House — Episode 9 (Season 5): “Last Resort”
A cleverly set-up episode of House with some unfortunately very sloppy medicine.
House is rooting around in Cuddy’s desk when Jason, a patient, enters looking for Cuddy. House shoos him away, but a few minutes later he returns, armed with a pistol and dragging along a handful of clinic patients and staff he has taken hostage. He tells House that he’s sick and he wants the best doctor in the hospital or he will start killing patients. He explains that he has seen 16 doctors in past 2 years, had 3 CTs, 2 MRIs and 7 blood panels, but no one can figure out what his wrong with him. His symptoms consist of shortness of breath, fatigue, rashes, palpitations, and insomnia. House takes the case. He focuses on the lungs first and has Jason try, unsuccessfully, to blow out a lighter. From that, House deduces that he has low lung volume and tells him that he has pulmonary scleroderma. He recommends treatment with Propofol.
Now, scleroderma is a real disease and can certainly cause pulmonary symptoms, but it doesn’t generally cause the symptoms this patient is exhibiting. Nor is it treated with an “alkylating agent.” So is House trying to be clever and use an impressive sounding disease name to fool the patient, or is it sloppy writing? I like to think it is the former. Regardless, House was trying to be clever by using Propofol, which is not a treatment for scleroderma but instead a powerful intravenous anesthetic. Unfortunately, when Jason had him give it to a hostage first, House’s deception was revealed when that hostage collapsed. In retaliation, Jason shoots another hostage in the leg.
The SWAT team arrives on the scene as House has a conference call with all his young guns. Chase refuses to play along and leaves. The rest of the team comes up with a differential diagnosis of chronic lung infection, cancer which has spread to the lungs, a neurological condition affecting the diaphragm, or a heart defect. As House is ordering a variety of tests over the phone, Jason hears some SWAT personnel outside the office window. House is impressed because no one else in the room heard the police officers. He decides that Jason has hyperacusis (an extreme sensitivity to sounds) and this seems to point to a neurological cause. A slight left facial palsy (weakness of the muscles on the left side of the face) is also noted, and House now suspects that Jason has postherpetic neuralgia (chronic pain following a shingles outbreak). He orders some Capsaicin (the chemical that causes hot peppers to be hot) to test the nerve. This is an acutely painful test, but Jason makes Thirteen go through it first. She doubles over in pain. Jason is next, and he suffers the same amount of pain, ruling out postherpetic neuralgia. Meanwhile, the white blood count has come back normal, meaning that infection is not the cause (or at least less likely to be the cause), so that leaves a heart defect or cancer as the cause.
About this time, Thirteen notices that Jason has a distended jugular vein. His pulse is also racing along at 160 (a normal pulse should be no higher than 100). House tries carotid massage to bring the heart rate down but it doesn’t work. House doesn’t want to defibrillate Jason as the electrical shock could cause him to tighten his trigger finger and shoot someone. Instead, Thirteen suggests a chemical cardioversion (using medicine to return the heart rate and rhythm to normal). This is risky because it they don’t know for sure what the exact heart rhythm is. Regardless, House agrees to give it a try. She rushes out to the clinic and grabs some adenosine. Jason makes her take it first, and she blacks out from the low heart rate it causes. It works well for him though, returning his heart rate to normal.
Now House notices that Jason is just sweating on one side of his face. This makes him think that Jason has a Pancoast tumor, a lung cancer high in the lung pressing against some key nerves. Jason confirms that he has dry mouth and House finds a swollen lymph node in his neck, all of which seem to confirm the tumor theory. Jason trades two hostages for access to the CT scanner. The initial CT scan is inconclusive because the metal in the gun interfered with the scan. House talks him into giving up the gun and repeats the scan — it is normal. There is no tumor and House is stumped. To the dismay of Thirteen and the one remaining hostage, House returns the gun to Jason.
House talks to his team again, this time looking at the symptoms of dyspnea (difficult breathing), anemia, seventh nerve palsy, and tachycardia. Loa loa filariasis (an African parasite), Q fever (a bacterial infection caught from cattle or similar animals), histiocytosis X (an older name for langerhans cell histiocytosis), and Cushing’s Disease are all suggested. The latter seems the most likely, so House orders some Dexamethasone (a potent steroid) to test for the condition. Once again, Thirteen is forced to take the drug first. The patient is given the medication next, but it makes no difference in his breathing, so Cushing’s is ruled out. Unfortunately, all the medications have caused Thirteen to develop acute kidney failure and she becomes very sick. The team is puzzled that Jason didn’t have the same problem, and decides that he must have something protecting his kidneys. House finds Chvostek’s sign, which an indication of low calcium. Looking through his charts, the team decides that this is due to the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) he is taking (PPIs are stomach medications such as Prilosec, Prevacid, etc. By lowering the acidity of the stomach, they decrease calcium absorption and can lead to low calcium). The team decides the low calcium must be protecting his kidneys and whatever disease he has must have a long incubation (the leap of logic here seems a little abrupt). Leishmaniasis and melioidosis are suggested, but dismissed because they are tropical diseases. When the patient admits that he’s been to Florida, House tells him that’s tropical enough and melioidosis is the likely culprit. He orders 3 grams of ceftazidime (a potent antibiotic and the preferred treatment for melioidosis), but is forced to leave the room. Only Thirteen and Jason remain. She begs not to have to take the drug as she doesn’t want to die. Jason relents and takes the injection just as the SWAT storm the room. As he is led away in handcuffs, he indicates to House that he is already breathing better.
Major complaints are in red, minor in blue, nit-picking in green:
Post herpetic neuralgia affects one particular nerve on one side of the body. If Jason has problems with his left facial nerve, giving him an injection in his back/buttocks will do nothing or prove nothing as it is nowhere near the only affected nerve.
Postherpetic neuralgia is a painful condition that sometimes has numbness associated with it. This does not match the patient’s symptoms at all.
Topical capsaicin is used to treat postherpetic neuralgia, and there has been a study of an injectable form for other causes of neurological pain, but I can find no record of it being used to test for postherpetic neuralgia.
I’m not sure what the writers were trying to show with the dexamethasone. It can be given in low doses over several days to diagnose Cushing’s Disease or Syndrome. A higher dose can be given to differentiate the causes of the condition, but it’s not used to treat Cushing’s. Remember, in Cushing’s, the patient has too much steroid in their system, so giving them more (like Dexamethasone) doesn’t correct their symptoms (why would it?), but it may temporarily cause the body to slow down the amount it makes — but this takes several hours, or days, to have an effect. It is a lab test; it has nothing to do with symptoms.
Hyperacusis means that patient has an increased sensitivity to everyday sounds. It does not mean that their hearing is any better.
The time course of this episode was extremely off. Medications simply do not work that fast. The writers had the dexamethasone working too fast (takes a day or two), the ceftazidime kicking in too fast (a few weeks not a few minutes), and Thirteen’s kidney failure hit within minutes.
Adenosine is an extremely short acting drug that only lasts a few seconds. It would have been out of Thirteen’s system quickly. While it can cause a brief heart block, it doesn’t cause people with normal hearts to collapse like that.
Previously unmentioned symptoms kept appearing for no reason. First, House mentioned that the patient had “abdominal pain,” though Jason had never mentioned it. Later on, “anemia” showed up as well though it had not been mentioned previously.
If a tumor were large enough to cause all those symptoms, you would think that it would show up on at least one of the CT scans in the pat two years.
There has not been a case of melioidosis in the US in over sixty years.
Ceftazidime is the drug of choice, but the maxiumum dose is 2 grams per dose, not 3.
