House — Episode 19 (Season 6): “The Choice”
This episode of House started off strong, with an interesting mystery, and kept the moment — for the first half, anyway. Then it settled into its all-too-common mishmash of acronyms and quasi-medical reasoning.
Ted is a twenty-seven year old about to get married. As he stands at the altar, he suddenly finds that he is unable to speak, and then he collapses. He is admitted to the Emergency Department, where House’s team evaluates him for his “aphasia” and “syncope.” He is told that the initial work-up has excluded infection, vocal cord damage, stroke, low blood pressure, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and dehydration. House clearly suspects Ted got a case of cold feet about the wedding and is faking his symptoms. Surreptitiously, he stabs Ted with a needle causing him to scream out loud. Ted seems amazed that he is now able to talk. This sudden resolution of his symptoms lends credence to House’s suspicions and Ted is discharged from the hospital.
Of course, this is House, and being discharged is a sure sign that worse things are about to happen, and — sure enough — once outside the ER, Ted suddenly starts coughing and then gasping for air. Once again, he collapses. A chest x-ray reveals a substantial pleural effusion (extra fluid building up around the lung). House is reminded that the ER found no evidence of infection and Chase insists that there are no parasites (the eosinophils, a type of white blood cells which are usually elevated in parasitic infections, are normal), but House wants to make sure. He orders the pleural fluid cultured, and run through cytology (looking for infection and cancer). He has half the team search the house Ted shares with his fiancée, and the other half check the apartment he used to live in. Apparently, the search of his current home showed nothing because it was never mentioned again. The search of the old apartment turned up some interesting things: possible lead poisoning, possible asbestos exposure, and an old ex-boyfriend.
The lab tests on the pleural effusion show that it is the result of a mono (mononucleosis) infection. This is an unusual presentation for mono, so the team wonders if Ted may be immunosuppressed — in particularly, if he has HIV (the virus which causes AIDS). The subsequent test is negative. When questioned, Ted tells Thirteen that he was gay once, but was “cured” by attending intensive conversion therapy which included aversion therapy (looking at gay porn while receiving emetics, i.e. drugs that cause vomiting), male hormone injections, and ultimately, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT, i.e. “shock therapy”). The team wonders if the ECT may have caused some brain damage, so an EEG is ordered. It is normal, but then Ted suddenly suffers a cardiac arrest; luckily he is resuscitated with the help of a handy defibrillator. The team now evaluates why Ted suffered the cardiac arrest (which they keep calling, incorrectly, a heart attack). His EKG is normal, as is an electrophysiology study (a look at the electrical pathways within the heart). They decide to proceed with a cardiac catheterization (evaluating the arteries which supply the heart with blood). While they are describing the procedure to him, he suddenly faints. They sit him up, and he faints again. This leads House to diagnose him with POTS (postural orthopedic tachycardia syndrome). According to the team, this diagnosis explains virtually all of his symptoms. It can be caused by infections such as mono, which is probably how he developed it. He is started on fludrocortisone for treatment (fludrocortisone increases sodium retention leading to improved blood pressure and blood volume).
A short time later, Ted starts complaining of a severe headache. Infection is considered a likely cause, so a spinal tap is ordered. This offers no answers and only seems to make the headache worse. House now suspects that Ted has a CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leak where the spinal tap was performed, leading to low CSF and a spinal headache. He has the team apply a blood patch to stop the leak. About this time, Ted develops left-sided facial drooping. The rest of his neurological exam is normal (except for the headache). An MRI is obtained, but is normal. Various diagnoses are considered including sarcoidosis, scleroderma, histoplasmosis, and MELAS (Mitochondrial myopathy, Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke syndrome — a genetic neurologically degenerative disease), but none seem to fit. House decides to have the team get a good history from Ted, but this time with both his fiancée and ex-boyfriend present. With prompting, it turns out that Ted had a fainting spell at least once before, and he has had some erectile dysfunction (trouble getting an erection) with his fiancée. The team wonders if there may be an underlying vascular problem causing his symptoms, including his erectile difficulties. A penile plethsmyograph is ordered, but is normal. However, Thirteen notices that Ted is now suffering from galactorrhea — in other words, he’s lactating. Thyroid diseases, including Graves and Hashimotos, are considered but then discarded. Taub suggests a pituitary tumor. It makes a certain amount of sense, so a pituitary MRI is ordered and a prolactin level is checked. Once again, everything is normal (were there any abnormal tests or radiology in this episode at all?) Meanwhile, House is having a conversation with Wilson that leads to his Aha! moment of the week: Ted has a Chiari malformation. This is a narrowing of the skull which puts pressure on the cerebellum, cutting off normal CSF flow. Ted had not previously had any symptoms, but the slight swelling of the brain caused by the electroconvulsive therapy was enough for the malformation to cause his symptoms. Some surgery and Ted’s symptoms resolve.
For the first half of the show, I was thinking that the mystery was really engaging and the medicine was better than usual. Then he had his “heart attack” and things went downhill from there. As usual, major complaints are in red, minor complaints are in blue, and nit-picking ones in green:
A cardiac arrest and a heart attack are not the same thing. A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating (arrests) — this can be due to heart attack, or to a number of other cardiac condition such as arrhythmias. A heart attack occurs when the heart is unable to get the oxygen it requires and part of it infarcts (dies).
Why did Ted suffer the cardiac arrest? Was it supposedly the pressure on the brain from the Chiari malformation? Really?
How did the Chiari malformation cause Ted’s aphasia? Was it the vague “increased pressure?” Amazing how his condition only caused each severe symptoms (aphasia, cardiac arrest) once.
I have no idea if ECT can cause a generalized brain swelling, but one that persists after three months? That is definitely wrong and worrisome.
The time frame seemed a little suspicious to me. Not impossible, just unlikely. Ted received his hormones/ECT and moved out of his old apartment just three months before the wedding. So was that an incredibly quick engagement, or was he dating Nicole while he was still “gay.”
And the most unlikely part: reserving a church for a wedding three months away.
Nice HIPAA violation Thirteen, telling a (for all you know) complete stranger that Ted has been hospitalized.
House’s treating Ted’s headache with a blood patch did nothing to correct Ted original headache, it only cured the secondary headache that the team caused.
Penile plethsmyograph? Not standard of care. And giving him a medication to cause an erection defeats the purpose of the test, since the medications usually work on even vascularly compromised individuals.
It was a good medical mystery tonight: what caused the aphasia and collapse. I give it a B+. The final solution was a stretch. It covered some symptoms well, but for the others you had to squint your eyes just right and hope the stars were in alignment: C. The medicine started off good and for the most part, proceeded logically. They were to quick to grab onto POTS and too slow to let it go, and the cardiac arrest/heart attack confusion was a major mistake: C-. The soap opera was very good, House played well off of everyone tonight: solid A (and for the record, I grade the soap opera because it is an important part of the show; I don’t go into detail about it because these posts are already long enough).
The review of the previous episode of House
A list of all prior House reviews
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:11 pm
It is worth mentioning also that the Chiari malformation should have appeared on the MRI they ordered.
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:22 pm
Official Comment
Good point.
I figured I’d give them the benefit of the doubt on that one since Chase was very specific about referring to it as an MRI “of the blood vessels” and later called it an MRA.
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Dr. Scott, at what point would other medical professionals step up to do something for a colleague that is showing some pretty clear signs of substance abuse issues?
In the very first scene House woke up in a stranger’s home _and it apparently wasn’t even a secret or surprise for anyone_. Insane alcohol-influenced antics are at least comment worthy even for college students, so if a middle aged super-professional with _well known_ addiction issues commits them I really expected more of an uproar even in the context of this show…
Yes, I realize this question is about 5 years too late for House. :) On the fanboy upside, Andre Braugher is back next week!
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Did this episode remind anyone of another, eerily similar episode from either Season 4 or 5? The one with the Hassidic Jewish couple. Patient collapses at the wedding, and House confirms his diagnosis by manipulating the patient’s body.
May 4th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Did anyone else notice Thirteen’s hand shaking in the bar while lifting the martini glass? The Huntingtons seems to be progressing quicker than anyone thought… x___x
May 4th, 2010 at 12:37 am
Yeah, Sarah Silverman’s sister played that patient.
It’s great that Andre Braugher is returning. They should work him in more often somehow.
May 4th, 2010 at 12:52 am
So, what HIPAA compliant response do you recommend doctors give when they break into a patient’s former house and the current occupant asks what the hell they’re doing there?
May 4th, 2010 at 1:35 am
I have yet to watch this but read the review. i will come back and nit pick later but i did want to respond to a comment. It was mentioned a Chiari Malformation should be seen on an MRI. Yes and No, in most cases a well read MRI Chiari 1 and onwards will be seen. However most don’t know what they are looking for. There is also Chiari 0 which is a crowding of the foraman magnum, but no herniation. That would not show on a conventional MRI. Most people are now getting upright MRI’s because of the gravity giving a realistic view of how much it is herniated.
