Some quite cool scenes in this episode thanks to using the perspective of the "Locked In" patient - hearing his thoughts, following his eyes. Just looking at a guy that doesn't move wouldn't be anywhere near as interesting.
There aren't lot of games in this one, but House does have some fun. They're still playing with the idea of House as God:
Molly (patient's wife): I don't know how God is going to get us through this, but he will. House: Stop it, I'm blushing.
Patient: I never thought I'd be praying for a brain tumour, but please God... House: If you're praying in there, stop it right now.
We also can't forget House's amazing ego.
House: If you can't bring Muhammad to Princeton, bring Princeton to Muhammad. It's my diagnostics posse - hot, dark and darker.
House is not content with making the attending doctor look like an idiot (and I found it odd that the doctor didn't want to explore any other options).
Attending Doctor: I completely disagree with Dr House. House: I don't.
House: Dr Idiot will realise that his name is not a coincidence.
Being locked in gives the patient some insights into the people around him. He correctly predicts that House and Cuddy have a thing (well, kind of a thing). He gets to see everyone ask House why he was in Middletown, and hear House deflect with guitars and lingerie.
Did you get the Heroes reference? This episode was a very serious one. I've probably missed some of the fun and games tho, so let me know in the comments.
Wilson: I put up with your obsessions, I even encourage them. For one reason: they save lives. I don't know what you're doing now.
This episode is a bit like that. The mystery of "death cat" - whenever the cat gets comfy next to a person in a bed, that person dies soon after.
Apart from the story line, which is more funny-peculiar than funny-haha, the best bit is the intro. House doing his best impression of a kid having fun. Or being himself. Either way. The camera work here is quite cool... we see House apparently preparing medicine, cutting tape and tubes.
Then we see what he's got - a small toy car. I'd call it a Matchbox car, but there are other brands. The next thing to pop up is a shark. Hmmm... what could this possibly be about?
Then House lets the car go, it races down the track, does a loop-the-loop, hurtles round the corner and launches into the air over the shark... when Cuddy catches it. She tells House she's seen through his ploy to do no work, takes a piece of the home-made track, and leaves House with a nurse with no particular symptoms. The nurse then collapses in a seizure, with green pee. Well, at least it's interesting.
Gotta love House and the lolly pops (or candy, or if you follow Whose Line Is It Anyway, a sucker).
Cuddy: I'll give you 24 hours. House: Consecutive?
Only counting the time House spends figuring it out would probably be consecutive, wouldn't it?
Kutner: Why are you pushing the crash kart? House: Because... patients sometimes crash, and they haven't yet invented a crash tractor for me to drive wildly around the hallways.
House then takes the cat out of the lower draw in the kart.He's trying to disprove it by proving that the cat won't predict a coma patient's death. Confused yet?
Way to pick on the stereotypical superstitions. Poor old Kutner - first the black cat, then the umbrella, the salt (which he threw over his left shoulder) and the ladder.
Some people are more tricky... and more selfish, than House. This category includes a con artist. And Kutner, getting a... cat... to pee on his chair.
And to top off the weird House, we have this. Although I am a fan of the blog quip.
Wilson: I've gotta stop telling you my theories, you always just try to prove me wrong. House: Your theory about Cuddy's ass getting bigger at the full moon? I confirmed that one. Photos on my blog. Wilson: Normally you'd be in the patient room, hectoring her on what to do. Instead you're up to your elbows in some irrelevant dead guy, who may or may not be connected to a magic cat. Because you want to prove to me that you don't care. House: Case is over. I'm exploring a scientific mystery.
And I still don't quite know what that episode was about, but there were some funny bits!
I thought it might be fun to make a list of all the times House uses his cane to open doors or stop lift doors. Seems like it happens a lot. Poor old cane, House puts it through all sorts of things. Although there are worse things for the cane (I'm thinking Wilson and a particular dog... Pop quiz! Name the episodes I'm referring to!).
Anyway, here we go. This is of course an incomplete list, please add to it in the comments!
Ep2-01: Acceptance
House and Stacy are discussing House's latest trick. Just before the elevator doors close with House inside it, House stops the door with his cane, to ask Stacy a question. It is a pretty neat way to continue a scene that you thought was over, isn't it?
Ep2-07: Hunting
Cameron gets on the elevator looking rather worse for wear. Just before the doors close, House's cane clangs between the gap. House and rat get on elevator.
Ep2-16: Safe
Following on from Wilson's subterfuge to let House get a better 'look' at a patient, House uses his cane like a limbo stick to block the elevator entrance. Foreman slips under it, but the rest aren't so lucky, as a hospital bed is taking up the rest of the space. House also uses the cane to fend off Foreman when he tries to turn off the emergency stop House activated.
This episode has quite a few engrossing moments, but I wanted to comment on my favourite. The ep is a really good look at too much pain vs too little pain. Are they trying to tell us something?