You don’t give a high dose antibiotic shot in the cubital fossa. It needs to go in a big muscle, or an IV line.
There are much better method’s, though none so dramatic, of inducing Chvostek’s sign. I don’t think House’s technique would even work.
Propofol is an intravenous drug, not intramuscular.
Don’t talk during the CT.
The medical mystery was interesting, and the setting clever, so the show started out with a strong A-. The final solution was quite a stretch (for instance, it just happened to be the last tropical disease mentioned, rather than the two previously discussed) and earns a C. The medicine, even given the conditions, was sloppy and deserves a D at best. The soap opera was well done and almost made me sympathetic to Thirteen; I give it a B+.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:14 am
Am I first? Great website.
Was wondering before when the hostage scenario would be used. CSI:NY had a similar plot just some months back.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:23 am
I could have sworn they RULED OUT infection. I distinctly remember Foreman going “Normal white count.”
And INSTA-KIDNEY FAILURE is pretty ridiculous.
However I did love Thirteen in this episode.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:31 am
good episode.. always appreciate ur analysis on the medicine.. lets us see what is realistic and whats not.
quite surprising to have a character to be shot by a patient and then a couple of seasons later taken hostage by a random one instead.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:33 am
I kept waiting for your review to show up while I was watching House. =) Love your reviews!
Interesting episode. I still like the old team better, but I like 13 more after this episode. I’m glad she didn’t take the final med in the end. I think the kid was an idiot to stay when he saw House handing back the gun. Pretty stupid to hand the gun back to Jason too on House’s part.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:38 am
First, let me say — I love your reviews. Avid reader, first time poster.
I’m willing to forgive a couple of things you critique here — specifically the capsaicin and Chvostek’s sign (assuming for the sake of argument that it would work) — because of House’s personality. Both of these things serve to cause the patient pain, and it certainly seems rational for House to want to do that given that this guy is yanking his chain; he’s never really struck me like a “do no harm” kind of doctor before. The timing also works — prior to the capsaicin, the patient hadn’t forced House to inject Thirteen with anything, and he doesn’t try anything funny again until slapping the patient, which clearly needn’t be tried on anyone else.
Perhaps, after four seasons of coming to see House as the lovable misanthrope with the heart of gold, we’ve forgotten that he’s *actually* a misanthrope. Then again, that just means the writers missed a golden opportunity to send up their own medical foibles. “Hey, House, those tests weren’t medically necessary — did you do them just to torture your patient out of spite for holding you hostage?” “Well, since you mention it….” ;)
November 26th, 2008 at 12:48 am
I thought for sure you would have made a comment about sharing needles the way they did.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:53 am
What was the reasoning behind hypocalcemia ‘protecting the kidneys’? I can’t make sense of that, and am looking at nephron physiology right now.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:59 am
I almost needed a de-fib when House handed over the gun again. Through most of the episode, I was thinking: “what would i do in such circumstances.” This episode made House look stupid, destroyed any street cred he had with me, and permanently tatooed the label of LOSER on this character (with a capital “L”).
Clearly, the House series has jumped the shark.
November 26th, 2008 at 1:01 am
I think this might be one of the few times though where they at least MENTIONED shocking someone who wasn’t flat lined. They didn’t actually do it, and I’m not sure myself if that was an appropriate situation to bust out the defibrillator. But it’s the first time I can think of where they referenced it without hearing a really long beep first.
November 26th, 2008 at 1:13 am
Did anyone else notice when the team was talking about the pt using a PPI, Cameron said PROTEIN pump inhibitor instead of PROTON? Sloppy.
Greg House *never* would have given the gun back. I’m really annoyed by tonight’s episode.
November 26th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Handing the gun back was just possibly the dumbest thing ever to occur on this show. I love watching House, but I get that he only cares about puzzles, and handing the gun back just plays that character trait to the point of absurdity. A much better handling of that situation would have either not to have bothered with it at all, or for House to keep the gun and try and find some other way to keep the swat team out.
November 26th, 2008 at 1:18 am
Clearly, the medicine — in many ways across many episodes — leaves a lot to be desired. Question 1 for Scott: I am not sure what your baseline of measurement is for House in terms of the plot / soap opera. What do you compare it to: “All my Children,” “General Hospital,” or what?
As for the plot, and as a general rule, I’ve seen better on General Hospital.
What saves this show — and just barely — is the acidity and ridiculousness of House’s character. Question 2 for Scott: at what point does the soap step over the line? Or is there no line? Are you comfortable when everything turns out to be a dream? Why did you give this episode such a high grade? Do you completely dismiss reality and common sense?
November 26th, 2008 at 1:46 am
On House handing the gun back….
Would’ve preferred it if House told the SWAT team he gave the gun back but kept it himself.
Of course, that would’ve caused a problem when Thirteen was left behind–he can’t give Nutjob the gun in order to force Thirteen to take the antibiotics on his way out, and Thirteen had to be alone with the Space Case for the climactic scene…..
I think the writers started with that scene, worked backwards, ran into the issue with the gun and the MRI, and came up with the best solution they could figure out.
–
But you know what made the episode work for me? The stinger. If you’re watching closely you see (intentional or not) House playing with a prescription pad at the beginning of the episode.
Not until the very end do you find out what he was really doing.
He was acting like a fourth grader. Almost makes me wonder if he left a thumbtack on her chair too.
November 26th, 2008 at 1:59 am
Greg House ABSOLUTELY would hand the gun back. By the point House handed the gun back, he had done his thing, analysed the character. Remember, he is practically a Savant at reading people as well, not to mention arrogant. He had judged the situation, wanted to solve the puzzle, probably empathised with Jason; he thought he understood the guy. That’s why he handed the gun back.
November 26th, 2008 at 2:01 am
Sorry to double post.
If we want to talk about things Greg House would never do, let me all direct you to an episode called “Mirror, Mirror” and a certain dance old Greg performs near the end.
November 26th, 2008 at 2:02 am
I agree w/ Lou_Moraga . . .
House has unfortunately jumped the shark with tonight’s episode. Tonight was awful. Not that every episode is believable, but tonight was just way past the line. I have been hoping that this season would start to pick it up, but it took a HUGE step back tonight, IMHO. First a kiss w/ House & Cuddy a few weeks ago, now a hostage situation, and both episode filled with ridiculousness. I really hope they can turn this season around soon.
Granted, this is just one man’s opinion, but it’s mine, and I trust it.
November 26th, 2008 at 2:44 am
I couldn’t help but notice a lack of distraught!Wilson in this episode. Just a few episodes ago he revealed that one of his biggest fears is losing House. Did the writers forget about that?
I’m surprised that we didn’t see him frantically hovering in the background of Cuddy’s office freaking out at the possibility of his best friend getting shot.
November 26th, 2008 at 4:41 am
I thought it was actually very reasonable that House gave back the gun; it fulfills his absolute obsession with “finding the answer to the puzzle”
November 26th, 2008 at 4:46 am
Actually, House did *exactly* what I expected him to do when he handed the gun back. As soon as his snap diagnosis was proven wrong, he became truly obsessed with finding the answer himself, and without the gun in the patient’s hand, he knew he wouldn’t have any time for that.
If you don’t believe that such life-threatening obsession is possible, consider Archimedes.
November 26th, 2008 at 4:48 am
Why is everybody bothered by the fact that House gave back the gun? He has taken stupid risks for getting the answers before that is his character. Besides the risk was not as big as it seemed because at this point the gunman trusted and needed him.
November 26th, 2008 at 4:53 am
House handing the gun back was definitely over the top… but it fits the character too.
