I loved the ep but, like "3 Stories," it needs rewatching, more than once. I was completely unspoiled but, about 20 mins in, kept asking aloud, "where's Amber?" And, the instant I saw the necklace, I figured she was the mystery woman. Of course, that still leaves me trying to figure out why they were on a bus! I agree w/those who say "enough already" with the House near-death experiences. He has had more in 4 seasons than 99.9999% of the population has in a lifetime. It's almost a caricature and, at some level, is a crutch for good writing. The beauty of "3 Stories" was that it was an ep about story-telling (although the audience saw it as flashback) grounded in reality. I really hope they didn't cheat on Wilson, cause I don't want the House/Wilson jeopardized. Again, totally unspoiled (and hoping I don't get into trouble for this mild spec) but I think that's entirely what this 2-parter is about -- shaking up the H/W dynamic. It has, with some rough edges, been one of the constants in the show to date -- I can see the writers wanting to change it going forward. My guess is that the reason will be more subtle/complex than mere cheating, or allegations thereof, but I suppose we must wait another 6 days to find out. What I most enjoyed about this ep were all of the little things -- the nuances that made you realize the writers remembered (other than W's LLB, but that's another story). The double-entendres, the "fly in the ointment" analogy, House forgetting the new duckings' names -- or did he? It's the fun, the mystery, the dialogue, the relationships that we've come to love, all packaged in one interesting ep. And HL was great. Not only was he in every(?) scene, but he had to change moods, affects, etc. constantly. He had the thigh injury and then he didn't. Head injury, bleeding, -- then not. Confused, then clear. I know they shoot out of order but, still, it was pretty amazing. And now I'm going to pout for a least a week that we: (1) only got 16 eps this year; (2) got only 4 eps after the strike (vs. the 6 that some series got); (3) have to wait another four months for new eps; and (4) face more strikes this summer. :(

Mod Note: People, please remember our exceptionally strict spoiler policy! In fact, it is probably best to re-read it: http://houseofwhining.com/viewtopic.php?t=210 Especially this part: What we class as spoilers. To keep things from getting confusing, we are classing any information released about an episode before said episode has aired in the USA. This includes promotional pictures, promotional television ads, leaked information, press information from Ausiello, Kristen and other spoiler-mongers, interviews with actors and such. Basically, anything that contains information about a future episode. I know this seems strict, but this is the easiest way to ensure that people adhere to the spoiler rule. We'll be going through the ep thread and spoiler tagging anything in reference to the promo for next week. Apologies to the people who have already been spoiled by this. Going forward, if you'd like to discuss what you saw in the promo PLEASE SPOILER TAG IT! Obviously general (non-spoiler) spec is fine, but if you reference the promo, tag it and better yet, take it to the spoiler spec thread. Don't ruin the finale episode for those who want to remain spoiler free! Thanks!

For anyone wondering why Amber had no ID, during the accident scene right after she first fell, it shows a purse going flying and smacking into what I think is the stairwell--so if the purse is hers, it got separated from her and they may not have finished combing through the debris and matching everyone with their items. It kept seeming to me like Wilson was acting suspiciously all episode, but that could just be because I don't like him and I'm secretly hoping he'll prove himself to be the rat I think he is. :) But really, what specifically bothered me was his interrupting the hypnosis twice and already knowing House took the bus because he was drunk (a logical assumption, I know, but it still bothered me he came to it so easily). Promo spoilers... And add me to the list of people who don't think Amber or House were up to anything devious to be on that bus together. I wonder if he saw the symptom before the bus and was taking her to the hospital. (Obviously it couldn't have been that urgent of a symptom if he didn't call an ambulance...) Such a stunning episode. It's so hard to describe it accurately beyond that. Can't wait until next week.

It kept seeming to me like Wilson was acting suspiciously all episode, An interesting observation. Not sure I would have used the word "suspicious," but he seemed a bit off in his demeanor. Maybe I've read to many hurt/comfort fanfics, but I expected him to be more concerned re House's condition (like he was in the electrocution ep). There was a certain distance until the CPR moment that I didnt' quite understand. In your view, suspicious how?

A big part of my disappointment is that, with the exception of Wilson, the entire supporting cast is being rendered increasingly pointless. They may appear, but they never seem to tie into the story in any significant way. I thought everyone fit beautifully into this story--everyone added something of their own. Chase in particular has a wonderful presence here as he does every time we see him. I had no problem believing that he would be up on hypnosis techniques--he's always the one who is open minded and curious about new, cutting edge or alternative techniques. I also loved that House trusted him enough to relax into hypnosis. Chase now defines for himself how he will or won't enter House's world and that makes every scene he's in have something undefined in the sense of being placed--he's a bit of a wild card, and I like that. I'm not sure House likes it, but he notices it. No more Dr. Idiot comments out of him--rather more wanting what Chase has to give. Cameron has finally come to terms with not wanting to work for House, and I believe that it took her this long. She's not good at self-analysis. I like her willingness to give back snark, and she fit both in the ER and in the bus, where she moved from surface snark to horrified caring when House's heart stopped. 13 was really good in this ep--I think Olivia Wilde hit it just right in serving snark back but at the same time, believing that House still knows how to make the best call in a diagnosis situation. Kutner and Taub were both fine--it wasn't their ep to shine, but everything they did was in character, from Kutner's suggestion of hypnosis to Taub's questioning of House's fixation. I don't think they were any more extraneous to the action than Chase was during most of his first three seasons when it was not his turn in the spotlight. As it so often wasn't. I like what I see of how DS wants to use his characters. He may end up trimming the cast, but in this ep, I think everything tied together. I was glued to the screen.

