Let me begin this post by saying there will be no spoilers before the jump … but wow! I don’t mean wow just for the reveal of who died on House tonight, but because of the way it was handled. Every character’s reaction was so true to who they have shown themselves to be thus far, but the most fascinating reaction to me was House’s — probably because it was the same way I was reacting.
OK, deep thoughts after the jump….
Did you call it that Kutner was the one who committed suicide? I really thought last week that they were setting Taub up to be the one who offed himself, although I did leave it open to the possibility that all those clues were just red herrings (don’t let the poll results fool you — the poll was still open earlier tonight, so people kept voting even after knowing. Why?!)
Well, red herrings they were, and some of the commenters were savvy to that last week: Dani called it would be Kutner, as did finsbaby, and Cate reminded us that Taub and Kutner recently had a discussion about suicide, and one of them was very against it … though none of us could remember who! However, thinking back, I do think that Kutner was his usual, accepting self during that discussion and Taub was the one who shut it down. That very moment was probably the foreshadowing of tonight’s events.
Onto House’s reaction. I immediately thought that perhaps Kutner was murdered as well, because he showed no outward signs of being anything but an accepting, cheerful guy. I even theorized in my last post that Taub could go ballistic and kill Kutner, so it was definitely in my mind. I’m glad they didn’t go there, though, because it gave House’s reaction more depth and meaning this way, and his colleagues all saw right through him. The writers went with the title of this episode, “Simple Explanation,” and summed up House’s reaction with some quotes:
I’m left with a question, though: Taub had tried to commit suicide previously, but got help? House insinuated this, but I don’t remember it. Can anyone fill in those blanks for me?
A few observations:
OK, comment away, because I’m dying to discuss this with you all! Meanwhile, here’s said Kutner memorial video:
Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Apr 06, 2009 @ 21:47 EST5EDT
i think wither taub or foreman killed him, or maybe a disgruntled patient… who knows for sure…
I’m pretty sure the show made it clear that Kutner committed suicide. It ends there. I admit that I thought we’d find out Taub killed Kuther for a while, but him breaking down in the end changed my mind completely.
Then there was the suicide hotline message at the end of the episode. If they’re trying to pull off the ultimate fake-out, then I’m not sure if it’s completely tasteless or brilliant.
I hope they don’t play the murder card. It’s too damned easy to wrap everything up that we are afraid to think about in a murder. Suicides happen; they are abrupt and painful to those left behind. You can get a lot more character driven story from dealing with suicide, because it makes people question everything everything about themselves, as well as the other person.
Interesting that you said he was the “unflappable face of optimism” on the team. I’ve known more than one person who committed suicide, but one in particular was the comic relief for our group of friends. He always made us see the bright side of everything, and it wasn’t until he was gone and we read his suicide note that we saw the truth behind that optimism. It’s almost the anniversary of my friend’s husbands suicide, as well. They both left so many unanswered questions. That’s what is so great about this episode. When someone REALLY wants to commit suicide, they rarely show outward signs, as they don’t want to be stopped.
Two “shocking” and simple deaths this week. Kutner and Derek on TSCC. I’m glad they are taking chances. Not everything is neatly wrapped up in a bow for us to understand. Great work to both sets of writers.
Can anyone tell me if I am the only one who felt like I was watching an episode with no lights? Was the lighting intentionally dark? It kind of drove me a bit nuts.
“I’m left with a question, though: Taub had tried to commit suicide previously, but got help? House insinuated this, but I don’t remember it. Can anyone fill in those blanks for me?”
I think in a previous episode it was implied that Taub attempted suicide at some point well before he came to work with House. I think someone figured that out about him in that same episode where Taub and Kutner were discussing the idea of suicide.
On the episode were the guy tried to commit suicide because he was in constant pain, Taub talked about a man he knew in med school who tried to commit suicide and he thought he was an idiot. Later in the episode you find out that it was Taub who tried to commit suicide.
*POST AUTHOR*
AH-HA! That’s IT! Thank you, I remember that vividly now.
The episode youre thinking of is in season four while they are all still trying to get one of the three covetted spots. I believe House says something to Taub about suicide becasue they think the patient had tried to commit suicide, and he tells them he never did he wouldnt everything like that. Than later Kutner brings it back up and Taub says it was his college roommate who tried to overdose on insulin ( I recall that perticular part becasue I myself am diabetic and honestly never knew you could overdose on insulin) than a little later int he episode Taub tells either House or Kutner that he was the one who tried to kill himself becasue he didnt feel worthy, or something along those lines…I actually just watched this episode last week, I got my boyfriend addicted to house
Kutner was the only one of the new group that I liked. Figures.