Remember Wilson’s words that House suffered from the Rubix complex, the need to solve the puzzle. When faced with losing his puzzle toy, he did what he could to keep it longer. House was already under suspicion of being sympathetic to the guy, they’d NEVER let him treat him after they had him in custody.
I agree that the new team isn’t as interesting… it’s pretty clear the writers are floundering about a bit trying to flesh them out. The return of Cameron and Chase to the front a few episodes ago was very good. The problem is they got too many characters, so everyone suffers a lack of depth.
Well, it wouldn’t surprise me if Hugh Laurie’s about ready to call it quits and return to Britain, so this may be the last season anyway. Depends on how desperate Fox is to keep any show that pulls in ratings. Which may be pretty desperate given how badly the overall ratings are…
November 26th, 2008 at 5:54 am
Definitely not an infection – it was ruled out by Forman near the beginning. However long lingering infections can present themselves with almost normal BC. The disease in question presents itself with TB like symptoms which means that it can also hide like the TB or present TB like symptoms out of nearly every organ (less likely though) and still it’s a stretch and I do mean a BIG stretch not to notice the classic signs of infection for almost two years, by nobody. Also – shooting the antibiotic and receiving positive result two minutes later? Please…
November 26th, 2008 at 6:21 am
This episode had too much wasted potential. It didn’t come close to the brilliancy of ‘Three Stories’ or ‘No Reason’. The execution was very sloppy. And it seems to me that even in House’s world, the authorities would be all over him for giving the gun back and risking the lives of Thirteen and others. Yet, he seems to have gotten off without consequence.
November 26th, 2008 at 6:44 am
Maybe I was just paying more attention than normal, but this episode of House made me want to kick the TV screen more than normal.
Here are some things I noticed
- Why was psychosis never considered ? The first thing I would do in house situation is try to deduce wether the patient was some psychiatric illness or not
- How can House see the CT scan with just a monitor hooked up to the CT? Don’t you require a computer for the actual software?
- Why was Cushing’s considered given the patient lacks most of the physical feature associated with the condition?
- House states that 13’s heart was racing without taking her pulse or anything.
BTW- Cameron did say Protein Pump Inhibitor
Great review, as always.
November 26th, 2008 at 7:08 am
I think the whole insta-kidney failure and the meds kicking in faster than they ever would is more of a writing choice to keep the pace and tension up. When writing a show you can’t sacrifice the drama for realism all the time. I mean how interesting would it have been to have them sit in a room for a week and then find out that whatever they gave him didn’t work? It’s a bit nitpicky is all I’m trying to say.
And to the person who said House got off without consequence for giving him the gun back, I’m sure he’ll catch a bunch of complaints or something in the next episode.
November 26th, 2008 at 7:40 am
They didn’t share needles. The first time it happened I saw the injection and then House was switching needles.
November 26th, 2008 at 7:40 am
While giving back the gun is a stupid thing to do in a real-life situation, from a story point of view if he hadn’t given back the gun Thirteen wouldn’t have had her “I don’t want to die” moment. I was getting pretty tired of having to hear her be so ambivalent about her own life all the time (not wanting to get treatment, etc).
November 26th, 2008 at 7:51 am
It was a perfectly House-like thing to do, giving back the gun that is. I saw it coming from miles away, House is obsessive and he only wants an answer, and he’ll do really stupid things to get it and that’s been proven time and time again in many episodes.
November 26th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Figures… the one time you’d want a patient to collapse, he doesn’t.
November 26th, 2008 at 8:57 am
I’m sure you’ve probably seen this, but I’ll post it anyway:
Every Episode of “House” Ever
November 26th, 2008 at 9:22 am
I would have been torn about giving the gun back. There are a few reasons to give it back. Part of keeping his bargain, part of continuing the game and part of the cracked sense of order that people with autistic tendencies show.
The solution bugged me. The writers produced it through auto rectal extraction. I would have like to see some esoteric metal poisoning or a drug interaction.
I loved the desk. Perfect in so many ways. The type of thing House would do to Wilson.
The things that impressed me most about this episode were Olivia Wilde’s acting and the makeup. Both she and the patient looked like hell. I figure she is going to get an Emmy nomination.
November 26th, 2008 at 9:43 am
You wrote “Ceftazidime is the drug of choice, but the maxiumum dose is 2 grams per dose, not 3.” I would assume that House was ordering half a dose for Thirteen and a full dose for the patient. Not that the whole thing didn’t suck, of course.
November 26th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Now the question I have to ask is: what would you have done in House’s situation?
So far, the only thing I would see myself do differently is handing back the gun. I would have also tried to fake inject the fat guy since the hostage taker wasn’t paying close attention.
Boom, done, instant hero… I guess.
November 26th, 2008 at 10:01 am
In response to “Every Episode of House Ever”:
I always like it when people think they are being original and poke fun at a show that has an obvious formula (as if EVERY show on television doesn’t have some kind of formula). It’s very rich and cute and I for one, have never seen something so freakin’ hilarious. On a side note, the funniest part of the site was at the end: “WARNING: rolling in Emmys is extremely painful”.
As for the episode, I liked it. Sure, it wasn’t too believable, but that’s probably why it’s on TV. The way House acts towards a puzzle is not rational (the way he solves it isn’t always practical…what’s your point?), so I definitely saw his character giving back the gun before it happened. It made “sense” to me. While the medicine wasn’t the greatest, I think “bad medicine” makes for a “good storyline and show”. Imagine how boring it would be if they followed proper procedures and correct medicine all the time. I just don’t get why people complain about things like that. If you complain that much about something, it’s quite obvious you aren’t enjoying yourself, so why watch the show?
Anyway, I still enjoy the site to see what is “off”, because having no medical background, I would probably never know (except some of the more obvious stuff).
Oh, and what a great way to end the show! I was cracking up when it was revealed what House was originally doing in Cuddy’s office. Classic!
November 26th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Greg House *would have definitely given the gun back*. Why? Because he LIKES the torture, high-pressure, highly-chaotic and disheveled environment.
His *enitre* character is based on the fact that there is a severe emotional flaw to him and he continually tries to feel *something* other than the physical pain he endures through every moment of his days. Giving back the gun is exactly what House would have done because of the high stimulation of the situation and the fact that he had not yet reached a conclusive diagnosis.
Viewers cannot be that gullible in thinking that every person would simply hand over this gun especially when that person is a pain-inflicting, egotistical, self-centered, genius perfectionist with a constant thirst for stimulation at any cost.
I’m disappointed in viewers’ comments about this and hope that more thought can be exercised beyond the initial shock value of a scene.
By the way, I found this site about two months ago and have been doing catch-up through all the reviews. Keep it up!
November 26th, 2008 at 11:06 am
House is an at-times outrageous character. Not a stupid character. And handing the gun back was very, very stupid.
I agree with poster Rich – I might have bought a scenario in which House *pretended* that Jason got the gun back so that he could hold off the police while continuing to try to come up with a diagnosis. But that would have deprived Olivia Wilde of her character’s big “I-don’t-want-to-die” moment.
But I liked how it was Cameron who came up with the final diagnosis of melioidosis. And I loved the look on everyone’s face – Thirteen included – when Jason insisted he’d “never been south of Florida.”
November 26th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
As others have pointed out, giving the gun back was totally in character for House. As long as the puzzle remained unsolved, he was obsessed with it.
The only credible way for House to keep the gun would have been that he already had his answer and not told the patient. Remember that the patient was obsessed with finding the answer, which meant that the diagnosis was the only leverage that House had over him. Revealing it would mean that the patient would invoke his “end game” which could have involved in shooting hostages and/or the SWAT team. “Suicide by cop” perhaps?