I am not surprised it did not ’show up’. Like I said I will be back to nit pick. I have been diagnosed with this and other things for 6yrs and run a support site and study it so I know a little about it :) They actually had someone with Chiari come in and help them a bit with the story. I can;t wait to see how it comes out. we have so much trouble getting help, having somethign show a little fo what we go through with our invisable illness and getting the name out will be great!
May 4th, 2010 at 2:00 am
The medicine on this one was far too complex for me to follow without translation so I suppose I’ll have to wait a week before giving any medical opinion. The heart moment was without a doubt the single blunder that ruined the otherwise solid medicine in the episode (well it wa solid for me and about as solid as House allows it to be. When I saw them reching for the paddles and screming “heart attack” at the same time I almost screamed myself. Imagine shocking without even some sedation a guy who is suffering excrutiating chest pain :). But anyway the Soap opera was the strong point here it was well thought and believable and I do thing it was setting us up for the final of the season which I hope is strong and moving but not tragic (hey come on some happyness is in order here!) The one thing that really got me baffled however is semi-medical so I’ll dive right in – Gay conversion therapy?!?!?!?!? Is this even a real thing? Being gay is not a desease (we are in the 21st century right?) Well being lesbian or bysexual certainly isn’t :) but I would really love to know if it is even possible to straighten a guy in that way? And for that the matter in any “medical” way? Whoever knows something should comment and fast… The final 30 or so seconds of the episode were the focal point of the whole thing in my opinion: House looking his Ubuprophen botlle sighting and reaching for the drawer? I was on my feet screaming: “No do not do it!” and was almost relieved when he pulled out booze instead of Vicodin. Sure drinking is bad but at least he can work it out without going into a psych clinic. We’ll wait and see I guess.
May 4th, 2010 at 2:13 am
P.S. Almost forgot: the slight brain swelling that was the general problem should give some reflection on the EEG that was performed at the beggining as well. No way a guy with so many neurological bombs going off one after the other could have a pristine EEG. Plus I am pretty sure (well correct me if I am wrong) but Chiari malformation WHICH IS SIMPTOMATIC! (that is the case here right?) would give some abnormalities on the EEG by itself. (in both cases EEG would not be “normal”). Also that was one fast surgery! The next day the guy is already up and running with just a ptch on his neck? Seriously? That is fast and unbelievable even for House!
May 4th, 2010 at 3:25 am
The Pips’ cover was the best part of it, maybe. Cringed a lot with the repeated references to his ‘heart attack’. Taub was cute.
May 4th, 2010 at 4:08 am
I was struck by the PoTW’s struggle with his sexual orientation – he seemed genuinely conflicted. And as long as he’s conflicted, he can’t be truly happy.
As for Thirteen, she looked super-happy and super-gorgeous in the lesbian bar, sipping a martini and making eyes at other women. I found myself thinking, Is Thirteen ever going to start manifesting symptoms of Huntington’s? (Especially when House pointedly reminded her she’s not likely to live to see age 50.) I mean, how long has it been since House noticed Thirteen’s hand tremble?
May 4th, 2010 at 5:16 am
For once, I actually think the medicine, even if haphazard at the end made far better sense then the main Soap Opera garbage that was the POTW and his needy, insecure & whiny homophobic ALMOST new wife….
Making her insecure I guess was the writers way to use a cheap trick to garner sympathy which in turn creates drama. To me, she came across as annoying,clingy and quite probably a nagging bitch who would have seen her marriage crash and burn…
She’s be enough to make ANY man gay (again!)…
Having a not-so-subtle homophobic current to this episode was a cheap shot to the viewers and IMHO shows how truly on empty the creative team’s gas tank is running these days…. What’s next, a ‘ripped from the headlines’ racial episode?
For the rest of the rest, House was sublime this week.. From the lesbian bar to the karaoke night with the guys this was probably the best I’ve seen him at all season…. I couldn’t stop laughing during the whole breast milk in the coffee cup bit…CLASSIC!!
The Taub arc doing yet another 360 is getting hard to follow with all the twists and turns… does he or doesn’t he love his wife? If he does, stay the hell faithful. If he doesn’t, stop being a lying a-hole and just leave her already..
House’s unrequited Love for Cuddy, Ibuprofen, leg pain quickly getting back to pre-Vicodin overdose levels and an alcoholic House all make for a volatile mix.. Looks like last week I correctly called his love for Cuddy as well as the relapse to happen by the end of the year but I thought it would be with House back on the narcotics not alcohol but addiction is addiction in this case so I can only wonder why they “showed their cards” early and revealed the probable season ending story arc now…?
All in all a solid B Episode… Would have been an “A” if the POTW’s ex-fiancée wasn’t such a “B”but at least she left by the end of the hour….
May 4th, 2010 at 6:02 am
lol @Peter!
I didn’t find it surprising that he’s in such a rush to get married, it’s consistent with his attempt to “cure” himself of homosexuality. Poor, poor man.
I loved this episode, many laughs out loud. Best of all was the karaoke – stretching the bounds of plausibility, but who cares? I was fantastic! And then the pathos at the end, with Cuddy. *Sigh* poor old House.
May 4th, 2010 at 6:26 am
MRI’s don’t always show and not many doctors and radiologists will notice it. You would be shocked how often that is missed. Especially if its a Chiari 0. I have had symptomatic Chiari for over 10 years and have never had an abnormal EEG. That was a quick surgery – but house has pull. As for sitting up on my first surgery I was about the same – 2nd not able to move. I guess it depends. Not a horrible one but they had so much they could have done with Chiari and just by passed it.
May 4th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Ted: “I’m as straigth as any of you.”
Thirteen: “Tcha-…”
May 4th, 2010 at 6:42 am
This is the first time I noticed anyone using Taub’s first name and I was taken aback. “Chris” – really?
Chris is right up there with Jesus in the list of very uncommon names to give a Jewish infant. It’s not impossible, but it’s very rare.
It makes me think of the “Christsteins”, the family of converts in the cartoon Morel Orel.
May 4th, 2010 at 6:55 am
Although it was unclear whether he was in cardiac arrest or having a heart attack, I would assume he had a heart attack because if he’d had cardiac arrest, they would have been shocking a flat line.
May 4th, 2010 at 6:57 am
did anyone else catch the name of the lesbian bar? it was “Foxhole”, that’s hot
I like the subtle reminders of 13’s sickness, like when she was drinking on the bar and her hand shake when she held the glass higher
BTW, last night’s episode was directed by Juan Jose Campanella, the director of The Secret in Their Eyes, the latest winner of the oscar for best foreign language film from Argentina, where I’m from
May 4th, 2010 at 7:04 am
Agreed on the heart attack/cardiac arrest confusion. I’m fairly well-knowledged in medical stuff, or at least as well as a non-doctor could be, but even I got very confused when he definitely suffered a cardiac arrest, but then they kept referring to it as a heart attack. I was honestly wondering if I passed out or something for a few minutes when a heart attack did happen.
This show’s far and away a much “smarter” show than 99% of the rest of TV, but the writers need to make sure to stop making little mistakes like this, even if for the sake of good dialogue. Larger mistakes can be excused, but confusing cardiac arrest and heart attack cannot be.
May 4th, 2010 at 7:25 am
I give this episode an A+ for Awesome karaoke and for the pile of free drinks in front of 13 at the lez bar. Nice touches.
May 4th, 2010 at 7:27 am
Who cares about HIPAA violations during a B&E?
May 4th, 2010 at 8:18 am
Four words makes this the best episode ever: “Midnight Train to Georgia”
Though I don’t appreciate that the show even somewhat equated Taub’s philandering with being gay (as in both are genetically determined).
May 4th, 2010 at 9:12 am
I was puzzled at the use of “PE” for pleural effusion- I thought that stood for pulmonary embolism. Then they diagnose POTS and don’t take the opportunity to do a tilt-table like they have a few times before. Too redundant? And the team is surprised that the patient has a headache after a spinal tap?! Disappointing episode.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:21 am
After performing the pleuralcentesis did they ever reat the pleural effusion? Safe to say we are also attributing the galactorrhea and facial droop to the increased CSF pressure?
May 4th, 2010 at 9:43 am
Chase was the weakest of the original Young Guns but, in my opinion, has become the strongest, primarily because he evolved and the others didn’t.
We’ve seen many different aspects of Chase – e.g., surgeon, murderer, husband, person of faith – and, more importantly, we’ve seen him wrestle with issues in all of these different roles.
