Joy to the World

Season 5, Episode 11, Aired
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Episode Summary

House and his team deal with a bullied girl who collapses during her school's Christmas program. Meanwhile, Foreman and Thirteen grow closer during the Huntington's disease drug trials, House gives a patient a gift, the staff wonder who gave House a special gift, and Cuddy gets an unexpected gift.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (25)

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  • One of the best this Season so far.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By DonStants2, Jan 25, 2011 Report Abuse
    I have no idea why some of the negative reviews existed in this episode- it was classic House. The patient had real emotive depth (it reminded me a little of "Heavy" in Season 1), and you could really emphasise with the character.

    Meanwhile, Kutner confronts his demons of being a bully and tries to atone at the end- shows some good character development there, and is actually very consistant with how the old team reacted to certain patients. This "jumping the shark" didn't apply in this episode. Him and Chase tricking the school bullies was very funny.

    Taub's reacting to House's mysterious gift was also very well done, and House and Wilson's scene was one of the funniest this Season- it led back into the fantastic clinic patients who are very much missed! Cuddy's interaction with House was also brilliant in this episode- it was good to see them clash over the medicine again. It was also nice, at long last, to see Cuddy get what she wants.

    Foreman and Thirteens progression moved along nicely- I know they aren't liked much as a couple but I thought Thirteens reactions around him were pretty cute to be honest. Overall, I thought this was easily the best episode since Birthmarks- the case was exciting, simultaneously tragic and joyous, and the humour was spot on. Brilliant.moreless

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    2 1

  • This is by far the worst episode. Forman and 13 that's just wrong. Cameron, Chase and Forman just have to go House has a new team deal with it. And lately, very little House, a lot of everyone else, just stop that.moreless

    1.0
    "Abysmal"
    By cTudor300, Jan 25, 2011 Report Abuse
    This is by far the worst episode. Forman and 13 that's just wrong. Cameron, Chase and Forman just have to go House has a new team deal with it. And lately, very little House, a lot of everyone else, just stop that.

    This episode was just wrong, its like house has become a secondary character, his previous team still there with absolutely no relevance.

    This season has been very bad, it's almost not worth to watch anymore. It's like the writers never came back from the strike. And this episode, please don't make another one like this. I almost don't wan't to see the next one.moreless

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    9 27

  • Shocking but not in the good way.

    5.0
    "Mediocre"
    By dimwit90, May 16, 2010 Report Abuse
    This is an amazing show but honestly I'm just gonna pretend this episode never happened. It bombed almost everything except for the clinic patients but that has always been great. The Cuddy and baby thing well alright we get it she wants to be a mom but seriously there are so many holes in this its ridiculous besides since when does everyone get what they want? House was extremely under-appreciated in this episode and they really need to just cut off Chase and Cameron, I wish they would cut off Foreman too but whatever. Which brings me to the 13/Forman thing, I mean seriously? I couldn't even watch the ending I had to turn away or vomit. The writers really need to stop it with the soap opera already.moreless

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    4 10

  • Cuddy finally gets the baby she longs for

    10
    "Perfect"
    By vicky24c, Dec 25, 2008 Report Abuse
    In this episode of House, the following happens. The patient in this episode is a teenager girl who collapsed during her school show. The team soon learn that her liver is failing, but then she gets worse. The team believe that the mushrooms which she ate may have had an effect on her, but after tests are run this turns out not to be true. The team learn from one of her old friends, that she used to buy a couple of bottles of vodka a week, but stopped when she said she could get it cheaper herself. But she admits to Cuddy that she quit drinking over 6 months ago and didn't even drink half of the ones which she bought. House works in the clinic and deals with a female patient who turns out to be pregnant even though she claims to be a virgin. After tests are run on her and the fiance he learns that she is in fact pregnant and yet she is still a virgin. She is a 1 in a million case where the baby she is carrying has only her DNA as she had a cell mutation. But he later admits to Cuddy that he lied and that she had cheated on her fiance. The team learn that the patient has eclampsia. Cuddy talks to the patient and she confesses that she was pregnant and gave birth over a week before. She thought that the baby was dead and took her to an empty house, where she also gave birth. The patient is also told that the damage to her heart and liver is permanent and that she will die. So Cuddy sets off o find the house, so that the patient can have a funeral for her daughter.
    When she gets to the house, she finds a woman there with a baby. This turns out to be the patient's daughter. She didn't die after all. Cuddy takes her back to the hospital, where we learn that neither sets of grandparents want the baby and so she is put up for adoption, Cuddy then tells House that she is going to foster the baby and then she is going to adopt her. We learn at the end of the episode that the patient was denied a transplant and that she will die within a couple of days. At the end we see 13 and Foreman together; they start to kiss each other. We also learn that Kutner used to be a bully in high School.moreless

