What to Watch: Part 1: A 4 hour meditation on 'House' by Jesse Tribble
Recommendations and thoughts about long form video content freely available on the internet.
House is a TV series that ran on the Fox network from 2004 to 2012. It follows a diagnostics team at the prestigious Princeton-Plainsbro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey - headed by a misanthropic genius Dr. Gregory House, played brilliantly by the legendary Hugh Laurie.
Not only is the hospital fictional, but there is nothing like a diagnostician.
When House explains his job - a diagnostician - "find out what's wrong with people and fix them"- to a one-episode character, she replies stealing the words from the audience's mouth - "don't all doctors do that?".
But that divergence from reality has a structural advantage (story wise). It allows for each episode to be structured like a mystery. The show is clearly inspired from Sherlock Holmes. Funnily enough, Sherlock Holmes was inspired by a university teacher of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle during his time as a student at the University of Edinburgh Medical School - Dr. Joseph Bell - a pioneer in forensic pathology.
The classic episodes of the show follow a three-part structure:
1) Cold open - ending with the onset of the patient's symptoms.
2) The team takes on the case - attempts to diagnose the patients - typically misdiagnose them - leading to consequences.
3) House then correctly diagnoses the patient - often out of the blue and often inspired by a passing remark made by one of the other characters. House's foil - oncologist and House's best friend - Leonard Wilson also figures here (Get it? Holmes & Watson - House & Wilson).
It is by no means a great show, but it is definitely entertaining. It is also a great examination of how long-running shows often decay. But, more importantly it is also nostalgic (ugh) for me.
It is ALSO important and deeply personal for the video-essayist and youtuber - Jesse Tribble.
Jesse made a 4+ hour - 6 part essay on his thoughts about the show and released it a couple of months ago.
The video essay starts with the idea that House should have ended after the Season 6 opener 'Broken'.
Well 'duh'.
But don't stop watching yet. Jesse makes some great points. It is DEFINITELY worth the watch.
See you next time!