Agreed, except for the “drool factor” with 13 and Cuddy; House is the last show I am actually watching as the season unfolds but I think I will now wait for the DVDs in the summer since Kutner was one of the remaining sub-House’s that I liked.
Thankfully, Rescue Me returns tonight, so I think THAT will be the only show I watch every week now.
Now that I’ve seen why they killed off the Kutner character, that episode has much less impact with me now. I’m actually kind of bummed, because the entire thing was about how suicide is such a senseless, confusing loss. And it is, but not on television. The guy left television to get into politics, which oddly makes even less sense (does he know how much politicians make?)
Ugh.
I think your all off. I think he was murdered but remember past episodes where he opened a web site under house’s name and was giving medical advice? I think he gave someone the wrong medical advice and a loved one of that person killed kutner. Nothing other then that makes sense
Except that it was a shot to the temple and that there was Gunshot Residue on his hands, no signs of forced entry et cetera.
Why would suicide not be a reason that “makes sense”?
Just because it doesn’t make any sense to you? All that’s necessary is making sense to the person who does it. For you (or me) not to be able to understand the reasons behind it doesn’t mean that it was foul play.
Or like Wilson put it talking to House: Murder would let you off the hook. Suicide would mean you’re responsible.
And Keith also underlined that it was suicide with the mention of the ad for the suicide hotline at the end of the episode (1-800-273-TALK (8255) as well as https://www.nami.org for mental healh issues – National Alliance on Mental Illness).
I for one think that it IS possible to decide not to go on with your life based on valid reasons. Based on the fact that if you look at it, humans are the result of death and mutation and the goal was to survive and dominate the other species. We achieved that. The only threat to man is man itself. Before penecilin and the huge advances in healthcare and food growing and processing as well as sanitation (which all happened within the last 150 years) the usual life span of a human was 35 years. Now its 70+ and it’s rising every year. Man was not built for this physically, who says that we were built for it mentally – and who says that it all has to be a mental illness or defect? I think everybody should be able to decide when their life ends – or decide that they would let it just run its course like “god intended”. Accept their destiny, their fate. Others might want to decide on their own. Just because I wouldn’t do it doesn’t mean I have the right to ask them not to do it (although my country’s laws prohibit suicide, assisted suicide and I’d also could go to jail upto 5 years if I don’t prevent somebody from attempting it, for it’s considered murder).
To me this is like talking to someone who doesn’t love you to love you. Would you call THAT a mental defect? They never loved life maybe and now chose not to take part in it anymore – how are you supposed to make them like it?
Anyway, this is another of those topics where the opinions differ, where people call you out for your liberal standpoint and in the end you just lose. I had a friend who said he thought about suicide and I talked to him about it and only found out that some things you just can’t control, you end up being helpless about it and refer them to a suicide hotline or a shrink and all you can do is hope that they won’t do it.
Shitty situation. And honestly I don’t really want to think about that anymore, I’m just glad that the guy is still around…
@Carrie
I agree with you, I think it was an angry patient. However, didn’t he start that site up as House? Hmmmmm.
I am sad to see him go as a character. He brought humor to it and they all worked well together.
I was also sad to see Derek go from TSCC. I think TSCC is dying and that Brian Austin Green made a career move, but not sure what Kal Penn has up his sleeves, if anything? He has two flicks on IMDB that are finished production and nothing slated.
Jason
there were other signs too. Anyone remember that episode where Taub thought that Kutner was bullied when he was younger but turns out he was the bully? He went ballistic over the kids who were bullying the girl. At the end he goes and apologizes to the dude he bullied. He had all sorts of tensions and issues underneath.
“There will be no spoilers before the jump,“ and yet the first tag showing on the front page is “kutner commits suicide“. Thanks for spoiling the episode for me.
That was awful. Not in a “oh wasn’t that sad” way. It was just awful. It actually would have been a lot more entertaining if it had turned out that he was murdered, whether by Taub or not. Then at the end it devolved into some kind of cheesy PSA. Yeah, I’m sure someone who wants to die is going to watch House and then be all, “Wait a minute, this scripted drama has made me reconsider. I’ll call this handy suicide hotline instead.” It’s more likely to have the opposite effect. Apparently all that was wrong with Kutner was a bunch of internal bullshit that a few years in therapy could have worked out. Other than that, he had a pretty good life. Someone whose life truly sucks is going to be like, “Wow if guys like that are blowing themselves away, there’s no hope for me.” Bang.
