TV last night - House's fourth season premiere

Published Sep 26 2007, 12:27 AM by Ryan Stewart

Yep, that's Hugh Laurie

Here's what we like about Dr. House the character (and, by extension, the show) - it isn't just that he doesn't do what he's told, it's that he actively seeks out activities that are frowned upon in any profession, let alone medical. And he's brilliant. The fact that he can do drugs, steal, lie, manipulate, and generally act like an asshole to everyone and still succeed at his profession is oddly comforting. But he can't do it alone. The events of last season left him without his subordinates Cameron, Chase, and Foreman, and so this season opens with a genuinely funny bit between him and a janitor thrust into diagnostic duty (the janitor suggests Lupus, in a nice little nod to literally every episode of the show.) We know that House will eventually audition a new team - Kal Penn is among the actors who've already been announced as joining the cast, at least on a temporary basis. And it's a safe guess that Cameron, Foreman, and Chase will all wander back into the fold. But in the meantime, this episode that just saw the adults (House, Cuddy, and Wilson) knocking heads with one another, was pretty enjoyable. It's too bad they don't do this sort of thing more often.