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Omar Epps

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April 24, 2007: House Training

I think it's safe to say that tonight's show was a bit of a downer. If the unnecessary death of Lupe (Monique Gabriela Curnen), a young, economically depressed woman, doesn't convince you of that, then maybe the presence of Foreman's Alzheimer-stricken mother (Beverly Todd) will. Lupe entered the hospital exhibiting all sorts of worrisome symptoms that baffled the doctors. At Foreman's insistence they treated her to a dosage of full-body radiation to kill the suspected cancer. But only after destroying her auto-immune system did they realize that the source of her distress was an infection. Their treatment effectively killed her. So this time it was Foreman sitting at a dying patient's bedside. (Remember that Cameron is now emotionally unavailable for such things.) The situation provided for some fine moments from a wrecked Foreman who was already struggling with the effects of his visiting mother's dementia. Meanwhile, House struggled to identify the true nature of Wilson and Cudd... read more

April 17. 2007: Act Your Age

Hi everyone,I’m so sorry to have missed recapping this week's house but as Angel posted I was flat on my back reenacting my very own NyQuil commercial complete with nighttime sniffling, sneezing, coughing and aching. But I'm back at work now with a recap in hand and though it's a couple of days late hopefully you won't find it to be a dollar short. Thanks for keeping the discussion going in my absence.-RhodaSeriously, what show am I watching? From the daycare-teacher-doing dad (Erich Anderson) to the off-again Cameron-Chase pairing to the Wilson-Cuddy-House triangle I am on relationship overload. Add Wilson's should-I-shouldn't-I-does-she-doesn't-she back and forth and there is too much relationship stuff swirling around this show. I half expected Chase to drop a 'McSurly' on House. I know there are a lot of 'shippers' out there rooting for a Hameron sandwich or a Huddy huddle, but I'm telling you now, we need to keep that stuff in Seattle. In its own over the top manner Ho... read more

NAACP Awards Play the Grey's Card

Grey's Anatomy was the big winner at the 38th Annual NAACP Image Awards, taking home a quartet of statues, including lead actor in a drama series for Isaiah Washington. The lightning-rod serial also came out on top in the best-drama, supporting-actress (Chandra Wilson) and writing (Shondra Rhimes' "It's the End of the World" episode) contests.ABC's Ugly Betty followed with three wins of its own, in the comedy-series, supporting-actress/comedy (Vanessa Williams) and writing/comedy categories.Among TV's other winners were Close to Home's Kimberly Elise (lead actress/drama), Everybody Hates Chris' Tyler James Williams and Girlfriends' Tracee Eliis Ross (in the lead-acting/comedy slots), House's Omar Epps (supporting actor/drama), and Girlfriends' Reggie Hayes (supporting actor/comedy). For the full list of winners, go here. read more

February 13, 2007: Insensitive

What do you get when you put a man who's in constant pain with a girl who can't feel any? A great episode. It's only natural that House would be drawn to Mika Boorem's Hannah, a teenage girl who suffers from an insensitivity to pain. To House, she is like the Holy Grail — a thing of unattainable beauty and not just because she's a cute blonde but because within her lies a potential cure from constant agony. If only his conscience, also known as Wilson, would let him biopsy Hannah's spinal nerves so that he can grow his own set of pain-free ones. This is why we have Wilson, to keep House from going over the edge.... Although squaring off with Hannah to see whose condition is worse is a bit much. House seemed to win by virtue of having been shot, but I say that Hannah's having to perform daily self-inspections to see that she hasn't scratched off her corneas in her sleep trumps House's bullet wound. Having a 25-foot tapeworm living inside you is a close second. And thanks to the ... read more

December 12, 2006: Merry Little Christmas

Viewers have been vocal about their dislike of the Tritter ( David Morse) story line, pointing specifically to his seemingly unlimited powers. "It's unrealistic," they scream. In real life, there's no way a cop would be able to freeze bank accounts and impound cars and whatever else Tritter has done. But that's the kicker, isn't it? And that's why I haven't been all that bothered by Tritter's boundless powers. If we are going to hold dramas to the standards of reality, then we'll all end up watching documentaries. I’m open to suspending reality in my entertainment viewing. It's what kept me tuning in to shows like 24 and Alias. However, I am growing a bit tired of the Tritter arc, mostly because it forces me to recognize the unrealistic elements that are the cornerstone of this series. I have to step back and say, like so many others, that's so unrealistic! Tonight's episode, featuring Abigail (Kacie Borrowman), an apparent dwarf with multisystem failure, and her actual dwarf m... read more