House finds one of those imaginary cases that happen when he's bored - and turns it into a real case. Hanna has CIPA (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain) - and also a diagnosis. But when things go wrong, the ducklings dive into the tests. Except that trying to force a kid that can't feel pain to do things is kinda hard. Might need to break an arm...
The Game: "Let's go break her arm". The aim: get the patient in the chair.
House: Hi again. I'm sure I can say this without being condescending, but then you'd get the false impression that I respect you so – you're a kid, you're scared, you're stalling. Grow up.
Hannah: I'm not scared. I'm never scared.
House: See? How juvenile was that? You can't feel pain. Nothing left but pleasure. Why don't you tell me how wonderful that is?
Hannah: It sucks.
House: Better than being in pain all the time. Get in the chair.
Hannah: Every morning I have to check my eyes to make sure I didn't scratch a cornea in my sleep.
House: Oh God, stop. I'm in a pool of tears here.
1 to Hanna. (Hanna:1 House:0).
Hannah: I can't cry.
House: Neither can I. Every morning I check my eyes for jaundice in case the Vicodin's finally shot my liver.
1 to House. His liver isn't shot yet? (Hanna:1 House:1). So, they both have pretty serious issues with their eyes....
Hannah: I can't run anywhere without examining all my toes for swelling.
House: I can't run.
Hmm... Didn't House run quite a bit at one stage? Ha, running beats not running - 1 to House (Hanna:1 House:2).
Hannah: Boys can't hold me for too long because I can overheat.
House: Girls can't hold me for too long because I only pay for an hour.
I'd give a point to House for having to pay, but well... he has to pay. (Hanna:2 House:2).
Hannah: I need an alarm on my watch to remind me to go to the bathroom. You know how many humiliating experiences before I thought of that.
House: The bathroom's 50 feet from my office. Every drink of water I weigh the pros and cons.
Knowing is always better than not knowing. (Hanna:3 House:2).
Hannah: After everything I do, I self-check: Mouth, tongue, gums for cuts. Count teeth, check temperature. Fingers, toes and joints for swelling, skin for bruises.
House: I got shot.
... some would say House brought that on himself. (Hanna:3 House:3). House sedates her when she shows him where she was burnt as a kid.
[...]
Cameron: You weren't shot because of leg pain, you were shot because you're a jerk.
House: Some think the two are connected.
Ah, there it is. So, final score.... 3 all. Hmm... I thought it might come out differently. I guess a lack of pain can be a bad thing. You don't know what pain's like, so nothing to compare it to. Bad for knowing where physical boundaries are. But too much pain is obviously debilitating.
Sorry for the long break, things have been hectic!
This one is all about who you're stuck in a room with. House treats a girl who was raped... Not something he's very good at. There's nothing to treat, nothing to solve. But she wants to talk to him.
And the funny parts:
Guy running in a circle. What is it? Headache… Something burst... Sore ear... Nope, it's a cockroach! Ha, nice start to an episode. Straight into the clever House comments and attempts to avoid work. Then he runs off the park...
Cuddy turns the clinic into a game. $10 every time he treats someone without touching them. $10 to Cuddy every time he does touch someone. Well, at least it got House's interest. He's off and rolling... until he opens the door and sees a beautiful woman sitting on the bench. Hmm... $10 to Cuddy.
There are some very good scenes with House and the rape victim.
Hiccough guy wants a treatment...
House offered $50 to a father and son to leave, and he grabs them when they try to come back. The boy swallowed a magnet, and as he's eight years old:
House: Darwin says let him die.
The magnet is preventing imaging, so it needs to be cut out. House thinks for a bit, and then grabs a scalpel. What’s House doing? Surgery in the hallway... Threatening a boy with a knife... Nope, its metal, sticks to the magnet, and shows House the magnet is well into the intestinal tract.
Wilson and House discuss the rape victim. House doesn't know how to answer her questions. And poor old Wilson is tricked into trying to convince House to tell her the truth.
Wilson: It's a simple question. Has your life sucked? Tell her the truth. Tell her you were shot. Tell her... House: She doesn't wanna hear the truth. She's looking for something. Looking to extrapolate something... Wilson: She's looking to connect with you, and that's what's scaring the hell out of you. Tell her the truth. House: There is no truth. Wilson: Are we role-playing? Am I you? I don't wanna be you.
In the park:
House: Know why I come here? I sit, I watch, I imagine. Eve: Sounds nice. House: Imagine if one of them would break a leg. House: Just one false step. One crack in the sidewalk. Eve: You don't really. House: I'm evil. Eve: Evil people don't say they're evil. House: Sounds like an easy loophole.
House can't resist drawing Wilson into his story while they're playing Foosball. House concentrates on the game, while Wilson looks up, interested in what House is saying... and House scores!
A very stirring episode, with some excellent funny bits to break up the drama.
House likes to entertain himself. Juggling, with his cane, and video games. Here are some of the occasions he uses video games.
Ep1-03: Occam's Razor House is trying to annoy Cuddy by calling her to the Clinic for every patient. He plays his hand-held video game to pass the time, and occasionally gives it to the patients.