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    5 3

  • Review

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cavanagh15, Dec 24, 2008 Report Abuse
    Quick review of the episode: Nothing new between House and Cuddy, but Foreman and Thirteen hook up at the end of the episode. I did not seeing anything happening between those two to spawn that kiss at the end of the episode. The case in this episode was pretty boring right up until the baby part of it. I thought the fact that the girl left the baby in an empty house was pretty jaw dropping. I didn't see that twist coming but I am glad that Cuddy found the baby and is now going to keep her. House saying Merry Christmas was also unexpected. I laughed twice for the first time in a long time with this show. I used to laugh at least 1-2 times an epsiode, but lately the weakening writing of the show has caused me to look at funny moments...not so funny? Overall, solid ending hopefully it will be better when the show comes back for the second half of the season.moreless

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    0 3
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • In the cafeteria scene, the shape of the ice cream sandwich House is eating is inconsistent. In the last shot before he gets up, it's larger than in the previous shot. Edit
    • When Cuddy brings the baby to Natalie, the baby's arm is dangling, in a way that makes it pretty clear it's a doll. However, when the camera's angle changes and we see Cuddy's face, it is a real baby with the arm bent. In the next scene, the arm is dangling again. Edit

  • Notes

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    • Original International Air Dates: Latin America: February 19, 2009 on Universal Channel The Netherlands: March 19, 2009 on SBS 6 Denmark: May 30, 2009 on Kanal 4 Germany: September 15, 2009 on RTL Poland: October 7, 2009 on TVP2 Slovakia: October 29, 2009 on STV1 Czech Republic: November 16, 2009 on TV Nova Sweden: February 9, 2010 on TV4 Edit
    • Injoke: The surgery book that House receives as a gift is authored by Dr. Joseph Bell (1837-1911), an Edinburgh physician and lecturer. A pioneer in applying the scientific method in aid of diagnosis, he is credited as Arthur Conan Doyle's inspiration for the character of Sherlock Holmes and his deductive methods. Edit
    • Music: Joy to the World (Isaac Watts), A Christmas Song (Mel Torme & Bob Wells), Jingle Bell Rock (Bobby Helms), Whisper (A Fine Frenzy), Chestnuts Roasting (Gavin Degraw) Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • House: You talked to Wilson. Taub: He has very girly handwriting, by the way. Edit
    • House: If I wanted gifts, I would just look deep into my patients' eyes and act like you. "Oh, I'm so sorry you're dying, Mrs. Moron. Of course I'll sleep with you. What I lack in skill, I can make up for in…" Dr. Wilson: You'd just wind up insulting her. Perhaps calling her "Mrs. Moron." Edit
    • Whitney: We do other stuff in bed. Couldn't some of his sperm have made it up there somehow? House: More likely, it came from the guy whose penis made it up there somehow, but… sure, anything's possible. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • House: Why don't you hang out in the video store and tell everyone Kevin Spacey's Keyser Soze? Referencing the 1995 movie The Usual Suspects, which tells the tale via flashback of a massacre at a ship docked in Los Angeles. Spacey plays "Verbal" Kint, who is testifying in return for immunity. The secretive mastermind of the operation is "Keyser Soze," and it is eventually revealed that Kint is in fact Keyser Soze. Edit
    • House: Depending on where this school falls on the Heathers scale… Referencing the 1989 black comedy showing a clique of high school girls, three out of four which are named Heather, who essentially rule the school. The movie chronicles the attempts of the fourth girl, Veronica (Winona Ryder), to break free of the group but her attempts soon end in murder. Edit

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Season 5 Episodes

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Ep 24
Both Sides Now
Ep 23
Under My Skin
Ep 22
House Divided
Ep 21
Saviors
Ep 20
Simple Explanation
Ep 19
Locked In
Ep 18
Here Kitty
Ep 17
The Social Contract
Ep 16
The Softer Side
Ep 15
Unfaithful
Ep 14
The Greater Good
Ep 13
Big Baby
Ep 12
Painless
Ep 11
Joy to the World
Ep 10
Let Them Eat Cake
Ep 9
Last Resort
Ep 8
Emancipation
Ep 7
The Itch
Ep 6
Joy
Ep 5
Lucky Thirteen
Ep 4
Birthmarks
Ep 3
Adverse Events
Ep 2
Not Cancer
Ep 1
Dying Changes Everything

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