HOUSE "Broken" Early Review (Season 6 Premiere)
The season 6 two-hour premiere episode from HOUSE, "Broken," airs on Monday, September 21 at 8pm on Fox.
I have two words to describe the episode: "Unbelievably brilliant!" This is officially not only the best House episode ever, but it's the best episode of the Fall season (new and returning shows included).
There are so many elements that make this episode incredible that I thought I would give you the top 5 reasons this episode is the ultimate MUST WATCH, especially if you're a House fan.
But first let's refresh our memory. If you remember, last season ended with Dr. House committing himself to Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital in order to get rid of his hallucinations. In the season 6 two-hour premiere episode "Broken," we find House in the hospital trying to deal with his issues. This episode doesn't feature any of the regular characters (except for a brief cameo of Wilson) which turns out not to be a bad thing.
So here are the top 5 reasons why "Broken" is the best House episode ever:
1) Hugh Laurie
We all knew Hugh Laurie was a brilliant actor, but you've never seen him like this. It's almost feels like the supporting cast have been bringing him down, but this time without them in the picture, Hugh Laurie is able to give it all he has and shine. If there ever was a performance worthy of Awards, this is it.
2) Franka Potente
Franka Potente (Run Lola Run, The Bourne Identity) guest stars in this episode as Lydia, a woman who visits her brother's wife and best friend at the Asylum every week. Not only does Franka Potente hold her own against Hugh Laurie, she is a breath of fresh air for the show. She also becomes a love interest for House and to be honest, she is my favorite one to date (yes she beats out Cuddy, Dr. Cameron and House's ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner).
3) House "playing" with mental patients
I mentioned that we love the show because of House, but now imagine House amongst mental patients... just let that sink in for a sec.
For someone who likes to push buttons this is like winning the lottery. Just picture this, House going up to an anorexic girl and calling her fat!!! Who does this? But it's so brilliant and so House. And that's only one example.
4) A different side of House
While watching House pushing buttons is fun for a while, this episode also shows a more vulnerable side of House which is something I don't think we have ever seen in the last 5 years. It was so refreshing and so well written that I cannot wait to see how it affects the rest of the season.
5) It's like watching a movie
A big reason this episode was so great is because it honestly felt like I was watching a movie. It had a beginning, middle and end, it followed the journey of this character, House, in a mental institution. It honestly could work without the show, although not perfectly because you need to know the show in order to understand some background information, but still, it's really close.
I cannot say enough good things about this episode and I wish every episode could be as good as this one.
It also makes me question the need to have a supporting cast. How about we get rid of all of them and just make a new show about House? Who's with me?.... anybody? Ok fine, I guess I would miss Wilson at some point... and the show might get boring if it stayed at the asylum, but still.
Of course, don't forget to watch House on Monday, September 21, at 8pm on Fox.
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So excited for this episode! I am sure it will be amazing!
GREAT IDEA!!! HUGH LAURIE IS HOUSE!! But can we keep Wilson too?????
[...] Update: You can also read our review of the episode, "Broken" here. [...]
Good review, this episode was my favorite. Totally amazing start to the new season!
I loved Hugh Laurie in this and cannot believe how hard a lot of these scenes hit me personally. Good Stuff!
awful, I thought I was watching Grey's Anatomy.
What is the last song of the episode Anyone?
im so excited! and also so happy that a critic gave something a good review for once, i cant wait for the 2 hour premiere in 45 minutes, ive been waiting months!
the best ever, unbelievably believable!!! Superb!
Have you actually _seen_ any of the previous House seasons? There has been many way better episodes on the show. Yes, Hugh Laurie is terrific, as he usually is, no, we don't miss the supporting cast that much but there was a terrible hollowness about the episode that to me was unbearable.
This simply wasn't House - he folded easily when the big black doctor confronted him, he made actual human connections with more than one person and there was no plot twist in the end. Utterly, utterly disappointing.
I think I may have swallowed this if it had unfolded over more than an hour and a half - we've seen House's vulnerable sides gradually over time in the last 3 seasons or so but this was WAY too rapid for me to accept. As he would say, people don't change.
I certainly hope we get back to the usual format and he gets back to his usual self. I also hope this hollywood tackiness (seriously, the crazy guy gave the mute girl a music box (most used childhood memory turnaround in movie history, anyone?) and they all of a sudden both talk again? tacky.) wasn't brought around by falling ratings last year.
