Tuesday, November 23, 2010

MS + TV + MD, = BS

Well, finally "House MD" explores more completely multiple sclerosis-- via, of course, the MOST RARE AND AGGRESSIVE FORM, so-called Marburg MS. Not only does our "hero", who nails himself to a cross per a promise between himself and God to spare his daughter from glioblastoma (that's a whole 'nother thing), have multiple sclerosis, but he has to have marburg, and he has to be offered only one of the potential treatments, and that is stem-cell transplantation. Because it is labeled in the show "embroyonic", the man has difficulty with this given his deep faith, so of course House tricks him. Click on the title of this post to go to the tv.com site.

I found the show a little weak, and lately as a whole the series has been repetitive and kind of slow-- not a lot of development and the "classic" only-speak-truth newbie vs House's "everybody lies, and apparently all the time" class is quite dull.

HOWEVER-- this was a moment where the writers could have demonstrated some sense in presenting and treating MS. That the guy grins maniacally (Pseudo PseudoBulbar Affect?) at all times in the throes of his Marburg-ness was ill done, IMO. I can understand why they chose the most dramatically effective one, but then it becomes a tool for House Vs God again. No discussion of potential other treatments, just the one seemingly most poised for dramatic effect-- and why would it have to be embryonic, other than for dramatic emphasis? Would Alemtizumab or Mitoxantrone be so much less dramatic? Would he have said no to them?

ARG! Weak writing, weak show for me for several reasons. Of course, now I do wonder who thinks MS is instantly, always fatal now. Well, such is TV-life.

Let's not even TALK about how the guy happens to be Latino. Why is it always my peeps who have the god-issues? (Yeah, I'm generalizing, damn it, and I have a license to.)

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