'House' : James Earl Jones, genocidal dictator

By casting the man who played Darth Vader as a genocidal dictator, did 'House' take the easy road in creating a compelling POTW? Perhaps, but it's so good, I just don't care!

And as if that weren't enough joy, we are given back the old team! That's right, with Taub having resigned and 13 fired, Foreman asks Cuddy to allow him to work with Chase and Cameron again. House returns to oversee the case on an "unofficial basis" and right there we have the making of bliss in a remarkably successful episode that manages to hit all the right notes in regards to a captivating patient, a dose of Housisms for humor and enough drama to keep me riveted to the screen. The only place it falls flat? The forced romance between Foreteen.

The POTW is President Dibala, an African dictator accused of crimes against humanity. Interestingly enough, it is not his illness that draws most of the focus of the show. He is less a mystery illness as much as a personal and moral dilemma for the cast. The first to react is Cameron, who acts so nonchalant about his care (and cure) that Chase very nearly implies that she's showing the signs of sociopath. She even argues that he can't expect her to feel regret about a death that would be justified. Chase argues that it is not her call to make. Foreman is completely undisturbed about healing a killer to go back out and...well, order the deaths of hundreds of thousands and Cuddy just wants them to do their jobs. House just wants in on the case, getting great job out of torturing Foreman in the process (which is also a great joy to watch).

When the POTW stops making sense, his second in command - a general - asks Cameron if he is likely to get better. Cameron responds that once neurons are dead, they don't grow back and it would be nearly impossible to determine if his words were sensible or a product of dementia ever again. It's a scene that I think was designed to make you question is putting the power in the general's hands is any better, perfectly illustrating the dangerous path Cameron is treading on. It's a danger that leaps into sharp focus when the POTW grabs her, accuses her of trying to kill him, aggressively confronting her until she finally backs down.

Chase, on the other hand, steps up, telling the dictator that if he ever touches his wife again, he'll kick his a$$ out on his own. When Jones was first announced as a guest star, I figured there would be some amazing fireworks between his character and House. But it is Chase who delivers in an emotionally charged scene that ends up with Chase demanding to know what the POTW is going to do once his life is potentially saved. In a chilling portrayal, Dibala vehemently responds that he will do whatever it takes to preserve his country. Clearly implying even if it means the genocide of an entire people.

Chase finds Cameron running another test to support House's diagnosis or scleroderma - which Foreman has been totally resistant to and which Cameron had previously ignored due to not caring about the POTW's well-being. He asks why she suddenly cares and she responds that she realized she couldn't actually kill him. Chase offers to help her by getting the POTW's blood himself and we all see where this is going, don't we? That doesn't make it any less mesmerizing when the POTW crashes and dies. Foreman wants to know which treatment killed him (much like House would want) but can't get past the guard in the morgue. He does get the morgue sign in and notes that Chase was there that morning. And that there is another patient there who had died of scleroderma. Thus, uncovering the fact that Chase faked the results that led to the treatment that killed the patient. Foreman tells him he cannot be an accomplice to what he's done and Chase asks for warning if the cops are coming, so he can tell Cameron. The end scene is Foreman burning the paper he confronted Chase with (The morgue sign in? The faked test results? It's unclear).

The subplots are the incredibly boring Foreteen romance falling apart since he fired her instead of stepping down himself. Which I really can't bring myself to care about. And Wilson's cranky downstairs neighbor - a Vietnam vet who lost his arm and is more of a jerk than House ever was due to his constant pain. And maybe it's that very fact that draws House to him - first in attempts to battle him (such as inaccurately accusing him of faking his vet status) and then, in his own twisted way, to help him. Which eventually leads to him drugging, restraining and forcing the man to undergo mirror therapy - which finally  relaxes the eternally clenched phantom limb, allowing his pain to subside and making him a much happier person.

The Funny:

House: Oh my god...it's 3 years ago. Does that mean I'm still crazy?

Wilson: How was your first day back?
House: I didn't pee in the sandbox.
Wilson: How were things with Cuddy?
House: What did you think I was talking about?

Wilson: My neighbor called. He sounded...happy.
House: That's nice.
Wilson: Even nicer, he's approving the garden expansion and even more nicer, he's not going to press charges even if you don't move out. What did you DO to him?
House: I was...nice.

My thoughts:

I loved seeing how House operated with his new found respect for psychology/psychiatry - not only in the obvious nod to mirror therapy and coping skills, but also in how he accuses  Foreman of deflecting and nearly invoking Anna Freud in regards to his defense mechanisms and ego functions. But even more, watching him be the off-kilter character we all love so much was priceless - as evidenced in the laugh out loud funny mime scene (where Hugh really had a chance to shine on pure comedic talent) and the "Close the blinds...it's bright in here", revealing the suspected diagnosis with a splashy "Ta da!" added. But all that aside, what in the world is going to happen to Chase!?