The Dig (House)
Encyclopedia
"The Dig" is the eighteenth episode of the seventh season
of the American medical drama House
. It first aired on April 11, 2011. This is the 150th episode of the series. Wilson and Cuddy, interestingly, do not appear in this episode.
who is surprised to see House. As they drive away, House asks her what she did. When she replies that she was in jail for "excessive prescribing", House states that this was only her plea bargain and not the truth. Thirteen avoids the question.
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Masters presents a case to her teammates: a 36-year-old teacher coughing up blood. House pages the team that he will be away for three days. Chase and Foreman ignore Masters' case and plan to go on vacation. House is, however, listening on Masters' phone and forces the team to test the patient. House avoids telling the team about Thirteen. After talking with the patient, Chase diagnoses a Serratia
infection which is immediately ruled out by patient coughing up blood.
House mentions he is going to a spud-gun competition. They take a detour to buy fresh clothes for Thirteen and around a residential neighborhood where Thirteen kicks an unidentified man (portrayed by Lost
co-creator Damon Lindelof
) in the groin at his house. House tells Thirteen about his relationship with Cuddy and their recent breakup. Thirteen tells House that she killed a man.
Foreman and Taub search the patient's house and find out that he is a hoarder and come up with Aspergillosis
for a diagnosis. However, this is ruled out as well by Taub and Masters. Chase and Masters search the house again and come up with a diagnosis of Q fever
, but also find the patient's wife hidden at the house, who is revealed to be the actual hoarder.
House and Thirteen plan to build a powerful spud gun to defeat House's nemesis Harold Lam, who has already defeated him four times at the same competition. At the competition, Thirteen indirectly lets slip that she had a brother. House figures out that Thirteen had euthanized her brother who, like her mother, suffered from Huntington's chorea
. Thirteen admits to this and explains that her brother had asked her to end his life in one of his increasingly short periods of lucidity. She tells him that she knows that she will one day reach similar state and that there will be no one to help her in the same way, a plaintive declaration that clearly troubles the silent and pensive House. However, Thirteen takes his silence as a lack of emotional response, and tells him that 'it's no wonder Cuddy broke up with [him]'. Back at the competition, House threatens Lam with the spud gun, getting only a warning from the police because of Lam's having put the moves on the sheriff's daughter earlier. Thirteen waits for House outside the sheriff's station in the same manner he waited for her in the opening scene.
Meanwhile, Taub mentions his date with a new hospital employee to Foreman. However, Foreman finds out that Taub is also sleeping with his ex-wife Rachel. Foreman tells Taub that he is being selfish. Taub later meets Rachel and apologizes for being selfish and not letting her move on with her life. Rachel, however, tells him that she does not mind their relationship in its patently dysfunctional state.
Back at the hospital, treatment for presumed Q fever helps the husband but not the wife. House asks the team to consider the wife as the only patient. The team comes up with a diagnosis of hydrogen sulfide gas exposure. Chase and Masters return to the patient's house to check for the gas. Masters finds baby clothes among the hoarded stuff at the house and confronts the couple about this, bringing a new symptom to the table - infertility. House, driving back from the competition with Thirteen, asks the team to confirm the validity of the symptom by checking both husband and wife, ignoring Thirteen's attempt to quietly suggest another option without participating in the discussion. Thirteen finally enters the discussion openly, suggesting that infertility is not the only option. The team is excited to hear from Thirteen, but House asks them to save their chatter with her for when she returns the next week. Thirteen suggests an alternative symptom - miscarriage. The final diagnosis of the wife is Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
.
In the last scene, when House is dropping Thirteen at her house, he tells her that when the time came he would euthanize her.
critic Jonah Krakow gave the episode a score of 8.5 out of 10, mentioning "I really enjoyed this episode because it allowed House to show a compassionate side of himself to a well-known character, while still being rude and inappropriate."
The AV Club gave this episode a B rating.
House (season 7)
House entered a seventh season on September 20, 2010. House and Cuddy attempt to make a real relationship work and face the question as to whether their new relationship will affect their ability to diagnose patients. The new season features a new opening title sequence...
of the American medical drama House
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...
. It first aired on April 11, 2011. This is the 150th episode of the series. Wilson and Cuddy, interestingly, do not appear in this episode.
Plot
The episode starts with House waiting outside Middlebury Correctional Institute in New Jersey. It turns out he is picking up the freshly-released ThirteenThirteen (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...
who is surprised to see House. As they drive away, House asks her what she did. When she replies that she was in jail for "excessive prescribing", House states that this was only her plea bargain and not the truth. Thirteen avoids the question.
