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(S06E07) "Well, I feel bad. I haven't named your testicles." - Cuddy

We're all thinking it, and unlike euthanasia, I see no reason to keep mum -- House is firing on all cylinders right now. Actually, let me clarify that -- House the character, not House the show, is firing on all cylinders right now. Anything going on in Greg's periphery at the moment is sensational, absolutely electrifying drama.

Everything else? Not so much. If anything, "Known Unknowns" did nothing more than highlight something we've seen countless times already. Namely, the paralyzing effect House's absence has on his team. They're inept without him. What did I glean from the case du jour? Some annoying teenager got sick from eating oysters. However, I gleaned plenty from the rest of the hour.

(S06E06) "I've crossed some line and I'm having trouble getting back to the other side." - Chase

Another week, another case that no one cares about... well, almost. Ever since House's visit to the Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital, it's been tough to get invested in anything other than what he's going through. Each week, the case du jour has been largely disposable (save for Dibala) as nothing really relates to anything else. However, it seems like David Shore and Co. must've realized that too because "Brave Heart" made a good attempt at bringing what's become a very segmented story back together.

(S06E05) "I understand you're a fan. I'll have my guys send over a signed glossy." - House

We're getting deeper into the fall TV season, so it was only a matter of time before even the good shows started to falter a little. Not every episode is going to be an instant classic, and House is no exception. You know it's not a good sign when the only thing you find enjoyable is House comparing himself to Kobe Bryant, which, by the way, is dead on -- especially since he's no longer in charge. Foreman is the Phil Jackson to House's does whatever he wants and still wins #24.

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(S06E04) "I thought I had detected the sickly sweet smell of maple syrup and socialized medicine." - House

Early on in this episode, House exclaimed "It's three years ago!" when he realized that he was working with the old team - Foreman, Chase, and Cameron. It became apparent rather quickly, though, that things at Princeton-Plainsboro are still very far from normal. He may be back, but House isn't back. Right now, he's more like the little kid that your co-worker brought to the office and he just won't leave your cube. That and the little kid is way smarter than you are.

(S06E03) "House was an egotistical, pill popping, lawsuit magnet... and a genius." - Foreman

Change doesn't come easily for House. Fresh out of his stint at Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital and you'd think he'd be craving his old routine. Instead he quits his job. As we learned, though, it was more about coping and less about change. Ironically though, House, the one character who had the biggest change and now has the most to cope with, seems to be doing the best out of them all.

Are you kidding me?!? This is quite possibly the greatest promotional picture for any series ever. I mean, just what the hell is going on? Wilson is golfing, Chase is grilling, Thirteen has a crossbow, Taub is shaving, Foreman is pumping some iron, and Cameron is working on the RV's engine?!? Assuming this whole delusion is in House's head (his trucker hat does say "I'm in charge"), it makes perfect sense then that Cuddy would be sunbathing on the roof in a red bikini.

More than anything though, it does get me excited about seeing the whole gang again on Monday night. As amazing as the House two hour premiere was, I do miss the rest of the Princeton-Plainsboro staffers. Lots of questions still up in the air - Thirteen's health, Chase and Cameron's relationship, and Cuddy's reaction to House's return are all at the top of my list. Oh and if you're looking for a better look, check out a hi-res version of the picture here.

(S06E01/S06E02) "Oh, I'm sorry, is suicide taboo? Gosh, if I've broken a rule on my first day, I will kill myself." - House

This is not the House we know and love - both the show and character. While the lack of any resemblance to the typical medical procedural we're used to might have been a turn off to some, I feel pretty confident in saying that tonight's premiere will likely go down as one of the best episodes of House ever - regardless for how long it runs.

After seeing House check himself into a psychiatric hospital after last year's hallucinations and subsequent break-down, there's been one big question bugging us all and I pointed it out earlier today in my preview - is he or isn't he crazy? While we got our answer, it really doesn't matter because there was a whole lot more at stake than House's mental prowess in "Broken."

Dr. Gregory House has problems. This is not news. We know this. His colleagues know this. He knows this. The issue at the core of tonight's two-hour season premiere of House ("Broken" airs at 8PM ET on Fox), is waiting patiently for our favorite curmudgeon to admit what he knows.

Ever since last season's finale, we've all wanted to know one thing - is House really crazy or has the Vicodin finally done enough damage that he's hallucinating dead people and having imaginary sex with Cuddy? The answer is finally revealed, and despite Fox's viral marketing campaign that presented the possibility of someone having done something to House to cause his problems, it turns out that Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital is precisely where he belongs. Or is it?

