[Photo: © 2009 FOX Broadcasting Co.]

Many thanks to House is Right reader Grace for calling my attention to an article about a recent AMA recommendation to ban the wearing of white coats by doctors. And today’s House-ism just seemed like the perfect tie-in for the article in Slate Magazine that tells us this:

The American Medical Association voted Tuesday on a resolution that would recommend hospitals ban doctors’ iconic white lab coats, citing evidence that the garment contributes to the spread of infection.

So, go figure, House really was Right!!

There are actually several reasons that the medical community is divided about the wearing of the coats. Doctors are split in their opinions because of these reasons.

Those in Favor of White Coats Argue:

• the coat instills docs with a humbling sense of responsibility
• puts patients at ease

Those against Use of White Coats Say:

• an alienating symbol of medical hubris
• the coats harbor potentially harmful bacteria
• may cause “white coat hypertension”

What are your opinions about the coats? do you think doctors should wear them, or not? Let us know!

[Photo: ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Michael Yarish/FOX]

I never watch TV shows right when they air. It’s one of the things that happen when I want to watch several that air at the same time. (I love my TiVo.) So when I got to finally watch last night’s House episode, I got to thinking about it in a big way. Then I started to wonder what all of you thought about it.

First of all, it’s interesting that one of the unusual illnesses I talked about recently was discussed as one of the possible diagnoses for the POTW. For a while, they thought he had alien hand syndrome.

We were told that it would be the most shocking House episode ever. Did it live up to that? I’d say that it was a strong second to the episode where Kutner died, but that it did definitely come as a surprise. (If you haven’t watched it yet…you should come back to read the rest of this post after you watch it. This is no surprise you want to be spoiled.)

First of all, I was wondering last week why the love scene between House & Cuddy was so extremely short. Now it seems to make more sense. But now I’m sad that it wasn’t real. Huddy fans, what are your thoughts on this?

I was really enjoying the happiness that House showed when he woke up and found Cuddy’s lipstick by the bathroom sink. And the way he was so happy all day long at the hospital was cute too. But I knew something bad was going to happen next when he announced to the whole hospital about their interlude.

It was a big surprise to me that House saw Kutner in the room…I should have noticed his name in the press release, but I didn’t. But somehow, I think that’s what David Shore wanted…

We now know why they did the “top secret” filming at the closed mental hospital in New Jersey. It had to be for the scene with Wilson dropping off House. Now I wonder what next season will bring us. Will episodes take place with House as a patient…helping to diagnose patients over the phone?
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[Image: FOX Kutner Memorial Web Page, © 2009 FOX Broadcasting Co.]

Even though I’m happy for Kal Penn and his new and exciting opportunity, I will miss Kutner on House. Of the three new team members, he was far and away my favorite. He brought a childlike sense of fun and humor to the team and it will be missed.

We first became acquainted with Kutner during the candidate elimination process of season 4. He started the process with the assigned number #6 and when he was fired, he came back with the number turned upside down and said that #6 had been fired, he was #9. I liked him instantly!

He was the team member who asked House to let the team do Secret Santa. And even when he found out that House was playing them against each other, he bought House a great gift to try to get on his good side.

Here’s the FOX Kutner Tribute Video:

Kutner always tried to see the patients and the diagnoses in an optimistic way, which makes the suicide of the character all the more shocking. And having had a close family member commit suicide, I know that it is never really expected…

I think the fact that the character went out this way might serve a bit to help people understand how depression and suicide can manifest and even more about how it damages and hurts all the people left behind. Once again, House is teaching us about a medical illness we could all stand to learn more about. And Kutner was the instrument with which they chose to do it. Bravo!

In Simple Explanation, we found out that Kutner had a girlfriend, a close and loving adopted family and that his birth name had been Lawrence Chowdry. The revelation of his apartment, with the comic book-esque memorabilia all around just confirmed what we all thought his home would be like. We found out that he had friends that the team knew nothing about. It was a complete surprise to find that the character we all thought we had a bit of a handle on, was actually a complete mystery to everyone.

But in spite of it all, Kutner remains my favorite of the new team members and I will miss him on the show.

