House Recap: Needle in a Haystack

Title: Needle in a Haystack
Original Airdate: February 7, 2007
GMMR Recapper: LaLaWell this certainly was an aptly titled episode, wasn’t it?  What with the main medical mystery turning out to be nothing more than a swallowed toothpick wreaking havoc on a teenage gypsy boy’s digestive system.  But did we really need to see House unraveling the boy’s intestines and squeezing them as he unraveled?  I’m just saying that there’s a reason why the movie Braveheart only IMPLIES when that happens: because it’s really GROSS, people!  Ok, sorry, I guess I have a low tolerance for gore.  What’s that you ask?  Why am I watching a sure to be gory medical show like this if I get squeamish about blood, gore, and needles?  And furthermore, why am I carefully writing about and analyzing said show??

I’ll tell you why!  It’s because this show is about more than just the “medical mystery of the week” and how House is always the only person who can solve said mystery.  This is a smartly written show with clever and funny dialogue [sample House sarcastic remark: “I don’t want you thinking like doctors right now, I want you thinking like plumbers – c’mon, let me see some butt-crack!”], strong and interesting characters that are continually developed, and stories that feed that character development and raise thought-provoking issues.

For instance, this week’s patient was a teenage gypsy boy whose parents were essentially forcing him to continue living their gypsy lifestyle; if he ever decided to get a steady job and live in a permanent home, they would probably disown him.  And we’re talking about a really smart kid here; a boy who taught himself so much about anatomy and medicine just from reading books that his knowledge was able to compete with Foreman’s – and in one case, even best him [this, of course, lead to prime discussions between Foreman and the kid about working hard and overcoming the odds, as well as the difficulty of change.]  And yet, when Foreman offered the kid a major medical internship at the hospital, the kid turned him down because he didn’t want to lose his family.  And also, because he noticed something that all the House Team doctors have in common: “Ya’ll got empty ring fingers; you’re alone.”  Ouch.  That remark certainly cut into Foreman, as it was obviously all too true [side note: so I guess that hot nurse that he hooked up with several episodes back didn’t work out then?]  And so, the episode ended with gypsy boy happily leaving the hospital with his large gypsy family, while Foreman watched from the balcony – yep, you guessed it – all alone.

Of course, not all the stories in a particular House episode are so thought-provoking and dramatic.  Some are just very entertaining, like the sub-plot of House trying to get his closer parking space back from the sassy, wheelchair bound female researcher who “stole” it from him.  He does this by taking Cuddy’s dare and spending a whole week in a wheelchair himself.  And of course, this led to many hilarious moments, like House purposely crashing into people with his wheelchair, House trying to get even more pity than he usually does with his limp handicap (even though he obviously doesn’t deserve it this time), and then that scene in the bathroom with Wilson.  Oh House, what a wonderful, stubborn, petulant child you are.  And yet, of course, he won his spot back in the end with his final, clever guilt trip to Cuddy about broken promises and torture.  I guess House can always rely on one thing in order to get what he wants: his co-workers just can’t resist his special charm.  And neither, frankly, can we!

One final note: If that teenage boy’s family are all wandering gypsies who clearly aren’t rich and don’t have insurance, then… who is going to pay for the kid’s hospital stay and all those expensive surgeries and tests that were performed on the lad??  I’m just saying…

LaLa is a writer who currently resides in LaLa Land, aka Los Angeles.  LaLa also likes to sing.  LaLa also knows some lawyers in a law office.  LaLa is also prone to making bad jokes, like this one.  And of course, LaLa also loves her some quality television shows with quality actors on them, like House… and The Office… and 24… and, well, pretty much any smartly written show that doesn’t include a fat guy with a hot skinny wife or the words “two and a half men” in the title.