Autopsy

Season 2, Episode 2, Aired
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Episode Summary

Dr. Wilson convinces House to take the case of one of his patients, a young girl with terminal cancer who starts suffering from hallucinations.
9.0
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Fan Episode Reviews (39)

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  • A terminal young cancer patient endears herself to the hospital staff.

    1.0
    "Abysmal"
    By Thnunumber6, Jul 22, 2011 Report Abuse
    The episode is cloying, manipulative, and sickly-sweet and thus can be dismissed as a mis-step in an otherwise strong early second season. By the time the little pixie leaves the hospital, the only thing left to those who haven't been sucked in by the whole thing is an almost overwhelming feeling of nausea.

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    0 1

  • Brilliant! Definitely Emmy material, this episode pulls on your heart strings and keeps you bound tightly. Magnificient performance by one little girl and the excellence of the entire House cast shines through the hopelessness of the situation. To me it gmoreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    By AprilFox, Jan 23, 2011 Report Abuse
    This is one episode not to be missed. Brilliant, engaging, heart-felt and utterly wonderful. If you ever thought that strength and character came with age, think again as this young actress steals your heart. House is brought to his knees and perhaps faith is born again. Touching and moving, is an understatement, this episode holds you tightly.

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    2 1

  • Probably my favorite episode in the series.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By talosIV, Dec 25, 2010 Report Abuse
    As at least one of the top reviewers for this episode noted, this episode is "perfect," and exhibits a depth unsettling for TV writing. As someone whom some might consider a film snob--with Fellini and Tarkovsky in my repertoire of favorite directors, and standards for screenwriting right up there with the Coen brothers--I really can't help but noting the distinct, but very welcome, out-of-placeness of this sort of quality in television. Many people have focused on the young girl, who does indeed do an excellent job in this episode and deserves commendation for her performance, but the character development of the show's eponymous Gregory House is gigantic in this episode. House's performance is extremely layered, I'd almost say the overall feeling of the episode embodies a more realistic--and therefore more touching--Scroogesque sort of story of subtle redemption. The very caustic behavior of House is harder to tolerate in this episode because of its direction at the character of a 9-year-old girl with terminal cancer; in this episode there's nothing funny about his jibes, which often form the cynical comic relief in this series. At one point, House's outwardly callous cynicism, in scoffing at his young patient's bravery in the face of death, brings a disgusted and nearly speechless Wilson to genuinely tell him to "go to hell." The emotional rawness is magnified by the complexity of Greg House's utterly screwed up and miserable character, who we see is part jealous of and part confused by his patient's love of life. The episode does an excellent job showing House's misery in contrasting him with his brave young patient. In an Oscar-worthy scene between House and Wilson in House's office, we see Dr. House using a razor to break up diphenhydramine, in order to circumvent the blood brain barrier and treat his cold, as Wilson asks him, with little surprise in his voice "...you're treating your stuffy nose with cocaine?" Here, House's misery and nonchalance about the future course of his life is beautifully rendered, as he quips, "unlike her, I've got the luxury of time," to Wilson's observation that the girl, though dying, enjoys life more than he does. Wilson's sad but genuine response that "she could outlive you," is made of greatness. Hugh Laurie's acting is beautifully sublime as the aloof House melts just a enough to see his discomfort with his own emotions as the young patient gives him a hug at the end of the episode, as she tells him to "take a walk next time [he's] outside." As the episode ends, we see he is following her advice to stop and smell the roses, and this seems like the first step that the series makes toward hope for Gregory House. So there you have it; I think this episode's genius lies in showing some of the coldest, most bristlingly mean sides of House's character alongside some of his softest and saddest, which ultimately makes you feel most sorry and empathetic for him. A classic episode that makes me yearn for the grumpy Gregory of the first three seasons.moreless

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    3 0

  • great episode

    9.6
    "Superb"
    By konstantina_gr, Dec 06, 2010 Report Abuse
    This epison reminded me why I watch this series.It was one of the best season 2 episodes.The little girl was amazing and vbery strong.The little actress was perfect in her role.The girl would propably die but once again the doctors refused to give up and finaly saved her.The episode was very touching and i liked the scene that the girl asked Chase to kissed because she didn't want to die without been kissed.And he kissed her.It was so sweet!!The music was awesome,too.
    You are beautiful
    No matter what they say
    Words can't bring you down
    Ohh no You are beautiful
    In every single way
    Yes words can't bring you down
    Ohh no
    So don't you bring me down todaymoreless

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    2 0

  • Beautiful and haunting

    10
    "Perfect"
    By DonStants2, Dec 06, 2010 Report Abuse
    This was one of the most touching a beautiful episodes of House ever written. The entire cast played their parts perfectly.

    I thought the relationship with House and Wilson got a lot of insight in this episode. Wilson's caring attidude seemed to clash with House's "jerkishness". Nevertheless, I think House was a lot softer on the inside in this episode. He wanted to help end the childs suffering- his critism was of her mother (unfair critism, it is devastating to lose a child), and it was clear he was more concerned for her prolonging her suffering for an extra year.

    I thought the whole Chase kissing the girl thing was excellenty portrayed, and also very amusing when House deduced it. I also loved Andie giving House a hug at the end, and promptly inspiring him to live life more, seen at the end when he rides the motorcycle- another insight into House's passions before he injured his leg.

    Overall, this episode was exactly why I watch the series- it was funny, dramatic, moving, brilliantly acted and wonderfully written.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • When House and his team are listening to Andi's heart, he throws the iPod into the chair in a way that would damage the internal hard drive, rendering the iPod useless. Edit
    • House says he took 1000 milligrams of Benadryl. Adult formula Benadryl only comes in 25 mg tablets. Either he took 40 pills, or they got the dosage wrong. Edit
    • Music: Christina Aguilera's Beautiful (cover recorded by Costello) Edit

  • Notes

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    • This episode won a WGA Award (TV) for Episodic Drama. Edit
    • This episode won a Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in Television Short Form - Dialogue and Automated Dialogue Replacement. Edit
    • This episode was nominated for a Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • (walks into House's office) Dr. Wilson: You're treating your stuffy nose with cocaine. House: Diphenhydramine. Antihistamine. New delivery system. It's a blood-brain barrier thing. Dr. Wilson: It's all about speed, isn't it? One thing to another, never standing still. You're pretty good at that. House: I know my way around a razor blade. Edit
    • House: Bagels. (drops a bag of bagels on the table) Dr. Foreman: You didn't sleep in. House: Didn't sleep, didn't breathe. I'm dying. Edit
    • House: Oxygen saturation is 94%. Check her heart. Dr. Foreman: Her oxygen saturation is normal. House: It's off by one percentage point. Dr. Foreman: It's within range, it's normal. House: If her DNA was off by one percentage point, she'd be a dolphin. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • House: A-five, six, seven eight! Another allusion to a musical, in this case A Chorus Line. Mark the stage director calls it off to put the dancers through their paces, in the opening number. Edit
    • House: No test results, it's goodbye Broadway and you guys'll be wearing bad cat suits in Des Moines. Referencing the musical Cats. Which did indeed perform in Des Moines a couple of times. Edit

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