Pardon the Interruption: House 8:18 - Body and Soul

Overall: 8.7

I liked this episode even before the final scene.


Plot Synopsis:

The official recap can be found here.

The Skinny:

First, let's talk about the positives of the first forty minutes:

• Oh, House, House, House. You really are a sad human being. If you had just told your fake wife that you were developing genuine feelings for her - if you had just been honest - she probably would not have left. But, of course, because you're you, you couldn't possibly leave yourself that vulnerable. *Sigh* And it's too bad, too, because I really enjoyed Dominika. She might've made a good match for you. SABR Matt and I especially liked her bringing up the Higgs Boson -- and the fact that she uses her bath time to catch up on the latest in modern physics. Heh.
• And by the way, speaking of good matches, I need to apologize to the writers. As it turns out, they are willing to do something subversive and suggest an attraction between the pretty boy and the geek. Chase/Park FOREVAH! And really, it doesn't even have to be sexual. The currently platonic connection is also cute.
• The religious aspects of the main plot were tackled in an admirably balanced manner. I particularly appreciate that they left the conclusion ambiguous. That allows each viewer to decide for herself whether she believes demon possession is a real phenomenon. (For the record: As a Catholic, I believe demons exist, but I also believe claims of possession should be approached in a skeptical manner. We should always rule out organic or psychiatric illness before calling the exorcist.)  

There. Now that that is out of the way, I can finally share my snap reaction to the last scene:

OMGWTFBBQ?!?!?!?!?! YAAAAAAY!!!!

 

Why am I cheering over the fact that Wilson has cancer, you may ask? Well, if you've been reading my reviews this season, the answer should be obvious. I've been bored with the usual House-being-House plots and have been begging the writers all along to do something dramatic to shake things up. And Wilson's having cancer? That'll do quite nicely, I think. As SABR Matt noted in a recent chat, such a development is deeply ironic for Wilson and is likely to be exceedingly traumatic for House. Bring it on, I say!

Writing: 8.5

Even though the soap opera was excellent here, the script falls just short of an A.


Acting: 8.5

I didn't see any performances that were truly feature-worthy, but overall, I was very happy with the acting.


Message: 9.0

Top marks for treating faith with respect!