Overall: 7 - House's attempts to manipulate his former team members are pretty funny, but the manner in which the writers bring about a certain departure is unfortunately nonsensical.
Plot Synopsis:
With his medical license now reinstated, House jumps at the chance to take on "Hank Hardwick," an adult film star who collapsed on the set with crippling eye pain and photophobia. House finds himself short two team members, however, when Cameron and Chase walk in and announce that they are leaving the hospital, effective immediately. In the wake of Chase's confession regarding Dibala, Cameron believes she and her husband need to move to "turn a page."
After dumping the tests and patient history on Foreman's lap, House goes to Taub and Thirteen in turn to try to rope them into the case. Both decline to return, but provide House with a few leads. Meanwhile, an overburdened Foreman stops Cameron and Chase before they clean out their lockers and depart and asks for help, reminding them that Chase owes him. Cameron suggests that the patient has a severe vitamin D deficiency, and the Original Ducklings take "Hank" to the phototherapy booth. Whilst there, the patient develops a nosebleed and petechial hemorrhages. This leads Cameron to suggest Meningococcemia.
When House returns, he questions Cameron as to her real reason for skipping town with Chase; Cameron, for her part, sticks to her original explanation and accuses House of trying to break up her marriage. Meanwhile, Chase gives the patient antibiotics, but soon discovers that "Hank" has developed a fever. House returns to Taub's new place of work - this time posing as a prospective patient - and once again tries to convince Taub to return to the team. Taub resists his advances, so to speak, but does give House another idea - that "Hank's" sinuses may need to be cleared surgically. As Chase performs this procedure, House, from his position in the observation booth, plants doubts into Chase's mind regarding Cameron's easy offer of forgiveness for Dibala.
At this point, Foreman seeks out Thirteen, suggesting that since he is no longer in charge, they will no longer have a problem working together. Thirteen remains skeptical. Concurrently, Wilson approaches Cuddy and asks her to speak to House about her relationship with Lucas. Wilson believes that House is trying to manipulate his former team members because the revelation regarding Cuddy's new relationship has hurt him, and he is seeking something comfortable to fall back on. Cuddy tells Wilson she is tired of tip-toeing around House and wants to live her own life without having to seek House's approval. Back home with Lucas, however, Cuddy is more uncertain. She tells Lucas about her ambivalence, and Lucas, after pointing out that her expectation that they could have a relationship without confronting the House issue was very unrealistic, thanks her for her willingness to be open with him.
An insecure Chase asks Cameron why she forgave him. Cameron replies that she forgave Chase because he feels remorse. But later, House questions this response; he suggests to Chase that Cameron really blames House for what happened. Then, after stirring the pot with Cameron and Chase, House chases down Thirteen at her gym and once again tries to convince her to return to his team. Thirteen tells him she's lining up a job with a free clinic because she wants to do some good in the world.
After stongyloides are discovered in the patient's bile ducts, Cameron stops by Cuddy's office and tells her why she and Chase are leaving. Chase, meanwhile, finds Lucas in the doctor's lounge snooping for dirt on House's current and former team members in the hopes that he can provide his girlfriend with leverage. Lucas notices while looking through Chase's charts that Chase has recently stopped charting comprehensively and openly wonders why that is. Chase, naturally, is not forthcoming.
As "Hank" continues to deteriorate, House sends faxes to Taub and Thirteen; he just won't give up on getting them back. Both try to ignore House, but eventually can't resist looking at the fax and calling House to provide the final answer - extra-intestinal Chrohn's disease caused by too-clean living. Meanwhile, Chase tells Cameron that he - not House - is responsible for Dibala's death and states that he would do it again even though it is the worst thing he has ever done. Cameron concludes from this that House has destroyed Chase's ability to tell the difference between right and wrong and decides to leave both Chase and the hospital. Before going, she tells House that he's beyond salvation (!).
Although he has lost Cameron, House does manage to bring the rest of his former team members back into the fold. He crows to Wilson that 3 out of 4 is a triumph, but it's clear Cameron's parting words have had an impact.
Writing: 6
After watching this episode, my co-author sent me an angry email decrying Cameron's decision as blind to Chase's faults. He is, of course, right - Cameron's stated conclusion that House is responsible for Dibala's death because he has poisoned the moral atmosphere in his department is profoundly unfair. Granted, House's personal ethics are frankly pretty abysmal, but Chase is a big boy and is wholly responsible for his own choices - a principle that Cameron herself once recognized back when Foreman complained about House's negative influence in the third season. Given that Cameron previously was confident that one could work for House and yet leave the bad, her actions in Teamwork don't really make sense; the writers here have failed to account for her 180 turn.
Beyond this major complaint, however, I do find House's stalking of Taub and Thirteen entertaining - and the banter between the Original Ducklings and the Patient of the Week is extremely delightful, as I discuss further below.
Acting: 8
The guest cast is pretty boring here, but, whatever the flaws in the writing, the regulars put in solid performances. As per usual, Hugh in particular does a fantastic job subtly conveying House's interior life. For example, when Wilson refuses to play House's games and declares that House is merely looking for a means to console himself after the bombshell of last week, we definitely see House mulling that over. I also fully expect that Cameron's final shot will have repercussions in future episodes, as House's face at that moment completely belies his later nonchalance.
Message: 7
This episode gets relatively strong marks for the Original Ducklings' unanimous opinion that pornography is nothing to celebrate. Cameron, I think, has it just about right: "I don't care what you do with your free time, but don't pretend it's some beautiful lifestyle." Porn is one of the Earth's oldest professions; it will probably always exist. But let's keep it in its brown paper bags and curtained-off back corners, shall we?
Highlights:
Will be filled in at a later date.
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