To me, this was a solid transitional episode. I liked the POTW, (this was actually one of the few openers that I truly enjoyed, in terms of showing him sleep walking through his day in very visual terms), I felt for Cuddy, we got good Taub snarkage ("I would like to buy some cocaine" and "Yeah, well, you're screwed up," as a response to 13.) and of course the payoff in the final scene. At the same time, this is an episode that sets the stage for the next arc, rather than being a standalone or a part of the previous arc. To me, it's as if David Shore is playing a chess game. I enjoy watching his chess game. I don't feel the need to tell him how I would play the game, and he may use pieces I don't necessarily like and make moves I don't like, but I enjoy being an outside observer and watching his moves and how he plays with the pieces. "Joy" is setting up a new maneuver, and as the outsider, I watch him and go: Hmm. Interesting. I wonder where he's going with this. It's fun just watching. He's had his transitional episodes in the past: "No More Mr. Nice Guy," to take the House/Wilson/Amber triangle to the next level and set up "House's Head" and "Wilson's Heart," "Insensitive" which set up Chase and Cameron and "Control," which laid the groundwork for the Vogler arc. Transitions are sometimes hard for me to sometimes grade those episodes on their own, since it's setting the parameters for something which may be impossible to see at this point. That doesn't make it bad. ("Lost" and "Heroes," to me, suffer because they're 80 percent set-up/transition for a 20 percent payoff. I can deal with a one episode transitional setup far more than six or seven of them.) Which is all TL/DR for ... I liked it, but won't be able to fully judge it until I see how the rest of this all plays out.

WOOOO! (I don't know. Baseball spillage.) Yeah, I don't know. I just had a really good time watching this episode. The whole thing just came together really beautifully. Lisa Edelstein utterly nailed this without ever slipping into that shrill place from S3. Once again, I am struck by how much I like Thirteen when the story isn't actually about Thirteen. She and Taub played off each other very well tonight, and the drug buy was a riot. I thought Deran Serafian's direction worked really well for this episode, especially the surreal, blank life the dad and daughter were living, and that shot of Cuddy, alone in her never-to-be nursery. The dialogue also felt much sharper than it's been - I think the voices are all getting clearer. Cuddy, completely covered from neck to feet, is a totally depressing sight. May it never happen again. I'm glad she had the Winehouse to demand what kind of f*ckery this was on House's part, indeed. And my heart just broke for her, totally. Oh, that kiss. Yum. The phone started ringing in the middle and we refused to get up and get it. :lol:

Interesting episode. I really felt bad for Cuddy in the scene where the mom changed her mind. Like most of you, I knew she would not get to keep the baby, but it was still heartbreaking to watch. Yes, House was harsh. He always is. But I honestly feel that House was just trying to make sure Cuddy had thought everything through first in his own housian way. Loved the Huddy scene. The kiss was hot. I would like to watch it again but my son stopped the tape before the end. (No I have not killed him but am considering it seriously.):evil: Is it me or is Thirteen getting more annoying per episode? :( You can now add me to the list of Thirteen haters.

LE was great, as always. I have to say, as a single adoptive parent, I now officially hate Taub, not that I had much love for him before. And as and adoptive parent, I'm glad they showed this storyline to be very true to life...the angst is real, the hurt is real, the joy is real, the loss is devastating when it doesn't work out. Just well done. I WILL definitely buy this epi on itunes :) Taub's 'I'd like to buy some drugs, please" or whatever it was he said, cracked me up. Still don't like him though.

In addition to Taub's "I would like to buy some cocaine," and "Yeah, well, you're screwed up" lines, I also loved Kutner's "I'd like a pseudonym," followed by House putting an S in from the his name for Skutner. (And putting his own name down as "Jones.") Oh, and can we add Wilson's obsessive apple cleaning to his passive/aggressive sandwich making skills?

Tiny question: what did House say after he bit into Wilson's apple and dropped it?

IIRC, he said "Why do you think I did that?"

I thought it was pretty laughable The scene in Wilson's office took me a minute to even realize where they were. Bizarre angle, it looked crowded in there. Oh, well, very small complaint in the grand scheme of things.

Mmkay, question. I get that Chase can do everything, but how does Foreman know everything? Last time I checked, Cuddy's baby-wanting was a Cuddy/House/Wilson secret.

I liked the POTW, though I liked the single teenage mom better. I liked the snarkage among the team--"We'd like to buy some drugs, please"--hee. And Thirteen's look of utter mortification. I thought Lisa Edelstein knocked this one out of the park--she sold every stage she went through. And the kiss was just wonderful. I loved the physicality of it--both of their body language changing, House leaning in and starting things, both letting go and then House pulling back. He looked as shaken as Cuddy, though in a closed in rather than emotional way. I'm not thinking this kiss is going to disappear into the ether, though I'm not thinking we get happiness or, heaven forbid, joy, either. I'm not sure what we get, but the next two weeks can't get here fast enough. eta I wanted to smack Deran Serafian a couple of times, though. Extreme closeups of eyes lose any edgy quality they may have after the umpteenth time. Show your actors, they're acting.

but how does Foreman know everything? Hmm, the same way he magically guessed that 13 was bi? IDK, good question.

Cuddy said last ep that she hadn't wanted to tell anyone until she was approved, but now she was approved. Not a secret any more. I liked the kiss but it didn't seem to fit the scene. I'm willing to blame Serafian's direction. I can think of several other times in past episodes when a kiss would've seemed more natural than it did at that moment.

What did House mumble in response to Cuddy's asking why he always negated everything? It was right before the kiss. I turned the volume up and repeated it several times. The best I can come up with is, "Not now." If that is actually what he said, I think it's pretty revealing--and, for me, adding to Namaste's sense that this was a transitional episode.