Opening the Doors to House

.

.

House is inarguably the best "medical drama" television series ever made, as the DVD boxed set House: Season Two makes abundantly clear. Watching this six disc, 24 episode collection is watching evolution unfold--not only in characterization, but in the medical genre itself.

.

Far from another medical mystery series, such as Quincy or CSI, or to a lesser extent,Crossing Jordan, House takes its cues from literary detective traditions, and does so unapologetically. The similarities between Dr. Gregory House and Sherlock Holmes are obvious, as they are designed to be. (House. Holmes. Dr. Wilson. Dr. Watson. Get it?) Both characters are brilliant, albeit flawed, and not necessarily likeable men, but their eccentricities make them irresistable.

.

House, as portrayed by Hugh Laurie, is an enigma of sorts--on the surface, he's an irascible, bitter curmudgeon with no regard for authority or convention. He walks with the aid of a cane and his pain has led to his addiction to Vicodan ( as Sherlock Holmes was addicted to cocaine). He's an unlikely diagnostician at best, but his uncanny ability in solving medical mysteries forces those around him to begrudgingly tolerate him.

.

It's the interraction between House and the characters that surround him, be it his team or the victim of this week's mysterious malady, that makes the series such a delight to watch week after week. There simply is not a weak episode in the second season. While a case could be made that it is formulaic in structure (patient is felled by what seems an obvious diagnosis, but further investigation indicates something more insidious, leaving House and his team to track down the real medical culprint), each story manages to speak to a universal element without weighing itself down in pretension.

.

That in and of itself would not make House the groundbreaking series it is. Other medical programs, from Dr. Kildare to ER, took a more heartwarming, almost soap opera approach to recounting the trials of the medical microcosm. Detective shows almost invariably took either a hard-nosed or comic approach to their stories. What creator David Shore did, along with executive producer Bryan Singer, was meld the two genres into a synergystic concept unlike anything American audiences had heretofore seen. It's a series that has drama, mystery, suspense and a touch of comedy, all woven in a tightly knit package that's held together by seamless scripting, outstanding performances and flawless direction.

.

Season Two builds on these premises and evolves the series to a level that the first season falteringly promised. The relationships between House and his team, not to mention his foils, are gradually developed through each episode, almost as hints. as to what might follow. The evolution of the relationships is wisely underplayed, so as not to distract from the primary plot. It all comes to a head, thought, in the final episode of the season. "No Reason" opens with House being shot by Jack Moriarty, a man who blames House for his wife's suicide. It's a hallucenogenic cliffhanger that further embellishes the Sherlock Holmes analogy. (Moriarty was also the name of Holmes's archnemesis.)

.

House: Season Two stands on its own as thought-provoking entertainment, but this set also includes several nice "special features." There is the usual blooper reel and a couple of inexplicable but amusing "Valley Girl Alternative Takes" done for laughs. Two episodes, "Autopsy" and "No Reason" are given the audio commentary treatment by executive producers David Shore and Katie Jacobs. While they are a bit on the conversational side, they nonetheless offer some insight into the technical process of making the show. Also included is a casual interview with the cast and makers of the series, entitled "An Evening With House."

.

This is a handsome package, with flawless image quality and 5.1 Dolby sound. For fans of House, it is an almost indispensable investment. For casual viewer of the series, and for those unfamiliar with the show, it serves as excellent entertainment on its own merits.

.

The third season of House premieres 5 September on the Fox network.