Farewell to the Sherlock Holmes of Medicine

If you've followed House on Fox Television at any point over the past 9 seasons, you are probably aware that the central character is one of the most brilliant, nihilistic, misogynistic and just plain rotten fellows to ever grace the airwaves.  Personally, I think Dr. Gregory House suffers from a form of Asperger's syndrome, as in nearly a decade he has yet to form a single normal relationship with another human being.  The closest he comes to having a friend is with long suffering fellow doctor James Wilson, who is now making Dr. House miserable by refusing treatment for terminal cancer.

House is played to perfection by British actor Hugh Laurie, who has been nominated year after year for Emmy Awards but has so far only won Golden Globes.  In 2012 he will no doubt be joined in this honor by Robert Sean Leonard (Wilson) whose suffering as an oncologist who now faces cancer himself has been heartbreaking and an agony to watch.  I have always loved Dr. Wilson best, as he was the Ying to House's Yang.  While Wilson provided sweet balance and kindness...exactly the kind of doctor you'd want at your bedside... House was the mad genius who always saved the patient. No matter how dire or obscure the diagnosis, House and his team found the solution.  Alas the sad doctor could never rejoice from his medical victories.  At the end of the day, House would always be alone, wrapped in pain and whiskey, torturing a few notes of a blues song from his piano keys.

With one episode left to go before the show ends forever, I hope Dr. House and Wilson can find some sort of peace from their enduring friendship.  It really has been one of the great "bromances" on television...right up there with Starsky and Hutch, Barney and Fred, and (my personal favorite) Spock and Kirk. I'll be there next Monday as their saga draws to a close.  Will you?  Here's a wonderful video montage of House and Wilson as we near the end.

Great TV Tonight on Fox -- "House" and "Fringe"

Let's go out on a limb and declare Tuesday nights on Fox the most exciting night of broadcast television around. Tonight we've got the season preem of House starring Hugh Laurie, who just got a big raise for his role and at the same time signed on for several more years of the show. He's also up for an Emmy as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and we'll find out if he wins this coming Sunday. (As great as he is, I'm afraid I'm rooting for somebody else, but what the heck.)

Then at 9pm, episode two of the intriguing new J.J. Abrams series Fringe which premiered last week. Jane gave it an enthusiastic review here, and I second it. I'm looking forward to more adventures and can't wait for tonight's episode. Here's a preview:

That's our recommendation for tonight! You just couldn't do better anywhere else!