One-Line Review

The One-Line Review is a weekly recap of television shows and news. They may include run-on sentences, but only one period is allowed per show.

- Eli Stone continues to be good and heartwarming, but please lay off the George Michael!
- Lost is so completely confusing, but I still love it.
- American Idol is entering Hollywood week, so maybe there will be something to blog about then.
- Terminator is enjoyable enough, but can kind of drag in parts.
- Private Practice may yet push out a few new episodes for this season if the strike ends.
- Lipstick Jungle premiered and was better than Cashmere Mafia, thanks in no small part to having a standard in production values.
- House aired the last filmed episode, and I hope Wilson keeps going out with "Cutthroat Bitch."
- I saw the first few minutes of Wife Swap this week, I feel corrupted.
- The WGA strike may be done this weekend and production might start on shows this Monday.
- J.J. Abrams keeps casting people for his show Fringe, the cast is starting to become kind of big.
- I don't watch Big Brother, I feel like I'm a minority for doing so.

House: Frozen

The SuperBowl came and left and gave us a special, new installment of House! Let's just hope that Nikke Finke is right and the writer's strike ends soon so we can get a few more episodes out this season. The writing has been consistently good and the comedy fresh and entertaining, which is probably the first time I can really say that about a whole season of House.

What happened: Our victims are researchers working on a windmill farm in the south pole. After a blade falls off and hits the guy, the female doctor (primarily a psychiatrist, not a medical doctor) starts to save his life. But she starts to feel sick. So they hook up their apparently HiDef WebCam and seek out Princeton Plainsboro for help. House starts to fall for the victim as he works to diagnose what's wrong with her via web cam, three quarters of a world away.

Meanwhile, he sent his team to annoy Cameron, whose finance committee decided that cable should be a pay-to-watch service, cramping House's style. The team tries to make House believe Cameron quit the committee and that she got fired, but he yells at them for trying to outsmart him and tells them to quit playing games, stand up to him, quit worrying about getting fired and get to work. Eventually they figure out that the clots, spasms and other problems over in the south pole are because of a broken toe (!?) and all is well with everyone. Wilson is dating and SPOILER!!! it's......... Amber, ie. "Cutthroat Bitch."

What worked: The humor in this episode was outstanding. From House's interactions with the patient to the especially funny interactions with Wilson, the episode was chock full of humor. Here are some of my favorites:
"She says she cares about other people? What a poser." - Wilson
"The reason I haven't told you is-" Wilson, explaining to House why he hasn't heard of his new girlfriend, right before he bolts for the door.
"Oh no! I'm screwed." - Cate, the patient, after she suffers another medical episode.
"I'll be fine on Tuesdays." - House, after being told he'll only have broadcast network to watch at work for free.
"Cuddy, your ex-wives-" "Your mama." - House and Wilson, discussing who Wilson is dating.
"I love you." - Kutner to House, after the team tries to figure out what House wants them to say to him.

What didn't work: Not much didn't work, which is a great thing and a little unusual for House. I'm a little surprised that the hospital, the south pole and House's laptop all have amazing hi-def webcams that have great resolution at full screen, but I am not up-to-speed on webcams, so maybe that is commonplace and I sound like a whiner right now. (But I am, so I'm alright with that.) By trying to include Cameron in this episode, we cut down on what normally would have been more time with Cuddy. I love both Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer, but I cannot see them being on the show next year at all.

This Tuesday: Another all-new episode! Is this the last new one for a while? I think it might be. House's patient - a hasidic jew - slips away from him, supposedly, and Wilson spends more time with his girlfriend, Amber. Who, as House surmises, is manipulative, smart and controlling. "Oh my god! You're sleeping with me!"

House: It's a Wonderful Life

Thank you, FOX, for holding on to a Christmas-themed episode of House until the end of January. I feel so full of holiday cheer and I cannot wait to exchange gifts on Christmas morning... eleven months from now.

The episode featured a post-West Wing Janel Moloney, playing a single mom whose hands became paralyzed. And then the rest of her body goes absolutely crazy for no good reason, in typical House style.

What worked: The dynamic between the mother and daughter, who value honesty above anything else, made for a nice struggle between the team who couldn't seem to fathom someone who won't tell a white lie. The new team (Kutner, Taub, Thirteen) did a good job, filling in the shoes of the old team. It was a nice transition and it worked fairly well. Even though I'm sure she'll only last a couple episodes, the chemistry between House and the prostitute was terrific. And Thirteen actually had speaking lines - and was smart! Who knew?

What didn't work: Are doctors supposed to save your life or question your honorable parenting styles? Honestly now, just how annoyed would you be if all of your doctors were questioning your "no lie" policy after you became partly paralyzed, blind and with trouble breathing? Seriously now. Kutner has become the new Cameron, doing what he can to suck up to House. Taub is the new Foreman, the one who does his job but quietly and forgettably.

Also, I hope that the people who play Chase and Cameron can do some other acting jobs on the side, because the show right now must pay them nothing, and must be an incredibly boring job to hold.

Stay tuned Sunday, Feb. 3rd, for a special episode after the SuperBowl. From what I've heard, there is a deliciously satisfying and unexpected twist in the end, involving one of the main character's love life. Stay tuned for more.