By Buzz Byrne

Dr. Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) is back. And this episode of HOUSE M.D. focuses on misery. Add to that a decidedly underrated actor, Frank Whaley, as the patient of the week and we have an episode that makes House fans very, very happy.

Dr. Cuddy hired Foreman last week, at his previous salary with no more authority because he is damaged goods. Despite leaving before he became too much like House, the rest of the medical community thinks he is already there and they want nothing to do with him. He can’t get a job. House would say he’s “Blackballed,” and then hold the moment to make sure the racial entendre sunk in.

Cuddy introduces Foreman to the six remaining contestants vying for a place on “House Island” as her eyes and ears of the team. Foreman will act on Cuddy’s behalf and sign off, or not, on all unorthodox plans House wants to implement. House seems fine with this, so long as he can have his “balls” back when the charade is over. It’s probably immaturity on my part but I enjoy it when smart men discuss their testicles. It makes me laugh.

Frank Whaley, very good in movies like PULP FICTION and FIELD OF DREAMS, is admitted and diagnosed with a mirroring disorder. He takes on the personality and symptoms of the dominant person around him. As each aspiring doctor spends time administering tests and reading results, they get an unbiased reflection of who they are. A clever writers’ trick but done sparely enough and with deftness on Whaley’s part that it was a forgivable device. Whaley showed an even hand in balancing mimicry with drive to render a clear picture of the character being dissected.


What we learned from this trick is that Dr. Taub (Peter Jacobson) has a crush on Dr. Cutthroat Bitch (Anne Dudek). Also that Dr. Kutner (Kal Penn) is a masochist, Dr. 13 (Olivia Wilde) is scared out of her mind, Dr. Brennan (Andy Comeau) is bored and that Dr. Cutthroat Bitch has to be right all the time then it won’t matter that no one likes her. These are not exactly earth shattering bits of data but it was fun.

We also learned House may have the genuine hots for Dr. 13 and when he figured out that all of this was caused by pig poop, Foreman asked for one final test. House gave up trying to get Foreman to quit and knew he couldn’t get Cuddy to fire him so House went out and found him a job. Foreman realized he was happy under House, with the patient’s help, but conceded he would take the other job if House really was the Alpha dog of this hospital. If Cuddy was in charge, Foreman would stay. It was up to Whaley, facing the two of them, to pick the dominant one to mimic.


He went with House. Foreman however reneged. He is staying around. This time House wasn’t upset. At the end of last season he did put his ego aside and ask him to stay. At the end tonight he told Foreman, “People don’t change. You did.” The he added almost admiringly, “You’re a freak.”