When House visits the father and son, he is anxious to put Kenny on steroids to treat what House believes is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The father chooses to not believe House, preferring to risk his son's life by moving ahead with the surgery. The treatment House wishes to try (steroids) will set the surgery back months. House is upset that the father and his son are willing to risk death to be “normal." “Can’t do the treatment because it'll postpone the surgery,” they seem to be saying.
House strongly reacts to this attitude. In his opinion, the kid doesn't require the surgery. At least not urgently. Dealing with the crisis takes precedence in House’s mind. I’m not saying that I agree with House; but that is what he is reacting to.
It’s a short scene, but it’s a season four moment for my list of poignant House/patient scenes I wrote about in my article about House's unique bedside manner. House was not suggesting that the kid never get the facial surgery. He was suggesting that it wasn’t as important as actually living — and living with the deformity a month or two longer. House blurts out his comment that undoing the physical damage cannot undo the psychological damage caused by the physical. It’s an honest moment that speaks to a truth about House himself. His facial expression as he glared at the camera is notable for the range of emotions portrayed.
Because the case involves craniofacial plastic surgery, Taub is involved and excited about this case. Considering the circumstances by which Taub came into House’s orbit, his involvement in a potentially famous plastic surgery case must’ve been very appealing to him. “I took one look at this kid, and I saw an average kid,” says Taub. As a plastic surgeon, he sees the possibilities, something that will win him no favors in House’s book, according to Foreman anyway.
He probably never dreamed after signing a non-compete agreement with his former partners that he would ever work on such a case. That he is attacking it as a diagnostics fellow and not a plastic surgeon has to be intriguing for him. No wonder he seems super motivated, and willing to go up against House. And possibly outshine him. His “I can get House thrown off the case,” to the father was somewhat chilling. Taub wins points, very deservedly, through being as blunt as House. In the face of House’s taunting, Taub admits that, yes, he gave up his successful career because his marriage was more important than the lucrative medical practice. “I love my wife.” (I wonder if Taub isn’t sort of the anti-Wilson, who can’t help telling them about his wives — as revealed in “Spin” in season two.)
Article comments
1 - hl_lover
I agree, House was not telling the patient that he shouldn't have his surgery, just that he should wait until it is safe to do so. Some have wondered if this contradicted his advice to the patient in Merry Little Christmas, but it doesn't. He wouldn't discourage anyone from having at least the outward appearance of 'normal', the ticket out of the freak show, as he put it.
Kudos to the writer of this episode of "House", and kudos to you, Barbara, for summarizing so well the major themes and revelations of this excellent episode in a (to-date) excellent season of "House". How unfortunate that it will be terminated so prematurely!
2 - Barbara Barnett
Thanks as always, HL_L for your kind words. House has never begrudged anyone their ticket to normal. He's risked his life and career to make that possible. He just understands that you'll still be the person that lifetime of misery has wrought. I found no contradiction either.
Also apologies for mistakenly calling Kenny Darnell. Darnell is the name of the interviewer. The boy's name is Kenny. I wasn't totally out my mind, however. In the season 2 episode Daddy's boy, the patient's name was Carnell.
3 - Louise
Barbara,
Another wonderful review. Thanks for focusing in on (a pun, I know) the perception theme in this season. Right on target. This episode will take me four or five times through it to catch all that was going on. It particularly satisfying--and simultaneously annoying--to see the empirical House not able see and hear reality as he "blinded" by lust.
Then we have reality TV frameworks within a narrative fiction television series with a storyline where documentary film-makers distort the reality of a supposedly actual situation. Nothing like a bit of jump-cutting among genres to delight and confuse the senses.
Louise
4 - Barbara Barnett
Hi Louise,
There are just too many potential plays on words that would work with this episode; lots of symbols to play with. Focus, perception, distortion (as the camera is able to accomplish), image, lens, prism.
Some people, I know, were confused at House's sudden blindness regarding Terzi. After all, he's surrounded by beautiful women who like him and find him attractive. Why Terzi (who's nowhere as pretty as 13, and nowhere as sensual as Cuddy) And why now? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And like those of us who find Hugh Laurie more attractive than say Patrick Dempsy, when Dempsey is more conventionally handsome, none of us know who and why we find ourselves deeply and inexplicably attracted to someone. To me, my husband is the most handsome man on the planet; my sister might say "eh" about his looks. Also, post season 3, House may be in a better place emotionally (for now anyway)and more open to that sort of infatuation. It was funny to see House doubt himself around not only Terzi, but 13 as well, when his own lens went soft-focus on him regarding Terzi. Loved it.
Thanks for stopping by.
5 - Robin
I loved House's reactions to Terzi's medical comments. Like he was trying to shake himself from a love spell. And had to depend on Foreman to tell him the truth. Or any of the guys when the women spoke. I was surprised Foreman didn't make any comment about House's weakened state. He seemed to have figured out what his place is on this new team, which is back up support while others try to learn from House. I liked Wilson's comment "you were protected by Foreman" during his fuzzy moments.
6 - Barbara Barnett
I loved House's "guy-ness." And his horror that he's acting like a middle aged guy having a mid-life crisis.
Late breaking news: Writers Guild Negotiations will be resuming on 11/26. Good luck to all concerned.
7 - nickel
Barbara, I believe that you missed a couple insights in this episode. First, as you have noted many, many times, House wants to help people OUT of the freak show. Taub's outburst about House not being normal and therefore not wanting anyone else to be normal, only solidifies the fact that perceptions (or as House duly notes in Occams Razor, that REALITY is almost always wrong) are almost always wrong. I also believe that Taub (from the very start) was only concerned in Kenny's facial surgery, not really in finding his more serious illness. Unfortunately, Taub's age and experience keeps him from really learning the lessons that House tries so desperately wants his fellows to learn. Taub is already set in his "medical thinking". And as we all know by now, that constricted way of thinking never changes. Taub may be smart, but the very last thing that House needed on his team is another arrogant intellectual, who starts his diagnoses process with pre-determined judgments.