TV Review: House, MD - "All In" (Revisited)
Published July 16, 2008
Twice, House needs to excuse himself from the differential, distressed and dispirited — out of answers and time. He knocks over his beloved white board in frustration, and breaks the lock of a nearby coffee bar, wildly grasping for anything that might explain Ian’s (and Esther’s) condition and save the boy’s life. “Treat for everything!” he demands, clearly at the end of his rope. But nothing works, and finally, discouraged and needing to be alone with his thoughts, House quietly asks the team to give him a minute. Sitting on Ian’s bed, his cane stretched out across the sleeping boy’s body (almost as if it's some sort of protective shield) House seems to be seeking answers or, at least, inspiration.
With no more answers to be had, a dejected House retreats to his balcony, and when Wilson seeks him out, excited about winning the poker tournament, House gets his epiphany. Telling House about his “pocket aces,” House thinks that maybe Erdheim-Chester is simply hiding, having tested for it too early in the disease’s progress.
With no other explanations forthcoming, and a renewed air of self-confidence, House insists that his team use the final slice of biopsied tissue to retest for the rare disease. Skeptical, the team reluctantly agrees to do it. As they perform the test, House hides his emotions but becomes visibly emotional, nearly losing his composure, when the test comes up positive. Collapsing with relief onto a nearby lab bench, House knows that not only has he saved Ian’s life, but has achieved closure.
So it is fitting, case solved at last, that House finds solace (and emotional expression) in Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom,” which he plays on a piano as maintenance cleans up the mess left over from the poker benefit. And, in a great final scene, House and Wilson pick up where they left off the night before — playing poker.
House returns with new episodes September 16 (two months and counting!); the season four DVD set hits the streets on August 19. And let’s keep our collective fingers and toes crossed for Hugh Laurie and the series as this year’s Emmy nominations are announced on Thursday!
- TV Review: House, MD - "All In" (Revisited)
- Published: July 16, 2008
- Type: Review
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: Television, Video: Drama
- Part of a feature: Welcome to the End of the Thought Process: House MD
- Writer: Barbara Barnett
- Barbara Barnett's BC Writer page
- Barbara Barnett's personal site
- Spread the Word
- Like this article?
- Email this
Save to del.icio.us
Comments on this articleComments
Hi Tigerfeet...
I completely understand your take on House (and your English is just fine). I've always said there are (at least) two Gregory Houses. The first you can know by listening to him and taking him at face value and the other House is harder to know and we only get clues from his more private moments--with a patient (for instance what would the fellows make of his sitting with Ian like that?) I think Cuddy and Wilson know this side of House but tend to forget about it (it takes energy to get this part of their friend) and sometimes they just get tired of it.
Anyway, thanks for your kind words!
"All In" was about as darn near perfect as a "House" episode can get. A compelling medical mystery, a cute little boy about whom we care, a Gregory House who's pushed right up to the edge of both his physician skills and his humanity, excellent interaction between House and his two closest friends, and, of course, Hugh Laurie as House, devastatingly handsome in his character's tuxedo.
Thanks for bringing it all back to mind in your beautifully written review, Barbara. :)
"All In" definitely rates among my top 10 all-time fav episodes. Just seeing HL dressed up in a tux brought back memories of Jeeves & Wooster.
What a sweet looking child.
House's keen observational powers were demonstrated by the skill with which he manipulated both Cuddy and Wilson in the poker game. Although its only two episodes later in "House vs. God" that we see that Wilson is not to be underestimated in a card game.
There is one goof I noticed in this episode, though. When House writes Esther's name on the white-board he misspells it as Ester. Kinda weird for someone who obsesses about this case to misspell the patient's name.
BB, the "Rubik's complex" was actually mentioned in "DNR" not "Detox". It's in the scene when House is in court trying to keep Marty from pulling the plug on John Henry Giles.
Great article, BB. Always look forward to reading more.
Hey Buds, thanks for your comments (and my "oops" moment)--you're right of course and I must've been having quite the senior moment. I was thinking of course of the courtroom scene and wilson's comment (and that was absolutely in DNR!)
