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Episode Recap: "Mirror, Mirror"
And today's loser was... no one. All the Wannabes were spared for at least one more week. Anne Dudek, Peter Jacobson, Andy Comeau and Kal Penn by Adam Taylor/Fox
This episode of House was kind of an exposition on the season's main players thus far, done in an interesting way.
The POTW was a mugging victim who started having some kind of fit during his attack. Fortunately one of the kids stealing his wallet has a conscience and calls an ambulance for him. But the guy has lost his ID, and as we'll see, that's kind of an issue.
Back at Princeton-Plainsboro, Cuddy interrupts one of House's medical story-telling sessions with the Wannabes to walk Foreman in and tell House that he's back on the team and will be her eyes and ears from here on out. Which leads "Cut Throat Bitch" to ask, "Does this mean there's one less slot for us?" At least she stays true to form!
The POTW, meanwhile, says his name is Martin, and he seems to have a whole host of bizarro symptoms, none of which make sense together. More so than usual. Foreman's diagnosis is Munchausen Syndrome — he thinks the guy is making it up. But House's take is a little more subtle: He thinks "Martin," who seems to have gotten his name from the name of the EMT who treated him on the way to the hospital, has mirror syndrome, reflecting whatever he sees around him. To test his hypothesis, House drags the POTW into a surgery room, where Wilson is about to make an incision. The guy picks up Wilson's mannerisms and tone pretty instantly, proving House correct. Now the issue is, why does he have this syndrome and what's turning his blood into sludge?
In search of more information, House sends "Big Love" to go track down the guy's car, and Number 13 volunteers to join him. Since the POTW imitates whomever he's around, House says, "Big Love" gets the assignment because if he gets near him, he'll "wind up singing Osmond songs and proposing to five nurses at once." So no "mirror, mirror" for him.
But most everyone else gets the personality-revealing treatment. When CTB takes the POTW's blood, he reveals her deep-rooted insecurity, which makes her feel the need to always be right; and apparently plastic surgeon dude has a thing for CTB, despite himself (and despite his wife). "Grumpy," or generic other guy, as I think of him, doesn't really want to be there, but rather wishes he were back treating people in the third world; and 6/9 has a driving need for new experiences (or masochistic tendencies, depending on whom you believe).
Foreman, it seems, is actually happy to be back, according to Mr. Mirror; and House tried to get a read on why Number 13 volunteered to go off car hunting with "Big Love" by saying that she didn't want to "take a look in the mirror." When she did finally have her moment with the POTW, all we learn is that she's very, very afraid. Of something. Which I'm sure we'll hear about later. Oh, and we got confirmation that House has the hots for her (no surprise there).
Finally House saves the day by pretending to be the POTW with the few items that came out of his car. And it works: The guy sells farm equipment and got some infection from pig poo. Case closed, patient saved, and Cuddy and House appear before him to see who's going to give in first, I guess, and somehow House came out victorious, though I'm not honestly all that clear on why.
Funniest/nastiest moment of the night goes to Cuddy, who replaced House's Vicodin with laxatives to get back at him for causing a panic in the cafeteria by announcing that the mayonnaise had gone bad and that everyone should go to the clinic and ask for her. But then House implied that he had replaced Cuddy's birth control pills, and she didn't look nearly as smug after that.
One note on the nicknames: House is a pig (no pun intended) who insults virtually everybody (perhaps with the exception of women he's attracted to) indiscriminately. In repeating his often nasty nicknames for the Wannabes, I'm simply holding my own mirror up to the complex, flawed, fascinating character that is Dr. Gregory House.
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Oct 31, 2007 12:24 AM
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The way I understood the POTW mirrored the person in the room with the most authority at the time. That is why when 13 and House were in the room, he mirrored House, so House left and he began to mirror 13. When Cuddy and House were in his room at the end, it was a competition to see who would be seen as the one with the most authority. Which I actually thought was pretty funny. The "bet" was that if House was seen as the one with the most authority then Forman would take the "job" in Boston.
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Oct 31, 2007 1:02 AM
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Yeah I was under the same impression
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Oct 31, 2007 4:39 AM
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Ahhh, that makes sense. Thanks, guys!
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Oct 31, 2007 8:11 AM
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I think I'm falling out of love with this show. I am not sure why, but this is the first episode in a ong time that I actually couldn't wait for it to be over. It just seemed to go on and on. Maybe it was because after the patient imitated two or three people, the premise got old.
