House M.D.
Let me start by saying that ''House'' isn't your typical medical drama; this is nothing like ''E.R'' or ''Grey's Anatomy'', where an episodes's central plot revolves around saving a man who had a heartdefying emergency room medical miracle. Dr. House is the Sherlock Holmes of medicine, trying to solve medical cases other doctors can't. Unlike most television shows, though, ''House'' slaps on a pretty thick layer of intellectual and philosophical meaning. However, that deep meaning is coated in witty banter between characters regarding the moral decisions the doctors must make. I praise any show that can rattle my belief structure ''and'' crack one of my ribs from laughing at the same time.
It's NEVER Lupus
Except for that one episode where it ''was'' Lupus. Dr. Gregory House (played by British actor Hugh Laurie) is the head of Diagnostics at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. He's an uncaring, sarcastic, Vicodin-popping genius who believes that everybody lies, and he only cares about solving his medical puzzles. His methods are unconventional, he dislikes patients and it doesn't take long for him to insult someone. Did I mention I love his character? He's a jerk who usually ends up being right, but it's so hard not to love his dark humor.
House and his team of doctors take on strange medical cases that others can't solve. The show unfolds as they misdiagnose patients, often making matters worse. Somewhere in between all of this diagnostic ribladry, House hits on his boss, Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) and gets into debates with his best friend, oncologist Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard). After all is said and done, House, or the team, usually figures out what is wrong, but sometimes it's not in time. This show reveals that doctors don't always have the answers and they're often forced into making difficult decisions with little information.
The beauty of this show lies in the staggering amount of character growth over its many seasons. Season 1 began with a larger focus on the patient and it's what drew me into the show. However, over the years, the lives of the characters came into balance with each episode's case. In Seasons 5 and 6, the balance now lies with these main characters, however it's a welcome change. Of course we still want to know what's ailing the patient, but we care more about the frailty of our characters. It's the perfect dose of drama, comedy, big doctor words (like Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis!), brains (both real and metaphorical), philosophy, Vicodin, sarcasm, Rolling Stone songs and truth.
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