Jason is a very sick man. He has trouble breathing, is always tired,and has skin rashes, insomnia and heart palpitations. He’s been to 16 doctors over the last two years and no one has been able to tell him what is wrong with him. Obviously, this gives him cause to come to the Princeton-Plainsboro clinic with a gun, taking hostages, including Thirteen, into Cuddy’s office and demanding the best doctor in the hospital diagnose him.

Enter House, who, naturally, has already been sitting in Cuddy’s office, somehow misbehaving behind her desk.

House, Thirteen and the hostages are cooperating from the inside while Cuddy and the authorities are cooperating from the outside. Jason needs meds for House’s initial diagnosis, which Cuddy brings. But, of course, Jason wants a “test patient” first. When the meds are injected, the test patient collapses and Jason shoots a random hostage in the leg. “I need you to know you can’t screw with me,” he says.

Chase, Cameron, Foreman, Taub and Kutner assemble when House calls them. However, Chase leaves, because he doesn’t want to participate. The five of them and House discuss possible illnesses and mention they need to search Jason’s house. He openly gives them his address. When they arrive at his apartment, anything they would need to know that is medically relevant is already laid out for them.

To receive a CT scan, Jason trades some hostages and ties the rest to him, so they will come with him. He tries to get the test done while holding the gun, but it ruins the image. House convinces Jason to give up the gun. When the test does not confirm a tumor as everyone thought it would, House returns the gun.

Foreman leaves the group, convinced House is going to get someone killed. The whole time, Thirteen has been forced to take every medication that Jason has been taking. They are ruining her liver. The last medication Jason needs will kill Thirteen. Jason asks House to leave so he can get this medication. Thirteen is panicking and begs for her life, realizing that she does not want to die, despite her reckless acts in response to her Huntington’s.

Spoiler Alert!

Finally, a semi-decent and intense episode of “House.” Having a gun pointed at House is not a new plotline, because he did get shot in a past season, but having his life at risk for a diagnosis was intriguing. But, the especially shocking part was when House returned the gun to Jason. There was absolutely no reason for him to do that, just when all the hostages were finally safe. It shows just how obsessive House’s curiosity is.

Despite the drama of the episode, there were a few comedic reliefs. My personal favorite was when House answered Cuddy’s office phone “Crime scene?” instead of the common “Hello?” when the authorities called to check up on them. But, I also enjoyed how at the very end of the episode it was revealed that House was in Cuddy’s office to mess up her desk drawer.

I’m glad Thirteen is valuing her life now and is inquiring about the Huntington’s Disease drug trial Foreman mentioned to her.

It looks like our lupus treatments are working.

Rating: B+