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It's very unfortunate that the new preoccupation with women and romance has taken over my favorite show's theme.

The very characteristics of House's personality are completely destroyed by this new emphacis, and does nothing to distinguish a highly interesting show from the general run-of-the-mill doctor shows.

In addition, the replacement of the fascinating dynamic aamong House's team with a new boring, uninteresting set of characters has changed my interest in the show from a 10 to a big fat 0.

How could the creators and actors in House not see this deterioration?

im sorry
mrudens but im going to have to agree with bubba.
i think the show is doing well.
do i miss the way it WAS yes.
but the new cast is beginning to grow on me..

What precisely do you feel has gone wrong with the show? Too much romance? I'm just trying to make sure I understand.

It's just totally different than it used to be. As I said, the new crew is boring, uninteresting, unpleasant to look at and House's personality has changed because of the new plots involving the romance and women to a greater degree and making it too much in the show. The program was perfect the way it was with the old crew and the dynamics that went on between all of the actors. Now with new personalities, characters and emphacis on the wrong thing, the show is painful to watch!

I understand where you are coming from. Personally, I liked the change because as in life, people change (I don't care what House says, people do change ) and life takes us in different directions. I think the characters have to evolve, we can't keep everything the same season after season or it gets boring to me. I didn't like the new cast at first either, but they have grown on me. And as long as I keep seeing the great Wilson/House exchanges, I am happy.

Mrudens, I don't agree with everything you said, but I certainly have been disappointed in Season 4. Some of my objections:

1. The lack of Chase and Cameron, and the disappearance of the "old" Foreman. One forum referred to this team as the "Classic Coke" team and I totally agree. (As compared to the disastrous "New Coke" which I think compares to the changes this season.) I loved the old team, in spite of their flaws. They had enough personality and chemistry to carry scenes on their own, without House.

2. The dumbing down of House, the character. In the CIA episode, he was so crude and vulgar that he was intolerable. "I have a position available on my p*n*s," and a remark about Cuddy's vagina. What the heck??? Separating the candidates into groups by whether their sex organs "dangle" or not? Initiating a contest to steal Cuddy's panties as a way to remain on the team? There were several episodes this season when House was not the one to get the diagnosis correct. I'd always thought that Cuddy put up with his antics because he was always right. This season has given me reason to wonder why she keeps him at all.

House was dumbed down again in "Ugly," an episode where we are asked to believe that House is so overcome by the CIA doc and Thirteen's beauty that he is unable to function. Huh? So what are Cameron and Cuddy? Chopped liver?

3. The disappearance of Cuddy, the hospital administrator. In her place is a caricature of the strong woman she once was. In the very early episodes, House's ridiculous Survivor game cost a patient his life, and nearly cost another patient the same. Does Cuddy stop the Survivor games? NO! How about the episode when House stands on a chair in the cafeteria to make a false claim that the mayonnaise is bad, sending everyone to the clinic in a panic. What did Cuddy do about that? Nothing! How about the episode where House sets up the "Steal Cuddy's Thong" challenge with the intent of rewarding the person who showed Cuddy the LEAST amount of respect. What did Cuddy do about that? Nothing, unless you count the fact that she gave her panties to Cole! What happened to the old Kick-a$$ Cuddy?

4. House's total change in character with regard to "Thirteen." She makes a pointed remark about his drug use, he gives her "points" in the game. (When has he EVER tolerated those kinds of remarks before?) She allows a patient to die through neglect of duty. Does he fire her? NO! He fires nearly everyone else, including the team that got the diagnosis right! She drugs him, ties him down, and performs a biopsy on him with no anesthesia! Does he fire her? NO! Why? Well, apparently he thinks she's "hot" according to the "Mirror, Mirror" episode patient.

5. The new team. How are these three bland and uninteresting personalities an improvement over the old team? Taub is a plastic surgeon for heaven's sake! Why is he on the diagnostics team? And Thirteen? Mere words can't describe my distaste for Thirteen and her one facial expression. According to The Powers That Be, Thirteen is supposed to be "a mystery wrapped up in an enigma." (Or is it an "enigma wrapped up in a mystery"? I forget.) We've learned she may/may not have Huntington's Disease, she lost her mother at a young age, she is bi-sexual, and she seems to want to keep her name a mystery. (We already know her name; it was on Chase's betting slip, so what's the mystery there?) How long will the writers keep trying to create a mystery that anyone cares about? And then there's Kutner... I could like him if he hadn't been forced on me as a replacement player. At least he has a personality and a sense of humor.

Together, this team can't put together a collective backbone to stand up to House and his absurd demands, something the old team was quite capable of doing right from the start. I've given them half a season to grow on me. Instead, I find myself resenting them more and more as each episode passes without the return of Chase and Cameron.

This show was a TOP 10 drama with both critical and ratings success. There was no need to gut half the cast and replace it. None. Many shows, such as CSI, Grey's Anatomy, and Law and Order SVU, have great success while leaving the core cast intact. "House" could have shaken things up by adding a character or two - like Kutner - without upsetting many, many fans by practically doing away with their favorites. The old team could have been promoted to attendings in the Diagnostics Department rather than continue on past their fellowships. Katie Jacob's vague promises that the old cast would be back "in full force" by the end of the Survivor arc kept a lot of us around this season, but she hasn't delivered. Recent remarks by David Shore sound as if he doesn't plan on doing anything more with the old team. He thinks they're more "interesting" on the periphery. I guess we have different definitions of the word "interesting."

I'm still hanging in there. "Frozen" was great, but the absence of the faux team for most of the episode helped considerably, in my opinion. If this shortened season ends with the old team gone and the new team still with House, I know I won't be interested in Season 5.

Tribefanz - You make some really excellent points and it's hard to argue with what you say because it's all true. I can understand why they would want to take the show in a little bit of a different direction but I don't know if it is working as well as I had hoped. I personally was glad to see Cameron and Chase take a back seat this season. At first. But now I am not so sure. And it's been even harder for me to compare this season since we haven't really had much of a season 4 due to the strike. Unfortunately I do know several people who are not excited about the show anymore due to season 4. But I am still a fan and will continue watching.