the mirror, know that the path you took to get there will always have repercussions, some good and some bad. Like it or not, your past defines who you are, whether you are reacting against it, as Hank was, or are a dealing with the consequences, like House and Chase currently are.

That HOUSE is sophisticated enough to ask those questions is what makes it one of the best shows on television. It’s not perfect (like that many doctors who look like models work in one hospital), but it does make you think. Add to that solid writing and great camera work, and you’ve got yourself a show worth watching. And now that the ugly past is taking center stage, prepare yourself from some real soul searching, some unwanted revelations, and some extreme reactions.

Reader Comments

PetrKunkAlpinist1977 from Bern sez....
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6/28/2010 2:55:37 AM

GawlelogCooca from Marshall Islands sez....
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5/8/2010 3:10:28 AM

Haute from sez....
Great review. I really enjoyed the episode as well, they have added a different touch to this season that I can't exactly pinpoint but whatever it is they've added to the show it definitely works for me.
11/17/2009 11:23:12 AM

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