The others are all one-role, one-issue characters. After all these years of seeing House proved right, Foreman still inexplicably scoffs at almost everything House says (he’s a one-man “party of ‘no’”); 13 is nothing but sex appeal; I have no idea what role Taub plays (but he’s hardly a believable womanizer); and Cameron never progressed beyond being a bleeding heart.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Re: Gay conversion therapy
Of course no respectable doctor would offer to “cure” homosexuality these days, but religious nuts will, and it was commonplace not that long ago. I have seen no evidence that such treatment turns gay men straight.
@MrBuddwig
Thirteen’s clumsiness soon after she appeared on the show was *caused by House* – he swapped her decaf coffee for regular. However, when she was on Foreman’s drug trial, she was apparently deteriorating. So, yeah, the writers are being inconsistent. Did her hand really shake when she drank her martini? I thought she was wiggling it deliberately… Oh goody, an excuse to watch again!
May 4th, 2010 at 11:33 am
@Lianne – I thought they were connecting Taub’s philandering with House’s addiction, particularly when Taub said “One day at a time”, rather than connecting it with the POTW’s homosexuality.
@Hugh – I think you’re a little harsh about the fiancee. First her husband to be collapses at the wedding, then the doctor in charge diagnoses faking, and then a man you’ve never seen comes in weeping over him and holds his hand. There’s a difference between being homophobic and being scared and angry that you’ve been lied to and used as someone’s prop in his attempt to deny who he is. I’d be a little hostile in the same circumstances, too.
@Scott – as a church musician, I can tell you that lots of weddings get planned in under three months. I just got hired to sing for one in 6 weeks. Unusual in June, but not unheard of. :-) I do agree with you about the time frame, though.
May 4th, 2010 at 11:46 am
When they performed the EEG, I was wondering why they hadn’t performed an MRI.
Then I was like “Hey! It must be the thing that every single one of my MRI reports mentions: Chiari Malformation!”
I wonder if his MRA was with or without contrast? :P
MRAs are annoying and so long
May 4th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
It’s all about imagination!
May 4th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Regarding the comments about the episode having a homophobic undercurrent and the fiancee being a clingy, annoying, nagging bitch… The ONLY person in the entire episode who showed any sign of homophobia was the patient himself. The fiancee came across as a normal, loving person worried about her fiancee and wanting to be constantly at his bedside. The fact that she kicked the old boyfriend out is not a sign of homophobia – what female would want to sit there and watch her fiancee’s former gay lover cry and stroke him? And the fact that she broke up with the patient showed that she was more realistic about and accepting of who he really was than he was himself. I’m sorry, but the fact that you dont’ want to marry a man who is clearly gay does not make you homophobic – there’s a big difference between a woman being totally okay with having gay friends or relatives and thinking that a marriage to a gay man could ever work. He was the idiot – he was clearly self loathing and afraid and ashamed of being gay and was using her to try to prove to other people and himself that he wasn’t gay because he was marrying a woman. Even his last lines – “I want to marry you. I HAVE to marry you,” illustrates that fact.
May 4th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
OK, so there are a lot of inconsistencies in House’s behaviors and personality, even if his uberlogic should direct him elsewhere, but the whole leg pain thing bugs me. For someone with access to All Knowledge Medical, and a pathological williingness to take risks (at least with others), wouldn’t he at least TRY to address the pain issue with diet, specific exercise, yoga, pain hardening, different medications, electrical stimulation, and after all that, and many years of constant, chronic pain, wouldn’t he just have the damn thing cut off?
May 4th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
@ Mr. E. In “Lockdown,” didn’t House actually confess that he had not undergone tests that would help him with the leg pain? I don’t remember what the tests were, but I recall thinking that someone ought to ask Scott to comment….
May 4th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
I really enjoyed the first half hour or so, it felt like one of the earlier seasons (highlights include House faking syncope, Thirteen going ‘well..’ when the POTW said ‘I’m as straight as any of you’ and later on, the breast milk in tea scene) but then, like many of you, after the heart attack/cardiac arrest confusion, it just went.. meh. Don’t get me wrong, I think this was a very strong episode with regards to the rest of the season. It’s just it started so well and then went downhill (if rather gently).
And by the way, I’ve just read the bumf at the bottom of this page – made me chuckle :)
May 4th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
I keep waiting for the writers of this show to allow House to grow up and grow a pair. This character is so needy and so weak, he finds it impossible to deal with his best friend’s new romance, so he drinks to the point of oblivion. What’s more, Wilson turns around and pays House’s employees to keep him company, so they all, in turn, take him (a recovering drug addict) out to drink?! Idiots. No wonder House digs Cuddy: he wants a mommy and she wants to be one. If those two ever do hook up, she’ll end up spending most of their time together burping him rather than boning him. My advice: Run, Cuddy, RUN!
May 4th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Ok, I guess I wasn’t as clear as I should have been last night when I was talking about the homophobia displayed in the episode..
1.) Is everyone missing the not-so-subtle signs regarding Ted’s ex-fiancée? The way she looked at her ex’s boyfriend when he first came in with the peppermint candy, her anger/confusion and revulsion when he held Ted’s hand & started crying…. She ‘knew’ he was *more* then a friend why else get so freaked out about it? ….call it Womens Intuition or that she’s just very observant, i.e her “Gaydar” kicked in.. Even House talked about 13’s “Gaydar” in the lesbian bar so it’s something that the writers were trying to point out that women have….
Then, when she confronted Ted after he woke up and he spilled his guts, and she said “You’re Gay?” like it was the most disgusting thing she’s ever heard.. The way she was looking at Ted when he was telling her about getting drunk and getting in bed and then he got in with him… she looked like she wanted to throw up..
The end result is that she left Ted because she was hurt over and couldn’t handle what he had done with his ex, not because of what he’d done after to try and “change” it or because he still was or was not that way… Once she had gotten it in her head that he’d been with a man, her issues about homosexuality kicked in and she could no longer stand the thought of spending the rest of her life with him..
Now of course one could say that her responses would be the same if it were another woman he had slept with but since it was BEFORE they had gotten together, the only thing different was that it was a guy and not a girl….all the women that I know would not have cared if he had been sleeping with others BEFORE them, but if it was while they were dating him….
She had been portrayed in the beginning of the episode as coming from a real conservative/”proper” family and was probably religious enough to believe that being Gay was a ’sin’ so couple that with finding out that the man she wanted to be with was everything she was raised to think was wrong gave her strong negative reactions…
It was a (IMHO) cheap way to generate some heat and create drama which was totally unnecessary. House had up to last night never needed to resort to these types of gimmicks to drive the Soap Opera.. Sure we’ve had lying, cheating and stealing in the past, but those are almost expected in a good drama but using a hot-button moral and political issue to try and generate ratings seems like a ‘hail-mary’ way of the writers trying anything at this point…
Someone mentioned last week that House has not been in the Top 20 shows even once this season so I wonder how much longer Fox will allow House to continue with numbers like those.. They’ve canceled shows far sooner for having better ratings so this does not bode well if the show continues on it’s current course.
Everything else was great as far as House and the rest of the drama so why was the POTW drama even needed…? They could have played it like normal and it would not have diminished the overall quality of the show.
May 4th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
The whole “heart attack” thing really bugged me as well, but I heard a suggestion that they may have just said that so that his fiancee would understand. But then, that only works if they only said it that one time, which I’m not sure about. Anyone know whether or not that’s true?
May 4th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Enjoyed this episode. Mr. E. this is TV, not real life. What an interesting episode that would be: “House does yoga”. C’mon guys..why, week after week do you look for “realism”?? Can’t you just enjoy?
Re Taub’s first name…think about it, there are 3 major characters on House that are Jewish: Chris Taub, James Wilson, Lisa Cuddy. NONE of these are classically Jewish names. Neither Chris nor James is usual. Nor is Wilson or Cuddy. In the Jewish religion, you are considered Jewish if your mother is Jewish. We don’t know if any of these characters were the result of a mixed marriage. Nor does it seem that religion is very important to any of the three (with the notable exception of Cuddy’s baby ceremony). They seem to be Jewish so that House can play off that fact (and show that he knows more about their religion than they do!)
May 4th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
I have chiari malfoemation and I was looking forward to this, since noone ever knows what chiari is . How much pain we have and how much it really effects our life. even doctors don’t know, most NS don’t know what it is. I was very disapointed at the way Chiari was showen. You can’t move after surgery like he did it’s brain surgery, so disapointed.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
As far as the homophobia angle, I wouldn’t wouldn’t have stayed with him either. I wouldn’t date someone who thought that sexual orientation could be cured, or thought that the ex-gay movement was anything but a mix of pseudo-science, religious fanaticism and/or a a fraud and confidence game aimed at making money off of insecure and self loathing people in need of help and acceptance, not theft and fraud.
