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Daddy's Boy (House episode)
Encyclopedia
"Daddy's Boy" is the fifth episode of the second season of House
, which premiered on the Fox
network on November 8, 2005. A father and his son, Carnell, a student at Princeton University
, are celebrating the son's graduation and they have a father/son moment. Carnell is heading out to a party where he drinks with his friends, but begins experiencing what feels like electrical shocks and starts having convulsions.
student Carnell has a seizure during a graduation party. His symptoms are painful shocks, headache
s, nausea
and drowsiness. In the hospital, he later has sphincter
paralysis
added to the symptoms white board. That, combined with shocks usually indicates Miller Fisher syndrome
but the tests do not support their theory. The father and his son have lied on different occasions to each other. The father lied about his wife's car accident (so his son would never drive under influence), Carnell went to Jamaica
with his friends knowing his father would never approve of it.
More clues are revealed when Carnell's friend Taddy is rushed to the hospital from vomiting blood. He tells House
that Carnell and his father have been working in a scrap metal junkyard, to which House then confronts the father on the issue (The father earlier told House that he was a construction foreman). The metal key chain that his father has made for Carnell turns out to be radioactive. Taddy was affected because on the flight to Jamaica he carried the bag which had the key chain on his lap. Carnell's ability to make white blood cell
s is severely compromised because of the radiation poisoning
, which causes his reaction to the infections, and he will need a bone marrow
transplant because of heavy exposure. He also has a tumor inside his cervical spine, revealed by a PET scan, that is causing the symptoms. They successfully remove the tumor, but he has a hemorrhage on his bowel after the surgery and his white cell count is plunging. Chase
informs the father that no matter what courses of antibiotics they give Carnell, he won't be able to fight off the infection and it will slowly compromise his systems. Knowing his son will likely die, the father lies to his son once more, telling him he will be "just fine."
Meanwhile, House tries to avoid his parents, who are coming from Newark, New Jersey
. He says that he has dinner plans with Wilson
. His alibi is broken when Cameron tells Wilson and later Cuddy
. At the news, Wilson plans to have a party to invite his parents and Cuddy will be attending too. House says that he has problems with his father. The parents end up coming to the hospital and eating dinner with a reluctant House. House attempts to make small talk by mentioning the new motorcycle he bought (with $5000 he unnecessarily borrowed from Wilson to complete an "experiment": House wanted to see how much money Wilson would let him borrow, taking increasing amounts without paying him back to see how much he "valued their friendship"). House's father mentions its being parked in a handicapped space, telling him that he "still has two legs" and that he "doesn't realize how lucky he is".
The episode ends with Cameron and Wilson in the parking lot. Wilson says House has been avoiding his parents — namely his father — because he hates feeling like a disappointment. Cameron doesn't understand how he could feel that way, seeing as how he is a world-famous doctor. Wilson explains that having a cripple as a son isn't as bad as having a son who is miserable.
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...
, which premiered on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network on November 8, 2005. A father and his son, Carnell, a student at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, are celebrating the son's graduation and they have a father/son moment. Carnell is heading out to a party where he drinks with his friends, but begins experiencing what feels like electrical shocks and starts having convulsions.
Plot
Princeton UniversityPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
student Carnell has a seizure during a graduation party. His symptoms are painful shocks, headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
s, nausea
Nausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
and drowsiness. In the hospital, he later has sphincter
Sphincter
A sphincter is an anatomical structure, or a circular muscle, that normally maintains constriction of a natural body passage or orifice and which relaxes as required by normal physiological functioning...
paralysis
Sphincter paralysis
Sphincter paralysis is paralysis of one of the body's many sphincters, preventing it from constricting normally.Case studies have shown patients may remain continent for many years despite being affected by anal sphincter paralysis....
added to the symptoms white board. That, combined with shocks usually indicates Miller Fisher syndrome
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain–Barré syndrome , sometimes called Landry's paralysis, is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy , a disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system. Ascending paralysis, weakness beginning in the feet and hands and migrating towards the trunk, is the most typical symptom...
but the tests do not support their theory. The father and his son have lied on different occasions to each other. The father lied about his wife's car accident (so his son would never drive under influence), Carnell went to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
with his friends knowing his father would never approve of it.
More clues are revealed when Carnell's friend Taddy is rushed to the hospital from vomiting blood. He tells 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...
that Carnell and his father have been working in a scrap metal junkyard, to which House then confronts the father on the issue (The father earlier told House that he was a construction foreman). The metal key chain that his father has made for Carnell turns out to be radioactive. Taddy was affected because on the flight to Jamaica he carried the bag which had the key chain on his lap. Carnell's ability to make white blood cell
White blood cell
White blood cells, or leukocytes , are cells of the immune system involved in defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials. Five different and diverse types of leukocytes exist, but they are all produced and derived from a multipotent cell in the bone marrow known as a...
s is severely compromised because of the radiation poisoning
Radiation poisoning
Acute radiation syndrome also known as radiation poisoning, radiation sickness or radiation toxicity, is a constellation of health effects which occur within several months of exposure to high amounts of ionizing radiation...
, which causes his reaction to the infections, and he will need a bone marrow
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
transplant because of heavy exposure. He also has a tumor inside his cervical spine, revealed by a PET scan, that is causing the symptoms. They successfully remove the tumor, but he has a hemorrhage on his bowel after the surgery and his white cell count is plunging. Chase
Robert Chase
Dr. Robert Chase is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Jesse Spencer. His character was a part of the team of diagnosticians who worked under Gregory House until the end of the third season when House fires him. However, he was then re-hired in season 6...
informs the father that no matter what courses of antibiotics they give Carnell, he won't be able to fight off the infection and it will slowly compromise his systems. Knowing his son will likely die, the father lies to his son once more, telling him he will be "just fine."
Meanwhile, House tries to avoid his parents, who are coming from Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. He says that he has dinner plans with 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,...
. His alibi is broken when Cameron tells Wilson and later Cuddy
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...
. At the news, Wilson plans to have a party to invite his parents and Cuddy will be attending too. House says that he has problems with his father. The parents end up coming to the hospital and eating dinner with a reluctant House. House attempts to make small talk by mentioning the new motorcycle he bought (with $5000 he unnecessarily borrowed from Wilson to complete an "experiment": House wanted to see how much money Wilson would let him borrow, taking increasing amounts without paying him back to see how much he "valued their friendship"). House's father mentions its being parked in a handicapped space, telling him that he "still has two legs" and that he "doesn't realize how lucky he is".
The episode ends with Cameron and Wilson in the parking lot. Wilson says House has been avoiding his parents — namely his father — because he hates feeling like a disappointment. Cameron doesn't understand how he could feel that way, seeing as how he is a world-famous doctor. Wilson explains that having a cripple as a son isn't as bad as having a son who is miserable.
External links
- "Daddy's Boy" at Fox.com