So... was House a gymnastic cheerleader who could do flips in end zone for every touchdown? And even though I know twirlers are with the band, I wonder if that's where he learned to do his cool cane tricks.

OK with everybody if I start one? I'd rather you didn't. We have too many threads already and there is a place to discuss spoilers.

Taub – now that I’ve seen his wife, I like him. Up until this point, it was hard to relate to him – he was a doctor, former plastic surgeon, who left everything behind to save his marriage. Nice to finally see that marriage on-screen. Chase – YAY!!!! Best line of the night!!! "And that's why I won't let Cameron have a cat." PI arc – cool to see House having fun with someone again. Especially since the PI’s actor CAN play. Great scene at the end. It was mentioned up-thread, but I too want to see Cuddy with the PI, if even for the benefit of knowing she’s in a relatively contented relationship. Seven years age difference isn’t bad – I’ve had grandparents survive their entire marriage on a 10 and a 13 year age difference. Haven’t seen the spoilers, but I can’t see the PI staying long – he’s okay in small doses, but would be annoying if he became the new Wilson. He’d be okay in my book as an occasional guest star, but if he stays, then I fear that it could be shark-jumping. Diagnosis – Namaste up-thread said it best – I too was afraid that it would be another fat-soluble chemical or something like naphthalene poisoning (is it wrong that I was able to spell that without a problem – you know you’re obsessed with House when…). And the final diagnosis? Elegant yet disgusting!!!! And Novus Questus – first welcome, and second – THAT’S where it all sounded familiar from! Kutner – yeah, now a fangirl. He’s crawled 20 miles just for the world record. Yup. Like him.

I can see that too, Cuddy going for the guys she thinks she should like instead of the ones she does like, and yet I cringed during her scenes with Lucas. What vitawash said: Okay, I didn't find the Cuddy/Lucas scenes adorable. He was setting off my creep alarm like mad. (Also, dude, grunge ended over ten years ago. Catch up.) Cuddy was glowy and he was trying to be charming, but I was just like, ew, ew, ew. Word. I didn't find him adorable, I found him creepy and irritating. And not because he's replacing Wilson as House's BFF (whom I didn't miss!), but because he's, well, creepy and irritating. Who the heck asks a woman how old she was when she lost her virginity on her first date? (I've dated that guy and they're not charming, folks, they're creepy). I couldn't believe Cuddy was going for that. I hate to say it but I saw it more as evidence of Cuddy yearning for romantic attention than being attracted to Lucas himself. Even though Wilson wasn't mentioned at all and there was no pining, I can't help but feel that the stuff with Taub and his wife, and the patient of the week somehow relate back to House and Wilson. (I could be delusional. But humor me :P ) I'm of the same belief. While needling Taub began as a distraction, it quickly became an issue of House projecting himself and his relationship with Wilson onto Taub's relationship. He began by trying to get Taub to consider what the relationship meant to him, whether he could trust his wife not to betray him, but once he considered the ramifications of telling the truth, he actually went out of his way to tell Taub not to do it -- not to tell the truth, but instead to keep a relationship that was already good and already working for him. That whole subplot, in its way, was House dealing with Wilson, without mentioning him by name. Wow, I missed that. I was surprised by the total lack of Wilson mention, it was like he'd really been written off the show.

Is Lucas supposed to be quirky or something? I find him tiresome. Taub sure does have a shiny, clean, uncluttered house. Too modern for my taste but it all looked very expensive. What kind of car did the wife give him, anyway? No clinic patient, again. Bummer. Too much Thirteen and not enough Chase, who really needs a haircut.

Going a couple pages back but... Are the casting people on House attracted to musical people -- John Rubenstein, Michael Weston, Dave Matthews, Jesse Spencer, Robert Sean Leonard, Faith Prince... or is it a coincidence? What about Hugh?! Or was that supposed to be a given Poeia?? :wink: Loved this one too! House and the PI are awesome together! Great episode and I absolutely love how it ended...House and musical instruments make me all kinds of happy. But how about that scene of House looking out the window in his office just before Taub called? Wilson wasn't talked about tonight...but there's no way I can be the only one thinking that House was totally missing his buddy in that scene. His facial expression and body language in those few seconds told a whole story about how tired and sad he is. Or it's just me and I made that up...but that's how it hit me.

I liked the episode. I could never handle the PI as a permanent replacement for Wilson (he's too laidback; I like the give-and-take between House and Wilson), but he's kind of the rebound guy for House a bit. I can't remember, though: did they give us the antacid in that list of drugs? I was distracted by "bisexadrine" and didn't catch anything past the anti-coagulant. If they didn't, then it was a bit deus ex machina. If they did, of course, I'm just stupid. As for Cuddy/Lucas, I'm not really shipping hardcore, but it would be nice for a couple of episodes. Let Cuddy get her groove back, y'know? I liked seeing her happy. In the date scene in the diner, though I kept thinking: what if she just said she knew about the photoshopping because Lucas had just told her? Does that mean she wants him to like her? Because Cuddy is smart, but she isn't particularly perceptive—look what House gets away with in her hospital without her noticing. So I didn't think that she would have been able to tell immediately that Lucas was trying to fake her out. Overall, though, nice ep. Lighter than all the others this season. I think we needed it.

No one has mentioned that Lucas and House sort of acknowledged that they are in a game to see who beds Cuddy first, Or did I totally misinterpret the conversation Lucas and House had while they were sitting on the sofa hatching their humiliation plot. It's entirely possible I misunderstood the conversation so someone please set me straight if I did.

That's what it sounded like. But House was using the PI to flirt with Cuddy. I'm not sure if she was doing the same, she may have been. I too wondered if she really thought the photo was doctored or if she didn't twig until the PI blurted it out. I think we're supposed to believe the former, that she really didn't believe House was a cheerleader - which is why it's sad that it turned out to be true. I'm not sure if I'm dumber or smarter, because it didn't occur to me that the photo may have been doctored but I did immediately assume he'd joined the cheerleading squad to impress a girl. Are House and the PI living together now or something? Why is he always at House's home? You're more than welcome to find the PI creepy. I wasn't aware I needed permission, thank you for that.