So, had he known the answer already, moving to the CT room could have been House’s clever plan for getting the patient to give up the gun.
Then, he could have shot the guy and confirmed the diagnosis during the autopsy. That would have been in character. :-)
But, that’s not the route the writers chose, and I am fine with that.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I enjoyed, in a suspense way, the gun return pause. And agree H would return the gun because of ego, obsession, and his own logic of making a deal with a patient. BUT ALSO because – he would never have used it – ! He himself would never shoot anyone!
November 26th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
My favorite line was “Crime Scene.” That is so how House would answer the phone. I’m so tired of 13. To me, her performance was entirely overplayed. Basically her entire part could have been, “I want to die. No, WAIT! I want to live!” On to the medicine…
Like someone mentioned, House didn’t take 13’s pulse to determine that her heart was racing. He stuck his fingers toward her carotid and after two seconds, said, “160.” That’s amazing. I wish I could take pulses like that.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
To follow up on my own brilliant insight, the only non-stupid way House could have given back the gun, IMHO, is if he were the only hostage left. That would have made it an issue of personal trust between him and the gunman. To endanger Thirteen and the kid like that was … well, stupid.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I’m a total Laymen (Journalism student, anyone?) so I really wouldn’t know, but is it likely that they’d let Thirteen into a clinical trial after all the trauma and whatnot of dosing that many medications you didn’t need? I should think if having a C section is considered enough physical trauma to knock you out of a trial, surely kidney failure would be too?
On the soap opera note (though I have to assume this is a Laymen-only conclusion, because I’m sure they’re completely different technically), I liked the way Thirteen’s not-quite-death paralleled Amber’s: with the kidney failure and drug over dosing, and being put into a death-situation because House is a total jerk, and the group nature of their incidents (other passengers on the bus, other patients in the clinic).
November 26th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
“To endanger Thirteen and the kid like that was … well, stupid.”
I think if we were to count the amount of times House endangered the lives of patients and coworkers alike through all the seasons by administering risky medicine, calling for outlandish tests, putting people’s lives at stake for his own self-empowerment and validation we’d run out of room for these comments.
So, no, it was *not* stupid. It was House.
November 26th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
PS — “That would have made it an issue of personal trust between him and the gunman”
As opposed to giving the gunman back the gun with others present?
Your “brilliant” insight leaves a great deal to be desired.
November 26th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Ela, you’re new here and I know you don’t think much of us gullible viewers, but at least we recognize a sarcasm flag when we see it dropped.
November 26th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Handing the gun back. I just knew it before it happened… It was so logical for him to do that. He had no other choice if he wanted to solve the puzzle.
Just like the “You idiot!” i almost said it at the same time as House did. The guy had it coming when he didn’t mention Florida.
I speak only for myself when i say that i don’t mind the possible gaps on medicine or the soap itself. I like the series A LOT, cause is really entertaining. Every tuesday is a great day for me.
The site is fine, can’t complain, but people, relax!… is a TV Show.
Heishiro
November 26th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
House was jazzed by this whole hostage/pressure situation. He didn’t take a Vicodin until after Jason was arrested, even though he’d been limping around for hours without his cane – he didn’t have to take one before that, because he thrives best in that kind of scenario.
I totally believe he’d do a selfish, stupid thing like giving the gun back to Jason, because he wanted to keep the buzz going.
November 26th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I was surprised that House didn’t turn the gun on Jason in order to force him to take more tests. But it wouldn’t have worked with the plot …
November 26th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Does anyone know how melioidosis would cause anhydrosis?
November 26th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Judith,
I may be new here, dear, but I wasn’t born yesterday.
There are many reasons why I identify with a character like House which is the whole point of having this discussion (not to analyze me- although I’m flattered, thank you) and one of the main aspects about the character that is dear to me is his unabashed ability to speak about what is before him without sugar-coating the situation. Getting right to the point is priceless and saves a great deal of time.
My favorite aspect of this episode was not especially the content but the way in which House acted through the episode altogether. He was hardly intimidated and very much invigorated by the waving gun and hostage situation. I loved the previous viewer’s comment (and handn’t noted until it was written) regarding House not having to pop a pill until *after* the incident which further proves that his true addiction is to the rush of adrenaline and utilizing his genius mind to its fullest potential.
Yes, it’s just a show, but some characters hit deeper nerves than others.
November 26th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
My vote goes to “House would NOT give the gun back”. He could keep it and lie to cops, he could point it at the guy and keep him as a hostage, he could shoot his own leg or something but would not give it back. That action gave authority over House to that guy and if there is one House totally despises to have over himself…well you get my point. And yes it is a very big deal, since it’s character defining moments, his other traits no matter how unacceptable are often appealing – that was just disgusting.
November 26th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I have to disagree with all those who said House wouldn’t hand back the gun. Yes, it’s stupid, if not outright insane and suicidal, but House suffers from, as Wilson once said, a Rubix complex, he needs to solve the puzzle. He has a guy here who isn’t suffering from what House thinks he is. House is, if anything, a captive to this pathological need to find a solution to every problem. We’ve never seen him do anything quite this crazy, but the series has several episodes where behaves in a completely obsessive manner.
I actually liked this episode, not for the hyped up “drama”, which is usually the sign of a bad episode, but rather because it gives us something of an insight into the maddest of all TV doctors. It’s pretty clear by his facial reactions that he knows what he’s doing is endangering Thirteen, in fact it looks like it pains him enormously, but he is a prisoner of his true addiction.
House not handing the gun back would have been out of character for a guy who stalks TV personalities because he thinks he sees them suffering an illness on TV, or obsesses about a patient he lost years before, convinced beyond all reason that a current one is suffering the same thing.
If the writers handle this right, this might very well be an eye-opening episode for House, where finally confronts his own behavior head on. Maybe they will, they certainly want to play on the romance angle with Cuddy.
That is, assuming, that the writers are capable of doing what they seemed so clearly incapable of last season and in the first few episodes this season.
November 26th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I was certain that House had taken the bullets out of the gun before handing it back to the patient. That way, House could have kept on hunting for the right diagnosis while everything else (and everyone else) stayed the same. And it would also enable him to ridicule the patient even more without having to be afraid of any shooting incidents.
November 26th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Ela, darling, my apologies, I was too oblique. And your identification with House is indeed apt. I was referring to your harshness in criticising another commenter here who was merely writing in an charming, self-deprecating manner. I shan’t trouble you again. It wouldn’t be worth the electrons, as the current effort is doubtless wasted. Have a nice day!
November 26th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Protein pump and proton pump inhibitors are interchangable terms.
November 26th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
I was referring to your harshness in criticising another commenter here who was merely writing in an charming, self-deprecating manner.
Aw, shucks! :-) (You were referring to me, weren’t you?)
Do I detect a bit of Hugh Lauriean British accent in that “criticising”?
November 26th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I thought the episode was incredibly BORING and STUPID. However it did reinforce just how dangerous House is to those around him. Cuddy is not much better given she was initially willing to bend to House’s will as regads bringing in the “big guns”. The show is definitely not at the top of my list any more.
November 26th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I’m probably wrong about this, but wasn’t it the nurse/hostage who noticed the distended jugular vein, not Thirteen (as you mention)?
Then again, I’m probably just getting medical disorders mixed up.
I love your reviews, by the way. Keep ‘em coming.
