Adverse Events
Encyclopedia
"Adverse Events" is the third episode of the fifth season of House
and the eighty-ninth episode overall. It first aired on September 30, 2008. Breckin Meyer
guest starred as an artist who has an unexplained visual problem.
), an artist, painting a portrait of a nude woman (Sarah Knowlton). Upon seeing the finished product however, the woman's husband (Drew Powell) becomes angry and punches him, and it is revealed that the painting is horribly distorted, but the artist is seeing it as perfectly normal.
At the hospital, House
and his team looks at the artist's work trying to determine his diagnosis. However, Brandon protests that he is getting better and shows some quick sketches that he has done, which look normal. Kutner
and Taub
search his house for toxins and drugs, but find nothing significant. When Thirteen
points out Brandon's reluctance to submit to tests, House deduces that the patient knows he's fine, and Brandon admits that he volunteered for clinical trials to make money. Although he should be getting better as he stopped the experimental drugs, he suffers a seizure
and his condition worsens. Foreman
believes it is impossible to determine the interactions between the different drugs and suggests dialysis to clear out Brandon's blood. However, it appears that the drugs were not responsible for the symptoms, since Brandon suffers another seizure with facial swelling
even after the dialysis is completed.
Brandon continues to present an odd collection of symptoms, including abnormal hormone levels (causing him to assault Thirteen) and hair color change. House orders a heart surgery to deal with Brandon's abnormal heart rhythm, but Taub begins to suspect lingering toxins when Brandon presents distorted vision again. After investigating the storage room where Brandon's unsold paintings have been kept, Taub finds that his paintings show distortion every other month. House discovers that whenever Brandon took the experimental antacid
, undigested food caused a bezoar
to grow bigger and absorb the pills. Even after his admission into the hospital, the drugs have been slowly released into his system and have caused the symptoms. The heart surgery is cancelled and the bezoar is surgically removed.
During the diagnosis, House is constantly fed information concerning his team from Lucas (Michael Weston
), the private investigator he hired with hospital money (much to Cuddy's
annoyance). House uses the trivia mostly to embarrass his team members, but Taub is disturbed when he learns from House of a secret bank account that his wife set up. Although he is angry with House's meddling, he begins to avoid returning home to his wife. Brandon, the patient, is also having difficulties with his girlfriend, Heather (Marika Dominczyk
), afraid that she might leave him when she learns about his financial difficulties and experimental drugs. Taub advises him not to tell her if he wants to continue their relationship. Taub finally confronts his wife (Jennifer Crystal Foley
), but she reveals that she had been saving to buy him a new car, much to Taub's relief as well as guilt. Before his surgery, Brandon overcomes his fears and confesses to his girlfriend about how he became sick, to which she replies she would not leave him. When Taub's wife shows up at the hospital with the new car, Taub decides to have a talk with her first. It is implied that he confesses to his wife about his affair in the past and asks for forgiveness.
Meanwhile, Lucas continues his investigation on those around House. Cuddy catches Lucas in her office sorting through her desk for 'research'. Lucas explains he wants to 'know more about her'; he appears to be attracted to her and asks her out. Cuddy points out this is not romantic, but creepy. As he is leaving, he offers to give her embarrassing information on House, in exchange for 'technically' hiring him and going out with him. However, it is revealed that Cuddy is being set up by House; House has hired him to find information that he can use against her, even though Lucas confesses he actually likes Cuddy. The next day, Lucas is having lunch with Cuddy and finds out Cuddy knows that she is being set up. Cuddy shows that she is nonetheless interested in Lucas. Lucas later reports to House that Cuddy didn't fall for their trap. The two argue that using a photo-shopped picture of a younger House on the cheerleader team wasn't the best idea, before Lucas confesses he found out that the picture is real; House had joined the team for a girl. Lucas states that it is too bad Cuddy didn't see him in a different light, even worse that she didn't even believe it is possible. House replies 'people hate people who have theories about people', and the episode ends with House on the guitar and Lucas on the piano playing a blues
song together.
was credited as an executive producer
in this episode, and Robert Sean Leonard
and Jennifer Morrison
were credited in this episode, despite not appearing in their respective roles as Wilson
and Cameron
. This is the first episode in which Wilson does not appear.
