I liked it a lot! The characters made sense and seemed more real this time, even Thirteen. She's definitely annoying, but progressing toward being annoying on merit of her character traits instead of the lack thereof. I nearly cheered when she and Taub had their tiff because I have so missed the sibling rivalry aspect of House's team (which he encourages, of course). I like the H/W/C so much better when it's kept to a minimum, so I'm pretty pleased. This is the House I've been missing, even if this wasn't a hugely eventful storyline. The characters were balanced, there were actual plotlines going on... this one convinced me to keep watching the rest of the season. House in the scene with the patient bowled me over. Wow. How is Hugh's acting so spot-on?

Okay, trying this again. Spoiler This episode had to be low key so that next week's episode has more of an impact ...end spoiler. Namaste agreed, he does take more in times of emotional turmoil. Chippers, yep...agree with your posts (big surprise there).

anyone else hold their breath when house and wilson were in the elevator near the end of the eppie? when they had the camera angle on their backs i thought 'OMG they are going to kiss' then i woke up and remembered 'this is tv' but for a second there i thought wilson was going to go all 'i can't keep this inside anymore!' :)

Holy gravy, I come here expecting to see rave reviews for this episode and just about everyone didn't care for it, haha. I personally really really liked it. It reminded me of season two, which made me happy, as now I can watch the season 2 DVDs without feeling *quite* as nostalgic for "the old days." I thought their 3,562 characters were managed as well as possible. I was actually kinda sorta interested in the patient, and I thought the B storyline was cool...but a little creepy. Did anyone else's immediately think The Omen or Joshua when they saw the older brother? And yes, Thirteen The Scene Vampire did make me a little angry towards the end there. But the main reason I didn't simply lurk tonight was to ask if anyone else thought that House was going to cry during POTW's story? Hugh definitely did his trademark twitch side of mouth, blink repeatedly, look up, shake head thing that he does when he cries, so I was a bit stunned by his reaction. And oh God, this is turning into one of those lengthy posts that everyone skips over while searching for cute quips or comments on H/W (which thoroughly charmed me tonight), BUT (and tell me if I'm wrong) I think that the negative reaction towards tonight's episode is sorta proof of how much TPTB has dug themselves into a hole with their big dramatic arcs and big dramatic changes. I think some of us are really only craving an ep that will further character development, while others are craving the medical mystery. Somewhere in season three (and I think we know where, lol) and definitely in season four that careful balance of medicine and the peeps behind it was disrupted. So now, even when we get the more even-handed (if slightly less interesting) eps in the style of season 1 and 2, there's no way people can simply "go back," no matter how many times they say they want to. Either there's too much drama or not enough--either way, not everyone will be happy. Sorry if I'm totally off base with that, haha. Also, RSL is hot in scrubs.

Also, RSL is hot in scrubs. He totally is. :D On another shallow note, it's getting colder and colder, it's time for Wilson to break out the sweater vests. anyone else hold their breath when house and wilson were in the elevator near the end of the eppie? I was holding my breath, only because I was just waiting for one of them to say something, the silence went on for quite a while.