November 26th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
To say House would never have returned the gun or that it’s not believable, stretches the truth, etc, contradicts the fact that the entire character of Dr. House is rediculous when you really think about it. That’s why it’s TV and also a great show. Let’s face it, “in real life” Dr. House would have been sued back to the stone age and out of business long ago, would have his license yanked forever, served time in jail or still be there, died of an overdose, sued by Cuddy for sexual harassment and then fired, and so on. Not to mention what the most dangerous group of all (The NURSES!) would have done to him by now:. This is what makes him such a great character and why I come back for more week after week.
November 26th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Hey, will someone PLEASE tell me what happened in the last 3 minutes of the show? My tivo cut off the very end. House was about to talk to Cuddy, I think. (The correct question might be, “What was House doing in Cuddy’s office.) Thanks!
November 26th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
One more nit-picky thing— propofol is an emulsion thus it is a white, not a clear solution.
November 26th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
House’s lack of need for drugs until after the case was solved is also typical of another brilliant fictional character, which House is modelled after. Sherlock Holmes, also had a drug problem that only became an issue between cases. Holmes thrived on the mystery, and when there was no mystery to solve, the drugs came out. Also, for another House / Holmes connection, note that House’s address is 221, and Holmes was at 221B Baker Street. I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, and a huge House fan, so I enjoy it when I find Holmes parallels on House.
November 26th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
in the pat two years.
you mean “past”
November 26th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
I have one BIG QUESTION: why couldn’t jason wait for house to see him regularly?
he’s waited 2 years and been through countless doctors, so why did he need to go to extremes instead of waiting for one more hour to see house (the case would have gone to house anyway, like these weird ones always do).
otherwise, it was an interesting episode.
November 26th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
What I couldn’t understand was why House had to give the guy back his gun to keep diagnosing him. He wasn’t dying at that moment. House has treated high security prisoners before. Why couldn’t he let the guy get arrested, then keep diagnosing him?
November 27th, 2008 at 12:20 am
I think that House knew that the guy would keep giving drugs to 13 and that, eventually, she’d have to choose between taking something that would certainly kill her or refusing to do so. Forcing her to make that choice was pretty much the only way to pull her out of the downward spiral she was on after learning that she had Huntington’s.
November 27th, 2008 at 12:23 am
this episode is really controversial….i personally think its hard to say whether house would give the gun back to the guy. it is insane and suicidal, most definitely, and house has never done anything that extreme, but there seems to be no limits with his character.
and i think 13 is the most mysterious character on the show, and this episode really added a little more dimension to who she is-tough cookie on the outside, but in truth shes scared out of her wits.
and does anybody think its weird that the doctors on houses team are a plastic surgeon, a sports medicine doctor, a neurologist, and a general practitioner? you don’t really know that unless you look them up online, but it doesn’t seem like a plastics guy and a sports medicine doctor ESPECIALLY should be on a diagnostics team. 13 and foreman are ok, nothing wrong with a general, but chase and cameron had more appropriate specialties.
November 27th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Net/net: Everyone writes how much of a genius House is. Where was his genius in disarming this idiot? (Of course it might have ended in the requisite 60 minutes…not a good thing given the hype of the additional 10 minutes).
That said, I really wanted to see the guy kill a few people and look at the repercussions to House’s psyche and mental stability. THAT, would have been interesting.
Lots of people compare House to Sherlock Holmes, but Holmes was never this mindless, stupid, indulgent, condescending and self-serving. My view: the writer’s should read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books to get some ideas that hold water.
This game is over. Time to move on to something more intellectually stimulating.
November 27th, 2008 at 1:07 am
Innocent House, giving back the gun to that maniac… though we all benefited from the result of a more appealing plot it produced.
13 successfully won the viewer’s sympathy this time. I’m not sure whether it is right or wrong, but what else could we do if we were in her shoes? She has little time to live so she want exitement in her life, but even a person in her condition is not willing to kill herself.
This episode invoked our further contemplation on life’s equality and ephemerality. Can we risk one person’s life for another? No one is wrong, in this situation, it’s just that one is taking more advantages.
Cuddy and House, on the other hand, threw us further confusion and depression in the end of the show. Perhaps, they need time.
November 27th, 2008 at 2:07 am
So Jason gave the gun to House because there was a starburst artifact on the CT scan. This makes no sense at all since the gun was never in the scanner. You can’t get an artifact unless the metal is in the direct path of the beam. Jason was never shown with the gun in the machine, he was always holding it beside him, at waist level. I thought this should have been better done since it was the reason for Jason handing over the gun.
A few more technical points on that scene:
-A monitor cannot be just plugged into the scanner. If House wanted to scan from inside the room, he should have used the fluoroscopy attachment that comes with the scanner.
-Jason was never placed far enough into the scanner to image his entire lungs.
-The image shown on the screen is an abdomen, not a chest. Notice the liver on the left hand side.
-A patient should not be breathing during a lung scan.
-No one in the room was wearing any lead(At least the pregnant woman was gone by then).
November 27th, 2008 at 5:46 am
First, “protein pump” and “proton pump” are NOT interchangable terms. Second: If House was trying so hard in the beginning to surrender the patient unconsious, why didn´t he just give him carotid massage then (very simple, no drugs needed)? But I guess that would have been a bit boring.
November 27th, 2008 at 7:54 am
That’s it. I’m out.
This used to be an excellent show with ingenious, grounded plots and nuanced characters.
Somewhere along the line it became a ridiculous soap. I mean, ‘a hostage situation’? The most desperate of all season-saving contrivances? The same one they used on Boston Legal, Life on Mars and Law & Order: SUV?
What makes me so angry is that this used to be such a good show.
Personally, I blame Hugh Laurie. He read Anthropology at Cambridge – so he knows a good script from a bad one – and he gets paid $350,000 per episode which means he has enough clout to say ‘This dialogue is crap. I’m not doing it’.
November 27th, 2008 at 8:28 am
One more thing to point out: the last drugs that would kill 13…well they would kill 13 that’s it, the guy wanted her to take the drugs to see if he’s in danger or if anything cross-reacts. Well, she’s gonna die no matter if it’s the drugs he needed or anything dangerous for him. HOW would he know he’s safe if she’s dead? It’s not like he has any knowledge or understanding of the effects of different drugs on a person with failing kidneys.
But, alas, drama overpowers the sense.
November 27th, 2008 at 11:09 am
House was booby trapping cuddys drawer so it fell out of the desk when she opened it.
(That’s how he knew she had no matches)
November 27th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I am certainly not a licensed medical physician, but would the person who took the adenosine have been able to assuage and/or pre-empted the effects of the slowed heart beat caused by the drug had the person run in place or exercised for a little while to get the heart rate up?
Or would that have made taking the adenosine even more dangerous after strenuous exercise?
November 27th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
In response to the many ‘House would not give the gun back’ and the removing bullets comment…. If House had removed the bullets, the situation would have lost the urgency – although no one but House would have known.
Also, I think House WOULD give the gun back – we already know he is a scarred individual whose personality and behavior is towards an extreme level, and his logic would most definitely not come to the same conclusion normal people would.
Like previous comments mention, given his pathological obsessions with puzzles and creating urgency to increase the excitement of solving that puzzle – look at the way he handles his other cases – using split second decisions, lying to the patients and sending his team to break into their homes to look for evidence, whittling things down to ‘life or death’ – I think at least part of that stems from House’s efforts to increase the drama and excitement of solving the puzzle; basically, almost driving himself into a corner to make solving the puzzle that much more satisfying.
Sorry, I rambled on and forgot my main point….
Happy Thanksgiving!!
November 27th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I’m with the writers of the show in so far as I find it credible that House would give the gun back to the man.
I’m probably the exception here, but I thoroughly enjoyed the episode. The dialog (House’s ironic asides) was very clever in many parts.