All rant aside, I can't not acknowledge the brilliant acting & writing that I've come to expect from the show, as always practically impeccable, even with all the new faces. Whom, frankly potente and to use that all so awesome line, I hope I never see again
@Alex - Thank you for your comment. And yes I have seen all 5 seasons of House and I still say this is the best episode. But of course that's only my opinion and you are free to pick whichever episode as your favorite.
And you'll be happy to hear that House should get back to its usual format. Even I'm excited to see how House's interaction with the others is going to evolve this season, especially Wilson.
I love this episode. It's definitely the best House episode ever. I have a smile on my face all the 80 mins, which was never happened before. Simply Brilliant.
It was a good episode, but far from the best. They have gone away from what made House, House. I hope they get back on track soon.
Alex, your evaluation of this episode is so typical - yet sadly indicitive of a lot of TV fans, who seem reluctant to accept change and evolution where their fav shows/characters are concerned. We've been watching House be a cranky, forthright asshole for 5 years now, and make no mistake, its brilliant, but what are we do to? Are we to simply accept that he stays this way forever and that they keep churning out series after series of house constantly spiralling deeper and deeper in cynicsm and abusive self loathing?
The negative reviews I've read about this incredible episode based on the fact house wasn't 'doing all the usual stuff' we've seen him do before just makes me feel sad for people who want their TV entertainment to be the televised equivalent of a endlessly rotating hamster wheel. I think the writers on house are doing a great job and their efforts to evolve and grow an obviously flawed but brilliant character are noble. Doing the same thing is the real obvious outcome, have some imagination and accept change.
Frankly I think the moments where they reveal his humanity and show glimpses of his path to redemption are the most touching and worthwhile moments in any season of House. Whilst I would hate to see the show create a 'nice' house by any means, whatever way they take the show this season and beyond, I hope as he continues to stuggle with his demons, that when they finally make the final curtain call on this amazing show, that they at least leave viewers with a sense that cranky ol house has found some happiness and contentment.
Actually I believe I'm not quite your typical TV viewer - I value greatly the development of House over the seasons. We've seen him thru the last 5 seasons in many a situation where he's shown a vulnerable and humane side of his character and I've never had any problem with them and I completely disagree with your evaluation that he's always been a "cranky forthright asshole".
What I had a problem with in this episode is the fluff surrounding it - the music box and the crazy flying boy who jumps off the roof and the bipolar latino guy who wants "to get better"
What I had a problem with was the fact that we didn't see how and why house got better - none of his deeper issues were actually addressed in whatever short time we saw him talk about himself with any of the characters, be it big black doctor or sweet german franka potente
What I had a problem with was the fact that there was practically no medicine and no mystery in a show which is chiefly and foremost about medical mysteries. Ok, that is a stupid statement, the show is about many other more important things but you know what I mean.
All in all, I liked the episode apart from the aforementioned problems, it was a good hour and a half of entertainment, but what ticked me off to write all that vile stuff is the preposterous claim that it was the best of all time. And yes, I realize opinions will always differ. I just needed someplace to vent. There. I vented.
woo.
Alex, I dont think it was the 'best of all time' personally, but given the complete change in direction I think was right up there with the great episodes. Personally, I think the fact that it DIDN'T have any medical mysteries (outside of what was wrong with House) made this episode. It was a really indepth claustrophobic sidestep to looking at whats wrong with house, as opposed to house figuring out what was wrong with someone else. I felt this one-off personal look at his character at a fragile time really made for great viewing, so I didn't get caught up on the more cliched aspects such as the musicbox etc, which were less relevant to me. Plus I really liked the flying boy sidestory.. that short scene with them floating with brighted colored jumpsuits on having fun was so vivid in comparison to the stark dull tones of the institute that you quite literally came back down to earth with a bang in the next scene when house admitted he needed help. As an analogy it was quite powerful and relevant.
I thought the real beauty of the episode though was the fact that even he couldnt diagnose his own problem with all his amaging medical knowledge. This was obviously deliberate on the part of the writers to show how mental illness can affect people. House thought he was ok for most of the episode before realising of course that he wasnt and admitting he needed help.
I'm sure there will be plenty of medical mysteries in the upcoming 20 odd episodes
Good chatting anyway.
C
The last song was by was The Frames - Seven Day Mile. Great band, check out star star and revelate.
Great episode.