The person would either be a right wing religious nut, an idiot, or both.
Yes, I do have a rather strong opinion on this, and in the interest of full disclosure, I’m a straight male engaged to a bisexual woman. I consider anyone who would slight her for it to be slighting me.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
@Snakefist: Good point regarding Chase “evolving.” I like him a lot better now that he’s developed some character.
However, regarding your disbelief of Taub being a womanizer: some people will sleep with anyone who writes “M.D.” behind their name – trust me.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
What? Posts long enough? You’re kidding? For all I care, your posts are over too soon! Get on with the soap opera reviews as well!
May 4th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
So I will say this was probably the episode I enjoyed the most this season. My favorite (among many) humorous moment was when the POTW said I’m as straight as any of you and 13’s look on her face was absolutely priceless.
I liked that they are finally building up to something dramatic happening with House. Wilson is “leaving” him for a girl, Cuddy has moved on. He has no one and is spiraling towards disaster…
The Taub story has to end. His life has way too much screen time right now. Why has Foreman moved to the background. What’s worse is Taub’s story is just a regurgitation every week. He’s faithful, he cheats, he’s faithful, he cheats. Seriously…Taub…go out and have some new stuff happen to you…
13 seems to be getting hotter for me each week. Not that she wasn’t before but lately it’s been huge. Other than that she is completely useless.
Is it really that hard to right a story arc for each of these characters that run at the same time?
May 5th, 2010 at 1:50 am
I’ve known a lot of people like this week’s patient. Self-hating gay people just make me sad. We need to love and accept ourselves, just like anyone does. The girlfriend wasn’t being homophobic by reacting the way she did, any more than Taub’s wife was being philanderer-phobic by making him sleep on the couch. People don’t like being lied to by people they love. Aside – who else is getting sick of “The Continuing Saga of Taub’s Crappy Marriage?”
I forget whether Chase or Thirteen said it, but they nailed it – there’s nothing necessarily wrong with his choice (marrying a straight woman), but the fact that it’s not *her* choice as well makes it wrong. Coming to love someone under false pretenses…man, I can’t think of anything more hurtful.
The karaoke bar was awfully funny, but all in all a pretty heavy episode. I guess it just hit close to home.
May 5th, 2010 at 4:37 am
The heart attack/arrest vocabulary struck me at first, but then I realized that “heart attack” is not actually a medical term of art. “Heart attack” is a lay term, and includes both infarction and arrhythmia. I’ve seen patients + families have this understanding many many times.
It may have been weird for the team to use a lay term (I think they were in the presence of family members) but it can be explained that they were trying to communicate with terms the family would understand.
So, somewhat sloppy, but not a horrible mix-up.
May 5th, 2010 at 9:50 am
I have to vehemently disagree with Hugh on this. I dated a man that later confessed that he was actually gay. I WAS disgusted, but not that he was gay. I was disgusted that he had been lying to both me and himself the entire 2 years that we had been together. I was disgusted with myself for not noticing. I was disgusted at the idea of him being attracted to someone else, man or woman.
The last thing that you could call me is homophobic. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be angry, surprised, and, yes, disgusted if my husband told me he was gay. It has nothing to do with being anti-gay, and everything to do with the sudden realization that your relationship is a lie and that the person you loved can’t possibly feel the same way about you as you do about them.
In the episode, there is the added level of weird – he actually thought he could be cured. That combined with his lies would make me (currently playing the role of fiancee in this little play of ours) feel like I was being used to confirm his sexuality.
I just don’t think that her reaction is homophobic, but even if there is some underlying homophobia that I’m not reading, her reaction still wasn’t even slightly inappropriate for the situation. If anything, she handled the whole thing with remarkable grace and poise.
May 5th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Actually Hugh L, take a look at the House episode Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_(season_6)
Every single episode besides the one with the cop has been in the top 20 for that week, and the first 2 episodes were actually ranked #1, so…
May 5th, 2010 at 10:33 am
I like how Thirteen described the issue with the fiance hiding his sexuality from his bride. He was attempting to erase his identity and there is no way he could sustain that for the rest of his life. How many stories do we hear about deeply closeted men who continue to step out on their wives? Why is she required to give him a chance knowing that he had tried to conceal such an important part of his identity from her? Hopefully now he’ll be able to be more honest with himself, although I’m guessing he won’t by the desperate way he said, “I HAVE to marry you.” He will never fully accept himself. And that road is guaranteed to end in pain for everyone involved.
May 5th, 2010 at 11:46 am
This is neither here nor there, but speaking of gay characters on primetime TV, if memory serves, Peter Jacobsen (Taub) played a hyper-needy boyfriend of Will on Will & Grace a number of years ago.
May 5th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
@Akshay:
You said on May 5th, 2010 at 10:23 am:
“Actually Hugh L, take a look at the House episode
Wikipedia page:
Every single episode besides the one with the cop has been in the top 20 for that week, and the first 2 episodes were actually ranked #1, so…”
Well, Wikipedia is not the authoritative source that anyone thinks of when it comes to TV ratings across America so I went to the Nielsen Ratings….. you know those people who have the boxes in their houses that record how much of something that they watch and aggregate the data in to a rating system.. I believe that this is the place the poster from last weeks episode was referring to when saying that House has not been in the top 20 all season.
This is what the Nielsen Ratings have to say are the Top 20 Network Primetime Series for the 2009-2010 Season Through April 25, 2010:
1.) AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX - 25,607,000
2.) AMERICAN IDOL-WED. FOX- 23,879,000
3.) DANCING WITH THE STARS ABC- 19,625,000
4.) SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL NBC- 19,364,000
5.) NCIS CBS- 18,935,000
6.) UNDERCOVER BOSS CBS- 17,732,000
7.) THE MENTALIST CBS- 16,781,000
8.) CSI CBS- 15,822,000
9.) NCIS: LOS ANGELES CBS- 15,662,000
10.) CBS NFL NATL POST GAME CBS- 15,526,000
11.) DANCING W/STARS RSLTS ABC- 15,477,000
12.) TWO AND A HALF MEN CBS- 14,751,000
13.) SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE NBC- 14,482,000
14.) THE BIG BANG THEORY CBS- 14,219,000
15.) DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC- 14,016,000
16.) CRIMINAL MINDS CBS- 13,659,000
17.) GREY’S ANATOMY ABC- 13,530,000
18.) 60 MINUTES CBS- 13,520,000
19.) SURVIVOR: SAMOA CBS- 13,450,000
20.) SURV: HEROES VS. VILLAINS CBS-13,397,000
Source: http://www.zap2it.com/tv/ratings/zap-nielsen-season,0,7096762,results.formprofile?SortBy=cdb_01_num+,cdb_05_txt+&PageSize=50&Page=1&Query=*
The overnight Nielsen Ratings for Monday night’s House were as follows from: http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/05/04/tv-ratings-monday-chuck-romantically-challenged-drop-big-bang-theory-down-but-still-tops/50395 (scroll down a bit toward the middle of the page)
House only had 9.73 million viewers and was beat out quite handily by Dancing With The Stars….Gone are the 20million+ viewers of the early years…
I’m not trying to get in to a pissing contest with anyone, just pointing out that House has slipped considerably in the minds of the viewing audience (and the ratings as a result) and if something is not done next season, Season 7 may very well be Houses last….
And if people want to see the homophobic undertone of this episode as merely the guy self-hating himself by all means go ahead and think so while ignoring one fact that can’t be ignored…
She displayed feelings of disgust toward his boyfriend BEFORE Ted came ‘out’ to her so on SOME level she knew that Ted and his BF had been more then just ‘roomies’ and was disgusted as a result of not being able to get past Ted’s past actions….
And, despite what some people have said here otherwise… women are far more forgiving of male indiscretions that occur with other women then they are with those that happen with other guys, but that is a discussion for another time and place… :)
May 5th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
The patient clearly stated that he believed being straight or gay was a choice. I don’t see why he has to be condemned for “hiding” what he was, when he obviously felt strongly enought that he was straight. Whether or not you think the conversion therapy was wrong; it was no different then what thirteen was doing to him when she kept forcing him to “be who he really was.” For instance, giving him the option of straight or gay magazine in the penis exam. He clearly, did not want to be gay. That’s his choice, and he was clearly making steps to change that.
Furthermore, the prior relationship may have been best not disclosed to the the fiancee. Whether or not it may seem like he is hiding something from her, he was clearly committed to her. We can see this by turning down his ex-boyfriend, despite the warmth that the boyfriend was willing to give him.
May 5th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
As a long-time reader, first-time poster, I’d like to thank Scott for his great reviews, and also all those who post comments, for adding greatly to my enjoyment of every episode.
Regarding the House series ratings, I just happened to read this in today’s Variety:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118018748.html?categoryId=1275&cs=1
———————-
“American Idol” accounted for the week’s top two programs with Tuesday’s performance seg (6.9/20 in 18-49, 19.42m) and Wednesday’s results show (6.7/18, 20.06m). Also for Fox, “Glee” ranked third (5.2/13, 12.18m), “House” tied for fifth (4.2/12, 10.85m), and “Family Guy” made some Sunday noise (3.5/9, 7.40m).
———————-
So, at least this week, House tied for 5th. In the print version of Variety, there was a nice photo of Dr. House leaning over a patient, with the caption, “‘House’ helped Fox lock up ratings glory as one of the week’s top skeins.”
I have to agree with those who feel that the House series has, at least somewhat, “jumped the shark” this season. But still, for me, it remains interesting enough to be worth an hour of my time each week. Also, and more importantly, I’ve become so hooked on Scott’s reviews that I *have* to keep watching the show so that I can fully-appreciate Scott’s reviews and all your comments!
May 5th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
So couldn’t Teddy sue the crap outta PPTH since them telling his ex-bf about it directly led to his fiance leaving which was a huge violation of the HIPAA.
May 5th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Yet another dark completely abandoned and suspiciously clean laboratory scene in a glass walled room seemingly in the middle of a main hallway.
Oh and all the tests being run by the doctors themselves.
Maybe you can enlighten me on this issue, Scott, are MDs allowed to perform moderately complex and highly complex tests as designated by CLIA?
The most laboratory work I have seen an MD do themselves personally, that wasn’t a pathologist, is a microscopic UA about five years ago.
May 5th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
@Chobdab :
Yea, he could try but they’d probably say since Ted outed himself, regardless of what 13 told the BF, she’d have left anyway….
Telling the ex-BF he was hospitalized and that leading to ex meeting current and current leaving as a result of ex’s sexual orientation would be near impossible to prove unless she broke down in court and confessed that she made her decision to leave based solely on him showing up BEFORE her fiancée outed himself..
The HIPAA violation alone should have been enough to get 13 fired, 13’s Boss (Foreman or House) & Cuddy sanctioned and PPTH fined/threatened to have their accreditation yanked
May 5th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Having doctors running the lab tests is a plot device that works well with the show. You need a place of forced confinement where House’s staff can exchange gripes and opinions about the potw, House, their jobs, or whatever, among themselves. Compare to a show like Scrubs where private conversations take place in the cafeteria, a shared domicile, or a bar. That may be more realistic as far as real doctors go but in House the overall atmosphere is more clique-ish or even claustrophobic which better fits a lonely test lab or MRI/cat scan machine.
I’ve been having a lot of med testing done lately because of an illness and none of it was done by my doctors. However, it doesn’t affect my appreciation of House. Thinking back on the show, some of the best dialogue between his staff has taken place during tests which in reality would be done by technicians.
May 5th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
@The One – The patient can make whatever choices in life he likes. No one would deny him that right. But he doesn’t have the right to dictate the girlfriend’s life, and marrying her when he’ll never really be the sort of husband she expects is doing just that.
You say he was committed to her – was he really, or was he simply to the idea of being married to a woman? Sure, he loved her. I have several good male friends that I love, but that doesn’t mean I’d ever want to marry them, or them me. The girlfriend is being lied to every second of this relationship, which is why she walked away. That he’s gay is ultimately the underlying cause, but it’s hardly the only conceivable double life someone can be living.
May 5th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
@cazoo Good one! definitely noticed it too, but didn’t clue into the huntingtons implications…… just thought she had too much to drink.
May 5th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
I guess POTS is little to do with the bones. You might have wanted to write “orthoSTATIC” instead. ;-)
May 5th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
@Alexandra – you claim that she is being lied to about everything in the relationship. Which is not true. The patient did not lie to her about anything, instead, he chose not to bring the subject up. The patient seemed very serious about his relationship with the girl, even turning down the clear advances of his ex-boyfriend, which, if you assumed he was gay, would have been extremely difficult to do.
Furthermore, how can you claim he’ll never be the husband she wants him to be? This is purely hypothetical. What if he could be the best husband she could have ever had?
May 6th, 2010 at 2:01 am
I definitely think this was the best episode of the season. Houses’ behavior nicely reflected the fact, that addiction is not something you can cure with friends and other normal (read: other holier-than-thou-righteous-fairytale) methods. I’m actually rather doubtful as to whether addiction can be cured at all. Rewiring of the endogenous reward system tends to become permanent after years of reinforcing the addiction and the addict will never again experience pleasure in “normal” activities. All addicts I’ve known have only gotten past one addiction by replacing it with another, more socially acceptable one.
On a different note, did anyone notice the camera work at the very end when House emptied the mug? It was identical compared to the finale of last season when House realized the magnitude of his hallucination. It wasn’t even the same writer or director, so I wonder if the editing means something, hopefully something other than a new motif.
May 6th, 2010 at 7:52 am
Hugh L: How mysoginistic are you? A woman in a hospital room with her sick fiance quietly tells a man who is caressing him to leave, and you think that’s bitchy? Good grief! There was no yelling, no name-calling, no threats, no hitting or throwing things, all in all very civilized, I’d say. Maybe she is homophobic, maybe not, but I think you’re splitting hairs. She broke up with him because he obviously won’t be able to commit to her without making them both miserable. She did the right thing for both of them. If even half the women I know were this self-contained, the divorce rate among my friends would be a lot lower. Watch some Jerry Springer if you’re looking to bash crazy chicks, you obviously don’t know one when you see one.
May 6th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
@Hugh L. :
I mean no disrespect, just to express my humble take on the homophobia claims in your posts.
I’m a straight married woman. I have several gay friends, both male and female, and I certainly don’t think of myself as being homophobic.
If my husband was in the hospital, unconscious, and that a man I didn’t know came in and acted quite intimate with him (favorite candy, crying, hand-holding, etc.), I would be quite uncomfortable, yes. Not because the unknown man is gay, but because his closeness to my husband would suggest that there is a whole lot about my husband I don’t know about, and also that there is a strong possibility that my husband has had a homosexual relationship with this man.
If my suspicions turned out to be true, again, I would not be disgusted by his homosexuality, but by the fact that he has lied to me about it, which is quite an offense in itself (though as you argued, probably on par with being cheated on), but more importantly, because the situation invalidates the life we have built together. It isn’t just a lie – it’s something that means our love, too, was a lie. That everytime we were intimate, he wasn’t attracted to me. No amount of forgiveness can fix that (as a straight couple might be able to work through infidelity issues).
So I don’t think she was being homophobic one bit. I think she was just acting like a woman whose whole life had just fallen apart.
May 6th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Does anybody speak Greek? I was watching this episode again (okay, I admit to a certain amount of obsessive behavior), and during the “It’s Greek for…” exchange in the ER, House said something that actually sounded Greek, then said “It’s Greek for duh”. Does anyone know what it was he said and what the translation is? I suspect it’s funny.
May 6th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
@ Jen: “Crazy” come in many flavors…you don’t have to throw things and rant to be considered ‘not well’ but I digress…
I believe the quote I used was “needy, insecure & whiny homophobic ALMOST new wife”. Are you saying that I should have added crazy to the list?
I don’t think she was/is ‘crazy’ at all. Ted didn’t owe her any explanation for what went on BEFORE they got together… He had his reasons for not telling her and since the past is SUPPOSED to be the past as long as they were happy together that’s all that should have really mattered.
Like I said before, once she had the thought in her head of What Ted had done with his ex-BF, based on her upbringing she couldn’t get past seeing that scene every time she looked at him and that is what destroyed their relationship…
This is apparently more common then people here are willing to admit….
May 6th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
It also led to her being insecure b/c she would be afraid he’s still hooking up with guys when he gave no indication of doing so….
Did anyone consider that the ex-bf may have acted super fem just to plant the seed of doubt in her mind to break them up so that he could get him back?
Why else would Ted say I’m not coming back” to his ex when he came in the last time and brought him candy? also, why the look exchanged between the ex-bf and fiancée as he walked of of the room that said “good luck with staying with him”…
Go back and re-watch it and you’ll see what i mean.
May 6th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
@ The One:
“The patient did not lie to her about anything, instead, he chose not to bring the subject up.”
Lying by omission? And this situation is far different than just never mentioning that he had had sex with a man before, which I think would be understandable– this is neglecting to mention that he’s not attracted to women in general, that an important part of his sexuality is diametrically opposed to hers.
“The patient seemed very serious about his relationship with the girl, even turning down the clear advances of his ex-boyfriend, which, if you assumed he was gay, would have been extremely difficult to do.”
But not impossible, especially for someone is very obviously in denial about that part of himself and filled with some self-loathing, to boot. Besides, what, you’d expect that since he’s gay, his compulsion would be to fling himself with abandon at his old boyfriend?