(S05E11) "Merry Christmas, Cuddy." - House to Cuddy on the potential adoption of her new baby

Once again it's Christmas at Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital. Or, rather, it was Christmas at a Princeton-Plainsboro of an alternate reality. That's because our favorite characters were opposite of their normal selves. Foreman was out of House's shadow, Kutner was angry, Cuddy came up with the diagnosis instead of House, Thirteen was smiling, and House was ... House was ...

(S05E09) Here's a bit of irony for ya. Before this week's episode of House began my family was in a lockdown situation of its own after someone, either a home invader or home owner, knocked out seven shots during the early afternoon right down the street from us. The police came along and ended up doing the yellow tape thing around the area, keeping the rest of us from going out until their fugitive search and investigation were done.

Sure, no one had a gun pointed at us. And, I wasn't in a hospital. And, I didn't have to take a series of drugs in order to prove they were safe. But, I was stuck in my house for over two hours. So, you know, I can relate. With that, let's get to this week's "very special" episode of House.

(S05E08) What is Foreman's role in House's little kingdom? From the deep recesses of my dusty brain I recall a conversation he had with Cuddy that his job was to be some sort of monitor to make sure House didn't, you know, rip the lungs out of a live patient just to make sure they were really and truly pink and healthy. But, to be honest, I haven't seen much monitoring going on over the last few episodes.

I have seen lots of sitting and moping and an all-around indecisiveness in Eric since he returned to Princeton-Plainsboro. Maybe he was regretting the decision he made, maybe he was still trying to learn from the feet of his mentor, or maybe he was reliving his past life as suicidal County General doc Dennis Gant from ER. That may have changed this week as, finally, he decided to branch out on his own.

(S05E05) All right, all you pervs! Calm down, calm down! You've all had a chance to see the promo that FOX distributed to promote this week's show and you all gave me a keypad-full on what you thought. So, just put it back in the place where you usually have it stored and let's move ahead with the review.

So, how about that examination scene, huh? Yowsa! Now that was porn! There was so much sexual tension it was oozing out of the screen. I'm surprised I didn't hear 'Bow-chicka-chicka-bow-bow' in the background -- the usual precursor to an extended sex scene. Not, you know, like I'm familiar with that genre of film. I mean, I've never seen a porn movie in my life. Ever. Hey, don't look at me that way!

Ahem. Sorry about that. Let's...uh...let's get going with this week's review.

Dear Hugh Laurie,

Hugh (can I call you Hugh?), do you know how the next episode of House is being promoted by FOX? The show that you executive produce and spend hours and days getting just right? Care to give a guess? Okay, I'll let you know. . .porn.

Not like the porn you get online, or porn you find on Cinemax. We're talking about over-the-air, PG-rated network porn. To be more specific, FOX is featuring a promo of the show (seen after the jump) with the first 43 seconds of a girl-on-girl scene starring Thirteen and her 'one-night-stand' that eventually gets sick and becomes the week's Mystery Patient (coming out soon as a board game by Milton-Bradley). I understand that network executives may be catering to the base feelings of the average male viewer, but I'm sure there is an equal, if not stronger, female base that may be a bit disturbed about this preview.

Take a look yourself, Hugh, and let us know if this is the way your show should be promoted. Oh, and the rest of you can tell us as well.

(S05E04) "Bubbles" -- Thirteen

"Is that your new stripper name?" -- House

And so, one chapter of Dr. Gregory House's life ends and another one begins...again. Together, these life-changing events may lead to a kinder, gentler diagnostician who will befriend his colleagues, treat others on the staff with respect, and prevent him from making constant lewd remarks to Cuddy.

Bwah-hahahahahahahahaha! Oh, I slay me! Kinder and gentler? Bwah-hahahahahahaha!

Here we are, two seasons removed since House disbanded his trio of cronies to find a new batch of talented doctors to humiliate, and some things haven't changed. Things like House's acerbic nature, his addiction to pain pills, the hospital he works at, Cuddy's very long legs (men, I'll give you a moment...okay) and the weekly patient who has a medical condition that can't be solved until the very last moment. Oh, there is one more thing that hasn't changed...the opening credits.

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but Jennifer Morrison, Omar Epps and Jesse Spencer (Cameron, Foreman and Chase on the show) don't really have star status like they used to. Heck, sometimes they aren't even on the program. They have been replaced by Kal Penn, Olivia Wilde and Peter Jacobson, who now do the diagnosing. Yet, these three can't get a break. They just get an 'Also Starring' credit after the opening credits roll. Gosh, the original three members of House's team are still shown walking behind him as the credits end.