Mike Hale's NYT article features [H]ouse M.D. major cast changes...

Mike Hale of the New York Times wrote this excellent piece titled Old Shows, New Faces, Big Risks and one of the long-running series featured is House. He's got a few things to say which is actually what many longtime fans of the show have been saying since May...

‘House M.D.’
Fox, 8th Season
 
OUT Two important members of the ensemble — Lisa Edelstein, who would not accept a reduced salary, and Olivia Wilde, whose movie commitments became too time consuming.

IN Charlyne Yi and Odette Annable as new doctors on House’s team.

The wackiest network series in prime time has gone all in on cast changes before, most notably in the Season 4 bake-off in which seven new actors were added and three remained as regulars. But the losses of Ms. Edelstein’s Cuddy and Ms. Wilde’s Thirteen (who made a valedictory appearance on this week’s episode) are major blows. They were two of the show’s most entertaining characters, and they both had complex, push-pull relationships with Hugh Laurie’s Dr. House. Also missing in the early going this season are Jesse Spencer (Chase) and the always funny Peter Jacobson (Taub), and Mr. Laurie has shown the strain of carrying the show by himself.

Neither Ms. Annable (the hot-doctor replacement for Ms. Wilde) nor Ms. Yi has made much of an impression through the season’s first three episodes, though Ms. Yi’s monotone, affectless performance has the virtue of being not quite like anything else on the broadcast networks; the closest match is probably the slightly catatonic daughter, Louise, on Fox’s animated “Bob’s Burgers.” This being “House,” though, nothing is forever. Chase and Taub are scheduled to rejoin the team on Nov. 7.

GRADE B. 

Frankly I think Hale was being generous in his "B" grade but in all fairness we're only three episodes into what is likely the final season and things could get better or worse. You know where I stand on these cast changes. No sense in rehashing!