House Recap: “One Day, One Room” - Give Me My Remote : Give Me My Remote

House Recap: “One Day, One Room”

January 31, 2007 by  

House Episode Recaps


Title: One Day, One Room
Original Airdate: 1/30/07

GMMR Recapper: LaLa

After an obligatory American Idol imposed hiatus, we get the return of smartly written and acted television tonight with this fine, thoughtful installment of House. Breaking from the usual formula of focusing the episode on a patient who has some crazy, mysterious disease that takes the House team (or rather, just House himself) until the end of the episode to solve/cure, this episode had no mystery illness. Or rather, no mystery physical illness. Instead, this episode was about the mystery illnesses and secrets of the heart, as well as dealing with grief and pain – for which there is no solid, uniform cure. Some people, like the old man with terminal cancer, choose to deal with it by refusing medication and instead embracing pain and torture, so that at least someone will “remember him” as a result. Others choose to deal with it by just talking and/or listening to other people’s painful personal stories in the hope that their’s won’t seem as bad. Now, some viewers might find this kind of episode trite and cloying, but I actually enjoyed it. I thought it was nice to take a break from solving mysteries, and just focus on the further character development and humanization of House.

Certainly, that was Cuddy’s goal in giving House so much hated clinic duty because he “owed her big time” for getting him out of jail. “You think if I have to deal with enough people, I’ll find some humanity?” House whines to Cuddy. “Yes,” is her matter of fact response. Bummer, dude. Of course, House does everything possible to try and avoid said clinic duty, from pretending that a guy with a bug in his ear actually has a legitimate mystery illness, to paying people $50 to just leave the clinic. My favorite was the series of patients who all thought they had an STD, prompting an irritated House to ask them all, “Haven’t you ever seen an after school special? Or Dawson’s Creek?” But of course, one of these patients actually did turn out to have an STD – a pretty young woman named Eve (played brilliantly by Katheryn Winnick). Not only that, but House soon learns that Eve was raped, and is pregnant from said rape. All of this is a major turn off to House, who only wants to deal with patients who have physical problems, not psychological and emotional problems. But Eve refuses to be treated by any other doctor but House, and even overdoses on meds in order to get his attention and finally guilt him into staying with her.

“Why do you want me??” an exasperated House repeatedly asks her. Eve just wants to talk to him, she repeatedly claims – but not about her rape. She’d rather talk about anything else, like the weather – but most especially, she wants to talk to House about any dark or bad things that happened to him in his past. She sure is nosy, this chick. And very, very persistent, with her “who we get stuck in a room with adds up to what our lives are” preaching. Thus, Eve finally wears House down and gets him to admit a deep dark secret, aka this episode’s big reveal: as a child, House was abused by his discipline and perfection obsessed father. Although, as House himself admitted, punishments like being forced to sleep in the yard and take baths of ice aren’t nearly as bad as being raped and then getting pregnant from said rape. Still, this reveal certainly sheds more light on House’s grouchy, cynical, people-and-emotions-rejecting ways. But most importantly, by getting House to admit this dark secret, Eve has managed to break down some of House’s emotional barriers. By the end of the episode, it is clear that their lengthy theological and psychological debates have melted House, and actually made him feel sympathy for a patient – a huge break-through for misanthropic House. But of course, House dismisses this mini-breakthrough of his in the end, claiming that now that Eve has been discharged from the hospital, he won’t care about her anymore because it’s only “One day, one room.” Cue emotional folksy guitar ballad.

Side note: Major congratulations to Hugh Laurie on his richly deserved Golden Globe and SAG Award wins. Now THAT’S what I’m talking about, award show voters! Well done. Now… about that Emmy…

LaLa is a writer who currently resides in LaLa Land, aka Los Angeles. LaLa also likes to sing. LaLa also knows some lawyers in a law office. LaLa is also prone to making bad jokes, like this one. And of course, LaLa also loves her some quality television shows with quality actors on them, like House… and The Office… and 24… and, well, pretty much any smartly written show that doesn’t include a fat guy with a hot skinny wife or the words “two and a half men” in the title.

Photos courtesy of NBC Universal.

Filed under House, House Recap

Comments

4 Responses to “House Recap: “One Day, One Room””

  1. Michelle on January 31st, 2007 12:15 pm

    Great recap! I loved this episode, too. I wish they had provided a little more explanation regarding exactly why this particular girl got to House. Surely he’s encountered emotionally-damaged patients before now, and even rape victims. What was it about her that made him stick around? Or what has changed deep within him to make him want to listen to her? Usually he would have walked away right in the beginning and stayed away, regardless of the patient begging him for conversation. Guess his “rehab” wasn’t a complete fake and a failure after all.

    Regardless, every time I watch this show I am blown away by Hugh Laurie. I’m glad he’s getting the professional recognition he deserves. Any actor who can make us care for an ass of a character like House deserves all of those awards, and more.

  2. Michelle on January 31st, 2007 1:55 pm

    The folksy guitar ballad at the end is “Grey Room” by Damien Rice. I love it. Hearing it at the end of the episode actually made me cry. But I know what you’re saying – it’s the kind of “go to ” music that fits perfectly in episodes like this.

  3. Jake on January 31st, 2007 3:19 pm

    Once again, a very insightful recap. I actually have a better opinion of the episode after reading the recap than I did when I watched it last night. Good job, LaLa.

  4. Kris on January 31st, 2007 9:40 pm

    Great recap, LaLa. Actually, i was one of the few who didn’t care for last night’s episode. True, i love seeing House’s character development–it is one of the aspects i love most about the show–but this episode just seemed so…so…slow. I don’t know. I guess i really enjoyed the whole mystery disease episodes more, and i was disappointed when, after such a long hiatus, i got…this episode. I just would rather watch them solve cases. I like the interaction far better that way. Not only did Eve wear out house, but she wore me out. I was, honestly, tired of her by the end of the episode. Is that mean? Anyway, my favorite part was when House went to his ducklings for their opinion on whether he should tell Eve if his life sucked or not, and Chase just told him to keep her asleep. I love Chase 😛

    Anyway, good recap and much love to Hugh Laurie for winning a SAG award! Was it just my station, or did they cut off Hugh Laurie’s acceptance speech? I was pissed!