What are your thoughts about the character of Kutner? Did you like him? Will you miss him? Or was the character not that important to you? Whatever your thoughts, I would like to hear them and know others would too. Let’s all share our thoughts about the character and enjoy the memory of the short time he was on the show.

HOUSE supports the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and in conjunction with the show’s support, fans can purchase a “House-ism” t-shirt (with proceeds benefiting NAMI) at the NAMI web site. For information about mental health issues or for more information about NAMI, please visit the NAMI web site.

[Photo: © 2009 FOX Broadcasting Co.]

I just read this an nearly had a heart attack! According to the spoiler gurus, there will be a death of one of the lead characters on House before the season ends! I am so bewildered about who it can be and upset at the possibilities! First, Here are the spoilers from the various sources.

Kristin at E! Online gives us this:

A main character will die this season.

This is the news I’m now hearing from reliable sources on House, that one of the cast members will be written out before the current season ends.

And trust me, it will shock the pants off of you. (Assuming you are wearing pants.)

So who will it be?

Obviously, we can’t come right out and report who will die because that would spoil a major plotpoint that will serve as the climax of the season. And honestly, it is far too good to spoil!

However, I can tell you:

1. It’s not the most likely candidate–not by a longshot.
2. It’s not someone who has been rumored to be leaving.
3. It is someone who will shock you.
4. How it happens will take you completely by surprise.
5. There is no lead up to this death, it just…happens.

As House boss Katie Jacobs told us recently: “I think our cast will look pretty much the same next season.” The emphasis there is on pretty much, and it’s my understanding that it will be just one cast member to leave. Everyone else will be back in the fall. [Source: E! Online]

And not to be outdone, Michael Ausiello at EW gives us this:
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[Photo: stock.xchng.com]

Recently, a friend sent me the link to an article about some absolutely wacky sounding illnesses. At first when I started to read down through the list, I thought it might be a humorous article. But then I came upon Pica. We all know that one as an uncontrollable urge to eat certain inappropriate things and it is real. There was also the Werewolf Syndrome, which has been dealt with already on such primetime series as CSI. It’s extremely rare, but truly a real syndrome. And of course, there were a number of mental disorders which I skipped past immediately, since House is not a psychiatrist…he may need one at times, but that’s another post.

But after ruling all of those illnesses out, I was left with six perfect illnesses for Dr. House to tackle in upcoming episodes. (Not that the writers or producers will follow my suggestions, but this is my blog, so I’m imagining him dealing with them.) Here’s the first of the real medical mysteries:

Foreign Accent Syndrome

Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is a speech disorder that causes sudden changes in speech pattern, intonation and pronunciation so that the victim is perceived to speak with a “foreign” accent. FAS usually results from severe trauma to the brain, such as a stroke or head injury, and typically develops within one or two years of the injury. Of the 50 to 60 cases that have been verified since 1941, only a few FAS sufferers regained their normal speech pattern, although some experienced success through speech therapy.

I think this would be the absolute penultimate illness for House to tackle. And in that episode with a patient so affected, he’ll test out his own ability to talk in other accents…like a British one! LOL! Maybe Madonna can be the patient and no one can figure out why she speaks in the British accent, since she is American. Lots of fun to be had with this one….

Fatal Familial Insomnia

Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a genetic sleep disorder that causes increasing sleeplessness, typically starting around the age of 50. The victim’s brain develops a plaque that inhibits the ability to sleep, and with less and less sleep, mental illness — including phobias, panic attacks, paranoia, dementia and hallucinations — set in. Within six months to three years after onset, the patient dies. There is no known cure.

The episode could begin somewhat like the one earlier this season with the woman who had liver failure and thought she hadn’t slept in days. Only this time, the patient would gradually become more and more sleep deprived and the team would search for the reasons why. Can you just see House worrying that when his leg pain keeps him awake, he might be developing such a disorder. And the patient would be difficult to diagnose, since those symptoms could be from mental illness or any number of other maladies.

Genital Retraction Syndrome

Genital retraction syndrome (GRS) is a mental condition prevalent in specific cultures that causes sufferers to believe that their external genitals are shrinking or slowly disappearing into their bodies. The widespread belief of the occurrence in portions of Asia and Africa has led to so-called “penis panics,” episodes of mass hysteria in which thousands of cases, often tied to local beliefs in witchcraft, may be reported in a short period of time.

