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'House' Brain not brain?
Tonight, House was all about obfuscation. Well, more so than usual and about far more than the medical issue suffered by the Patient of the Week. Who was actually 6 patients, Or maybe 7. Possibly 8. See what I mean?
We start with a tennis player, who tosses her racket, clutches her chest and collapses. Then a man at a construction site slumps on the controls for a crane, dropping a train car. He's followed by a UFC style fighter who keels over, bleeding from an ear. And then a man playing a tuba suddenly spits up blood and falls off his chair. Lastly, we see a woman teaching math be interrupted by 13, who summarily dismisses her class and asks her if she had a corneal transplant 5 years ago. When she confirms that she did, she's informed that all the other patients who received organs from that donor have died.
When the team meets up we find out we have 4 dead organ recipients, 1 almost dead old man and then our math teacher, who feels fine. The weird thing is it wasn't the transplanted organs that failed in the patients. The patient who got a heart, died of a lung ailment, the patient who got a lung died of a pancreatic ailment, and so forth. The team tries to figure out what connects all the cases, while House tries to figure what Wilson did for him. Kutner concludes that Wilson paid for House's lunch, liked monster trucks and acted as his conscience, while the team concludes that it may be a blood problem. House concludes that it's cancer before excusing himself to the cafeteria.
Which is where House tells the clerk that Dr. O'Shay will be paying for his lunch. Dr. O'Shay gives him a wary glance but doesn't dispute the charge. House follows him to a table and asks if he likes monster trucks. He proclaims that his kids like them, but he has a enough opinions of his own to keep House interested. House pops his pills and O'Shay asks how many he just took, but when House details the list for him and asks if he has a problem with it, O'Shay just shrugs. House grins and declares "I think I'm falling in love". It gets even better when House advises his usual reckless style procedure and earns nary a blink from O'Shay.
Back with our younger POTW, House tells her they are going to have to remove her eye, but quickly changes his tune when she doesn't squint during an eye exam. This moves right into the POTW hearing House tell her they are going to have to remove her head and pulling out a hefty meat cleaver. When she starts screaming, he concludes the hallucinations are a "brain thing". The team goes back to the drawing board, starting with reviewing the tape of the fighter, looking for any signs of neurological problems before his collapse. While they toss out ideas, they are continually interrupted by a man fixing a coffee machine in the lounge. Given the banter he tosses at the team under the guise of being a genius repair man, they conclude he's not a repair man at all. It's the argyle socks that give him away.
The man is a private investigator, hired by house to find out about the various dead patients. Or, as House explains "I wanted to find out what you found out before I find out what he found out so I can find out if I need a PI". The PI found out an awful lot. And I think I love him just a little bit. He lays out a complete patient history, as well as detailing all the harmful chemicals he was exposed to and the fact that he has video of the fight from 4 different angles, generated by tracking down people who were at the fight with cameras. And then announcing that House owes him $2300. I am so in the wrong business! House wants to do a brain biopsy on the younger POTW, but Foreman refuses to risk turning her into a vegetable. Which leaves the elder POTW.
Taub tries to convince the wife to sign the release for the brain biopsy, an act the younger POTW gets in on by claiming to have a husband and a 2 year old daughter named Julia. The wife disputes that fact, saying that she hasn't had a single visitor or a phone call and Taub confirms that she's lying. This erupts into a fight between the two women, with the POTW arguing that she wants to live and accusing the wife of the elder POTW of looking for a reason to hate her. During this, however, the elder POTW codes and dies, so the point is kind of moot. Especially since they don't need a release for an autopsy. Unfortunately, the brain is clean, so they are back at square one, which is cancer.
At least it is until Foreman points out that House needs it to be cancer so he can talk to Wilson and Kutner points out that if the donor had a perforated intestine, his blood could have carried an infection that attacked all the various organs in the recipients, while not attacking to donor organ specifically. This leads us to possibly our 8th patient, the 4 year old daughter of the donor. They perform a colonoscopy, which is also clean. So, they go back to the dead elder POTW and perform a colonoscopy on him, by shooting pressure through the rectum. In the grossest House moment we've seen in a while, the test yields no results but does offer an explosion of human waste all over Foreman.
