TV Review: House - "Fools for Love" - Page 3

Cameron decides the husband has a conflict of interest, since the dangerous biopsy could also benefit his case, so he shouldn't be involved in making the decision. Of all ethical stances to take, that one seems pretty far over on the side of playing by the rules for someone who lets House get away with far worse, and who crosses ethical lines herself.

It feels like a contrived plot point, with Cameron the victim of the necessity for an obstacle. But it passes relatively quickly when the husband makes an unexpected choice: he wants to stop treatment so he'll deteriorate, they can biopsy his brain instead, and still have time to save her. Don't think Foreman, determined to believe in love without being sappy about it, doesn't gloat a little at that evidence.

But when House finds out the couple were childhood sweethearts, next door neighbours who eloped because Jeremy's father objected to their relationship and got violent, the clues finally add up for him. Their symptoms fit those of a rare genetic disease, the couple share striking green eyes, and the father might have been upset about something entirely different than the fact that Jeremy is white and Tracy is black, like the fact his son and illegitimate daughter were getting on a little too well.

Once you get over the fact that it's a classic soap opera reveal, it's an effective plot twist for a medical case, and, though I may be clueless, one I didn't see coming. The red herring of racism throughout the episode was a nice touch, adding a little depth without simply providing an excuse for a mini ethical debate about the subject. And with mistaken paternity rates estimated at 5-10% — meaning, up to 10 percent of us think our biological fathers are someone other than the real DNA donor — it also seems no more far fetched than any other bizarre case that would come before House and his team.

Foreman argues they should withhold the information about the genetic connection, an argument that's slightly compromised when House points out they'd have to keep them away from doctors, the Internet, and people who aren't idiots. Plus, Foreman — ick.

"Tell them, or I will," House says, and Foreman recognizes this as the horrible threat it is. Remember how House told the model in "Skin Deep" that she was a he, and then think about how he would be likely to tell this husband and wife they're brother and sister.

Last season's two-part "Euphoria" was Omar Epps' showcase episode, but it's the more subtle empathy coupled with the casual arrogance of an episode like this that better shows his acting chops for me. He tells them gently, and watches helplessly at their despair and disgust when his attempts to reassure them they're not brother and sister in any way that matters fail.

Article Author: Diane Kristine Wild

Diane writes about boring things by day, pop culture things by night. She also runs the TV, Eh? website, a compilation of news about Canadian television. Follow her on Twitter @deekayw for more random thoughts.

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