Ep1-13: Cursed House is passing time playing his hand-held video game. The patient's father walks towards the door, so house gets up and walks over to it, and locks it.
Ep1-14: Control House is sitting with patient's secretary. Passes his hand-held video game to her.
Ep1-15: Mob Rules House checks eyes, pokes toes, and uses his hand-held video game to play sounds next to patients ear.
Ep1-16: Heavy
Cameron: Then why aren't you watching TV? Or playing your damn Game Boy, or whatever else you have fun doing by yourself? Maybe I should just quit. Make it easy for everyone.
Ep1-17: Role Model House interrupts foreman and patient with "Ohhhwww", while playing hand-held video game.
House: It helps me concentrate.
Ep1-18: Babies and Bathwater
Vogler: The board's meeting again this evening. Why don't you settle down? Play some Game Boy. Why don't you watch your soap? I hear they're firing the handsome doctor today, boy, that should be a good one.
Ep2-05: Daddy's Boy House is in his chair, with leg on stool. Playing racing game on hand-held, he hits a wall and stops playing.
Ep3-04: Lines in the Sand House plays his patient's (Adam) hand-held video game, and uses it to show "game over", to emphasise a point
Ep3-09: Finding Judas House is lounging back, playing his hand-held video game. Wilson comes in, angrily. House looks like he wants to sty on the couch playing the game, but has a conversation with Wilson instead. Anything to take his mind off his leg. He makes a joke about needing a book to read, when he's got his hand-held video game. In other words, Wilson will be talking for a while, and it'll be boring.
Ep3-12: One Day, One Room House is sitting next to the patient, playing what looks like a racing game on his hand-held video game.
Game boys are good for other people too:
Ep3-04: Lines in the Sand Severely autistic patient Adam - eats, sleeps, plays his hand-held video game
Ep3-19: Act Your Age Jasper, whose sister Lucy has a load of symptoms that don't match her age, is playing a hand-held video game while Chase does a test on her sister.
Ah, House and the metaphors (and similes). From Moby Dick to House having trouble thinking of a non-sexual metaphor. They're a very useful part of the show - without them, most people watching wouldn't understand what was going on. Especially me. And they're classic House humour. Not that they always make things clearer. Some of House's more obscure metaphors stump even his team and Wilson. And then one of them has to bite...
The metaphors usually refer to the show's patient, as the team try to figure out what's going on. House is usually the one confusing the team, but sometimes one of them rise to the challenge, like in Ep2-12: Distractions:
Cameron: His brain is like a waiter that's got too many... House: Heyyy! I do the metaphors.
Only to be knocked back by House. But hey, he does them well! Like the murder scene metaphor in Ep2-19:House vs God. Simple, easy to understand, right? Well, as long as you know of the medical stuff he's referring to. But the metaphors are more interesting anyway. Some of his better ones:
Ep1-3: Occam's Razor House: Hey! How you all doing? Interesting fact: every seven years it's a whole new you. Inspiring metaphor, huh?
Ep:1-10: Histories Wilson: The something else is going to melt her brain. House: Poach. Better metaphor.
Wilson tries to appeal to House through metaphors. Maybe it's catching. Comparing House to Moby Dick when he wouldn't stop chasing a disease in Ep2-17: All In was a classic (House wouldn't chase the whale, he'd convince it to be caught). Also great was the image of House as a cat in Ep3-14: Insensitive, when his curiosity about a Sepia patient gets the better of him. Is there a theme here? Obsessive and destructive...
Of course, the best parts are when House confuses not only everyone watching, but the team (and Wilson) too. That moment of silence, while they figure out who's gunna bite. Some apt House-isms.
Ep2-18: Sleeping Dogs Lie House: Great battles kick up a lot of dirt. Obscure the battlefields so the generals can't see what's going on. Wilson: ... So what are your orders, General House?
Ep1-17: Role Model House: You know, when the Inuit go fishing, they don't look for fish. Wilson: ... Why, Dr. House? House: They look for the blue heron, because there's no way to see the fish. But if there's fish, there's gonna be birds fishing.
It's not always Wilson who has to take the bait, but he does tend to take one for the team.
There's so much more to show and tell about metaphors in House. But, this post is long enough. I'll visit the metaphors again.
I'm Mark, currently studying Info. Tech. at university in Australia. I'm into cycling, soccer and volleyball. Science facts and trivia are a bit of a vice of mine. I enjoy seeing what's possible with technology: making Javascript games for example. I pass the time otherwise by creating web pages and watching House, Supernatural and Scrubs. The lighter side of House interests me because the show is not your average detective or medical drama. The antics and action are more real, have more depth. And it's a great show. I hope to extract the gems that might go unnoticed.
Quotations, etc. Copyright Heel & Toe Productions, Bad Hat Harry Productions, et al.
Pictures from the show copyright Fox Broadcasting Corporation Questions, Comments (remember we are not related to the show): bewarne@housemd-guide.com
