[US] House 5x20 "Simple Explanation" (major spoilers)

AnCapaillMor

All i can say is fupping hell.

Dr Galen

i had fixed the messed up episode title for ya dude!

anytime you make a bo bo just drop me a PM and I'll get it fixed for ya

Epic Tissue

lostexpectation

wtf, just like that. taub did it :P

JohnK

Epic Tissue wrote: »

that sums it all up

Necronomicon

I was really pissed off, but knew there had to be some reason they did it. Looks like there was.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood star Kal Penn has swapped television's "House" for the White House. The 31-year-old actor, who made his mark as the pot-smoking Kumar in the "Harold and Kumar" feature film comedies, will become associate director in the White House office of public liaison, Entertainment Weekly reported on Monday.

For the past two seasons, Penn played Dr. Lawrence Kuttner on Fox's medical-mystery drama "House." His character exited the show in a violent fashion on Monday's episode by committing suicide for no apparent reason.

Penn told Entertainment Weekly that he loved working on "House," but had always been a bit of a political junkie, inspired in part by his grandparents, who marched with Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian independence movement.

He campaigned for U.S. President Barack Obama, expressed interest in working for his administration, and got a job offer a few months ago. In his new role -- for which he will take a big pay cut -- he will "do outreach" with the American public and with different organizations.

"They're basically the front door of the White House. They take out all of the red tape that falls between the general public and the White House," he said of his new colleagues.

Penn, one of the few Indian-American actors to make it big in Hollywood, said he still has a passion for acting, but won't be appearing on screen for the foreseeable future.

RIP Kutner

Edit: Just saw the other thread.

User45701

This would have been a strong episode without him killing himself - it was interesting diagnosing two patients at the same time.

I was very shocked because i had heard no spoilers or warning this was comming

Ciaran B

User45701 wrote: »

This would have been a strong episode without him killing himself - it was interesting diagnosing two patients at the same time.

I was very shocked because i had heard no spoilers or warning this was comming

I reckon that was to show how sudden a suicide can be, how it can come totally out of the blue. If there were stories leaked about a major character dying or trailers saying “Tune in next week for a very special House” the impact would have been reduced. I think I let out a gasp when 13 slipped in the pool of blood.

I could be wrong, of course, and may Kal just wanted out of the show to take up the White House gig ASAP.

Tom65

Ciaran B wrote: »

I reckon that was to show how sudden a suicide can be, how it can come totally out of the blue. If there were stories leaked about a major character dying or trailers saying “Tune in next week for a very special House” the impact would have been reduced. I think I let out a gasp when 13 slipped in the pool of blood.

I could be wrong, of course, and may Kal just wanted out of the show to take up the White House gig ASAP.

A bit of both, I'd say. With a show like House, producers are probably worried about it stagnating. So they probably took the chance to kill him off.

Still though, I'm surprised how they killed him. Shooting yourself in the head is about as violent a way to go as possibly, and not something they normally go in for on TV.

I did like the "House needs to figure out why" angle, and Taub's reaction was strange (did he do it? ). I think it lets them spend the remainder of the season going through it.

I can definitely see Cameron coming back though. In the last two episodes House has gone to her for help, and it's worked out (somewhat).

Shryke

I thought it was very good. It definitely made an impact. I'm surprised they still went on with the medical side of things throughout.

IRISH RAIL

just seen it now man that sucks:(

chupacabra

I knew Kal Penn was leaving the show.. but i had no idea the writers would make such a cheap shot and kill him off like that. He was my favourite of the new cast so i am not very happy about him leaving, however overall it was a good episode. But im still kind of in shock... :pac:

anotherlostie

Oh my God. They killed Kutner. You b*stards.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Was so hoping it wasn't gonna be Kutner.
Although, I read a few interviews with Kal Penn and the producers after seeing the episodes and it looks like they're all still good friends - and congrats to Penn on the new job. Hopefully we'll somehow be given a reason before the end of the series.
R.I.P. Kutner.

BlitzKrieg

I think they wont give a reason, it seems to be a central theme to the plot (and the interview) that House cant explain why he did it.

Shryke

It's also much more true to life.

lostexpectation

have to say shooting yourself though, he's doctor get some pills?

Ivan

lostexpectation wrote: »

have to say shooting yourself though, he's doctor get some pills?

His parents were shot. I think it was meant to be symbolic, if nothing else but for the character.

Thought it was a brilliant episode. Kept waiting for it to be a dream or a joke and as my disappointment and frustration grew, the more I was captivated by House's dogged determination to understand why.

I had a friend in college who went a similar way. I never saw it coming, none of us did. I think this episode struck a chord with me as a result, but ultimately, it is an incredibly powerful episode of tv. Truly remarkable. I'll miss Kuttner, but what a way to go - one of the best episodes I've ever seen.

Basq

Have spent the last few days catching up on House.

Truth be told.. I really think House has lost it's way for most of this season. It's been largely unmemorable - I don't mean to point fingers but it's thanks mainly to 13 and Foreman's drab storylines and romance.

But the last two episodes (5x19 and 5x20) were back to the House I've missed.

I think 5x19 was just very nicely made.. Mos Def's voice did grate on me but I think the whole perspective playing out from being "locked in" worked wondefully.

However, 5x20 was the one that really hit home with me. I knew someone was going to die (thanks to someone who will remain nameless! ) but I had my suspicions it would be either:

a) Taub - since he's been tormented by House as of late.
b) Wilson - while unlikely (the show would fall apart without Wilson and House's relationship, although it would make it all the more shocking), an episode 3 - 4 weeks back dealed with suspicions of Wilson being suicidal.

Kutner was one of the good ones... he had fantastic comedic presence, was like House in many ways and was instantly likeable. And Kal Penn played him extremely well.

The episode was wonderfully played out.. from the discovery of Kutner all the way to Taub finally breaking down. The patient story with Mr Loaf took a backseat but as I've said before, House is becoming less and less about the procedural backstories week after week.

And I think this was the first episode in a long time where Hugh Laurie played the tortured House that has been absent for a long time!

The use of Pete Yorn's "Lose You" was fantastic too.. also something i noticed was this season has been lacking great music.

Anyways, congratulations to Kal on his new position in Washington!

ixoy

Thanks a lot to zap2it's glaring headline: "What now for House following Kutner's death?" BASTARDS.

Anyway, despite that this was still a great episode - Basquille has it on the nose saying that season five has been a bit forgettable and partially that's due to House not being tortured enough. This should nicely solve that - I was quite like House in trying to figure out Kutner's death (the manner of it was still a surprise to me). I was almost happy when House convinced himself that it must be murder... but no that'd be too easy.

I really liked Kutner's character - looking around on forums, he seems to easily have been the favourite of the new ducklings. Why couldn't Thirteen have put a bullet to her head instead? It would have less angst because there'd be a reason for it but still more satisfying...

BlitzKrieg

I think for every episode this season I have applauded Kutner as the best new character so I am really gutted that he has left, my reviews are probably gonna get alot more critical next season

Epic Tissue

ixoy wrote: »

I was quite like House in trying to figure out Kutner's death

Oh, so you broke into Kutner's apartment too?