There have been other shows in the past that have done the “kind of cheesy PSA” at the end (Buffy, Titus, Rescue Me to name a few) that have actually had a great effect. I will try and look up the articles I remember about those episodes in particular.
There have been other shows in the past that have done the “kind of cheesy PSA” at the end (Buffy, Titus, Rescue Me to name a few) that have actually had a great effect. I will try and look up the articles I remember about those episodes in particular.
i think the point of the public service announcement is not only for the person who is suicidal but also for friends and family of those who DO show signs. also a suicidal person could look at the episode and realize how selfish a choice suicide is and that it leaves your loved ones with only unanswered questions and grief.
I felt really special seeing my name mentioned in the review-I know I’m a dork lol. I loved this episode. It really hit the hammer on the nose of the issue of suicide. People are saying “Why him? It makes no sense…he was the happy funny one”
…
does any of that seem familiar? How many times do you see a popular football player, a cheerleader, a happily married mother of four, etc on the evening news because they died of suicide? Then their family members are quoted as saying the same things many of us are saying about Kutner? The one who gives comic relief could also be screaming “don’t you see how much pain I’m” while he/she cracks a joke to make the room laugh. I always crack jokes when I’m in pain and it angers me that no one notices. Not that I’m Kutner or anything, but I can relate. I found it very sweet of FOX to inform us viewers of the hotline, and I do think those in need will call. I knew it was Kutner because they didn’t develop his character alot so I didn’t get attached, but when I watched his memorial vid I got very sad. I will miss him.:(
any one else pick up that house knows about foreman & thirteen?
He has known for months. I guess what you mean is _still_ together even though they fooled him into believing they broke up over his ultimatum towards the two.
did any one else pick up that when they found the body foreman said gunshot to the right temple and he was laying on his stomach but the gun was to his left side not right so how did he shoot himself…
Well according to a website, the reason Kal Penn left the show was because he was offered a job with President Obama, I was really sad to see the character go since he was on the same scale of cool as house without the depression, I think House saw a lot of himself in Kutner during this last season and that’s why it seemed to affect him more during the episode even Cuddy says so. And I didn’t know foreman and 13 were together!! damn you xnifex!!!
i’m gonna choose to ignore that last part & think you’re joking… lol
Good episode – very well done.
I’m sorry but throughout the whole episode I never felt that there was anything more to Kutner’s death. Maybe it’s because I don’t watch Teasers and Previews, maybe it’s because I didn’t talk to someone during the episode about what might have happened…
Kutner made amends to the guy he bullied in School. He helped Taub out with the rat pee diagnosis because Taub was down. It seemed he was trying to make amends and be cheerful as he was going out. The suicide talk with Taub to me underlined that. To me, suicide is never an option, no matter how down I am. My reaction always is to pester every single one of my (even remote) peers with what’s on my mind to reflect upon it. Talking helps me enormously and I value life. But that doesn’t prevent me from understanding people who don’t value their life. I don’t understand how the brain works and to be frank, nobody does. They don’t think their life is worth living. Some of them influence others in a positive way before killing themselves, like Kutner did here. Others “annoy” people by delaying Trains and ruining the locomotive driver’s life – and a selected few go on a rampage.
Some of them can be talked out of it and it’s good that there are people there for them to talk to. But a not to small margin simply comes to their solution and goes through with it. That’s just it. There’s no deeper meaning to it. It’s as if you ask someone why they believe in god. They just do. And others might just count the pros and cons and decide rationally that their life isn’t worth living. Still in the end it’s something that goes on in those people’s minds and until we understand the mind, the brain, “conciousness” we will never know the “why”, and even then we might only find out that it’s the most miniscule detail in the life of a person that leads them to suicide.
Even if it’s just to try to find out what’s on the other side.
Lol…Ok i feel really foolish. I love House but am unable to keep up with al the new episodes. I was completely overwhelmed with Kutner’s suicide and honestly believed that Kal Penn actually comitted suicide. Well I am glad to know tha he is actually alive and well and now working for President Obama. Great episode, but I amd sorry to see Kutner go, he was a delight and always a laugh! I guess I need to try a little harder to keep up on House from now on!
No one ever wants to think a death is a suicide, but this show touches on reality… why should everyone get the fantasy “out” of the situation. They are going to have to deal with the suicide.
People are hurting inside, some feel like they are dying and just want the feeling to end, with no perceivable way out. Too depressed to picture a way out or no options seem valid.
1-800-SUICIDE