Two Stories

Spoiler Alert!: This review spoils all the best treats of this episode.

by Courtney Hilden

Enough time has elapsed that most people probably don't remember "Three Stories," which took place in a similar context: House talked to students (that time, the kind getting medical degrees, this time, the kind learning long division) using several medical stories, with the big reveal at the end (what happened to House's leg and, apparently, attitude.)

It's this lack of revelation that made "Two Stories" such a disappointment. The three stories wove around and then showed the audience what was unexpected but necessary to understand; here the stories wove around and the payoff was nonexistent. The actual case (about a young man who had food quite literally go down the wrong pipe), was so clearly the sideline that it could have been absent and unmissed. The storyline that we should have cared about, over Cuddy and House's relationship, was equally lacking. It is hard to believe that Cuddy would only now realize that House's jerkiness extents to petty things like slamming the door and using someone else's toothbrush. And then he says he's sorry, and that's it. If the payout from this had been better (it wasn't really the toothbrush, it is that he is selfish and uncaring and that maybe those qualities are more problematic because, um, Cuddy needs someone responsible and thoughtful enough to think of her/them/Rachel, and maybe she's pregnant...I'm just brainstorming here, and even on a stomachache in a end-of-the-work-week haze I can come up with more reasonable or sane reactions from her.)

House fans have quickly become apathetic about House/Cuddy (and, from what I can tell, even Huddy fans aren't really enjoying the glow). I know I'm apathetic, just because the relationship, which could encourage a certain amount of emotional growth from House has allowed him to plateau all over again. House is always at his best when he's forced to confront himself or being funny. This episode featured none of the former and only some of the latter; it's time to get back to the formula that works and actually has story potential.

Chuck Versus the C.A.T. Squad

by Courtney Hilden

Last episode, Chuck realized that Sarah did not have the kind of family and friends to come to their wedding, so he begins to search for her colleagues from the CIA. Chuck comes across a group of girls called the C.A.T. Squad, and you know that means an episode filled with bad jokes.
Obviously the C.A.T. Squad was meant to be remind viewers of Charlie's Angels, but like so many of the sexist concepts on the show, this fell flat. Sarah's already a hottie, we get it, it's hardly as if anyone needed reminding. The only good thing was that the writers were competent enough to give each of the girls motivation, even if it was pretty two dimensional and predictable. (The Party Girl was clearly the cutest and most likeable, like a Reese Witherspoon-esque character, which of course also meant she had to be the villian.
What was the point of this episode? Of this entire storyline? What the show should be doing is exploring Sarah's past, especially since she is the second most important (and one of the more interesting and engaging) characters. Sarah deserves to have as many episodes exploring her past as Chuck as had for his. This episode just felt like a waste of our time and excuse for a bunch of sexy women to bounce around. The strengths of this show are their storylines and character development, and that is what the writers should be focusing on.