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Episode 5.11: Joy to the World
Air Date: December 9, 2008

According to Kristin at E!, tonight’s episode of House will have us sniffling and emotional. Of course, it’s never easy to get a real indication of what to expect in a situation like this, but Kristin offers us these 5 options…apparently, one of them is what is going to happen tonight:

1. Cuddy and House make out.
2. Cameron discovers she’s pregnant.
3. Thirteen learns she’s actually not sick.
4. Cuddy gets a baby.
5. Wilson gets married.

After giving each some thought, here is my own expectation (remember, I have NO inside information…it’s all just speculation on my part.)

It very well could be that House & Cuddy make out. We’ve seen them kiss, they’ve been openly flirting and bantering for several episodes…this could be true. But would it make us cry…?

There’s been some foreshadowing with Chase & Cameron in recent episodes, so this could be the case too. And it might make us sentimental when she has to tell Chase…and of course, he will profess his undying love for her…or reject her. Either one would be touching.

Thirteen could find out that she’s not sick, but I’m doubting this one. She’s been through the tests and rigors of Foreman’s clinical trial and he told her that she has already started to see a deterioration in her motor skills. It seems somewhat unlikely to me that she would now find out she’s not sick.

I suppose that the mother of the baby Cuddy almost adopted (and named Joy) could return and say that she can’t be a good mother and wants Cuddy to have the baby after all. I know I’ll be sobbing if that happens. This could definitely be the one…or not.

Wilson could tell House that he married the “prostitute” that he claimed to be dating a few episodes back. I know it would be interesting and House would sure have a hey-day over it, but I don’t know about it making me want to cry.

So, after some consideration, I’m thinking it might be either #2 or #4. But I could be wrong.

What do you expect to happen? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

My editor, Arieanna Schwebber, got to screen the first two episodes of House season 5. She’s been sworn to secrecy on the specifics of the plots, but she does offer us this insight into the new season’s dynamics. You can read Arieanna’s blog at Gilmore Girls News.

House returns for its 5th season on Tuesday, September 16th at 8pm on FOX. I’ve had a chance to preview the screener for the first two episodes of the season, "Dying Changes Everything" and "Not Cancer", and have to say that we’re primed for the best season of House yet!

It’s evident right away that the dynamic of the characters has changed dramatically - there is a deeper emotional context to all the storylines. In "Dying Changes Everything," 8 weeks have passed since Amber’s death and Wilson is still in mourning. His relationship with House, his friendship (if you can call it that), has been shattered. Needing to make a change in his life, Wilson resigns from his position at Princeton-Plainsboro and, more importantly, resigns from House. Wilson tells House that he’s a "destructive influence" in his life and is no longer welcome.

This episode brings up a lot of questions. Does Wilson blame House for Amber’s death? Does House blame himself? What is friendship, and was House ever Wilson’s friend? Can a person change his or her outlook on friendship and life, and is it too late for Wilson & House?

Through all of this, there’s as much medical mystery as ever. The team has to solve a shocking medical condition that has afflicted a high-profile executive assistant with a strong Type A personality - this patient strikes a chord with Thirteen. The storyline for Thirteen is really gaining complexity and depth this season as she struggles to be a good doctor without her own medical condition clouding her judgment.

In the second episode of the season, "Not Cancer", a number of people have died very suddenly after receiving transplants from the same organ donor. There are two surviving patients - one dying and one still healthy - and the team must rush to save them. There is one patient here who has something important to teach House about his perception of the world.

Meanwhile, House has hired a private investigator (Lucas, guest star Michael Weston) to spy on his team and on Wilson - oh, and to help with the case too The PI is a great character, very spunky, but he plays an interesting role with House. What the PI does is show House his own faults and desires - what House hasn’t been ready to hear. So the PI is kind of like his really blunt psychotherapist.

I think this season of House offers up a lot of opportunities for the characters to learn more about themselves, and maybe to change on fundamental levels. Is House capable of change? Of self-reflection? What makes House who he is - what determines his outlook on life? Can House find a solution to his own sadness?