I liked it, too. It won't make my top ten by any means, but it was a good solid ep raised up at the end by that scene with House and the POTW. I love moments where we see House really connect and he did with this one. I love moments where we see he's not mushy with patients who are in these kind of dire straits, but he does honestly validate their experience without trying to downplay the pain, and then presents the facts that must be faced anyway. Also, I have to admit I have never cried during any House episode--until tonight, sniff. There's been other touching moments, but not even Andie got a tear. But this one got to me when the girl dropped the tough facade and started to really cry with her parents. I guess we all resonate with different situations. I liked that we had some callback to the reason Foreman is still with House--he doesn't trust himself yet--and got some growth. I'm not sure where they'll go from here, since when Chase started trusting himself and standing up to House, he got fired. There isn't room for two leaders on the team. I liked Wilson deciding that the ball is now in House's court and he doesn't have the right to decide what's best for House. Last week I think it was acceptable for him to point out to two stubborn damaged people that maybe there isn't only one possible response to their situation, but after that, only House and Cuddy can decide what to do about House and Cuddy. And I liked that it drove House nuts that Wilson won't engage--even though that was exactly the lesson he was teaching Foreman. Emancipation all over the place. I liked Chase and Cameron helping out Foreman--they have a bond, despite all the crap they've dished out to each other. I liked Kutner's reaction to the girl's situation. I liked Thirteen's reactions to Taub appropriating her story and to House telling her they had to let the girl die if she was being stubborn. She was still a child and a traumatised one. House was the one (and I"m glad he was) to figure out how to reach her, but Thirteen's instincts were right. Quibbles: I thought Thirteen's scenes were fine, but I also thought we were getting a Kutner episode, and it's time we did. It wasn't enough to ruin the ep, but really, I'd be fine with a real actual Kutner episode, writers. That six act structure just sucks. It's ridiculous having that many interruptions to a story we're supposed to be having an emotional reaction to. Still really want House at the centre of each episode. I suspect we'll be getting less of him as a regular thing and that Hugh Laurie may be very glad of it, but I'm not.

House's always good when he has one-to-one talks with the patient, trying to convince them of something -- telling Kara that she didn't deserve to die in Forever; no dignity in dying in the Pilot; telling Sean to make the decision to save the baby in Babies & Bathwater... But he's spectacular when it's a child he's talking to like Andie in Autopsy and telling Nick all the things he wasn't going to get to do in Family. Totally agree with everything you said there Poeia. That scene tonight was my favorite of the episode hands down. House was so good with her and Hugh was his usual fantastic self. But scenes like that make me realize how much I agree with jair... Still really want House at the centre of each episode. I suspect we'll be getting less of him as a regular thing and that Hugh Laurie may be very glad of it, but I'm not. Me either. I'm a selfish House fan...I know that...but he's just not in enough scenes for me lately. I know not every show can be "House's Head" but HL needs more face time from where I'm sitting.

Did the patient's parents really not look for her when she ran away from home? There was no Amber Alert or whatever you call it in New Jersey, anything? No report in the news of a missing, emotionally disturbed 16 year old? I understand why people were disappointed when the focus turned off Kutner onto Thirteen, but I thought his instabonding with the patient was strange. Find a support group for orphaned adoptees, Kutner, it's not appropriate to look for one in the patients. Which leads to Taub's argument with Thirteen. She should have shared her Huntington's story with the patient, he said. Am I a cold-hearted bitch for thinking that dying patients won't care about Thirteen's Huntington's, or Cameron's PDH, or whatever? They have their own problems! Taub's argument that then the patient will know that Thirteen understands her is bull, as the patient herself pointed out. A patient finally has cancer, and Wilson isn't brought in on the case. I'm not complaining about Wilson screentime, I'm just wondering if he stopped being an oncologist in S3 and TPTB just haven't mentioned it to us. I liked House pushing Foreman to stand up for himself, and House's scene with the patient. That's classic House.

I enjoyed the episode. Had to rewatch it before I made up my mind. I like House, but I think he's changed. I'm wondering if something's going on there...not something I can put my finger on. I'm not entirely sure we've heard the end of HH or WH yet. I know, I sound like a broken record and many disagree with me, but there's something different about House. He's not as hard-edged. He was almost nice to Foreman tonight, in his Housian way. I like having the old team back. Feels more like the old House when they're there. I thought the POTW's secret would be that she blamed her father for rape but that he didn't do it. Never saw the real reason coming. And Wilson, trying to make House stand on his own two feet, I think. Good for him.

Oh Chase/Cameron/Foreman team, I have missed you! :D I actually stood up and cheered when Thirteen said her first name. However, I hated that this looked like it was going to be a Very Special Kutner Episode, and then headed over to Thirteen after 15 minutes. On a slightly disturbing note, my family was torn between intended poisoning and sexual abuse between the two brothers. We were glad it was not the case.