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
and the eighty-ninth episode overall. It first aired on September 30, 2008. Breckin Meyer
Breckin Meyer
-Early life:Meyer was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Dorothy Ann , a travel agent and former microbiologist, and Christopher William Meyer, a management consultant. As a child of divorced parents, he lived in California, Texas, West Virginia and New Jersey. He has an older brother,...
guest starred as an artist who has an unexplained visual problem.
Plot
The episode begins with Brandon (Breckin MeyerBreckin Meyer
-Early life:Meyer was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Dorothy Ann , a travel agent and former microbiologist, and Christopher William Meyer, a management consultant. As a child of divorced parents, he lived in California, Texas, West Virginia and New Jersey. He has an older brother,...
), an artist, painting a portrait of a nude woman (Sarah Knowlton). Upon seeing the finished product however, the woman's husband (Drew Powell) becomes angry and punches him, and it is revealed that the painting is horribly distorted, but the artist is seeing it as perfectly normal.
At the hospital, House
Gregory House
Gregory House, M.D., or simply referred to as House, is a fictional antihero and title character of the American television series House, played by Hugh Laurie. He is the Chief of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, where he leads a team of diagnosticians...
and his team looks at the artist's work trying to determine his diagnosis. However, Brandon protests that he is getting better and shows some quick sketches that he has done, which look normal. Kutner
Lawrence Kutner (House)
Lawrence Kutner M.D. is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is played by Kal Penn. He becomes a member of House's new diagnostic team in "Games", the ninth episode of the fourth season...
and Taub
Chris Taub
Christopher Michael "Chris" Taub, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Peter Jacobson. He becomes a member of House's new diagnostic team in the Season 4 episode titled "Games".-Professional life:...
search his house for toxins and drugs, but find nothing significant. When Thirteen
Thirteen (House)
Remy "Thirteen" Hadley, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House, portrayed by Olivia Wilde. She is part of the new diagnostic team assembled by Dr. Gregory House after the disbanding of his previous team in the third season finale...
points out Brandon's reluctance to submit to tests, House deduces that the patient knows he's fine, and Brandon admits that he volunteered for clinical trials to make money. Although he should be getting better as he stopped the experimental drugs, he suffers a seizure
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
and his condition worsens. Foreman
Eric Foreman
Eric Foreman, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Omar Epps.-Background:A neurologist, Foreman was a member of Dr. Gregory House's handpicked team of specialists at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's Diagnostic Medicine Department...
believes it is impossible to determine the interactions between the different drugs and suggests dialysis to clear out Brandon's blood. However, it appears that the drugs were not responsible for the symptoms, since Brandon suffers another seizure with facial swelling
Swelling (medical)
In medical parlance, swelling is the transient enlargement or protuberance in the body and may include tumors. According to cause, it may be congenital, traumatic, inflammatory, neoplastic or miscellaneous....
even after the dialysis is completed.
Brandon continues to present an odd collection of symptoms, including abnormal hormone levels (causing him to assault Thirteen) and hair color change. House orders a heart surgery to deal with Brandon's abnormal heart rhythm, but Taub begins to suspect lingering toxins when Brandon presents distorted vision again. After investigating the storage room where Brandon's unsold paintings have been kept, Taub finds that his paintings show distortion every other month. House discovers that whenever Brandon took the experimental antacid
Antacid
An antacid is a substance which neutralizes stomach acidity.-Mechanism of action:Antacids perform a neutralization reaction, increasing the pH to reduce acidity in the stomach. When gastric hydrochloric acid reaches the nerves in the gastrointestinal mucosa, they signal pain to the central nervous...
, undigested food caused a bezoar
Bezoar
A bezoar is a mass found trapped in the gastrointestinal system , though it can occur in other locations. A pseudobezoar is an indigestible object introduced intentionally into the digestive system....
to grow bigger and absorb the pills. Even after his admission into the hospital, the drugs have been slowly released into his system and have caused the symptoms. The heart surgery is cancelled and the bezoar is surgically removed.
During the diagnosis, House is constantly fed information concerning his team from Lucas (Michael Weston
Michael Weston
Michael Weston is an American television and film actor. His best-known roles are the private detective Lucas Douglas on House, the homicidal meth addict Jake in the critically acclaimed HBO drama Six Feet Under and Pvt...
), the private investigator he hired with hospital money (much to Cuddy's
Lisa Cuddy
Dr. Lisa Cuddy, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. She is portrayed by Lisa Edelstein. Cuddy was the Dean of Medicine and hospital administrator of the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. She also becomes House's love interest through the...
annoyance). House uses the trivia mostly to embarrass his team members, but Taub is disturbed when he learns from House of a secret bank account that his wife set up. Although he is angry with House's meddling, he begins to avoid returning home to his wife. Brandon, the patient, is also having difficulties with his girlfriend, Heather (Marika Dominczyk
Marika Dominczyk
-Personal:Dominczyk moved with her family from Kielce, Poland, to New York City when she was three, after her parents were expelled from their native Poland for her father's involvement with Amnesty International and then the Solidarity movement....
), afraid that she might leave him when she learns about his financial difficulties and experimental drugs. Taub advises him not to tell her if he wants to continue their relationship. Taub finally confronts his wife (Jennifer Crystal Foley
Jennifer Crystal Foley
Jennifer Crystal Foley is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Christie Parker in Once and Again and as the recurring character Rachel Taub on House. She is mostly credited as Jennifer Crystal Foley.-Early life:Crystal graduated from Northwestern University in 1994...
), but she reveals that she had been saving to buy him a new car, much to Taub's relief as well as guilt. Before his surgery, Brandon overcomes his fears and confesses to his girlfriend about how he became sick, to which she replies she would not leave him. When Taub's wife shows up at the hospital with the new car, Taub decides to have a talk with her first. It is implied that he confesses to his wife about his affair in the past and asks for forgiveness.
Meanwhile, Lucas continues his investigation on those around House. Cuddy catches Lucas in her office sorting through her desk for 'research'. Lucas explains he wants to 'know more about her'; he appears to be attracted to her and asks her out. Cuddy points out this is not romantic, but creepy. As he is leaving, he offers to give her embarrassing information on House, in exchange for 'technically' hiring him and going out with him. However, it is revealed that Cuddy is being set up by House; House has hired him to find information that he can use against her, even though Lucas confesses he actually likes Cuddy. The next day, Lucas is having lunch with Cuddy and finds out Cuddy knows that she is being set up. Cuddy shows that she is nonetheless interested in Lucas. Lucas later reports to House that Cuddy didn't fall for their trap. The two argue that using a photo-shopped picture of a younger House on the cheerleader team wasn't the best idea, before Lucas confesses he found out that the picture is real; House had joined the team for a girl. Lucas states that it is too bad Cuddy didn't see him in a different light, even worse that she didn't even believe it is possible. House replies 'people hate people who have theories about people', and the episode ends with House on the guitar and Lucas on the piano playing a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
song together.
Production details
Hugh LaurieHugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
was credited as an executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
in this episode, and Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Sean Leonard is an American actor, who has regularly starred in Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Since 2004 he has played the role of Dr. James Wilson on the TV series House...
and Jennifer Morrison
Jennifer Morrison
Jennifer Marie Morrison is an American actress, model and film producer. She is best known for her role as Dr. Allison Cameron in House, whom she played for five-and-a-half years, and also as Zoey Pierson in the sixth season of How I Met Your Mother...
were credited in this episode, despite not appearing in their respective roles as Wilson
James Wilson (House)
James Evan Wilson, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is played by Robert Sean Leonard. The character first appears in the show's pilot episode when he introduces a medical case to Dr. Gregory House, the protagonist of the show. Wilson is Dr. House's only true friend,...
and Cameron
Allison Cameron (House)
Allison Cameron, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House, portrayed by American actress Jennifer Morrison. An immunologist, Cameron was a member of Dr...
. This is the first episode in which Wilson does not appear.