The medical mysteries serve to fuel the emotional context of the episodes - they challenge all the characters to face their own demons, I’d say. Like Thirteen facing her own death and deciding how to live and what she wants to accomplish. Does it cloud her judgment or drive her to be a better doctor? I think it’s actually the latter, so knowing may be a blessing in disguise for her. It’s made her a better person and a better doctor.

A lot of the interviews with cast members talk about guilt and blame, but my read on the episodes was more about friendship and trust and change. A deeper context than just the Amber issue - Amber was the catalyst that exposed a lot of buried issues. It will be interesting to see how they play out through the rest of the season.

[Photo: © 2008 FOX Broadcasting]

Image details: Listening Party For Paramount’s "The Last Kiss" - Arrivals served by picapp.com

According to Watch With Kristen, this season on House Cuddy will have a new romantic admirer. Actor Michael Weston (formerly from Six Feet Under) will play a private investigator with a serious Cuddy-crush. This character will reportedly be part of a multi-episode story arc and may even get his own spin-off.

So do you think that House will be jealous of the new attention that Cuddy receives? Do you think he’ll try to get rid of the new competition, or declare his feelings for her? What are your thoughts?

tv, Television, house tv, House, Lisa Edelstein

Lauren J. Walter is a lawyer, writer, novelist & blogger who works in Garden City, NY. She uses Vicodin tablets to represent the beginnings of her paragraphs — very clever! You can read more of her writings on her personal blog, www.ljwwrites.wordpress.com.

icodin. That’s really what it all comes down to: House and Vicodin. As House needs the buzz to take away the noise of the everyday, the mutterings of the stupid and the malcontent. Without that noise, he can focus on the things that matter - the case at hand and House himself.

t would appear to some that House cares only about House But that’s misleading. House actually cares about the puzzle and more importantly, about solving the puzzle. It’s the puzzle that makes him tick (well, that and the vicodin with the scotch chaser).

aring is limited. For Greg House, medicine isn’t about care, it’s about solutions. House cares for only a few things - his stash, his scotch, his BFF Wilson and to a lesser extent Cuddy and his cases. Nothing else really matters - without those five things, there’s little else that impacts his world.

ccasionally, just occasionally, there is a glimpse into a man who might have some shred of compassion deep within. A man who before the pain, might have been whole. But those glimpses are few and far between.

reams. Maybe in his dreams, House is whole. Free from pain, free from the foolishness of those around him. More likely, his dreams are nightmares.

nstead, House copes. As best he knows how - self-medicating, self-loathing, and selfish. It really is all about him. And we are so much luckier for that fact. House is different from the reality of tv heros. House’s misanthropic behavior, his inability to edit his verbal process, his way or no way, all add up to an anti-hero we all hate loving, but love anyway.

ever would I have imagined that a show like House would work. But it does. For that I am grateful.

The purpose of this 24-hour Blog-a-thon is to bring in support for the Actors’ Fund. You can help by making a donation here.

Cindy Eales is a statistics wizard and fan of House who lives with her two adorable “kitty-boys,” Max & Fritz in St. Louis, Missouri.

I’ve been a fan of House for years; and I’m always on the fence as to whether Dr. House is a sheep in wolf’s clothing or a genuine wolf. Just when I think that he’s an unfeeling jerk; he shows a surprising amount of compassion as in the episode with Dr. Kate Milton, the psychiatrist trapped in the South Pole who was forced to operate on herself.

Or, when totally alone with a patient, if you look really close and don‘t blink, you might catch a look of sympathy cross briefly across House’s features.

But then he leaves a thermometer in a patient’s “ahem” for hours. Jerk. Of course the patient, Detective Tritter, was a bit of a jerk himself.

And House has been known to run horrifically painful and or dangerous tests on patients just to prove a point. Or was it to save a life or teach his residents a lesson?

You have to wonder if this damaged, brilliant character who loves soap operas and his guitar, has a soft spot buried deep within for his patients. For if you don’t really care if your patient lives or dies; then what point would there be in “solving” the case? He might as well work in the morgue.

So we continue watching and wondering what exactly makes the great Dr. House tick; besides his drugs, of course!

The purpose of this 24-hour Blog-a-thon is to bring in support for the Actors’ Fund. You can help by making a donation here.