The problem: How to introduce a half-dozen new characters on House, a show that rarely has time to slow down for exposition and personal shadings? The solution? Tuesday (Oct. 30) night's clumsy, yet informative episode.

[I'm never sure what could be spoiled in a recap of a procedural, but if you don't want to run the risk, don't.]

Titled "Mirror, Mirror," the episode's Patient o' the Week was played by the always welcome Frank Whaley. In addition to a dramatically reduced body temperature, weird honey-combed patterns under his skin and sludgy blood, the patient suffered from, well, being psychic.

In reality, the guy had something The Good Doctor called Mirror Syndrome, an empathetic mimicry condition that gave him the magical ability to impersonate the most authoritative person in any room. Basic Googling hasn't helped me uncover an iota of information on the condition, but it was mostly a magical writers' device. With only the most minimal of sample sizes, the patient was able to tap into the innermost thoughts (or body language, at least) of the adjacent Alpha doc.

Despite the contrivance, we only learned little bits about the aspiring cottages that we didn't know before. Cutthroat B**** (Amber, if you prefer) knows that people don't like her, so she has to always be right to compensate. Peter Jacobson's Taub is married, but finds himself attracted to the domineering Amber. Andy Comeau's amazingly dull Brennan is bored with this job and wants to go back to his altruistic humanitarian medicine. Doctor Kumar (errr... Kutner) is a new experience junkie and a bit of masochist. The big secret was supposed to involve Olivia Wilde's No. 13, a secret so intriguing that House voluntarily saw a patient just to tag along with her. Instead, the patient only mirrored House and we discovered that House thinks No. 13 is hot, which was every bit as shocking as the final domination showdown between House and Cuddy, decided when the patient channeled House and complimented Cuddy's breasts (we also learned No. 13 is scared, which doesn't get to the root of her sure-to-be  shocking secret).

There was a lesson to be learned from the Mirror Syndrome Guy (whose other symptoms had something to do with pig poop): Every one of the cottages had a truth or weakness exposed, but none could do anything about it.

"People don't learn," he said. "They don't change. You did. You're a freak."

He was talking to Foreman, who returned in a mostly unspecified advisory capacity, working as part of House's team, but under Cuddy's jurisdiction. Although he initially professed to misery, Foreman realized that he really liked working under House's watch.

Duh. We're glad to have him back.

There was lots of good stuff around the edges this week.

Some favorite moments:

House making tonight a non-elimination leg to help The House (oddsmaker Chase) win in the hospital termination pool, all to collect a 50 percent cut. I still would have liked to see the House-Chase scene setting that up.

Wilson realizing the implications of the Mirror Syndrome patient impersonating him and not House in an O.R. room, declaring "I am in charge of our relationship." That's the second time this season that the writers have throw a bone directly to the House-Wilson 'shippers.

Kutner performing a pelvic example on a psychosomatic food poisoning patient and justifying himself with, "She said her hoo-hoo burned." Is this the end of Shonda Rhimes' "vajayjay" tyranny?

Cuddy switching House's pain pills for laxatives, leading to a long and somewhat gross bathroom scene ("Smell that? Not gonna get sweeter.") and House's response,  "I know when my Vicodin isn't vicodin. Do you know when your birth control pills aren't birth control?"

And more Mormon baiting. House wouldn't let Big Love near the mirroring patient predicting, "He's going to wind up singing Osmonds songs and proposing to five nurses at once."

Any thoughts on this week's episode?

Comments

Mirror syndrome is a ridiculous disease, even for this show. Thank god there were still enough great lines in this episode, otherwise, rather disappointing.

AC | Oct 30, 2007 9:04:27 PM | #

---

Much like "Chuck" on NBC, the plot (or in this case, disease) isn't the driving force. The characters stumbling over each other while wildly flailing their arms (figuratively speaking... for now) are what make "House" the funniest show on Tuesdays at 9 pm EST.

Add another bullet point to the list: when the patient (Whaley) channels Foreman (Epps) and goes all calm.. then, if by mock-Laurie/Python-esque exagerration, flops dead.

pakopako | Oct 31, 2007 6:28:59 AM | #

---

I found "mirror syndrome" at medical sites - it is a syndrome where a pregnant woman begins to show the symptoms of her fetus... Come to think of it, didn't House diagnose this syndrome on a pregnant woman in a prior season? I couldn't find any medical references about mirror syndrome except in pregnancy.

The writers took some medical license with this, but I think it worked.

Rhona | Oct 31, 2007 9:06:41 AM | #

---

Rhona - I also saw the references to Mirror Syndrome as a condition impacting pregnant women and was unable to find any online references to it in the same context it was used on last night's episode. That's a pretty big license, isn't it?

And the episode you're referencing was "Fetal Position," which first aired in APRIL. That means the writers have used Mirror Syndrome twice in 12 episodes, which is rather impressive. It's the new Lupus...

-Daniel

Daniel | Oct 31, 2007 9:53:57 AM | #

---

Daniel - Yeah, I agree, it is a big license. I'm a little surprised. I thought the writers strove to make the conditions medically accurate.

