House: 7x07 "A Pox on Our House" - Discussion and Spoilers
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Voted Excellent.
That episode was a little more like it. The medical mystery was good, the tension between the characters was good, and 3M wore normal human clothes, wasn't a good-two-shoes idiot who annoyed me to no end. I actually really liked her character in this episode and how she worked with House. We also see, for the first time in a while, how far House is willing to go for his patients.
The CDC guy was a bit annoying but, I guess, he was doing his job. The tension in the "Huddy" relationship is grating a bit. In all "reality" House nearly dying should've pretty much erased the tension, not brought it back once House was "saved" and, again, House didn't do anything out of line for him and within the confines of their "working relationship." I hope they fix it between the two of them soon but there is hints there they both love each other, want this to work, and this is just a spat they're having they'll work through.
The "B-Plot" (rare for the series) with Wilson, his ex and the kid patient was cute but only seemed to "set up" him and her maybe having a kid. Really, it could've been ditched and the main story line with the smallpox outbreak getting more time.
Excellent episode.
That episode was a little more like it. The medical mystery was good, the tension between the characters was good, and 3M wore normal human clothes, wasn't a good-two-shoes idiot who annoyed me to no end. I actually really liked her character in this episode and how she worked with House. We also see, for the first time in a while, how far House is willing to go for his patients.
The CDC guy was a bit annoying but, I guess, he was doing his job. The tension in the "Huddy" relationship is grating a bit. In all "reality" House nearly dying should've pretty much erased the tension, not brought it back once House was "saved" and, again, House didn't do anything out of line for him and within the confines of their "working relationship." I hope they fix it between the two of them soon but there is hints there they both love each other, want this to work, and this is just a spat they're having they'll work through.
The "B-Plot" (rare for the series) with Wilson, his ex and the kid patient was cute but only seemed to "set up" him and her maybe having a kid. Really, it could've been ditched and the main story line with the smallpox outbreak getting more time.
Excellent episode.
Really, he kid of looks the part too. Laurie could play a pretty good middle-aged Obi-Wan.
....
I just gave Lucas an idea, didn't I?
I don't think Cuddy's still mad about the lie, I think she's shaken by thinking she might lose House and so she's making an excuse to pull away. Or maybe she's angry because he so cavalierly risked himself without considering how she'd feel if he died.
But I thought this episode really showed how House has grown lately -- not just telling the man he was going to die, but telling him he should say goodbye to his family and pushing him over to facilitate that. He has learned to care about his patients, and to understand human social interactions better.
Though it's a shame that the father could've been saved if they'd been able to figure out the diagnosis faster. Which basically means his death is on Taub's head, because Taub told the "translator" to skip the part about the cat. (Or was it? He did in the second scene with the "translator," but I can't recall if he did the same in the first one.)
But I thought this episode really showed how House has grown lately -- not just telling the man he was going to die, but telling him he should say goodbye to his family and pushing him over to facilitate that. He has learned to care about his patients, and to understand human social interactions better.
Though it's a shame that the father could've been saved if they'd been able to figure out the diagnosis faster. Which basically means his death is on Taub's head, because Taub told the "translator" to skip the part about the cat. (Or was it? He did in the second scene with the "translator," but I can't recall if he did the same in the first one.)
I thought the same thing! That part was excellent the rest of the episode was OK. Mainly because I feel no one cared the dad died for no reason.
Oh, you confused me for a moment when you said "Amber," since I thought you meant the character Amber from several seasons ago. I forgot this actress's name is Amber Tamblyn.
Just call the character 3M. 
I was sad about that, but rationalized it by thinking that his kidney cancer came back. He was a goner, anyway.
It's going to be hard to find a good balance for 3M (or whatever we're calling her--not sure what "3M" stands for...). We don't want her to become Mary Sue, but it's also probably good that somebody other than House solves a few. It will be interesting to see how the other characters respond to 3M being so much better than them (assuming this pattern continues).