I don't think Wilson seemed unconcerned about House's condition. He was the one who insisted on the MRI and who worried that the hypnosis was putting too much pressure on House's already injured brain. The thing is, with House, he's going to resist hovering. He didn't like it when Cameron did it, and I think Wilson is smart enough to know how to keep track of what's going on with House without being overbearing (except when it comes to lecturing about his Vicodin use). In "Skin Deep," we hear Wilson providing distractions throughout the MRI when he knows that House is uncomfortable both physically and mentally. And this time during the MRI, while we don't have the same "House, this is God," lightness, Wilson is again doing his best to keep House in relatively good spirits, this time by distracting him with discussions about House's memories/hallucinations and what they may mean -- which is exactly what House wants and needs. So in "Skin Deep," Wilson provides the light/joking element that House wants and needs, and in "House's Head" we see again that he knows how to, more or less, give House what he wants while also giving him the MRI that he needs.

I also felt Wilson was reacting strangely, but I was spoiled and I can imagine it was just for storytelling reasons. I he hadn't interfered with the hypnosis House might have remembered Amber sooner. So, in a way, he prolonged the time wasted in finding and perhaps saving her. ETA: Namaste, you don't think Wilson was serious while discussing his 'suspicions' with House in the MRI? It was one of the scenes I felt was strange.

So was the bus hit by a garbage truck or by an SUV or both? I think the bus driver mentioned the truck and 13 mentioned the SUV, so if it was hit twice maybe things weren't as they appeared in House's memory on the bus. With his heart stopped, maybe that was hallucination. And thanks to y'all for being picky about the spoilers. I managed to get myself a little spoiled for this one and wish I hadn't: but it's going to take huge will power to avoid all that spoilery goodness this week. :-) Agree with jair that the episode was wonderfully balanced as far as the cast goes: it must be wicked hard to write a script that complicated in tone and plot and character and still come out with a story that is so fascinating and gripping. And Hugh Laurie. Stunning, the quieter he gets, the closer the camera gets, the deeper one is drawn in to his character and the story. Words are simply not enough. What a powerhouse he is.

When House was in the MRI, what did Wilson mean when he mentioned (don't remember the exact words), "the penis cortex of his brain which was inadequate"? Even with the CC on, I didn't get it. To me, it looked like Wilson was more concerned about House and Amber being together, than he was about Amber in particular (athough of course he was concerned). Since he was so totally disgusted by House's "blow job" story in Who's Your Daddy, it was probably the first thing he thought of (maybe Wilson is secretly jealous of House). (edited to remove possible spoiler)

The two worlds don't intersect and it creates the feeling that the current ducklings are far less relevant to House and the rest of the "adults" in the cast. That being the case, I have no use for them and leap for joy at those scant moments when Chase or Cameron poke their pretty little heads in. There seems to be a complete disconnect between the new team and the other characters. They don't seem to interact in any meaningful way with House, the patients, or each other. Each one seems like his/her own little black hole sucking the heart out of the show to me. And while I love the moments when Chase and Cam do appear, I must admit that I'm starting to fear for their characters as well. I really want more than Cameron just snarking at House or Chase appearing solely to either seem all "zen" or show that he can now walk away from House. I want them to be part of the action, to have something to do with the plot from time to time. I'm not asking that they be a huge part of every episode, but the show could sure stand to spread the focus a bit.

Regarding a House/Amber affair - House only lost 4 hours so unless he and Amber hooked up in that time frame - talk about whirlwind courtship -, it couldn't have happened. If there was a relationship of that nature, House would have run the possibility through his head. He might have known that he was going to meet Amber... On the other hand, Chase's hypnotic suggestion to put Wilson and Amber aside might explain it...

I agree with this. House doesn't seem to have the same emotional investment in the new ducklings as he did with the old ones. I know House is not one to wear his heart on his sleeve but I always got the impression that he cared (in his Housian way) about CCF. He doesn't seem to give a rip about the new ducklings. I don't think he'd be troubled if any of the ducklings were to leave. I don't think he'd act the way he did when Foreman left. It's hard to be engaged with the new characters when House can't even be bothered. I still enjoyed the episode though. I think this is comparing relationships at different periods of development. I think we'll come to see that House has his investment in his new ducklings, but he won't show it until circumstances insist that he do--which is consistent with CC&F, as well. Many viewers felt House had no connection to Chase except perhaps resentment from the Vogler arc until season three--I wasn't among them, but that was far from an uncommon viewpoint expressed. Many viewers felt and feel that House has no feelings of friendship toward Foreman. I don't agree there, either, but I also think that development has been uneven and what's onscreen sometimes seems at odds with what the plot demands. I think we know that House is interested in how 13 handles her medical issue, not just on a practical level, but as a stand on hope, and he's intrigued at least to the point of wanting to tease her about the bisexuality. I don't see any signs of a crush on either side, but I think that's to the good. Cameron's character was subsumed by a ridiculous crush storyline to the point that she's the hardest to write as an interesting character in her own right. Hopefully, that's where we're headed now with her. I think House enjoys Kutner and respects Taub--I like their interactions. I also like Foreman's interactions with the new team--there's been some nice development there. There hasn't been as much with Chase, Cameron and the new team, but I don't think that's because there's no interest in doing that. I think DS had to contend with 8 less episodes in a season where he had to finish certain storylines to give the shape he envisioned--or at least as close as he could come, given what he had to work with, timewise. I think those missing 8 eps would have allowed us much more of a look at how these new relationships work. DS can't change the cards he was dealt; he just has to make what he has work as well as he can. Last night's ep showed how capable he is of doing that. I don't think it's any accident that the scripted dramas with continuing storylines took the greatest hit from the strike, and I'm sure we'd have plenty of complaints on the development of the season whether we had a new team or no. This year was a showrunner's nightmare.