It's not the new lupus... remember, it's never turns out to be lupus. Hey, I don't remember the new team saying "it could be lupus" so far, do you?

Rhona | Oct 31, 2007 12:41:18 PM | #

---

High Laurie should go up in the comedy category. I loved the way he celebrated when he found out he is dominant over Cuddy. He and Wilson are just too funny, they're like the new "Joey and Chandler."

13 is hot though. I hope she gets a spot. I always loved her, since "THE OC."

Ritchie | Oct 31, 2007 10:08:22 PM | #

---

Mirroring in simplest form is copying what someone else is doing while communicating with them. Observed in people exhibiting similar postures, gestures or voice tonality.
Here's where writers may have gotten their inspiration; there's no like condition as Mirroring Syndrome on the show, but there is a psychological habit called "mirroring". Here's info from Wikipedia:

"Mirroring in simplest form is copying what someone else is doing while communicating with them. Observed in people exhibiting similar postures, gestures or voice tonality.

This copying or miming includes: Gestures; Movements; Body language ; Muscle tensions; Expressions; Tones; Eye movements; Breathing; Tempo; Accent (linguistics); Attitude (psychology); Choice of words; Metaphors, and; everything discernable in communication.

Mirroring happens very naturally when people are conversing. The listeners will typically smile or frown along with the speaker talking to them. If one person throws in sports metaphors, another person, who is in rapport and mirroring, will likely parry along similar lines.

Somewhat like a communication dance. There is matching as if in a dance, while having normal conversation. People do this naturally with their silent body language and spoken words.

When meeting people, if you display the same expression as they have, or mirror their expression, they will generally be much more friendly. You might see this related to the way a person accepts their own image when looking in a mirror."

CameronChase | Nov 1, 2007 7:29:25 AM | #

---

"It's the new lupus." I got a kick out of that.

Random thought, sorry. Love the show.

Chris | Nov 1, 2007 2:52:53 PM | #

---

I wonder if you can help me. I am not English and I had little problems with understanding what House says in some moments. For example, while he was talking with his team, he said something like "This guy feels another cool breeze, his blood turns to slop the drops" referring to the patient. What did he mean? And when House and Foreman were talking about Foreman's supposed new job and House referred to Cuddy becoming pregnant, what has Foreman said? It was something like "You say... [something] sex", then House interrupted.

Can you help me? Please?

Magda | Nov 2, 2007 6:36:52 AM | #

---

Actually, though maybe not a read disease, there was an article I found in a Brithish psychology magazine about someone with brain damage who toko on the character of the people he was with. The doctor's name was Giovanni, and House called it Giovanni's mirror syndrome, so it is slightly based on fact.

Ashley | Nov 17, 2007 10:39:57 PM | #

---

wow, that was horrible typing... I forgot to put the URl of where this was. http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2007/03/brain-damage-turns-man-into-human.html

Ashley | Nov 17, 2007 10:41:05 PM | #

---

"This guy feels another cool breeze, his blood turns to slop theN drops" referring to the patient. What did he mean?"

If the temperature lowers, the man's blood will thicken and this will kill him.

I don't remember the other part, sorry.

Bryan | Nov 18, 2007 8:25:08 AM | #

---

rhona, it wasnt 1 of the new teams who said it might b lupus...it was the janitor, coz his grandma had it...

farah | Dec 11, 2007 9:20:30 AM | #

---

the weird thing bout this mirror syndrome in this show, is to mirror some1, wouldnt he hv to know that person's habit.... i know house said its similar mind reader, only this one really read minds...but really copy a person behavior or attitude without knowing the person is non sense... what do u guys think?

farah | Dec 11, 2007 9:25:42 AM | #

---

This desease is a exsisting desease, because it's is a mirorring syndrome first looked at by giovanini and it does excist, but not known as giovaninis syndrome. but house calls it that way. And script of hose is written by 2 real doctors and it's checked by another doctor after the writing.

Dervis | Jan 10, 2008 1:15:48 PM | #

---

Mirroring happens all the time. We see it a lot in high schools where a student talks one way with their friends, another way with their teachers.

If you mix this in with a little brain damage or psychosis, you can see how someone would be capable of this type of behavior.

It wasn't mind reading, it was the observer noticing very subtle things about the person. Maybe House was checking out No. 13's bum when they walked into the room. If the patient observed this, he'd already know House has a stiffy for her.

DrDoing | Apr 28, 2008 12:26:56 PM | #

---

There is a network of neurons called "mirror neurons". The same activity occurs in these neurons whether the person is doing some action or observing the same action done by another person. An experiment was done where a monkey observed another lifting up a cup. Some of the mirror neurons expressed activity when the other monkey was intending to drink from the cup but not when the monkey was intending to move the cup to somewhere else. These mirror neurons are thought to be involved in empathy and language as well.

| May 31, 2008 5:35:00 AM | #

---

mirror mirror was the best House episode iv ever seen really funny and cool

julie | Jul 12, 2008 4:06:31 AM | #

---

Post a comment

Name:
Email Address:	optional
URL:	optional
Comments: