TVSquad

(S04E12) "People don't change." -- House, who mentioned it several times.

So Wilson is going out with Cutthroat Bitch (aka: Amber), huh? And, for awhile all is well. That's a pretty good record for Wilson, and devious as hell since he was able to keep it from House for so long. Of course, there is now a challenge for Greg to figure out why Amber seems such a catch for his best friend.

Manipulation? Well, that's a possible answer since Wilson is directly connected to House and can be the avenue to get her a fellowship. Revenge? Certainly, especially the way the good doctor treated Amber during the competition. Actual love and affection for Wilson? Nah, couldn't be! I mean, that would just be ludicrous coming from someone who was only concerned about herself during the game. Come on, doesn't anyone remember when she got all of those candidates to stop washing House's car and walk away from the competition? Plus, according to House, people don't change.

However, it seems Amber has changed. Although, you certainly couldn't tell from her and House's encounter early in the episode. That was a scene filled with tension -- I almost thought they would come to blows. It seemed that she was the same person that we loved to hate during the first half of the season. But, during their encounter at the restaurant and their one-on-one in House's office, you could see that something changed with Amber.

Even her look was softer. For so much of the competition she had that long hair tied back, had that attitude that her bodily refuse didn't produce an aroma. But with her hair down and her dress casual, she looked relaxed, happy. Then she spoke to Greg (because she could call him Greg because they were now social rather than doctor-peon) right from her heart, expressing the love and respect that Wilson gives to her and that the fellowship doesn't really matter. Now, I may be naive, but I believed her.

It seems that House believed her as well. And, on top of that, he actually admitted that she had changed. And, on top of that, it seemed like he actually respected her for the change. Maybe that's because he had something to do with that change. If you recall, House decided to fire Amber because she wasn't willing to admit that she was wrong. It could be that was the impetus for C.B. to do something with her life.

This was good news for Wilson, who hasn't had much luck with the ladies lately. It was also good for the viewer, who got to see some classic confrontations between Wilson and House. I think the best one took place at the restaurant when House was rattling off all of the things that were bad with Amber and then realized that Wilson was dating House himself. Well, we all knew that! Gosh, how can such a brilliant diagnostician be so dense sometimes? I also enjoyed their next conversation where Wilson admitted he was dating a female version of Greg and frustrated House when he agreed with everything he said.

I enjoy these moments because they show some of the vulnerabilities in House's armor, making him more human. Sure, many of you will say that he's the most human human on the face of the planet as soon as he comes on the screen. I feel that side of House is only one part of a pretty complicated man. What I enjoy more is when he lets his guard down to show some sort of compassion (no matter how infinitesimally small it is). In this week's episode it seems he let his guard down a few times: when he admitted that Amber changed; when he practically winked at Thirteen when he said 'you do it both ways' (talking about an MRI rather than her being bi-sexual); when he told Wilson that he was okay with him dating Amber; and when he was treating this week's patient.

Now, it wasn't the guard he let down when he practically expressed his love to his patient during the Super Bowl episode, but there was something more there than there usually is. Frankly, compared to last Tuesday's episode, he was downright compassionate with this week's patient. I think it came after he realized that people could change. Once that happened then some of the animosity he felt to the record producer-turned Hasidic Jew disappeared.

Let's talk about this week's patient a bit more, shall we? I'm not sure why, but I connected more to her than I did to Janel Moloney in last week's episode. She seemed more human for some reason, more down to earth. Because of that, I was rooting for her to recover. Usually, I'm more focused on the medical mystery than the patient, so this was a change. Speaking about the mystery, I was very into it until the end...I couldn't come close to figuring out what it was other than, you know, Lupus.

Over to our fellowship candidates, who were there but really weren't. After three episodes I am beginning to see some patterns emerging. For the second time Foreman and Taub team up to investigate the background of the patient. While they do disagree about a number of things they seem to have the most in common on the team. Thirteen is the person who always looks at the glass half-full when it comes to the patients. This week she was on the pro side of the debate arguing that the patient could go from rock n' roll to religion in a short period of time. Kutner...I'm still not sure about him. I think that he's the geek of the bunch and tends not to have an opinion about the patient and whatever they had done before they entered the ER. He's just there to get them better as quick as possible.

All right. A few more observations before I leave you:

• Does House have a tracking device in his cane? Every time we see him coming through the hospital entrance or off the elevator a member of the team is there to talk with him.
• Foreman...Again, why is he here? Is there something waiting in the wings for him, Chase and Cameron later in the season or next? Other than teaming with Taub in House: SVU he really doesn't contribute much.
• We finally get to see Cuddy in more than one scene this week. I enjoyed the discussion he had with Wilson about Amber. She did seem like she was channeling House during the talk.
• I'm getting a bit worried that Taub, Thirteen and Kutner haven't been added to the opening credits. I hope this isn't foreshadowing to having this team be temporary.
• Best ridicule of Hasidic Jews by House: Hasidiling

Next week -- Nothing. Those writers better ratify the agreement, or else we may be waiting until next September for a new episode.