November 27th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
New episode for House: House asks his children to inject perfectly healthy patients with a mixture of viruses and diseases so that House can “figure out” what the patient has. Reason for this request: according to many of the respondents on this blog, House’s obsession is with solving puzzles. It’s the perfect episode and the final step for the writers highest accolade.
From Scott’s comments on the episode “Top Secret”: “I wasn’t too keen on the whole “dreaming about the patient” concept either. For a show which prides itself on being (MORE OR LESS) REALISTIC and factual, the dreaming aspect seemed out of place.
I agree with Scott on his views and commentary on TOP SECRET. And I believe this thinking is right on for the “LAST RESORT.” And that’s why this episode was so, so over-the-top. Are the writer’s grasping at straws for the final season(s)?
November 27th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Wouldn’t House be arrested for aiding and abetting the gunman by giving him his gun back? and can we please get an episode that doesnt refer to 13 and her Huntington’s? How about an episode that doesn’t have 13 in it all? too much to ask ? we’ve had episodes aplenty without Chase and Cameron so it seems only fair.
November 27th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I thought House giving back the gun was entirely in character; what was missing was a little bit of extra obsession about solving *this particular* case.
But I was horribly disappointed that 13 didn’t die. I guess the idea is she’s supposed to be the fragile one that we get upset about when she’s in jeopardy, but frankly, every time I just hope it’s the end for her.
wg
November 27th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
I can’t wait for one of the characters to die. I miss Amber and the drama her death caused.
November 27th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Thanks for your medical reviews as it really helps laymen such as I.
The biggest problems I had watching this episode was the behaviour of the swat team. Willingness to negotiate with a hostage taker who has already endangered the lives of two of his hostages (kidney failure and a bullet in a leg).
Allowing him to relocate to a room where they have not set up a microphone let alone any kind of surveillance is unbelievable. As soon as he gave up the gun they would have been all over him, not sitting on their thumbs even after a hostage runs out saying he gave up the gun. Thats assuming he could even get there without being shot first whilst inching his way via an elevator.
The medicine wasnt the only thing that was bad this week.
November 27th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Jumped the shark I think someone said. Indeed. The whole hostage drama should have been over with the propofol: inject it in a large muscle, or under the skin of the guinea pig (perhaps have him sit down and do some calming doctor-ly patter about how feeling a bit dizzy is a common side-effect), then inject it iv in the gunman.
No way would propofol not straight into a vein act that fast.
And why does Thirteen have weak kidneys? That just makes absolutely no sense at all.
November 28th, 2008 at 3:07 am
Anyone notice that during the shuffling scene toward radiology when Jason made that human cocoon one of the hostages somehow magically faced a different direction?
In one scene they were all facing outwards and in the next scene, one of the hostages was facing inwards.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Umm, I kind of noticed something during the dialysis. I noticed that the two cannulas injected into the jugular veins are both pointing in the same direction. Aren’t they supposed to point in opposite directions? One in an artery one in a vein?
November 28th, 2008 at 7:52 am
I’m surprised nobody mentioned that the SWAT officer described House as Cuddy’s boyfriend, and that Cuddy didn’t even roll her eyes.
November 28th, 2008 at 9:35 am
its sad to see how this show has degenerated into abusurd storylines, with endless “witty” remarks, that really aren’t. This was called an “intelligent” show for the first 3 seasons. Certainly the actors look bored to tears – who can blame them? Its time the exec producers get a new team of writers, and inject some enthusiasm into the show, or this will be the last season of House.
November 28th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I actually enjoyed this episode, I actually feared for a moment that they intended to write 13 out, but luckily she prevailed.
A few things:
House giving the gun back was very much in character. Maybe he even did a Xanatos gamble to put 13 to the test? Maybe he was just being his obsessive self. But the scene when he have to leave as well when he rushes back in after the SWATs have solved the situation seems to confirm that he really have a soft spot for 13s well being.
Good catch on the lack of vicodin during the “action”.
As for Taub and Kutners specialities, maybe House really needs someone who can “think outside the box” when he works out the diagnostics and thus unconventional specialities come in handy. But mainly I think he picked his helpers for their personality.
And for the House/Holmes allegories. I read all of Conan Doyles writings on Holmes, and he was, like House a very(over)confident and obsessive risk taker, who often showed a marked lack of human empathy.
I like the interaction between House and Cuddy, House still plays pranks and give snide remarks, but both now know it’s really just his way to say he care…
November 28th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
First, thank you for your wonderful reviews!
According to the CDC website: “In the United States, confirmed cases range from none to five each year and occur among travelers and immigrants.” so I don’t think your critique that “There has not been a case of melioidosis in the US in over sixty years” is accurate.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Here’s the reason the real House would not give the gun back. yes, he wants to solve puzzles, but he would never give the guy his power back over House – this guy is slightly crazy to begin with, and could shoot either 13 or the remaining dumb hostage who came back.
Second, there was absolutely no reason, at that point, House couldn’t have the guy tied up, and forcibly diganosed himself, THEN turn him into the cops, all while keeping the gun.
Third, if House wanted to fix him that badly, he could do it while the guy was in prison.
Fourth, Why, why in god’s name didn’t he just inject the SHIRT of the very large man, then just give Jason the knock out shot? I mean, seriously? Why wasn’t he tackled when he was injected with the capcasin and doubled over? Why didn’t 13 grab his gun arm and point it up while he was in the CT machine?
if House was willing to have a knock out serum take this guy out of the equation to begin with, and not worry about fixing his problem at that time, then why does giving the gun back in the middle of the episode make any sense at all?
There’s one thing to do things with the plot to make a good story. Nothing made any sense in this episode, and inventing dumb drama just makes me like House the show even less. I’m pretty fed up at this point.
November 28th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Next up: Foreman and 13 get closer, then get together.
November 28th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
This was a s**t episode. I think I’m out too.
November 29th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Could someone please explain how low Ca protects the kidneys?
November 29th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Nice review, as usual, thanks.
Though, from very promo trailers for this episode I had inkling the medicine will sucs as a payment for the “pushing you into your armchair” drama. I didn’t expect the drama to suck so badly too, though.
I get this feeling that the few last episodes are a desperate marketing fight to keep the ratings up. Why would else the Huddy Kiss be “accidentally” spilled by Lisa Edelstein weeks before the actual episode containing it. The whole “You must wach next/upcoming episode of House or you will die” campaign is so wrong…
The way it is going now, I am pretty sure that in Season Finale they will cure 13’s Huntigton’s, if not earlier.
November 29th, 2008 at 8:31 am
A little bit crazy episode, yeah? I was sorry about Thirteen all the time she had to take the unnecessary meds, but I still don´t know why her kidneys were failing. Can dexamethasone cause that? Nevr heard about it. Right, she shouldn´t collapse from the adenosine like that, it would make sense if the drug was verapamil or brevibloc, but it´s just a show!
November 29th, 2008 at 11:22 am
So I HAVE to share this tidbit about a prop photo in the episode.
At about 8:40 on the DVD rip of this episode, the patient notices a picture of Cuddy posing on a hike. With absolute certainty, I can say that hike is the Stairway to Heaven, an illegal and absolutely beautiful stair-assisted ridge trail on the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i. It’s also known as Haiku Stairs (Haiku is the area on the island the hike starts from; no, it has nothing to do with the English word ‘hike’). It came about during WWII when the US military needed access to a radio tower of the top of the Ko’olau mountain range, a relatively low altitude ascent but still pretty inaccessible.