In an ice cream truck on a residential street, House sits with his PI in front of Dr. O'Shay's house. Showing an amazing amount of insight, the PI tells House that O'Shay is wrong for him. The banter between them is lightening fast and shocking, and I am not sure what is true, but the end result is that House is investigating O'Shay because he wants to be investigating Wilson, to find out if he is missed or to find out of there is something he can use to make him come back. The PI says there isn't and charges another $900.
During this, the last remaining POTW has taken a turn for the worse. House starts her on chemo, basically to see what happens. While convincing the POTW to sign the consent to treatment, she reveals that she was practically blind before the corneal implants. House claims disinterest in a blind math teacher until she corrects him, telling him she was a blind architect. He asks why she gave up architecture once she could see and she bitterly tells him that the world is ugly.
Soon enough, she reacts appropriately to the chemo, seeming on the mend. Which is when House decides it's not cancer. Despite the fact that his PI has informed him that Wilson has kept in touch with Cameron, Cuddy and Foreman, but never once mentioned House, he goes to his former friend's home for medical advice. It goes about as well as we could expect, with Wilson refusing to participate and closing the door in House's face.
House ends up getting his epiphany from his PI, when he asks him if he wants to be friends. The PI tells him no, because he's afraid of him. He adds that friends are friends and customers are customers, everything else is everything else and nothing is nothing. This leads House to conclude that cancer is not cancer and brain is not brain. He tries to explain a stem cell theory to Cuddy, telling her that he wants to perform open brain surgery on the POTW or she'll crash. Cuddy refuses, slyly asking if House plans on doing something to make her crash, proving he was correct so Cuddy will let him do what he wants. House says he would never do that and Cuddy agrees. Because she's posted guards at the door. Seeing his route blocked, House sits pensively before making a phone call. During the montage we see a nurse come in to adjust the POTW's IV bag, only to have her crash. The staff race in as the nurse slips away. Argyle socks and all.
Watching Chase perform the open brain surgery from the gallery above, House notes that the chemo looks like saline. Chase accuses him of switching the POTW's meds and House asserts he had no access to her. The PI seems less comfortable with the idea that he could have potentially killed her, but he also knows exactly what to say to keep House going. Of course, he also charges House $5,000 for it.
We end with House going to see the POTW, whose head and eyes are swathed in bandages. He begins unwrapping her head, periodically hitting the emergency call button to prove a point about the nature of the world, as well as the nature of her brain, leading up to the fact that the world is not as ugly as she thinks it is. It's strange for House to be the one detailing such an idea, but the POTW gets his meaning and prepares herself to see the world as it really is. House asks her how he looks and she replies "You look sad". I'd say she's got perfect vision now!
It was an amazing episode (if incredibly difficult to recap), mostly due to the interaction between House and the PI. I am happy to say that the evening ended with House calling him to put him on retainer! Also, Felicia Day, as our POTW, truly shined in an understated performance (even if I kind of wanted her to break into song, a'la Dr. Horrible). I'll finish with a few of my favorite lines. What were yours? And are you as glad as I am that the PI seems to return next week?
Kutner: There was no international travel, no-
PI: *snorts*...No, serious, that's how I sneeze.
PI: He'd been to Madrid and the Bahamas
Kutner: There were no credit card receipts that-
PI: -his girlfriend paid for it.
Kutner: He has no girlfriend.
PI: His high school sweetheart.
Kutner: His high school sweetheart married his best friend.
PI: I know! Shhh!
House: OK, it's a long shot, but I might be an ass.
POTW: They said I would see and I would dance. But the guys I hated dancing with before, I hated dancing with afterward, and my parents were still dead.
House: You're fun!
PI: That's the patient I switched the meds on. You said she would be fine!
House: I'm a better liar than you.
PI: I could have killed her!
House: Yup.
Now if some of the newbies, say like 13, were more like the new P.I., maybe there wouldn't be so much complaining.
WILSON, COME HOME!!
WE LOVE YOU, HUGH!!
13, GO AWAY!!!
Lisa | Sep 24, 2008 2:01:58 AM | #Superb episode. Argyle guy will make for an interesting spin-off.
AC | Sep 24, 2008 2:15:50 AM | #um.... What disease did the patient have? I was still confused about that at the end of the episode.
Katrina | Sep 24, 2008 5:49:11 AM | #I am a huge fan of Michael Weston (PI) and he and House together are just magic. I'm excited to hear that the PI might get his own spin-off show.
