5.09 - Last Resort
HOUSE AND THIRTEEN ARE TAKEN HOSTAGE BY A MAN WILLING TO KILL FOR A DIAGNOSIS ON “HOUSE” TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, ON FOX Zeljko Ivanek (“Damages”) Guest-Stars Episode Directed by HOUSE Executive Producer Katie Jacobs A gun-wielding man from the waiting room at the Princeton-Plainsboro clinic takes House, Thirteen and several patients from the waiting room hostage in Cuddy’s office. The man claims to be sick with a long undiagnosed illness and demands medical attention from the best doctor in the hospital, threatening to kill any hostages necessary along the way. With a room full of already sick patients, House must use them as guinea pigs to assure the hostage-taker that the medications he is administering to him are legitimate. As Cuddy and the rest of House’s team communicate with House over the phone to run -*test*-('")s and offer possible diagnoses, they ponder the possibility that the hostage-taker has nothing physically wrong with him and that everyone in Cuddy’s office could wind up dead. With one hostage already shot, Thirteen wagers her own already diminished health as she simultaneously receives the experimental treatments the hostage is receiving. Her life lies in danger as House’s own determination to diagnose the hostage-taker threatens to thwart the SWAT team’s plan to put an end to the standoff in the “Last Resort” episode of HOUSE airing Tuesday, Nov. 25 (8:00-9:08 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (HOU-509) (TV-14 D, L, V) Cast: Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House; Lisa Edelstein as Dr. Lisa Cuddy; Omar Epps as Dr. Eric Foreman; Robert Sean Leonard as Dr. James Wilson; Jennifer Morrison as Dr. Allison Cameron; Jesse Spencer as Dr. Robert Chase; Peter Jacobson as Dr. Chris Taub; Kal Penn as Dr. Lawrence Kutner; Olivia Wilde as Thirteen Guest Cast: Zeljko Ivanek as Jason; Wood Harris as Bowman; Tracy Vilar as Nurse Regina; Evan Peters as Oliver; Sarah Thompson as Nikki; Alex Sol as Larry; Natasha Gregson Wagner as Sandra; Evan Jones as Bill; Marcus Chait as Mitch; Jack Guzman as Security Guard #1 Source: Fox Flash

First reaction is that I liked it. 13 didn't even bother me. Great line "Huh. I would have laid money that you had herpes." I suppose I'll have more to say after a think on it. ETA: Ivanek was great - I love how he & HL played off each other. Cameron got the diagnosis! Go old team! I was bummed that Chase just walked out at the beginning but that's in character with New Backbone!Chase

Not bad, but really not great. I just found myself more excited about next week's promos. It had good acting, good lines, and it had an interesting mystery, but it really could only end in one way so it wasn't actually riveting.

I really liked this. I think Olivia had a real handle on this; I really believed her when she said that she didn't want to die. Instead of liberating House, they should have liberated House's shirt. HOTTTTTT... And the House/Cuddy was handled well. Angst + frustration = YES. More as I think of it.

My first reaction...House, you idiot! when he gave the gun back. Liked it. Loved that Wilson knew House had given the gun back. Confused a bit by Chase. At the start of the season, he said he would do the surgery for House. Now he won't participate in a differential for House? Obviously he's not his lackey, but I thought there might be a bit more loyalty than that. Not surprised by Foreman's reaction. Need to think on it more.

I think I would have liked it if it weren't for all the commercial breaks. They are killing the show for me. There is some weird nepotism thing going on in the casting department this year. Lucas (Michale Weston) is John Rubenstein's (Dr. Ayersman) son. Taub's wife is Billy Crystal's daughter. Natalie Woods's daughter was in this episode. That's a lot in just 9 episode and I wouldn't be surprised if there were more.

Taut, tight --- gotta hand it to KJ, not everyone can manage to create tension in a scene that's nothing more than empty furniture. I don't know what they could have cut out of it to get 8 minutes out, so I'm glad they added the time. I've loved Zelko for a long time, and he doesn't disappoint. Neither does HL, of course. And leave it up to House to give the guy his gun back just so he can finish his diagnosis. And great Chase characterization, even with his limited exposure on the episode, the character retains that ability to stake his position and stick to it. (Interesting that Foreman eventually did the same as well. Is that a sign of his new "tell, don't ask" maturity?) ETA: Chase's issue wasn't with running a differential, but rather with encouraging any crazy person with a gun to do the same thing when he's not happy with his answer. It sets bad precedent.

I really liked it. Even though you knew how it would turn out, it was still suspenseful. KJ's direction was excellent. Loved "I hope your boyfriend knows what he's doing." Love, love, loved House's black shirt. :) And the third actor from "Remember the Titans" to guest on House - the actor playing the leader of the SWAT team, Wood Harris. The other two were Kip Pardue in Forever and Ryan Hurst in The Mistake. Yeah, I can't help it, I've seen that movie so many times.

I got my hopes up, but this episode was just okay to me. I love KJ's directing and the music. It was very suspenseful once the one patient got shot, and OW did nail her important moments. (Still neutral to 13, overall, though.) I still feel like they're trying too hard with the House/Cuddy thing in inauthentic ways. The lack of Wilson was extremely odd. And, I don't know, I feel like it was missing something I can't place my finger on.

I totally liked it. I actually can't wait to watch it again. I was actually on edge a bit even though I knew the people I cared about weren't going to die. Chase bothered me by leaving. I didn't mind 13 at all. And House was totally hot... spikey hair, tee shirt- especially when the swat team lead him out and then in Cuddy's office (ooH). I'll hopefully have deeper thoughts on rewatch.

Two questions. Chase, WTF? Seriously, yes the guy was an insane jerk, but that's no reason not to help the innocent people he took hostage. That left me scratching my head, there's having a backbone and then there's just being selfish. House, WTF? You gave up your right to be angry or annoyed at the patient when you GAVE BACK THE GUN!!! Everything after that was your fault. I really liked the other hostages. I wished they'd gotten to stick around a little longer. They handled the Huddy stuff well tonight, so no complaints there. the actor playing the leader of the SWAT team, Wood Harris. Oh cool, that was him. Overall, meh, honestly. Good, but not great, and not worth an extra 7-8 minutes. OW did a great job tonight and KJ's direction was awesome, but the writing, it just didn't really land with me. I never once felt an ounce of sympathy for the guy.

Interesting episode. Well done and Thirteen was actually not too bad this episode More later after I have rewatched it. :)

Good, but not great. I'm with Poeia, just far too many commercial breaks. I'm going to watch it online tomorrow and see if it makes a difference. I like K.J.'s directing. She's very good. HL and Ivanek were strong. I can't complain about HL's lack of screen time in this one, he was in almost all of the scenes. Some great lines in this one and despite the suspense I laughed out loud a couple of times. Loved HL's black shirt, he was totally hot. :D I'm starting to not like Chase. His walking out is just getting repetitive and annoying. His point is what? I mean if that's all he's going to do you might as well just write him off the show. 13 was solid, and believable at the end.

I really loved it too. Was totally bothered by Chase leaving the differential...but other than that I thought it was a really good episode. And I'm definitely in on the love for House in that black t-shirt. Holy crap...those arms...somebody free those arms (and shoulders...and everything else that looked extremely hot but was covered in clothes...)

The lack of Wilson was extremely odd. And, I don't know, I feel like it was missing something I can't place my finger on. ITA. I would think Wilson would be much more involved and following the situation more closely because House was in peril. But I guess they gave Cuddy all the "worried looking friend" moments to promote the Huddy. ETA: HL looked insanely hot tonight.