I could definitely keep going :-), but let’s stop here. For more information on Stairway to Heaven: http://friendsofhaikustairs.org/
And here’s a photo gallery taken by one of the thousands of thrill-seekers like me, who’ve risked arrest to get to this trail: http://stevegoss.home.insightbb.com/Gallery/Haiku%20Stairs%20Gallery/index.html
November 30th, 2008 at 1:03 am
I have been expacting that 13 would die before the final season…
November 30th, 2008 at 4:01 am
I am confused. I am no doctor but I know you can ‘t go into an MRI or Cat Machine with metal–how did the guy hold his gun while being put into the machine? In other words wouldn’t it be ripped from his hand in the way a magnet in a magicians stomach was?
November 30th, 2008 at 4:03 am
or was it because the gun never entered the inside of ht emachine?
November 30th, 2008 at 7:15 am
It’s a CT scan, not an MRI. Just a computer-assisted X-Ray, no powerful magnets involved.
November 30th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
As an engineer, here’s another nit-pick for you. Radiology departments are usually constructed of pretty sturdy solid concrete walls (to stop radiation leaving the room). Good luck to the SWAT team blasting through it with anything less than a cannon.
December 1st, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I am always baffled that the drugs seem to show effect within seconds or minutes – especially antibiotics.
Good site, btw.
I enjoy reading your reviews a lot.
Very interesting.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:17 pm
This episode worked for someone and looked very bad for others. But please do not forget the truth; House is the most accurate and best medical drama right now. I accept that this season suffered from some out-of-character scenarios but it doesn’t mean House has nothing else to offer. I hope the producers hire some new young and medicine-oriented writers and add them to the team. It may work and we see some great episode like what we saw when House wanted to choose his new staff. You know what; House taught me a lot. As a doctor I see some flaws in his methods and accuracy but how interesting he presents internal medicine is remarkable. This series is an inspiration for me personally. Please back House up. This series deserves it.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Confused bout low calcium protecting the kidneys??
also how would a Pancoast tumour or melioidosis explain a facial nerve weakness??
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Whoever stated that House NOT giving back the gun would be “out of character” for him is totally and unmistakably wrong!
This is the man who stuck a knife in a wall socket to see if there was an afterlife or not! Just to prove a point…
Him giving the gun back was actually predictable in a huge way to me….I knew it long before it happened, knowing and seeing the character as I do…
Also, for the “jump the shark” posters…Please, please, please…The saying is getting OLD and I believe IT has jumped the shark….
IMNSHO :)
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Giving the gun back:
Let’s not forget that Greg House is a fictional character comprised of interpretations by several different writers, the director, and the actor at any given time – not a coherent real human being.
Giving the gun back could “fit” somewhere in that murky figure (he’s done conflictingly dumb and intelligent things before over the course of the series) but that doesn’t change the fact that it was utterly ridiculous.
The whole damn episode:
Suffered from a major goddamn flaw in the premise, and I’m surprised no-one saw it sooner: the “test drugs on the hostage” conceit is logistically worthless for several reasons.
- Some of the drugs you needed could apparently make you pass out. Hell, 13 passes out, and Jason isn’t concerned that he’s being tricked then for even a second. House just needed to explain away the lab-rat-hostage passing out with “that’s the effect of the drug on healthy people.”
- Jason never once handled the needles or the drugs. The SWAT team handed them over each time. Everything was given over in pairs. Why didn’t the SWAT team just label one of the syringes “This one’s a sedative” in a clever way, and be done with it?
- Why didn’t they storm the room immediately when the escapees told them that House got the gun?
- As someone mentioned earlier, faking an injection is pretty easy (Jason could request that injections be made very visible for that reason, but he apparently didn’t, since he’s clearly not a calculating criminal genius).
- Hey, writers, if the point of your show is a character that goes batshit insane, then you need to tell us why, especially when your eponymous protagonist is obsessed with figuring people out, and extremely good at it too. “I just want an answer” is bullshit.* (And certainly not enough to make House sympathize with him enough to give the gun back.)
- House never suspected the guy of lying? Once? Or just being dumb and getting something wrong? Really?
- The whole time, none of the other hostages were scared enough to yell at House when he was constantly fucking with Jason?
- I’m not a doctor, but for some reason I expected there to be slower-acting sedatives/anaesthetics that could knock out a hostage slow enough to fool Jason.
- There were a million and a half opportunities to take the gun.
* And Jason’s reasoning for getting rid of House in the end didn’t make any sense: if House were wrong, he’d need House in the room to keep trying to diagnose him. So Jason either suddenly thought House was infallible (or “Fifth time’s the charm!”), or was totally uncharacteristically giving up (which he did earlier, too). If the only dimension of this character you’re going to show us is “I really want an answer, to the point where I’m throwing my life away to get it” then you need to give us a good goddamn reason why he’d suddenly stop caring that much.
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:53 pm
I’d just like to say that HOUSE never stuck the knife in the wall socket.
The episode that Jackie is referring to is summed up here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/97_Seconds#House
And states clearly that the clinic patient, not Dr. House, stabs the socket.
ANYWAYS
I love the website.
I’ve rewatched every episode with your page open on the side and it makes the viewings more entertaining…which is hard when I’ve watched Humpty Dumpty five times in a single week.
Keep up the good work.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:13 am
RE: Matthew F,
Perhaps you didn’t read far enough down the page. Quoting here from the page you linked to:
“House later uses the same knife as the clinic patient in his office to electrocute himself (after paging Amber seconds before to come resuscitate him).”
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:55 am
My problem with this episode lies in the very end. They just got out of a hostage situation and there was a shooting in Cuddy’s office. Why are the cops letting Cuddy go back to her office? Wouldn’t it be taped off as a crime scene with CSI dudes and whatnot swarming, taking photos? Especially of the shoe with the blood stain?
Otherwise though I rather liked this episode. I think up to that point, Thirteen’s imminent death just wasn’t real to her. But when she finally had to really face it head on, she at last grasped the gravity of her situation.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:20 am
I thought this was the best episode of this season so far. Very dramatic. But…
I rarely fill out Doctor’s forms, but if any of them ask me If I’ve been out of the country or some place tropical, I wouldn’t mention Florida either.
House called him an idiot for not mentioning Florida, so exactly which country is Florida in?
December 7th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
This episode pissed me off so bad. There were many times someone could of grabbed the guys gun safely. I kept going “grab the f***ing gun” I could not suspend disbelief, it made me ill. House hates being out of control more then not knowing. House would of taken the gun at the first chance just to prove he was able to be in control.
It was maybe the worse episode of house I have seen. But, I’m willing to give it another chance. The first few episodes of season four sucked pretty hard (40 people, firing 10 at once like that), but a couple of the later ones were some of the best episodes of house so far. I give this episode -1 stars but I will be back and watch again.
December 8th, 2008 at 5:02 am
@Andree:
“Hey, will someone PLEASE tell me what happened in the last 3 minutes of the show? My tivo cut off the very end. House was about to talk to Cuddy, I think. (The correct question might be, “What was House doing in Cuddy’s office.) Thanks!”
There was a not-terribly-memorable discussion between them featuring her telling him that his behaviour was the reason this “thing” between them was a no-go, and him saying something like, “Well, if you want something different than this non-relationship, the most different thing is…. Hey! You want a relationship with me?” It’s still left ambiguous; both of them are showing occasional symptoms of wanting a relationship and neither one is willing to admit it.
The very ending is that after House leaves her office, Cuddy sits down in her office chair and pulls out a drawer. The contents fall all over the floor because (if I’m not mistaken) House has carefully put the drawer in upside down.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
AGREED Lou Moraga. Hear, hear. That was beyond a “wacky stunt” or just another crazy thing House would do.