“Furthermore, how can you claim he’ll never be the husband she wants him to be? ”
He may have bought her everything she wanted, been there for her emotionally in every way she needed, remembered every birthday and anniversary and learned all her preferences for everything, ever… but the foundation of their relationship would still be a lie, and he still would not be a man romantically in love with his wife. He would be a man desperate to live up to the ideal of a straight marriage. And maybe that would be enough for some people– but the fiancee was not given the chance to choose that role.
May 6th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
It’s at the 38:25 mark & he has a little half smile/smirk for her as he’s walking out of the room…
May 6th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
@Cantare
House is saying “Kryo podia”. It means literally “cold feet”.
May 6th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
@TRad
Thanks! Gotta love it.
May 6th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
[...] end of the day, after he solves his case (I’ll leave all the medical stuff to someone like Scott at Political Dissent since my posts are long enough as it is), Cuddy invites House for a night out, sans-Lucas. [...]
May 6th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
This is the first time I’ve decided to view an online House discussion. I have to say it doesn’t disappoint.
I have to say I feel the almost-wife was unfair to the patient. She could feel hurt and annoyed that she had been lied to, but the fact remains that she did not seem to understand that he wanted to move on past the homosexual experience he had.
One can criticize the fact that he was trying to “cover-up” his past. But it was his choice and his fiance could have easily accepted that.
But the biggest aspect that implied that she was homophobic was the the whole “You’re gay!?”. I had a conversation with a male associate, who was not even a great friend, who admitted to being in a relationship with a man and I casually accepted it. Saying it like “YOU’RE GAY!?” is one of the most offensive things I can imagine.
The highlight of the episode for me was the exchange between House and Cuddy.
Cuddy: I want us to be friends
House: Funny…. that’s the last thing I want us to be.
It was so cold, yet also touching. A mix of anger and passion.
May 7th, 2010 at 8:44 am
The HIPAA violations are of primary interest to me as they are new to a series that has been fairly decent to them for its 6+ seasons, and yet we now have two examples. Previously, when Taub lets a teenage girl’s boyfriend and his father know she’s being tested for alcoholism-related maladies, which is a huge huge huge violation because it transmits precisely the kind of information HIPAA was designed to protect (which is to say, medical conditions that might come with social judgments).
Monday’s episode is a much less severe case, to the point where I’d be hesitant to say they’d violated HIPAA at all, especially since getting into that house led to a suspicion of asbestos poisoning — something they should definately share with the resident. In this case all they mentioned was that he was in the hospital, which is not in itself a violation of HIPAA.
May 7th, 2010 at 9:50 am
A few data points to add to the discussion:
Some (many?) seem to take for granted that a person can’t be “cured” of homosexuality. Well, as a Christian, I have heard many testimonies from men who have been, or at least claim to have been. Obviously some of those could be lying, or deceived, or were never really gay in the first place, or something else. But there are certainly enough claims out there that it seems reasonable to me that at least some of them are true. I’m not saying that the particular techniques used on this POTW would ever work – they came across as quackery to me.
It seems quite a stretch to me that just because the guy had one gay relationship, which apparently he didn’t really want in the first place and was not at all satisfying to him; therefore he’s gay, will always be gay, could never love a woman, and his whole relationship with his fiance was nothing but a sham and a lie. A better “fit” (as House would say) seems to be that he’s bisexual with a stronger attraction to women than men, he really loves his fiance and wants to commit to her for life (and maybe even wanted to be able to commit to a straight relationship even before they got engaged), and therefore really does want to suppress his weaker homosexual side, to eliminate that avenue of temptation that might derail his lifelong commitment to his wife.
I saw House’s comment that being friends with Cuddy is “the last thing he wants” not as a cold pushaway, but as his first feeble attempt to tell her he really wants more than just a friendship with her. He’s not very good at it (yet), but he’s finally trying. For the first time in his life, he’s opening himself up to being hurt, which is exactly what Dr. Nolan saw in him at the end of the first episode of this season. My bold prediction is that this season’s cliffhanger will be an imminent breakthrough in House and Cuddy’s relationship, and that the alcoholism thing is just a red herring.
May 7th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Did anyone else catch Foreman’s statement that ECT does not cause neural damage?
May 7th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
@ psykstudent: I was very happy that they didn’t just portray ECT as something evil because it is sometimes seen that way by the public because of attention for it from the media. From what i’ve read about it (and I’m not a doctor, don’t even have any real medical knowledge) it seems that saying that ECT definitively doesn’t cause neural damage is an oversimplification, but when you define neural damage strictly as physical damage to brain tissue, and regarding correctly performed modern ECT, it is not a false statement. A real doctor should inform a patient a lot more extensive when explaining the risks and benefits of ECT of course.
However, when discussing the possibility that ECT is the cause of a symptom, with other doctors, I think that Foremans statement is not really wrong. House then rightly says that incorrectly performed ECT with the wrong tools (after all, you are shocking your head, doing it with two jumper cables and wall socket doesn’t seem to smart for instance) can lead to neural damage and that it is therefore a possibility in this case (not counting the other plot errors).
Please correct me if i’m wrong (which I very probably at least partially am), but I think that the way the series discussed ECT is quite good for a TV series and it could have been a lot worse.
May 7th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
@The One – He “chose not to bring the subject up” of a 3-year relationship. People who make lifelong commitments to others don’t have those kinds of skeletons in their closet. Or at least they shouldn’t. The whole point has been that he’s innately self-hating, so turning down the personification of his identity (the ex-boyfriend) doesn’t mean much of anything. Like I said before, I understood the ending as she left him because he wasn’t who she thought he was – that he was gay was the ‘presentation,’ but that he was dishonest about who he was was the ‘underlying condition,’ if I’ve used the metaphor properly. The analogy the show makes to Taub’s infidelity is kind of a sloppy one, but it fits. If he was secretly sleeping around, or secretly a Nazi or something, it amounts to the same thing. (And no, I’m not putting being gay on that same line – I’m gay, and, hey, I wouldn’t want a girlfriend who was actually into dudes. And that could happen)
I was trying to be a little delicate, but sexual dysfunction is the reason he’ll never be the husband she expects. Sex isn’t everything, but it’s a very big part of any committed relationship. I won’t claim to know how how easy it is for a gay man to make love to a woman, but there was never any indication that he was actually attracted to the girlfriend. Just that he HAD TO MARRY her!
If your definition of the perfect husband is being the nicest guy ever, providing a comfortable living, stable home — sure, maybe he’s the best husband ever. But I think if you’re in a sexual relationship (which, believe it or not, a marriage is), you want/need to have sex with someone who wants to have sex with you.
The arguments you make make the point that they could have been wonderful friends. No arguments against that. His presenting himself to her falsely for a lifetime union, though, is basically unforgivable.
It doesn’t seem like this idea bothers you – would you *really* be okay with it if you found your spouse was actually gay and wanted to be with you just for the sake of being with you? Really?
May 7th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
@ John H – A person can’t be “cured” of homosexuality, no. There’s nothing to “cure” for one thing, but just ask yourself – could you be electro-shocked (or prayed, whatever) into wanting to have sex with other men? I kinda doubt it. That a lot of people purport the same mistaken idea doesn’t mean it’s not a mistaken idea. Argumentum ad populum. Certainly many “ex-gays” *want to believe* that they’re no longer gay, and such is their right. It’s tragic and sad that people can’t just love who they are, but if they don’t want to, no one should force them.
The guy had “one gay relationship” that lasted 3 years. The patient, the girlfriend, and the boyfriend all look mid to late twenties (though checking IMDB, the actor who played the patient is actually 37), so it’s reasonable to conclude that he was the patient’s first long-term relationship. He has every right to turn his back on who he is and try to live a lie, but his rights stop at the tip of his nose (or…however that saying goes). He doesn’t have the right to fool someone else into thinking he’s someone he’s not for his own gain (the ability to keep lying to himself and saying that he’s straight).
“”A better “fit” (as House would say) seems to be that he’s bisexual with a stronger attraction to women than men, he really loves his fiance and wants to commit to her for life (and maybe even wanted to be able to commit to a straight relationship even before they got engaged), and therefore really does want to suppress his weaker homosexual side, to eliminate that avenue of temptation that might derail his lifelong commitment to his wife.”"
If that were true, he would have been honest with her when (or, ideally before) they reached the yes-I’ll-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-with-you stage. He hid his past relationship from her, because he was ashamed of what it revealed about him.
May 7th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Quizerno, “I had a conversation with a male associate, who was not even a great friend, who admitted to being in a relationship with a man and I casually accepted it. Saying it like “YOU’RE GAY!?” is one of the most offensive things I can imagine.”