November 28, 2006: Finding Judas

Six-year-old Alice (Alyssa Shafer) develops gallstones and then a nasty rash that defies any medical explanation that the team can discover. On the brink of an arm- and leg-amputation, Chase makes the diagnosis that Alice is allergic to light — only to get a right hook to the nose from a cranky House. So now our drug-addled hero is attacking his staff. What does this mean? House is no longer a functioning addict. He couldn't even make the diagnosis. Granted, he is technically undergoing withdrawal. But with Chase figuring things out, House has lost the one thing he had going for him and the one thing that allowed everyone else to overlook his problem.When I first started watching this show, I found the idea of a drug-addicted doctor somewhat disturbing. As time passed, House's sarcastic wit and implied genius made his habit less menacing — endearing, even. Like the doctors closest to him at Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital, we viewers have all become enablers of House's addi... read more

November 21, 2006: Whac-a-Mole

We felt his presence, though we didn't see him at all this week. Tritter has put the squeeze on House through his friend and colleagues. Being the friend, Wilson got the worst of it. He's had his car impounded, and the DEA revoked his prescription-writing privileges — to which House responded, "Who's going to prescribe my Vicodin?" That's just the tip of House's self-absorbed iceberg. Wilson is no longer of any use as a pusher, so of course House hit up his staff for Vicodin. Quick: Who would rather lose his job than lose his license? If you guessed Chase, then you were ahead of me. Boy, did I love seeing Chase stand up to House, as well as the Midol-throwing Cameron, who also did not cave under House's pressure. There were so many great scenes that showed the effects of House's ill-advised pissing match with Tritter: Wilson not being able to treat his patients. Cameron sitting in on Wilson's appointments rather than blindly prescribing medication for his patients. House's new... read more

November 14, 2006: Son of Coma Guy

Stunt casting. Vegetative-state man awakes and wants a steak. Ah, yes, it must be sweeps. I'm a little bit disappointed that it wasn't Coma Guy whom House roused from sleep. But given the way the show ended — John Larroquette's character dying to save his son's life — I was relieved that our long-standing friend is still with us. Wilson summed up the show best: "Caustic Guy was waking up Coma Guy." To be more specific, House injected Gabe (Larroquette), against Cuddy's wishes, with experimental drugs that would temporarily release him from his vegetative state in the hopes of getting a detailed medical history for Kyle (Zeb Newman), the dying patient who, it turns out, is Gabe's son. Guilt is a heavy load to bear for 10 years. Imagine doing so while unconscious. Gabe's guilt over not being able to save his family resulted in a road trip for House and Wilson, who struggled with their own issues — namely Wilson's lying to the police to protect House for forging presc... read more

First, an observation. I ...

Hugh Laurie and Elias Koteas, House

Question: First, an observation. I liked the trivia of the doctors on Lost and Grey's Anatomy with the same last name, but I wonder if anybody noticed the two Fox network characters with the same name. Both That 70s Show's Topher Grace and House's Omar Epps play(ed) Eric Foreman. But anyway, I do have a question. With the FCC upholding its fines of network TV for the Jackson-Timberlake incident and the Without a Trace episode placing the emphasis on stigmatizing sexual content, doesn't anybody find the sick-out factor on the season finale of House to be more in conflict with "standards of decency"? I love the show (although I usually only watch the second half, after my favorite medical show, Scrubs), but I find the sight of an eyeball-popping, testicle-exploding, gut-ripping bloody mess much more disturbing than a bare breast. What do you think? Answer: First off, officially Fox's Erics spell their last names differently: Forman (70s Show) and Foreman (House). Secondly, you know you're ... read more

Doc, Heal Thyself
A medical mystery hits home on House

"Did you call Jack Bauer?" Dr. House snarks to his agitated boss when told the hospital's crisis this week has escalated to a Biosafety Level 3. Funny line, as usual. But also telling. Because House (Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET on Fox) often feels like the 24 of medical dramas. It's that extreme, and that suspensefully entertaining. Besides, given the acidic way House treats patients and staff, his behavior isn't that far removed from Jack's methods of casual torture. The desperation to solve the latest deadly puzzle is absolutely excruciating in this week's remarkable two-part thriller (Part 2 airs on Wednesday at 8 pm/ET). It's a tour de force, not just for the delightfully curmudgeonly read more