House: Joy

Posted by: Jolee  •  October 30, 2008 @ 3:03am

Filed under: Recaps & Reviews

Because of Sarah Miller's hectic schedule, and the fact that Bones has been on hiatus for (what feels like) EVER, this episode recap is brought to you by me!

In the last episode we found out that Cuddy was adopting a baby, Thirteen was not fired and still wild 'n' crazy. This episode centers on the baby drama, a narcoleptic cocaine addict, and OMG Cuddy+House!

The Patient

Jerry Harmon is losing large amounts of time that he can't account for, and the team thinks it may be a toxin in the house. Taub and Thirteen find mold, and that the apartment is very bare and boring. Back at the hospital, the patient's daughter informs Thirteen that her Dad has no life, and that they do nothing except go to school and sleep. The Mom died a long time ago, and both the father and daughter seem very cold and unemotional.

Turns out the Dad has been sleepwalking, and House suggests letting the patient go home, but monitoring his to see where he goes in his sleep. This may lead us to the unknown toxin, you see. Taub and Thirteen camp out in a bedroom of the house, and follow the Dad as he sleepwalks right out of the house and into the car! He drives to a drug dealer and buys some cocaine – all in his sleep.

House is pretty sure that the patient didn't know he was using coke. Cocaine explains narcolepsy, narcolepsy explains sleepwalking, and whatever the coke was laced with probably explains the memory loss and why the patient can't believe he was doing drugs in his sleep. Thirteen and Taub are sent to score drugs. Taub is awkward and hilarious, Thirteen is oddly familiar with "good coke" and "lower-grade snow coke", but they get some and discover it is laced with milk powder. The patient is tested and treated for a milk allergy, but then starts sweating blood. Pleasant.

Taub proposes leukemia, and House orders a bone marrow biopsy. Just after they jam a giant needle into the poor dude's hip, Taub and Kutner notice a "tan" on his leg, which suggests kidney failure. The patient needs a kidney transplant, and the daughter is the best match. Since she's a minor and there is no other legal guardian, they need Cuddy to sign off on the transplant. House interrupts her JUST as she is up to her elbows in premature baby, and Cuddy (later) signs off on it. However, House notices that the girl is also sleepwalking (not to mention sleep-talking, and basically sleep-living), and so obviously they have the diagnosis wrong. It must be genetic!

House finds Wilson for a "Eureka" moment, and goes to the patients' room exclaiming that they will be fine – to which they give almost no response. Dad and daughter don't even seem happy about the fact that they aren't dying. They are "anhedonic" (incapable of experiencing pleasure), due to something messing with dopamine receptors. House reveals that they are actually Iraqi, passing as white people, because they are afflicted by a genetic disorder called Familial Mediterranean Fever. Given drugs, the patients are all smiles again!

The Baby Mama

House tries during the entire episode to convince Cuddy that adopting a baby is a mistake, that she'll be a terrible mother, that babies take too much work, etc, etc. He even takes bets on how long it will take to change her mind!

Cuddy meets the Baby Mama in a coffee shop. She's an ex-meth addict who doesn't want the baby to be raised by a "loser", and she expresses no worry about Cuddy being a single mother. Cuddy tells the Mama that she likes the name "Joy" for the baby, but notices a weird rash on the Mama's arm, and brings her in for testing.

Cameron examines the Baby Mama, but thinks its a heat rash. However, Cuddy's the Dean of Medicine and therefore the Baby Mama is admitted for more tests. No one argues with the Dean of Medicine. Good thing too, because it looks like the baby has highly under-developed lungs, and the Mama is drugged to prevent labor.

House makes more attempts to get Cuddy off the baby idea, including tossing a cup of baby puke on her. Nasty. He consults Wilson to try and sort through his feelings about Cuddy wanting this baby, but Wilson thinks that he's just threatened because Cuddy is "growing up", and House is afraid is change.

The Mama has a vaginal hemorrhage, and the options are not good. Either deliver now and risk the baby, or wait and risk the Mama's life. Since Cuddy is not the legal guardian yet, it is the Mama's choice, and she chooses to have the baby now. She doesn't want "to sacrifice anything more for this mistake".

Chase is delivering the baby via C-section as Cuddy watches, when House interrupts for consent about the kidney transplant. He insists that her place is as an administrator, not a mother, but Cuddy holds her ground and stays. There are some tense moments where the baby doesn't cry, but it finally does! Baby is going to live! House commemorates the occasion with a lackluster "Mozaltov. Now tell the baby something it's going to hear a lot in its life; Mommy has to go to work." Ouch, House.

There are shots of Cuddy, painting a nursery,and looking like, well, a glowing mother who can't wait to bring baby home. However, Baby Mama has changed her mind, and no longer wants to give up the baby. Cuddy is heartbroken and grieving at home when House knocks on the door. She is in no mood for him, even calls him a "sonofabitch". The tension builds as House searches for an answer... and they lean in for a kiss! Actually, several! After a few moments, House pulls away and awkwardly says "goodnight" and all but runs out the door.

Next week: Looks like some crazy House-Cuddy-Wilson love triangle, and the team treats an agoraphobic man in his own home.

House-isms

House: I need your advice.

Dr. Wilson: It's not cancer.

House: Wow! Can you remove spleens with your mind too?

Dr. Cuddy: Stop pressuring her.

House: Sorry. Daddy's perfectly healthy, but we want you to give him a kidney anyway because it'd be cool if he had three.

House: Why the hell haven't you come to talk to me about Cuddy? I've been doing all sorts of insane stuff.

Dr. Wilson: If she can't handle your insanity, she can't handle a baby.

Tags: House

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Original Comments Posted (4)

sarahm says...

Thanks Jolee! You're a pal, and you are so concise!!

I kind of thought Cuddy & House's kiss was gross. It's weird because there was so much build up to it, you'd think I'd be happy for them.

Oct 30, 2008 9:30pm

joalberts says...

It's concise because I wrote it at 2am. Haha...

Cuddy and House - It's kind of like watching someones parents kiss, you know? They aren't the usual "heart throb" characters, and so it's really strange and kind of weird and gross. I'm with you there. I am happy for them though, its about freaking time.

Oct 31, 2008 1:04pm

Ariana says...

That WAS concise. Well done. I thought the kiss was hot, myself. I'd make out with Hugh Laurie.

Nov 1, 2008 12:32am

Aarold says...

I thought the kiss was awkward and more believable because of it actually. Considering all the times over the years the characters have built up the sexual tension and not had it lead anywhere it seems now to me the only way to actually get them to kiss without it seeming like a transparent plot device.

Nov 7, 2008 6:34pm

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