Bertie Cures A Rat

The above title sounds like something P.G. Wodehouse would have written while on the same stuff Dr. Cameron took in last night's episode of House. Last night's episdoe was all about role-reversal. Our man House, played by the same man who portrayed Bertie Wooster in the excellent Jeeves and Wooster series, takes advantage of a rat infestation in his once-and-future love interest's home to apply the knowledge he gleened from her therapist's file. The set-up gives us an opportunity to see House as he might have been: a caring man fully engaged in his life. It was a mercifully brief glimpse; although we'd like the characters in our fiction to end up as nice, caring people, this show does not take the easy way out with House. He is a misanthropic curmudgeon and that is that. But I liked the idea that we are never sure if the warm fuzzies are pretext or a genuine reaction to his proximity to the woman he loves. In the end, he gets the rat and loses the girl.

Our Dr. Cameron takes a walk on the wild side last night and tries on a wild girl's costume. We have seen this character supressing her baser intincts and doing the right thing throughout this series, and this sudden change under the influence of drugs (crystal meth?) is a desparate cry for release. And our man Dr. Chase gets caught up in it. This transformation is expected, almost cliche in television, but what makes this one interesting is the complications that may spring from it. Dr. Chase's reaction to the event is more illuminating of HIS character than Cameron's character. He is still very vain and self-centered but it may lead to further developments. As Dr. Chase has been more-or-less underdeveloped this season, I welcome the opportunity.

You know where to go for the medicine. All I will say is: where the heck is the local board of medical examiners? They'd have a field day with House!