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Masters presents a case to her teammates: a 36-year-old teacher coughing up blood. House pages the team that he will be away for three days. Chase and Foreman ignore Masters' case and plan to go on vacation. House is, however, listening on Masters' phone and forces the team to test the patient. House avoids telling the team about Thirteen. After talking with the patient, Chase diagnoses a Serratia
Serratia
Serratia is a genus of Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family. The most common species in the genus, S. marcescens, is normally the only pathogen and usually causes nosocomial infections. However, rare strains of S. plymuthica, S. liquefaciens,...
infection which is immediately ruled out by patient coughing up blood.
House mentions he is going to a spud-gun competition. They take a detour to buy fresh clothes for Thirteen and around a residential neighborhood where Thirteen kicks an unidentified man (portrayed by Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
co-creator Damon Lindelof
Damon Lindelof
Damon Laurence Lindelof is an American television writer and executive, most recently noted as the co-creator and executive producer for the television series Lost. He has written for and produced Crossing Jordan, and wrote for Nash Bridges, Wasteland, and the MTV anthology series Undressed...
) in the groin at his house. House tells Thirteen about his relationship with Cuddy and their recent breakup. Thirteen tells House that she killed a man.
Foreman and Taub search the patient's house and find out that he is a hoarder and come up with Aspergillosis
Aspergillosis
Aspergillosis is the name given to a wide variety of diseases caused by fungi of the genus Aspergillus. The most common forms are allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, pulmonary aspergilloma and invasive aspergillosis. Most humans inhale Aspergillus spores every day...
for a diagnosis. However, this is ruled out as well by Taub and Masters. Chase and Masters search the house again and come up with a diagnosis of Q fever
Q fever
Q fever is a disease caused by infection with Coxiella burnetii, a bacterium that affects humans and other animals. This organism is uncommon but may be found in cattle, sheep, goats and other domestic mammals, including cats and dogs...
, but also find the patient's wife hidden at the house, who is revealed to be the actual hoarder.
House and Thirteen plan to build a powerful spud gun to defeat House's nemesis Harold Lam, who has already defeated him four times at the same competition. At the competition, Thirteen indirectly lets slip that she had a brother. House figures out that Thirteen had euthanized her brother who, like her mother, suffered from Huntington's chorea
Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease, chorea, or disorder , is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and dementia. It typically becomes noticeable in middle age. HD is the most common genetic cause of abnormal involuntary writhing movements called chorea...
. Thirteen admits to this and explains that her brother had asked her to end his life in one of his increasingly short periods of lucidity. She tells him that she knows that she will one day reach similar state and that there will be no one to help her in the same way, a plaintive declaration that clearly troubles the silent and pensive House. However, Thirteen takes his silence as a lack of emotional response, and tells him that 'it's no wonder Cuddy broke up with [him]'. Back at the competition, House threatens Lam with the spud gun, getting only a warning from the police because of Lam's having put the moves on the sheriff's daughter earlier. Thirteen waits for House outside the sheriff's station in the same manner he waited for her in the opening scene.
Meanwhile, Taub mentions his date with a new hospital employee to Foreman. However, Foreman finds out that Taub is also sleeping with his ex-wife Rachel. Foreman tells Taub that he is being selfish. Taub later meets Rachel and apologizes for being selfish and not letting her move on with her life. Rachel, however, tells him that she does not mind their relationship in its patently dysfunctional state.
Back at the hospital, treatment for presumed Q fever helps the husband but not the wife. House asks the team to consider the wife as the only patient. The team comes up with a diagnosis of hydrogen sulfide gas exposure. Chase and Masters return to the patient's house to check for the gas. Masters finds baby clothes among the hoarded stuff at the house and confronts the couple about this, bringing a new symptom to the table - infertility. House, driving back from the competition with Thirteen, asks the team to confirm the validity of the symptom by checking both husband and wife, ignoring Thirteen's attempt to quietly suggest another option without participating in the discussion. Thirteen finally enters the discussion openly, suggesting that infertility is not the only option. The team is excited to hear from Thirteen, but House asks them to save their chatter with her for when she returns the next week. Thirteen suggests an alternative symptom - miscarriage. The final diagnosis of the wife is Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Ehlers–Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited connective tissue disorders, caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen . The collagen in connective tissue helps tissues to resist deformation...
.
In the last scene, when House is dropping Thirteen at her house, he tells her that when the time came he would euthanize her.
Critical response
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
critic Jonah Krakow gave the episode a score of 8.5 out of 10, mentioning "I really enjoyed this episode because it allowed House to show a compassionate side of himself to a well-known character, while still being rude and inappropriate."
The AV Club gave this episode a B rating.
External links
- "The Dig" at Fox.com