Being informed someone you only somewhat know is gay is very, very different from learning your fiance is/might be gay, and one’s reactions to the latter scenario will be very different than the former.
May 8th, 2010 at 8:21 am
The chat about how terrible it is for Ted to want to switch to being straight is interesting, with many people claiming that this is a bad thing or can’t be done. I’m a believer in gay rights and I staunchly opposed Proposition 8. But even if a person is born one thing or another, that doesn’t always mean they’re comfortable with that.
Think of the people who are born to a gender with which they never feel comfortable. I get the feeling that many posters here would feel that it’s fine for them to have a gender reassignment, and I’d agree. But in that case, why isn’t it OK for someone who never feels comfortable with his inborn homosexuality or bisexuality not to seek change?
May 8th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
I don’t think most folks are saying that it is “terrible” that someone gay wants NOT to be gay. Of course life would be easier if one was straight, or rich, or talented etc. What I think the general consensus is, and this is the way I personally feel about it: science seems to be leaning towards proving that one is born gay or straight or bisexual. One may wish it were not so, but it can’t be changed. Transgender individuals also appear to feel they are the “wrong” sex from a very early age. If Ted gets married, he is still gay. Whether he will act on his feelings is up to him, but he would still be cheating his wife out of a full-fledged relationship. How many married right wing, gay hating Republicans, spouting their Christian faith, have turned out to be gay, and acting on that fact. See the news lately??
May 8th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
@Lisa
Most gays I know are pretty comfortable with their sexual orientation. The unhappy ones attribute their discomfort to peer pressure, public oppinion, religious believes or restrictions in of their jobs. It’s only my experience, but I know no gay who’s sexuality bothered him/her in the first place – often times they are made miserable by us ‘normal folk’.
Big difference to gender reassignment.
May 9th, 2010 at 7:50 am
Part of the problem, I think, was that when she asked him about it he lied – that whole “It was one time, we were drunk” deal. Covering up an omission with a lie doesn’t lead people to think you’re being entirely honest with them about your feelings and actions – there was no reason for her to think he was attracted to her at all. There certainly isn’t any indication that he’s more strongly attracted to women than men – quite the opposite, as he experienced failure to launch with the fiancee but not the boyfriend. So I suppose he could be everything she’s looking for in a husband, as long as she’s not looking for a husband who’s attracted to women.
May 9th, 2010 at 10:26 am
I didn’t feel the homophobic thing. I felt more like if I were in the position of the bride, and just found out that my soon-to-be husband spent the last few years being gay, then getting shock therapy, then meeting me and never mentioning his past or, worse (and mroe likely), lying about it, I’d be really pissed off. For me, at least, it wouldn’t be the issue of gay, it would be the “You liked to me, and I think you’re just using me as a beard.”
May 9th, 2010 at 11:14 am
VERY powerful closing scene between Cuddy and House. Cuddy first showing disappointment that House turns down her invite for a bite to each for dinner, to real hurt when in her facial expression when he buries her with his response to her that she’d just like to try and be friends. She seems to completely deflate at the remark and I don’t think she’ll ever forget it.
May 9th, 2010 at 11:43 am
I like how at the end when she left he called for her by a masculine pet-name “nick”. Also I want to marry you turned into “I have to marry you” lending credence to the idea that he is only marrying her to “make it official” that he isn’t gay because he is MARRIED. Like that procludes being gay anymore!
May 9th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Also a lot of blaming the booze this episode, a recurrent theme for the PoTW as well as House in this episode.
May 10th, 2010 at 9:41 am
@Alexandra – well, I guess my use of the word “cured” (in quotes) is a throwback to the time when homosexuality was considered a mental illness. I know that’s not (officially) the case anymore, but POTW sure seemed to be desperately seeking a “cure”…
And as to whether or not it’s possible to change – my understanding (which may also be out of date) is that the question of whether homosexuality is caused by genetics or environment (”nature vs. nurture”) is still open. In my experience, most people seem to think it’s probably some combination of the two. And if there’s even a bit of environment involved, then it is, at least to some extent, learned behavior. And if it is learned, could it not (at least theoretically) be unlearned?
I missed the fact that the relationship lasted 3 years. That would certainly indicate that his “gay side” (hope that’s not un-PC) is not all that weak. But it still leaves me a little confused as to why he would do something that long that he hates himself over. I guess I should consider myself blessed that I don’t have such issues. (Hope that’s not un-PC either.)
And I agree totally with you that the fact that he hid the relationship from his fiance is a good indication that he didn’t love her at all, but was just using her to try to prove he wasn’t gay. Which, as so many posters have said, was the real reason she left, not homophobia.
May 11th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
@Hugh L
The big irony of your argument here is that she is acting on the same belief that everybody else is acting on and the very reason we today are told to accept homosexuality as a norm: It’s who you are. Basically, he has finally admitted that he *was* gay and went through treatment for it so now he’s not. Everybody else says, “Oh yes you are” including the fiancee, who follows the logical conclusion that he could never be a loving husband to her since he is gay, whether in denial or not.
The failure of your argument is that you want it both ways (no pun intended). You want him not to be judged because it’s his identity, but you want her to stay with him on the basis that it was his choice and now he’s changed his mind.
Of course, why she’s still marrying him after he’s already demonstrated his lack of ability is another question. I thought the whole purpose of premarital sex these days was to assess this kind of compatibility.
May 11th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
Now, why is it so offensive to think that one’s sexual identity is a matter of choice? I am a heterosexual. If I decided to date a guy, for companionship or sex or for whatever reason–since I chose and I was not born that way–would it be wrong? (compared to the ‘right’ of a male ‘born’ homosexual dating a guy)
Honestly, in an era where personal choice is literally everything, what makes people so uptight about this one thing? I cannot choose to want to be female, I must be born that way. I cannot choose to date a guy, I must be born that way!
I’m going to choose to stand over there–goddammit, no, I must have been born standing over there!
May 11th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
@Zalethon
“Now, why is it so offensive to think that one’s sexual identity is a matter of choice? I am a heterosexual. If I decided to date a guy, for companionship or sex or for whatever reason–since I chose and I was not born that way–would it be wrong?”
No, but it wouldn’t make you gay either, any more than this guy choosing to date/marry a girl makes him straight. Sexual orientation isn’t about who you choose to date, it’s about who makes your peepee stick out. And that’s not under voluntary control.
The reason it would be wrong for you to choose to *marry* that guy that you aren’t sexually attracted to is that it’s damned unlikely the relationship will last, and you know it but he doesn’t. Before committing to you, he has a right to know about things that may profoundly affect the emotional dynamic of the relationship in the long term.
“I cannot choose to date a guy, I must be born that way!”
Sure you can. But you’re forgetting: he has a right to choose too. If you’re going to sign on to a long-term deal that will affect both of you deeply, he has a right to make an informed decision, and that means you have no right to withhold that information from him.
May 12th, 2010 at 4:47 am
“did anyone else catch the name of the lesbian bar? it was “Foxhole”, that’s hot..”
The foxhole is certainly no Cat’s Ass, the lesbian bar in the film “Better Than Chocolate.”
Happy to see Thirteen getting back on the ummm, horse so to speak, Giddy up girl.
May 12th, 2010 at 9:34 am
I am really disappointed by people saying that he’s gay and lying to himself. He had both gay and straight relationships, he’s apparently bisexual, and there’s no reason he shouldn’t choose to suppress his attraction to men and marry a woman. (And some would argue that we’re all bisexual to one degree or another, and are taught to choose to suppress our “inappropriate” desires.)
He didn’t tell his wife for obvious reasons. He was deeply disgusted with what he did, and knew (correctly) that his wife would be equally disgusted and leave him if she knew. I think, rightly or wrongly, most people would feel the same disgust that both fiances feel.
I’ve known too many people who said they were gay, and later decided that they weren’t gay — without any religious motivation or conversion therapy — to be convinced that all this “you’re just born gay and anything else is lying to yourself” is nonsense. The truth is a lot more complicated. People can be confused, and experiment, and make bad choices, and then make different choices.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Don’t know if it has already been mentioned but they shocked his cardiac issue. If it were a nasty rhythm from a “heart attack” then fine. If he did indeed arrest, as Chase says just after, then yet again they magically restarted an arrested heart with a defib. Hooray.
May 15th, 2010 at 1:08 am
Pretty stupid idiocy on sexual orientation/sexual attraction/etc for the second time in a row. First we have the “explanation” that guys who screw around have to because their genes say so, now that 1) truly gay people have little trouble functioning with the opposite gender 2) bisexual people must have sex partners of both genders ….
I think it’s about time to put the show on the shelf as TSFW in a few ways, not just this, or the fact that no hospital exec wears “hooker” tops, or that the medical stuff never includes even decent diagnostics, or …welll. That’s the point, of course. Does this show actually do ANYTHING right? wow.