I agree about the Wilson B plot, though. It could have easily been cut. As for the CDC guy: I think he was actually quite reasonable in this episode. His first priority was to prevent an outbreak, and he fulfilled that duty well (even if it went against the needs of the patients). House's first priority was to the patients rather than the world at large, and that's why he was able to act that way. I can't say that one was more "right" than the other.
I agree about the Wilson B plot, though. It could have easily been cut. As for the CDC guy: I think he was actually quite reasonable in this episode. His first priority was to prevent an outbreak, and he fulfilled that duty well (even if it went against the needs of the patients). House's first priority was to the patients rather than the world at large, and that's why he was able to act that way. I can't say that one was more "right" than the other.
The character's name is Martha M. Masters.
Just as important, as I see it, is how effectively she's serving as a counterpoint to House's ingrained dishonesty. She insists on using the truth to convince people to do the right thing rather than tricking them, and it's actually working. Though I suppose it's easier for someone cute and sincere to make that tactic work than someone abrasive like House.
Within the context of the episode, yeah, but that beat at the end suggests that it was intended to set up an arc for future episodes, with Wilson and Sam maybe deciding to have a kid.
Actually I felt he did his job a little too well -- he was so fixated on assuming the worst-case scenario that he closed his mind to important information that could've let him choose his options better. He was acting on assumptions rather than actual knowledge, and yet he asserted the assumptions as if they were unquestionable fact. And that's never a wise thing to do.
I voted Excellent. Probably my favorite episode of the season. The opening scene was a huge WTF. 
House versus Smallpox just sounds like a good premise and the episode delivered on it for the most part.
House versus Smallpox just sounds like a good premise and the episode delivered on it for the most part.
So does anyone think they were trying to set up some kind of new story arc with Chase in this episode? House had to ask on two separate occasions where he was. And Chase had to point out that he was still on time but not early like the others (I assume it's not uncommon for them to get there early but who knows?).
Chase has been shown to be philandering lately. So he's probably busy making sure no herpes sores are showing up on parts of his body House will see.
Chase has been shown to be philandering lately. So he's probably busy making sure no herpes sores are showing up on parts of his body House will see.
House will know about the herpes before Chase does.
Chase has been shown to be philandering lately. So he's probably busy making sure no herpes sores are showing up on parts of his body House will see.
House will know about the herpes before Chase does.
*House bursts into Wilson's office*
Wilson: You can knock, you know.
House: I think Chase has herpes.
Wilson: Do I really want to know why you think that?
House: He came in today dehydrated with a little bit of sweat on his brow, but not his face or neck. As I looked closer I noticed he was trying to resist a small itch on his inner thigh as he would constantly twitch his face at the same time his right leg would tense up. I got him mad by insulting his nationality and when he yelled at me some of his spittle landed on my reading glasses so I then did the next most rational thing.
Wilson: You realized you were being a perhaps a bit creepy, apologized and then cleaned your glasses?
House: :scoff: Yeah, right! No, I ran a STD panel on the spittle. He tested positive for herpes. And Lupus, oddly enough.
Something I noticed on a rewatch.
3M suggests that the crew got better drinking water as a way to eliminate a reason why the crew didn't get sick vs. the slaves. They didn't exactly carry water with them on old sailing vessels as there was no way to safely store it (water has all sorts of nasties living in it) so back then ships were much more likely to carry rum or other alcoholic beverages on board to drink as it was more "shelf stable." The slaves likely wouldn't get the benefit of anything to drink other than rain water coming in from the the grates in the ceiling, though maybe they were given some rum but I sort-of doubt it. (And obviously drinking the sea water was out of the question.)
3M suggests that the crew got better drinking water as a way to eliminate a reason why the crew didn't get sick vs. the slaves. They didn't exactly carry water with them on old sailing vessels as there was no way to safely store it (water has all sorts of nasties living in it) so back then ships were much more likely to carry rum or other alcoholic beverages on board to drink as it was more "shelf stable." The slaves likely wouldn't get the benefit of anything to drink other than rain water coming in from the the grates in the ceiling, though maybe they were given some rum but I sort-of doubt it. (And obviously drinking the sea water was out of the question.)