And with all these doctors in the room, Foreman there, and House at the helm, they still can't figure out what's wrong with the guy sooner? Remind me never to come down with a wierd illness in New Jersey. Which brings me to another issue - how does a mugging victim get such expensive treatment at a hospital like that? I still don't get the criteria for admittance at this hospital.
I was disappointed that someone didn't get cut. They really need to move on with this whole storyline.
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Oct 31, 2007 11:04 AM
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Nina makes a good point. I had a twinge of that same feeling of "They need to move on".
I love House but it seems that sometimes his insulting and condescending remarks get into overkill. It would take a lot for me to all out of love with the show. I will keep on watching.
House is a great character. Hopefully this feeling was just a twinge.
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Oct 31, 2007 11:59 AM
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OK the mirroring was a little convenient but hey, it worked!!
I liked learning more about the newbies. And I think Tsunami-Guy (I don't know his real name) has taken the lead as my favorite. Other than Mormon-Guy, it will be hard to say goodbye to any of the remaining six.
Loved the part about the birth control pills. And really liked House's softening to Foreman's presence at the very end.
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Oct 31, 2007 12:03 PM
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Loved the Mirror-syndrome, it was a real interesting twist but House has gone from ornery to really mean with his name-calling, hasn't he. Maybe that's just because he's trying to thin the herd and I hope it settles down a bit.
I'm also not quite sure how this season is going to play out with Cameron and Chase along with Foreman and 2(?) new associates. I'm curious to see what they do, but don't have a good feeling about it...
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Oct 31, 2007 12:56 PM
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Didn't care as much for this episode because House just went way overboard poking Foreman. It ventured into nastyville. I missed Carmen A./old guy doc. Maybe he shouldn't have gone so early. Don't like plastic surgeon guy, and #13 has to go. Haven't seen a character this dull since Michelle Ryan on Bionic Woman.
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Oct 31, 2007 12:57 PM
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how does a mugging victim get such expensive treatment at a hospital like that? I still don't get the criteria for admittance at this hospital.
If the victim was brought into the ER, he cannot be denied medical treatment. Unless the hospital is privately run (which is not very common these days)they can make their own rules one of which is denying treatment to anyone who doesn't have money. In a way, this is a double-edge sword. On one side, all hospitals have a duty to treat anyone who walks, is carried, or wheeled into their hospital regardless of their economic situation. But the other sharp end of the sword causes our insurance rates to be so high because we end up paying for the ones geting freebies.
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Oct 31, 2007 1:31 PM
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There are just too many characters on this show to keep us with! And we barely get to see Cameron or Chase any more. Their scenes are so short.
Question: I probably missed a few shows so I missed this but wasn't Cuddy trying to have a baby a while back? Did she decide not to? Why would she even be on birth control pills? Especially at her age?
Oh, well, just my little nitpick. I agree they need to get rid of 13.
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Oct 31, 2007 3:10 PM
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So-so episode. I was also disappointed that no one was cut loose (although good for Chase for making out like a bandit on all the betting that went on). It is kind of good to have Foreman back, since he's been taken down a notch there seemed to me a slight shift in his attitude. It was also good to have a little more insight into the new group. Still don't like CTB, but she was almost human for awhile. On the other hand, Wilson was great as usual.
Cuddy switching the pills and the results were funny, as was his reply/retaliation, although I thought she was trying to get pregnant, so I was surprised by her reaction to his statement. Maybe she's been rethinking that idea?
House was House and for me there were no real surprises in his behavior. Next week promises to be interesting.
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Oct 31, 2007 3:13 PM
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I had a thought that with 6 left they could split them and let Foreman have a group and House have a group then have House (of course) stick his nose in both groups. This would allow to see all the characters but maybe not as much each show so it would be easier to keep track of the players on any given episode. Just a thought?
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Oct 31, 2007 3:31 PM
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I didn't get around to watching last weeks episode until a few days ago. That one was so good it I think it spoiled me. I missed the back and forth between old guy and plastic surgeon. I think the best part of it was the feud with Cuddy over Foreman. That and the audience that was gathered to see who would be cut next. If anyone goes next I would like to see Grumpy go, he has been boring so far, and is obviously 'whipped' since he said his wife told him not to quit.
I think 13 has the best chance, despite everyone (seemingly) hating her. She has already made the mistake of killing a patient, and I think that would avoid the problem House had with Foreman after he killed someone last season.
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Oct 31, 2007 4:04 PM
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Favorite quote of the night:
House: "Just in case I need them, where will Foreman be keeping my balls?"
Its remarks like that that make this show so great!
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Oct 31, 2007 6:27 PM
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