But first, the catalyst: 15-year-old Boyd (Thomas Dekker) is brought in after collapsing at one of his session: "Daddy, I think I need a doctor," the faith healer says.
His first confrontation with House comes early on, and though it seems to set them up on opposite sides of the rational versus religion scale, it also introduces a hint that there is an element of faith to both sides, whether it's faith in God and faith in science.
House scorns the kid's gift of hearing the voice of God, which lets him know Cameron is still "harboring vengeful thoughts" towards Foreman for scooping her medical article, and that House looks for excuses to be alone. "See, that's the kind of brilliance that sounds deep, but you could say that about any person who doesn't pine for the social approval of everyone he meets, which you were cleverly able to deduce about me by not being a moron," replies House.
It's a gift House shares, only without the voice-from-God element. "He figures out what's going on in people's lives by watching, listening, deducing," House scoffs to Wilson. "You're worried about trademark infringement?" Wilson asks.
Faith annoys House to an amusing degree. "You know, I get it if people are just looking for ways to fill the holes. But they want the holes. They want to live in the holes. They go nuts when someone else pours dirt in their hole. Climb out of your holes, people!" he rants.
His faith, of course, has so far encountered no holes in this fictional world where he solves all cases within the hour, and it's not really tested here. For that I am grateful to the deity I don't believe in, because that was exactly the road I expected from the episode, and therefore the well-traveled road I didn't want it to take.
House is, however, puzzled that Boyd knows that he doesn't want to invite the recently moved-out Wilson to his Thursday night poker game - a piece of information only House and Wilson know. Even more baffling is the fact that the tumor of Wilson's dying cancer patient, Grace, shrank after Boyd performed a healing on her.
It was an easy diagnosis this week. The team didn't even almost kill Boyd once, and just a simple MRI proved their guess. Which means, of course, that it can't possibly be the final diagnosis.
Wilson trades an invitation to the poker game for helping House convince Boyd and his father to go ahead with surgery on the tuberous sclerosis, working his Wilson magic to manipulate them with kind reasonableness, contrasted with House's unkind forcefulness in a good doc-bad doc scene.
Article comments
1 - West by southwest
But does it mean that Wilson can get herpes encephalitis too, or what?
I kept waiting for House to dwell on that uncomfortably obvious point.
2 - Wendy Station, Encephaltis Global, Inc.
House website quote: ""House mentions herpes virii are most prone to attack cancer cells. Wilson realizes that herpes encephalitis would fit all of the symptoms. House walks into Boyd’s room and orders him to strip. House is looking for the sores that are symptomatic of herpes encephalitis, mentioning to Walter that Boyd contracted it through sex. "
Are they saying that genital herpes sores are symptomatic (a symptom of the disease) of encephalitis? That's like saying that with high thyroid... You must have encephalitis! (Hashimoto's).... Receiving mosquito bites....you must have encephalitis! (West Nile). Diagnosed with measles, mumps, rubella, or chickenpox... you must have encephalitis!
None of these statements are inaccurate, of course, but I think the author of this episode is really pushing the facts on this one, and also:
a) frightening folks with genital herpes sores, that encephalitis is pending.... and also....
b) telling folks with HSE that they must have had genital herpes.
House website quote: "A few days later, Boyd knocks on House’s door."
You're telling us that days shortly following fever, delerious, and being diagnosed with HSE, this survivor is out for a walk? Now I can tell you from personal experience that a survivor of HSE spends months recovering... and does NOT go for a walk a few days later.
Wendy Station, President
Encephalitis Global, Inc.
3 - Diane Kristine
I think they're saying he had herpes encephalitis, not that all encephalitis is caused by herpes or that all herpes causes encephalitis. And I think they give their audience credit for knowing that real life would make for very boring TV and that getting your medical facts from a fictional TV show is probably not the wisest idea.
4 - jlvelt
What I find interesting is that this is the 3rd episode of House where tuberous sclerosis is mentioned, either as a definitive diagnosis or as part of the differential. This is an extremely rare genetic condition that both of my children happen to have, which is the only reason I have any clue what it even is. But on House (my very favorite show on TV, by the way!!), TS has been mentioned in some fairly inaccurate contexts, including referring to it as a form of cancer, which it is not, even though benign tumors are part of the disease; and in the House vs. God episode, there is no mention of trying to eradicate the seizures and auditory hallucinations (potentially another type of seizure) through anticonvulsant drugs--we skip immediately to brain surgery, which is definitely a last resort for TS patients. Kind of weird--the first time I heard them mention it, I was sort of proud of the whole "Hey, you're BUSTED--that's not right! tee hee" but by the 3rd episode where TS was referenced, I am now wishing that if they're going to mention it, please use this as a forum to spread accurate information about a disease that is so rare that it gets totally inadequate funding so that somebody might pay more attention.
5 - Bob
Having herpes encephalitis does not mean you have genital lesions, or cold sores - you can't diagnose herpes encephalitis from looking for genital lesions or cold sores. Very interesting episode though, lots going on. Not sure why the kid lost his confidence at the end, I'm sure God probably wanted him to have some fun while spreading his word, shouldn't be beating himself up about it.
6 - gail
jlvelt - since you have two children with TS, you must know that it is NOT a rare disease, though research is severely underfunded. It's more common than cystic fibrosis. I do, however, agree that the writers of the show need to do significantly more research about TS because they definitely get it wrong!