ROUND-UP OF TV SEASON 2010-11 (VI)

Two FOX shows undergo major change this year. Here are TV TALK’s views on the most recent season finales of HOUSE MD and BONES…

HOUSE MD

If there was any episode of HOUSE MD that could leave your mind racing, at another level, as you try to delve into the complexity of the title character, it would have to be the S7 finale. Coming close to the baffling S6 premiere, when House was admitted in the psychiatric ward, this one left me desperate for more, to have a chance to interpret it better, to get under everything that I saw and heard. It gave new meaning to television in a way, as I saw myself likening it to an art film, with elements of noir.

That the first few frames of the episode were intriguing was only the beginning. By the end of it, after seeing the number of final chances Cuddy tried giving House to talk, I totally understood the frustration that she finally expressed to the policeman back in the beginning of the episode, when she said, “If Greg House ever sets foot in my hospital again, or comes anywhere near me, I want him thrown in jail!” After the psychiatric ward, after the building collapsing, after House performed surgery on himself in his bathtub, I didn’t know what else could be as unsettling as that statement in this finale. We all know that, sadly, Lisa Edelstein (Cuddy) is not returning for the eighth season of the show, and while the finale implies the reason why Cuddy will leave, it still doesn’t add up. How will anything go back to normal after House drove a car into Cuddy’s home? Will Cuddy actually surrender to House, and let him have the hospital? Where will Wilson fit into this scheme of things? How will this affect their friendship? How much more can Wilson handle? And will House get back on a path of self destruction after he’s basically just shown everyone the finger? …The unanswered questions the finale left me with are endless!

And while those questions remain very pertinent, other recent developments throw out some more ideas on what the next season will have in store for us. Taob is going to be a father, by his girlfriend as well as by his ex-wife. Will one of the pregnancies fail? Or will this turn throw him into an endless struggle? As for the others, I was glad to see Thirteen bonding with Chase over her insecurities, and how he came through for her, in an unsaid acceptance of how he also deals with having killed someone (remember that dictator guy?). I would very much like to see more of them together, as she deals with the demons from her past, next season. As much as I was less than satisfied with the way the writers handled her return to work, I see great potential for her character in S8. There has been a lot of speculation over whether S8 will be the last season or not. It might just be the final season, given that FOX has asked Universal Studios (which makes HOUSE MD) to cut costs, but there can be so much to it. Now whether or not HOUSE will see a S9, I still look forward to a lot more from the show.

BONES

In comparison to the S5 finale, BONES S6 ended on a happier note, even though it left me with so much, as I wondered what would come out of the situation at hand. Bones is pregnant and Booth is the dad! I have to say that the season gone by has been extremely satisfying and I especially thought that the handling of Bones and Booth’s relationship, right from the beginning was terrific. Right from when they both returned to home turf, with Booth in a committed relationship, and Bones feeling a sense of emptiness inside her, their story evolved excellently. As Bones realized her mistake in letting Booth go, and heartbreakingly has to live with that regret; as Booth’s heart is ripped out when he has to break up with Hannah; as they both decide on figuring out a right time for them to pursue a relationship; as Booth comforts Bones when Mr Nigel Murray died; everything was perfect, up until the pregnancy. It definitely made me think of what it will do to their relationship and how everyone would react… It’s a fantastic cliffhanger, but I found it a little gimmicky, as I really feel that they were doing well, and that their stance in each others’ lives, prior to the pregnancy, was good to go on for some time, even another season!

As for the cases in S6, I thought some were outstanding, especially with the way they were solved. The one with the deaf and mute kidnapped girl, the one during the blizzard, the shooting of the gravedigger and subsequently the return and arrest of Jacob Broadsky, were particularly compelling. I enjoyed continuing to see all the interns returning, each with significant changes in their lives and approach, and my heart went out to Mr Nigel Murray as he died before Booth and Brennan. The recurring characters had interesting stories too. Seeing Angela and Hodgins preparing for parenthood was heartwarming, as they dealt with possible health issues for their baby; seeing Cam trying to have a love life, while she tried doing justice to her job and her parenting was fun; and seeing Sweets dealing with his own problems as he was more of a shoulder to everyone this season was definitely a highlight of the season. And while in the midst of it all, Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz delivered excellent performances, here’s what we can expect in S7…

For one, S7 will not show up until November, because Emily Deschanel will be on maternity leave, and because the producers have decided to premiere the season later than the usual September premiere month, and because THE X FACTOR’s two-hour time slot will eat into BONES’ regular airtime for two months. Given that, the writers are not going to pick up where they left off, but will, instead, write in a passage of time, a few months into Bones’ pregnancy. So when we come back to BONES, we will see her fully pregnant, the others will already know about it all, and Angela and Hodgins will have plunged into parenthood. I am disappointed that we won’t get to see everyone’s reactions, unless they weave in flashbacks, which seems unlikely on the show. And even though Bones’ pregnancy seemed gimmicky, this new premise will offer the writers a lot of opportunities to explore more dimensions to the Booth-Bones dynamic. It has been revealed that Booth and Bones will be ‘together’ in S7, and to see them in a relationship will be new and exciting. Further to that, the producers have also revealed that they will not be in a conventional relationship, where there would be romance and dating and so on. Instead, given how they have both acknowledged their feelings and know where they stand, they will continue to be the way they are, just as a couple now. And beyond that, they’ll be present with several challenges over raising a child together, a big one being what religious beliefs they’ll instill in their child, given Booth’s blind faith in God, and Bones being an atheist. But all that is for later, when they finally have the baby. For now, we can all just look forward to S7!

What did you think of these two major FOX season finales? Tell TV TALK…