HL in a tux...sigh.
I think the label was a typo, not House's writing. I've never seen the name esther spelled without the "h"--"ester" is a sort of organic chemical compound, not a name! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it :)
bb
It was nice to revisit this episode and you did a great job with the review, Barbara.
I can still visualize Wilson telling House about his poker move when he found him out on the patio. RSL's facial expressions and body language were adorable and I loved the smirk on Hugh's face as House listened before his epiphany. Watching that scene confirmed to me what a fine actor RSL is and what wonderful chemistry he and Hugh have.
And Hugh in a tux was the icing on the cake.
Great review.
This episode was about everything we did not have in the first half of season 4. This was the intense, committed, serious House I love the most. And nobody can play intense like Hugh Laurie can.
In Human Error, House claims he does not care about the patient and her husband, he just cares about whether he can solve the puzzle before she dies. What if they do an autopsy and he could have saved her if he had thought of something sooner?w In It's a Wonderful Lie, House says he can tell patients the truth because he doesn't care. In All In, House showed us that was not really true. He carried Esther with him all these years because he cared. He cared about Ian. The reaction he showed when he heard the diagnosis was not intellectual; it was emotional. House was in a hurry to solve the puzzle to save Ian's life, not just to solve the puzzle; House would have had an answer from the autopsy. When House thought Esther might have had leukemia, he reacted with emotion thinking about the possibility that he might have saved her life if he had thought of it then. House tries to intellectually separate himself from the patient so he can be objective and make decisions based on the medicine. He had to do that in Wilson's heart. But he doesn't do it as well as he likes to tell himself he does.
This was the intense, committed, serious House I love the most. And nobody can play intense like Hugh Laurie can.
100 percent agreement here! I agree that in Human Error, when House was agonizing over the white board it was not because of some puzzle. Cuddy came in and told him to turn off the life support and call time of death. House wasn't ready to do it--he was thinking about Lupe. A simple infection they found on autopsy. He couldn't bring himself to go there again. What if he was wrong--what if it was something simple that he missed?
In wonderful Lie, I completely didn't believe him when he said that he could lie because he didn't care. And you're right, Sue, that House talks a better game than he actually feels or acts.
In Season 4 we have gotten some of that (but some was sacrificed for the time it takes given the larger cast): The Right Stuff, Ugly, Even You Don't Want to Know (when he was feeding the CIA guy the tea, sitting with him), for example.
Another great review of a wonderful episode. Just wanted to add that Maternity is another example of House continuing to pursue the mystery after the patient's life had been saved.
Sue, how to the point you are writing. It's amazing to see how you are able to link all the examples of House's caring to the different episodes. Thanks!
After "Autopsy," this episode is my favorite from Season 2, and in my Top 5 Favorite episodes of the whole series. Barbara, I've never been able to express how much -and WHY - I absolutely adore this episode. You have done that perfectly for me. You've said it all, including the old team's concern and caring for House's emotional well-being. I missed that in Season 4, just as I missed this obsessive, driven, tormented man. We didn't get anything this gritty in Season 4 until the finale.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/79055)
Thanks for a great review, as always! All In is one of my favourite episodes, and you have summed it up perfectly!
If we ever needed confirmation that House will do anything for a patient, or this time Cuddy's patient, this is it. He had dressed up (how often does he do that?!)and was clearly looking forward to the prospect of beating Cuddy and Wilson, and probably winning the whole poker tournament. And as an added bonus enjoy this even more than usual beautiful vision that was Cuddy. But as circumstances turned out, all that had to be "sacrificed".
I am fully aware that his need to solve mysteries, especially this one due to Esther, comes into it. But still. He could have turned a deaf ear when the other doctor talked to Cuddy, so as to finally have an enjoyable evening, but no.
Well, it's difficult to describe House and my understandig of him. Especially in another language... But I trust you get what I mean. After reading all your reviews and other articles on this series, I find that your take on him is exactly like mine.
Thanks again, and keep up the good work you do here on Blogcritics and elsewhere!