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(S04E09)"Well, at least the games are over" -- Cuddy

"How well do you know me?" -- House

It's over. After 8 episodes, 40 some-odd candidates, and one dead patient House's new team has been picked. And, I'm pretty sure the results weren't too much of a surprise to those who have watched the competition from episode two. So, the winners are...

Now, why would I want to mention that in the first two paragraphs of this review? If I did that then all of you who have yet to see this week's episode of House would be at the virtual doorstep of my virtual house with virtual pitchforks. If you haven't watched the episode yet but are dying to know who the finalists are then jump ahead. Otherwise, hold off a bit until you watch and then marvel at the way I make the episode come to life in my review. Or, just bash me like normal.

(S04E04) Wilson -- You're quite impressed with yourself right now, aren't you?

House -- Who wouldn't be?

After a brief baseball break, House returned with a pretty decent episode. Not only did we get to see a further fleshing out of the new characters, but also witnessed additional connection between the old and new team members. Plus, we found out that trying to find a job outside of Princeton-Plainsboro when you worked for House was not the best thing to do.

(S04E02) Hi, I'm Jen, and I am going to be sharing reviews of House with Rich Keller, alternating weeks. Here's the way these reviews are going to work: We are going to include both reviews and recaps of each episode-- sort of reviewcaps, as our illustrious leader Keith McDuffee calls them. I will indicate in bold where the review begins and then, down below it, where the recap begins. So, if you don't want to have to read a recap, you can skip it.

I *know* tonight's post has a very long recap. I like the small details. Please give me a couple of times to find my groove. But this is one of the reasons I am putting the recap after the review, so if you haven't seen the show yet, please take that under advisement. And if you like recaps, or didn't get a chance to catch the episode, then you can find out about it there. I'm starting under the jump. Ready? Set? Go.

(S04E01) Look to your left. Now, look to your right. By the end of the six weeks one of you will be gone . . . as well as 28 more of you. Wear a cup. -- Dr. Gregory House

With that ominous statement I welcome you to House 2.0, otherwise known as season four of the medical drama. As you all know by now there was a bit of, er, housecleaning (wait for groans to subside) during the season three finale. That's when Doctors Foreman and Cameron resigned and Dr. Chase was fired (don't worry, they begin to return in other roles as the new season progresses). This has left House quite alone. And, while he's quite content about it the rest of the administrative staff at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital wants to see old Greg establish a new team.

(S03E23) Here's something I found odd about tonight's episode, though not really having to do with it being a season finale. Why is it that a seemingly not-so-well-off Cuban couple can go through great pains to find House, and yet this is what I believe to be the first time a foreign patient has sought out House's expertise?

(S03E23) Well, I guess we don't have to worry about Piper Perabo for the moment, at least. But seriously, folks. With revelations (both here in Spoilers Anonymous and in the comments) that Omar Epps' character, Foreman, wouldn't be leaving House next season, combined with what happened this week, are we thinking that he'll actually stay on board as a doc on House's staff, or will he only remain as just a recurring character who works at the same hospital, or elsewhere? Inquiring minds want to know, and cliffhanger or not next week, I'm presuming we'll get the answer to that question. I mean, how long can one show stretch out someone's two weeks' notice?

(S03E22) There are times when House seems like he's just a bit too smart when it comes to how he solves a particular case, and this week was one of those times. After being so sure of himself as to what the solution to the problem was with Addie, the college student, he just had it pop into his head randomly that she had tried to off herself in a creative way? Okay, if you say so.

Other than that bit of nitpick on my part, I thought this episode was actually pretty good. Foreman shared some *ahem* comments about his colleagues, such as not liking Chase, and Cameron stating that he thought she was weak. Neither of these things are a bit surprising, but will Chase's psych-out on Foreman and House, combined with Wilson's drugged-up rant and the minimal efforts by Cuddy, get Foreman to stick around? I'm not sure. Then again, do we really want Piper Perabo in the picture every single week?

(S03E21) Well, what a tangled web has been woven on our favorite doctor show now? "Family" was the title of this week's episode, and the prospects of a different family were essentially the topic of discussion for everyone involved. After last week's horrible course of events involving Foreman's decision to give chemotherapy to a patient only to have her die as a result, you wouldn't have thought that the team would go down a similar road without pondering the consequences, would you? Wrong.

Well, not so much that they "didn't look before they nuked," as was said during the show, but they were put in a unique position of having a marrow donor (the younger brother, Matty, to Nick, the kid who underwent the radiation treatment) who just so happens to show up to help out when he sneezes in a clean room. What ensued was nothing more than out of control and utterly frustrating. And that's just about House's experience with Wilson's old dog.

[Possible spoiler below if you haven't watched the show yet!]