Nathan Fillion

Question: Is David Shore really as clueless as he seems to be? In a season where House has already lost one third of his audience (down from 18 million to below 12 million), he’s just alienated the very large fan base for Cameron and House/Cameron by tying her up with Chase permanently. A lot of viewers were unhappy the last two seasons and hanging in only because they were promised Chase and Cameron back. The only interesting new characters (Amber and Kutner) are now gone, the current team makes for boring TV because they are all variations on cynical, mistrusting House, House himself has become a nasty little man, Cuddy is pathetic and now Cameron and Chase won’t be back. I would have stuck around for either Cameron back on the team or to have some air-time with House but neither is going to happen now. Cameron and Chase will both spend the rest of the series in off-screen limbo, handing him cases and maybe dropping in twice a year for special episode. Since the Tritter arc ended, it seems like every show-running decision Shore made has made the show more ordinary and less interesting. At this point, it’s hard to believe these are the same producers and writers of the first two seasons. Meanwhile, I’m really enjoying Castle. It’s not great TV (although better than The Mentalist and Criminal Minds, which get far higher ratings) but the plots are fun, the secondary characters are engaging—especially Castle’s mother and daughter—and the leads have loads of chemistry and are fun to watch. I hope the ratings are good enough that it sticks around.—Mary E.

Matt Roush: No worries on Castle. It’s not exactly a breakout hit, but it will do, and ABC needs a repeatable, reliable show like this in its stable. And with a little nurturing, it could become an even better show. (Without question, Nathan Fillion is a TV star.) As for House, you know how it’s often said a doctor learns from his mistakes? So do TV critics, and I know better than to put myself in the middle of the relationship freaks who obsess on this show. Whether you’re rooting for Cameron or Cuddy—or Wilson for that matter—to get it on with House, you’re all bound to be disappointed in the end. I was just happy to see Chase and Cameron finally get some face time, and I’ve been told that continues, so I’m hoping they won’t be as marginalized as they have been. (Though I’m also prepared to be let down on that front, as I have been the last two seasons.) For me, while Hugh Laurie’s performance (especially lately) has remained one of TV’s best, House has never been the same since they shook up the cast