House just gets better and better... at this point I just might be OK with Wilson not coming back, although that's doubtful.
Sarah | Sep 24, 2008 6:47:48 AM | #Wow-
I thought last night really sucked.
It seems to me House keeps getting more and more out of character and I felt last night with the PI was just plain stupid.
Are they working with new writers now?
I really haven't felt the show has been all that since the end of season 3.
Great episode! Following the very interesting S4, I see TPTB and writers continue to keep things fresh.
*snorts*... at the negative "13" comment: how surprising to see, yet again, a female despising the youngest, sexiest female on the show!!! Thirteen is interesting, and Olivia Wilde is talented.
Is it just me or did they never explain what was wrong with the patient or the others that previously died. Her brain issue solved a problem with her eyes that no one knew she had, but what about the mysterious ailment that was killing her and had already killed several others?
cgreen | Sep 24, 2008 8:19:29 AM | #Loved PI guy.
Does anyone know the lines that wilson said to house? I thought they were heartbreaking
Although I liked the season premiere, I thought this episode was one of the worst in the show's history. Without Wilson to help carry the show, it's glaringly obvious that Thirteen and Taub are not up to the task.
londonbridge | Sep 24, 2008 9:23:22 AM | #I loved the PI interaction, hated the widow Wilson, and cannot believe how many ideas Kutner gets in per episode now. Has he always been so knowing?
Lurie | Sep 24, 2008 9:27:15 AM | #I was really confused too about the final diagnosis. Thankfully, Wikipedia's episode guide lists it for each episode; it says "transplanted cancer stem cells." I guess that's why the cells could act differently in each patient and look like the proper cells for that organ but not really be them... (I think).
See more at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_stem_cells
Jane | Sep 24, 2008 9:31:19 AM | #The episode from last night was really good. I really like the P.I. (They didn't mention it in the episode but it said on my closed captioning his name is Lucas). I'm looking forward to seeing him more.
Dory | Sep 24, 2008 9:51:15 AM | #OK episode, House seems off and not in a good way, foreman seems like a shell of the character we used to know. Chase and Cameron should just be written off the show as they get so little screen time that it is a jarring reminder as to why we liked them so much in the first place. Kutner seems to be getting a bigger role each week as the idea guy, and the new PI was particularly grating on my nerves and hope to never see him again.
Michael | Sep 24, 2008 11:37:33 AM | #This should be the final season of House. I think it's run it's course. There doesn't seem to be any fresh ideas on where to take this formula driven series.
cookiemonster | Sep 24, 2008 12:16:00 PM | #Cookiemonster I think you might have lost your marbles... or is it cookies? House is one of the best shows on TV even with Kutner, Taub and 13.
Just goes to show you how ridiculous Hugh Laurie is at his job :)
Sarah | Sep 24, 2008 1:12:36 PM | #so when are cameron and chase coming back? it was a so-so episode for me. the PI stuff was interesting and pretty funny. i don't hate 13 like a lot of people but i wouldn't mind if her and taub's characters were written out. i think kutner would work with the original team of cameron, foreman and chase.
but i won't lie, i would like to see more color on this show... something between white and black.
joits | Sep 24, 2008 2:40:28 PM | #A so-so episode at best. I agree that the resolution of the patient's problem was very confusing. The p.i. was okay, but you could tell that the episode was designed to make him shine, and he didn't really shine. There seemed to be a kind of strained attempt to introduce all his meant-to-be-endearing eccentricities at once, to demonstrate that he was truly an interesting character, which reminded me of the (unsuccessful) attempt to make 13 interesting by making her a bisexual orphan with Huntington's disease.
I just hope that David Shore isn't planning to do with Wilson what he's already done with Chase, Cameron and Foreman. He seems to be so dazzled by his new characters, he forgets all about the old ones, even though the old ones are more compelling and interesting. If he replaces Wilson with this P.I. guy, I don't think I'll want to watch the show anymore.
Did anyone else notice how House and the p.i. used the language of love and romance to describe the friendship of House and Wilson - words like "pining" which are usually used only in a romantic context? Loved the scene with House and Wilson, brief as it was. RSL and Hugh Laurie batted it out of the ballpark as usual!
I have to agree that it was a so-so episode and that the medical mystery this week was very confusing.