That was unforgivable in the character, and as a writing choice, and a PATHETIC grab at sensationalism. ANY doctor that would do THAT, (do the inner motivations of such a person really MATTER at that point???) needs to be instantly disbarred, have his license yanked and be prevented from practising ever again. Not to mention prosecuted for reckless endangerment or some such thing. I dont care that it is TV!! WHO THE HELL PLAYS RUSSION ROULETTE WITH THEIRS AND OTHERS LIVES LIKE THAT ON PURPOSE, AND ISNT A PSYCHOPATH?? And gets away with it at least!
In House’s universe, HE IS THE GOD, no wonder he doesnt beleive in a different God, in the House-verse, House and God are one and the same!!! Meaning, the *idiot* never ever has to suffer any consequences at all for his behavior.
Is this how we are to imagine Dr. Cuddy and her collegues feel about these kinds of events? And thats why nothing ever happens to this fool??
Cuddy: “oh, did you hear???? House committed another felony this week!! Yeah! and recklessly endangered two peoples lives including one of his subordinates and his own??!! oh my gosh, isnt that hilarious?”
Colleague: ” Oh, ha ha ha, that card! What a mad lovable scamp he is! Always doing such crrraaazyy things! You just got to love him, dontcha?”
LC: “Oh absolutely! Thats why I hired him! I love having such an interesting, obsessive to the point of criminality, doc on my staff! He’s such comic relief that fellow! SUCH a break from all those other stuffy, sane, *responsible* doctors I *have* to employ! Goodness! Thank god for good ol’ doctor House! I would be so miserable without that fella to spice things up around here with his oh-so-lovable ‘devil-may-care’ attitude!!”
C: “Oh how right you are Lisa! Without that rascally romp-about, this place would be such a snooze-fest! [pause] And who would want that???! ho ho ho ha!” [they laugh togther and walk off]
GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!!
PATHETIC, writers, pathetic. I used to think these writers were excellent, now I think all that they really have, is just big imaginations but absolutely NONE of the intelligence or maturity capable of actually constructing an ADULT and even -fractionally- plausible piece of performance art!
They just keep coming up with more and more insane bullshit, mixing it together in an undisciplined toxic MESS, and throwing it against the wall, in hopes that some of it STICKS (and of course they assume the juvenile and simple-minded in the demo wont ever question it, or be content with the ludicrous soap opera action).
I’m done with this FARCE of what was once an intelligent show (even though back then they still couldnt keep the medicine straight, but it was at least a heck of a lot better than then it is now). Its just insulting my intelligence and patience at this point.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Chriss, you are sadly delusioned. No SANE character, of any SANE personality, no matter how miserable, would ever CONCEIVE of such a thing.
Its unquestioning viewers like you who stay shackled to the canon of the House-verse, that lets the pathetic and preposterous writing (and writers!) off the hook. And thats why they keep doing this bullshit!
Even from a dramatic standpoint, even someone as obsessive and anti-authoritarian as House would NEVER, ever, EVER do something like that. If ONLY to save his own sorry ass from going to JAIL or being brought up on charges. Or at least severely disciplined in-hospital.
If **I** was the producer of a show, AND I GAVE A S**T ABOUT STANDARDS, and a writer tried to blow that luminous idea past me, I would give him either a) a withering look to imply he must be an alien from another planet, or b) the standard screechy “are you INSANE??!” question.
*THATS* how disgusted I was in that miserable plot contrivance.
And YOU should be too. Dont be so desperate to believe in the House-verse come hell or high water. These current writers are either morons, or enjoy mocking our (the viewers) intelligence.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Thank you Mani. You are 1000% right in every single way. I’ve already ranted enough on how insane and batshit stupid this episode is, so I’ll just leave it at that.
Screw this damn show. geez. If I have to dumb myself down to the level of a mentally retarded infant in order to have a shot at being entertained, I think its time to move on.
And they have such great actors!! The show could have been pure gold. Certainly HL, LE, and RSL deserve better than **this** pap! Oh well, it is just a TV show but im damn disillusioned all the same.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Jackie- your an idiot. sorry, I know im a jerk for saying so, but if you really believe that, THEN YOU ARE.
poeple like you keep this pathetic show going in its present insulting-to-the-intelligence state, instead of clamoring for better. after all, without viewers, the writers would be out of a job (or at least this project.)
Stop drinking the House-verse Kool-Aid Jackie!!!
December 9th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Wow, I also am shocked at the reaction to House returning the gun. It seemed utterly in character. House has done SO MANY things which would be considered “insane” for a “normal” character throughout the history of the series.
He clearly doesn’t have much of a sense of self-preservation, as most of us do. He’s not only a drug addict, but look at the way he treated Tritter, when all he really needed to do was not be a total douchebag and apologize. Look at the way he treated Volger, when Volger was attempting to get him fired. And there are numerous other examples of how Dr. Gregory House simply DOES NOT interact with either the rest of humanity nor with events which occur around him as do so-called normal people.
And to the person who said that Holmes was not condescending, go back and read those stories again.
As to the medicine, as a layman, I can’t comment. I do want to comment, however, on the speed with which various drugs work. Clearly:
1. Prescribe drug,
2. Administer drug,
3. Print caption on screen “3 Days Later”
4. Show result
… just really doesn’t work dramatically. There’s a certain pace and a certain momentum to nearly all House episodes, and I think that having someone come back 3 weeks later to see how their antibiotic worked would utterly demolish that pace and that momentum.
I do want to say that I love the site, and more than anything because I know almost nothing about medicine, and it’s fun to read the both the official commentary on the medical content of each episode, as well as the ensuing discussion. Thanks a lot for the site. It’s a great idea.
Anyhow, I just wanted to make those comments. Oh, and I love 13, but that’s a discussion for another time. I’ve already rambled on enough. :)
December 9th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
So you don’t think House was doing a dex suppression test to definitively diagnose Cushing’s? (I admit, I am not an expert)
December 12th, 2008 at 6:39 am
really bad episode. really. medicine and everything, the solution was ok though. like young&the restless writers wrote it or grey’s
December 15th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Edmund:
Is name calling really necessary? NO! It just shows your lack of maturity if you can’t respect the opinions of others….
I think you’re getting a bit too upset over a TV show that is FICTIONAL…..(look it up)
I’m not an idiot….I guarantee my education surpasses yours three times over.
Have a nice day
December 24th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Jackie:
Even though I somewhat agree that the “giving-the-gun-back” twist was rather predictable… your comment on 12/2 makes no sense! it is self contradictory! Edmund is out of line too.
I’d much rather discuss the MEDICINE and not the soap opera part, which is more than often plain absurd. House’s character is the writers’ puppet and they can do whatever they want with it; the show’s still well above average.
PS: Melioidosis??? Really???
December 30th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I would have thought that your biggest gripe would have been the fact that there has never ever been a case of melioidosis traced back to the United States and almost no cases in history that weren’t from Southeast Asia.
January 11th, 2009 at 5:58 am
I am NOT surprised at all that house handed the gun back. I was sort of expecting it. I mean if there’s a mad doctor ready to give the gun back in a hostage situation it’ll be house. He wants to know the answer as much as jason does. If the swat storms the room he wont be able to diagnose him before he dies. I’m pretty sure house didnt intend to risk 13’s life it’s just a part of his plan he didnt bother looking into because he just wanted to know THAT much.
I think this episode’s actually much better than the last few. It’s nothing on season 1 or season 2 stuff but compared to season 3 and the last few episodes this one’s nice. It got me all drawn in.