May 15th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
@DJB as someone who has hyperprolactinemia growing up House did get what they should do (and what doctors have done with me) right in ordering an MRI of the pituitary glad and checking his proclatin levels (although i wish they would’ve found some way to make his chest bigger, it would’ve made me feel better on a personal level).
As far as HIPPA being broken they’ve done it so many times that none of them would be doctors in real life.
As far as the whole ex-boyfriend/being gay thing they were doing in this episode, even though i have a best friend who is gay if i was in any of their shoes i would’ve either 1. (as the fiance) acted in a similar way to the point of leaving him but not because he’s gay but because he’s using me as a “choice” instead of loving me from the very bottom of his heart, 2. (as the patient) eventually just live my life as a gay guy instead of trying to force myself to be straight i mean it seems like there’s some sort of underlying issue with that as far as he goes and 3. (as the ex boyfriend) went about it in a different way (since he knew he was getting married from the “he didnt invite me” part of episode and think about what if the shoe was on the other foot.
long story short i would rather forget the patient drama and focus on the singing lol. House, Chase and Foreman should go on tour.
May 16th, 2010 at 12:32 am
Is it just me, or did this episode seem like a parallel to House’s situation at all? He loves a woman and a man (though not in the same manner), and now, he is worried about losing them both.
Anybody else get that feeling?
May 18th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Haven’t finished reading the posts here, but I’m amazed at the stance Hugh L. has in relation to what he saw in this episode and that MAYBE shows how he feels in relation to women in general.
Hey, you people who claim gay rights activists and feminists have soooo much in common (they do TO A CERTAIN LEVEL), just watch Hugh L. defend gay men and spill his hatred towards the woman in this episode. He talks about her as if she didn’t have feelings! Maybe she’s just a… thing? The gender whose genitalia some gay men refer jokingly to as the “disgusting fish smell”? Who knows?
You’re disgusting.
May 27th, 2010 at 1:28 am
While the patient’s experiences could be consistent with being bisexual, his attitude is not. He wouldn’t need to go through so much trouble to prove to himself that he’s not gay if he were not gay. If he were bi, he’d still have to lie to himself, but it would be more like the dessert thing 13 mentioned than the not-eating thing.
I also think that if the fiancee were particularly homophobic, she would show more hostility toward the patient’s ex. I would predict that she *also* would have been pretty weirded out if it were some woman she had never met that came into the hospital room bringing her fiancee his favorite candies and tearing up while affectionately holding his hand. I really can’t imagine it going over well with either gender, because both imply that she’s been seriously lied to.
I sighed at the end when House got out the alcohol. As far as health risks, chronic alcohol use is a lot worse than chronic opioid use. Of course, this is a show that equates dependence with addiction, associates hallucinations with opiates, glosses over the fatal consequences of gigantic doses of acetaminophen, and ignores 9 out of 10 treatment options (eg. treatments for for neuropathic pain like gabapentin, more potent opioids, even prescription anti-inflammatories like Mobic or Celebrex — heck, how about trying that ketamine trick again? And why was he satisfied with his abilities as a doctor when that helped, but not later when methadone was working? Yeah, I know, artistic license, I get it).
Oh well, since I started watching through all the House episodes a few months ago, I’ve been enjoying it and still think there are a lot of things that make it stand out over other shows. I don’t expect it to be “realistic,” but a lot of times I’m watching and think, “Is that even remotely possible??” Then I come here, and find out it isn’t, or occasionally that it is, or that the biggest error was in something I didn’t even notice, and I learn something new.
July 4th, 2010 at 3:00 am
I’m sorry to say there is a spelling error in a medical word, and not once but twice: plethsmyograph. I’m not any sort of medpro myself, but I am a word geek. I checked it, but I was pretty sure I was right. Anyway, the Y goes before the S, not before the O.
July 4th, 2010 at 3:02 am
Near the end of the show, House was shown (in a shot from over his shoulder) rubbing his right leg. I could be wrong (quite likely I am), but wasn’t it always his left leg that hurt in the past?
@Mr. E.
What is “pain hardening”? A Google search didn’t tell me, nor did Onelook.
July 6th, 2010 at 2:41 am
Anyone noticed the actress portraying Nicole is “Eva Amurri” . She is daughter of Susan Sarandon…
July 6th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
I am sad that the episode was scarred with the homophobia issue. It was a real chance to get people talking about Chiari. A REAL medical condition with patients who are in desparate need of recognition. I cannot tell you how many times I walk into a doctors office and have to explain my condition to them while they google it. I am in constant pain, with continuing damage being done to my brain every day. I am on 6 different medications just to make it so I can function each day… none of which do anything to slow the progression of my disease.
It was worth a shot and I definitely am thankful for the little bit of publicity. We need to be saved, treated, not just left to manage our pain.
August 17th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
I was so pleasantly surprised to see that a director for this episode was Juan Jose Campanella. I believe that episode 16, Lockdown, was directed by Hugh Laurie himself. It’s quite an achievement in itself to have so many creative, versatile people working on the show. Laurie is such an amazing actor. Best of British;)
February 27th, 2011 at 12:10 am
This episode aired on Bravo tonight and I had some thoughts, but I definitely haven’t checked through all of the other comments for similar issues yet.
At the very beginning, House indicates that Ted having mono, “the kissing disease,” was odd because he was 27. Then, the dialogue indicates that Ted would only have mono because he’s immune compromised. This sets up the logic to test him for HIV, but House and the team more or less bully him into admitting that he had sex with the ex-boyfriend and into agreeing to the HIV test.
So, is it at all true that it’s unusual to get mono in your late 20s?
Ignoring that, did they actually need his specific consent to test for HIV? It very well might be true, but doctors in real life run all kinds of tests after usually just asking permission to draw blood. Either way, they didn’t actually need him to admit to his past behavior to have a reason to test for it. Really, at first glance, it seems like a reasonable thing to test for with any patient who is in the hospital for an extended stay.
Also, I had a real problem with Taub’s line after the HIV test comes up negative, which was along the lines of, “Looks like being gay isn’t what made him sick.” After which Thirteen has her clever, “No, but maybe being straight did,” and then goes and questions Ted about his “therapy.” This dialogue clearly equates being gay with having HIV, which should have struck one of the writers (or producers, or as actors) as just plain wrong.
February 27th, 2011 at 12:13 am
(cont.) It just seems that the writers put a ton of effort into making up a justification for Ted possibly having HIV that was unrelated to him being gay, but then completely reverted on all of that with Taub’s stupid line.
April 7th, 2011 at 7:58 am
As to why the “collapse”. I think they were trying to simulate a drop attack, which has happened to me before with Chiari, basically for whatever reason, pressure build up, compromised nerves, stress, whatever, your system just shuts off and you collapse.
It’s happened to me twice, once with pain, once without. As for the aphasia and why chiari caused aphasia, again I think they read a list of generalized symptoms without any understanding of how they play out in real life and exaggerate,. Chiari can cause paralysis of certain nerves, etc, and dysphagia and accompanying nerve issues in the throat occur, so I think they were just extrapolating.
It was a poor portrayal of Chiair in my opinion all around and him bouncing his head around after the surgery was just hilarious.
May 11th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
I have been diagnosed with chiari and will be going through with the following:
“Type I involves the extension of the cerebellar tonsils (the lower part of the cerebellum) into the foramen magnum, without involving the brain stem. ”
I am glad this episode allowed for the disorder to get more recognition.
July 29th, 2011 at 5:50 pm
Hmm… Both a mild Chiari malformation and a CSF leak from the spinal tap and nobody thought to test for connective tissue disorders, Marfan Syndrome and EDS at the top of the list?
Hunh.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:56 am
Re gay:
As far as I know, there’s strong suspicion that homosexuality ( and perhaps other LGBTs too) are genetical, but nothing definitive yet. It would be EXTREMELY controversial however, as:
1. As far as I understand it, discriminating against someone for a hereditary (or just any condition you can’t choose. like skin colour) condition is a big Constitutional no-no in the States, so if homosexuality were hereditary (or related to brain anatomy, I heard that too, and it isn’t a choice either), it would be the undoing of many laws that many conservatives over there are so proud of. There are several exceptions, but most are very restrictive. And they don’t cover anything like a “defense of marriage law”.
2. Thanks to evolution, homosexuality being hereditary makes only sense if gays/lesbians have some advantage over straight people, like higher intelligence or so, since they would be extinct otherwise. Needless to say, this would be an ultimate “flame-bait”.
I agree that “curing” homosexuality is pretty much nonsense, especially as it is almost proven to not work. Also, I am aware of “self-hating deviants” (this includes LGBT too, I use “deviant” only as a paraphrase), so it doesn’t surprise me.
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