The p.i. character was okay. The episode was built around his character and was meant to give him an opportunity to shine, but I don't think he really did shine. He seemed more a collection of endearing eccentricities than a person, the same way that 13 is a collection of attributes (bisexual orphan with Huntington's) rather than someone who feels real. I hope that David Shore isn't planning to phase out Wilson in favour of this new character, the way that he phased out Cameron, Chase and Foreman for the boring newbies.
Also interesting in that both the p.i. and House used language normally associated with romantic love (such as "pining") when talking about the House/Wilson friendship. I have to believe that's deliberate! (Bad David Shore! Please don't tease the Hilson fans.)
I thought the scene between House and Wilson, brief as it was, was really strong. All those layers of emotion! Laurie and RSL really batted that scene out of the park!
I really love this show and can't wait to see how they get Wilson back.
I also love the new PI, I hope he sticks around for a bit. Can't wait to see more Cameron and Chase
Does anyone know if the patient of the week is Penny from Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long blog?
Mandy | Sep 24, 2008 10:25:48 PM | #Yes, she is. The recapper even mentioned it in her blog. LOVE her and LOVE Dr. Horrible!!!
I was prepared to not like the PI, actually, based on the TVGal's review, but I really liked him. I don't know yet if he could be the lead of his own show, but I really found him endearing and quirky in a fun way.
I don't know why people always say that if we are women and dislike 13 it's because we are threatened by her beauty, etc. I can appreciate many beautiful, talented actresses. She just isn't one. Not on this show. I've seen Olivia Wilde in other things (I actually really liked The Black Donnelly's and enjoyed her on that show) but she just doesn't do it for me on this show. I don't know what it is. I also miss the old crew.
genniel | Sep 25, 2008 5:33:19 AM | #"I don't know why people always say that if we are women and dislike 13 it's because we are threatened by her beauty, etc. I can appreciate many beautiful, talented actresses."
May I answer tha question?Maybe you can, but it's not the case for everyone. It is, very sadly, a fact observed in the case of many young, sexy actresses and characters (or, even in our "ordinary" life, at the office, for example). I'm ashamed to say that a number of women tend to be jealous and mean with other women, especially when these other women are indeed sexy and young. Another "celebrity" example would be Keira Knightley. I've heard bad comments made about her by women who had seen one or even no movie with her! But they still thought she was "not a good actress, and not that cute anyway". Anyway...That's just my two cents on the subject.
| Sep 25, 2008 7:11:25 AM | #Genniel, I don't think people "always" say that about people not liking 13; so far only two have that I've noticed (I'm one). Your description sounded thoughtful and sincere -- liking her on another show but not on this one.
The comments I responded to with that speculation were more the junior high school popularity contest variety. Like the previous poster, I've seen that kind of thing over and over in life, re celebrities, in school or with people in the office.
I also suspect that said people like Cameron because she seems "nice," as in "She'd be nice to me and doesn't threaten me, so therefore I like her." Maybe because I simply cannot otherwise explain anyone liking that boring twit! I must have a blind spot... ;)
Jane | Sep 25, 2008 9:13:33 AM | #"*snorts*... at the negative "13" comment: how surprising to see, yet again, a female despising the youngest, sexiest female on the show!!! Thirteen is interesting, and Olivia Wilde is talented."
That's just a crappy generalization, Sam. What if I generalized that men who think Thirteen is interesting are just hoping for some hot, lesbian action? Cameron and Cuddy are both beautiful and sexy, and I like both of them. Many people do. Take a look at all the forums, Sam. It's not just a few women who think Olivia Wilde is miscast in this role, it's an overwhelming majority - she's THAT bad. I believe there is a lot of backlash right now against last season's changes, ESPECIALLY the character of Thirteen, and it is being reflected in the ratings. People are getting tired of waiting for the show to get back to what it was in the first two seasons.
Jo | Sep 25, 2008 9:31:50 AM | #The episode began deflated and ended even more deflating because House's magic requires a believable Cuddy or Wilson.
The intimidated doctors and the pseudo House PI have no heft.
I'm always amazed by how important the supporting characters are in building our amazement.
This episode was like seeing fireworks with no theme, no backdrop.
I'll remember Cuddy's thong long after I've forgotten mr. argyle socks.
And for all of House's bravado, who doesn't crave some of Wilson's sensitivity and humility.
Egad. An unbalanced world of too much HOUSE is like 'Being John Malkovich'.
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