While it's true that fans of the hit medical dramedy
House excitedly waited for the show's season 5 premiere last Tuesday, the ratings slightly fell below target. Sure,
House on its new time slot at 8pm led all the shows that night at 14.4 million viewers. A year-on-year comparison with last season's premiere, however, reveals that it actually fell slightly above 20 percent from 18.3 million.
To those who missed the
House premiere, you can check the review
here. It was, no matter how you look at it, a heavily anticipated episode. Not only did it promise to reveal the aftermath of the disastrous catastrophe that threatened to foil one of television's most watched bromances today, the patient of the week part of the show is always something to look forward to.
In more ratings news, the good thing for Fox is that
House was able to do its job of leading in
Fringe on its second episode, with 4.4 million more viewers than its premiere. In the end, 93 percent of those who tuned to see
Hugh Laurie stayed put, retaining 13.4 million viewers for the J.J. Abrams creation. The news remains, however, that some 4 million people who saw
House's season 4 premiere were off watching something else.
Some critics suggest that what
House needs is a change, and that creator David Shore is slowly, discreetly heading to that direction. Is House being humanized? The enigmatic doctor's sudden disconnection with Wilson, the one man who tolerates him, may force House to look elsewhere and Cuddy, with her strangely tight-fitting ensemble, may just consummate the oft-quoted brewing romance with House.
If anything, though, “Dying Changes Everything” reveals the exhilarating connection between House and Wilson, despite their current rift. House tells Wilson that he, of all people, ought to know that his resigning is “bereavement 101” but cautions, “I'm not saying that you're not in pain. Wilson counters, “You're saying my pain's a cliché?” to which House responds, “I'm saying that pain fades.”
-Glenn L. Diaz, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source:
Entertainment Weekly,
The Globe and Mail
(Image Courtesy of Fox)