House T minus 4, "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

[bironic]

- Heh. Writers' strike ends, and they start by showing a nurses' strike.
- The wife looks like that woman who played Teer on SGA and Gwen on Brimstone. Pretty. Or a cross between her and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
- Niceness is a symptom. Sigh. Four years and a hiatus, and we're still retreading the same ground.
- Oh, it's a David Shore episode. That explains it.
- Wilson: hotter than ever, y/y? Man, I wish our reception were better. There're stripes all over his new haircut and blue shirt. ETA: Yep, hot hot hot on the digital recording.
- House/Wilson/Amber continues to be awesome. Amber hasn't broken, though House has bent. And Wilson has just said "love" twice. I want them all to live dysfunctionally ever after.
- Lubricant to superglue pranks, confirmed by House. Quick, where are the explanatory fics?
- That creationism joke ("What are we, 21st century America?") was much less clever than I'd expect of House.
- Thirteen "does it both ways" jokes are not yet old. Maybe because she hasn't yet gotten pissed off at him for it?
- New setting! Bowling alley. Go, show. Finally we see House bowl! With Chase, who's happy as an Australian clam to have been invited! And it's a lengthy scene that doesn't get interrupted! And it's something House isn't brilliant at! And Chase proves that he does have some distance when it comes to Cameron.
- So House can again walk on the leg without the cane. Is that improvement from ... that S1/S2 episode where he tried to take a step in his apartment and fell, or are the writers unable to decide what his capabilities are?
- Wilson eating potato chips watching the dogs sniff each other. Awesome.
- "You're 15 minutes late." And then a young guy he hadn't expected. Anyone else go straight to today's Filling In?
- Speaking of dogs. Amber made sure to rub her scent all over Wilson before dropping him off in House's care. And then Wilson tried to clean up. But Amber made sure House knew anyway.
- Awwwww. Wilson loves having two people love him. A year ago he was on antidepressants and despaired at the world, and now ... smiles.
- Note: Wilson stutters when drunk as well as when on speed.
- Sooo, House spoke to the exes about Wilson's ... "it."
- Everyone together now: Ha, ha, subtext meta joke.
- House has syphilis. Uh huh. And brain cancer, and autism, and...
- Though if he does, we can add that to the hooker argument from up above.
- And we could say it was foreshadowing before that Chase was with him, because it reminded me of the brain cancer episode when Chase tried to bond with him.
- Oh, oh! It is that actress! Note to self, her name is Chad Morgan. ETA: Oh, yeah, on a clear recording she's much more recognizable.
- No, Cameron, you're a moron. You're ALL MORONS. House is not an ass because he has syphilis, if he even has syphilis and isn't stringing you all along, again. For one thing, you think he's had it for that many years?
- Cameron's chaos theory: Mozart playing catch.
- So... he does? *squints* No. Can't be.
- Wilson/Amber kisses will always be vindictive, won't they? Since they're always in front of house. Hee, that last one, where they parted around House? Probably as close as we'll get to a threesome on screen.
- House does not have syphilis. No way. What is the trick? My brain keeps going in the slash direction where he wants Amber to think she might have syphilis because he gave it to Wilson, but obviously that is not it. Unless she thinks it's possible... That would be suitably slashy-without-being-onscreen-gay... but too blatant, anyway.
- "I don't sleep with everyone who's better than Hitler." Quote of the episode?
- Yep, not syphilis. One day everyone will learn. That will probably be the day he does have some kind of illness.
- Next note to self: Wilson keeps his bowling shoes at work. And has proved again that he loves his pranks, even though people think he's the nice guy. And is smiling quite a lot these days.
- Ooh. Pretty top, Cuddy.
- That evaluation was pretty close to a declaration of love on House's part, wasn't it?
- Can it be? House learning to tolerate someone?
- More episodes should end on Wilson smiling. Passive!manipulative!for-a-good-cause!Wilson smiling. Yes.

Overall (with 30 seconds of reflection): Nothing new in the House Is An Ass department (surprise), but a nicely packed hour nevertheless with much lovable Wilson, effective Cuddy, intuitive Kutner, Foreman still struggling to find his place in the department, and chances for everyone on the cast to have some screen time for a change.