Paternity

Season 1, Episode 2, Aired
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Episode Summary

A 16-year old high school student, Dan, starts suffering from nightmares and frequent hallucinations, and he reveals he was hit in the head while playing lacrosse at school. Dan is apparently suffering from MS, and risky brain surgery is needed. Meanwhile House must deal with a patient looking to set up a lawsuit and a mother who doesn't believe in vaccinations.moreless
8.8
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Fan Episode Reviews (29)

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  • Not as interesting as the Pilot, but still good.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By thecheesykid, May 11, 2011 Report Abuse
    This episode seemed as if it was trying to routinise the show. I guess that was pretty effective, because I couldn't tell that this was the second episode, it felt like any other House 40-minuter. Not sure if that's a good thing or not, just an observation.

    I don't know if this is shared, but I found the best scene in this to be its ending. We kind of got a glimpse that House may in fact care about his patients. Seeing him secretly cheer on his 16-year old lacrosse player was a nice touch and certainly elevated the previous scenes.

    I should point out that Hugh Laurie is an absolutely wondrous actor and his accent is flawless. I've been a fan of his since A Bit of Fry and Laurie (I'm English, over here, we know who he really is, heh) and have followed his comedic career, so it's good to see him in fleshier roles.

    Despite being a good one, I feel as if, come the end, I haven't really learned anything about any of the characters. This was more of a filler episode, but a fab one at that, so I'll let it off the metaphorical hook.moreless

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  • "It's dangerous, it could kill him. You should do it."

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By byjillian, Jul 06, 2010 Report Abuse
    That quote is from Eric Foreman from that episode, my favorite one. He's telling a couple how dangerous the treatment could be, but that it's worth the risk.

    Things I really like about this episode: The characters have more 'real' chemistry together, although they only have done the pilot together, you can really get a sense of the camradery between the actors.

    What is really great about the earlier episodes of House is how much time is spent in the clinic. You can really see the sarcasm come through, and Dr. House's humor is really awesome in this episode. The scenes with Dr. Cuddy and House are so-so, but overall, I would still give this particular episode a 9/10.moreless

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  • this wasa good ep

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cube2k8, May 24, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this ep of the show house a boy is coming in to the hospital and house takes his case becasue there is somthing wrong with him house findso out that he was hit in the head and he needs a really risky brain sergery or he will die and his parents dont belive in that sorta thing so house must risk it and deal with the fact he gets a lawsuit or try to persway the parents on this oen to save the boys life this was a good one thought for a second ep of the show housemoreless

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  • Well for second case a boy who has night-terrors.

    5.8
    "Mediocre"
    By tvrev, Apr 26, 2010 Report Abuse

    Let look at this episoide from a diffrent perspective, let assume that boy didn't have house as his doctor he would of died and according to house 1 in 20 people have this situation so for rest of people who didn't have house or specialist they would died. my point is that do all clinic have specalist team like house?, if not there be more unneccsary death.

    I know sake of it being a tv show they find a cure it made me think about other teenage boys who might have this condition that doctor couldn't figure out why. i personally didn't find this case intresting, last week one was much better case. Still next week case doesn't look any better but i will still be watching it.

    The DNA test, now was house wrong?, it was justified by finding out what's wrong with him but i didn't think it was illegal, it not like he had draw blood, there willing left it but he did say to leave it. Still i got admit he's growing on me, i like fact he has no ethics and i loved way he handle the mother 'yummy' and man who sued. Is this guy scared of anything?

    until next week that's it from me.moreless

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  • Everybody lies. House's favorite mantra is proven true once again as the parents of a sixteen-year-old boy turn out to be his adoptive parents instead.

    9.6
    "Superb"
    By NiDKiD, Apr 26, 2010 Report Abuse
    First of the regular series episodes airing after the Pilot. Sixteen-year-old boy stricken with night terrors following an injury during a lacrosse game. House is reluctant at first to even see the boy, let alone consent to diagnose and treat him. Reinforces House's theory that "everybody lies" and that trial and error are the only ways to successfully diagnose illnesses and symptoms. One small note of contention, as far as I'm concerned. I've heard a lot of people speculate about the ending where House is seen watching a lacrosse game and cheering on the player who scores a point. They believe that it is Dan, the now-cured teenager, who scores the goal but he's not. At the beginning of the episode, he is shown to be playing for a team called the Tartans but the boy who scored the goal whom House cheered for played for the Comets. Minor point but it's been bugging me.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • House has changed his shoes in the time between when Wilson finds him hiding out in the clinic and during the DDX. At both points he has his feet up and you can see the soles are different. Edit
    • When House is examining the patient in the clinic with the infected knee, he notes that the man is from Maplewood, NJ, and asks him why he's driven 70 miles to Princeton (ultimately correctly deducing that the man has sued every hospital and doctor in and around Maplewood). It's actually only about 40 miles from Maplewood to Princeton (or Plainsboro). Edit
    • In the lacrosse match in the opening moments, there is a flipped shot and the name TARTANS was displayed mirrored. Edit

  • Notes

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    • This episode was nominated for a Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in Television Short Form - Sound Effects & Foley. Edit
    • Music: On Saturday Afternoons in 1963 (Rickie Lee Jones) Edit
    • When Dr. Wilson questions House, a clip during their conversation shows Foreman tapping his fingers on a table while Chase is working on a crossword puzzle. This clip, which features Chase wearing a different shirt, was originally used in the unaired version of "Pilot." Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Dr. Foreman: Look, I'm sorry. I can explain this as best I can, but the notion that you're gonna fully understand your son's treatment and make an informed decision is... is kind of insane. Here's what you need to know. It's dangerous. It could kill him. You should do it. Edit
    • Dr. Cuddy: And is there a paternity bet on the father of the patient? House: Doesn't sound like me. Dr. Wilson: Well, it does, actually, but doesn't mean you're guilty. Edit
    • House: You know another really good business? Teeny tiny baby coffins. You can get them in frog green or fire engine red. Really. The antibodies in yummy Mummy only protect the kid for six months, which is why these companies think they can gouge you. They think that you'll spend whatever they ask to keep your kid alive. Want to change things? Prove 'em wrong. Few hundred parents like you decide they'd rather let their kid die than cough up forty bucks for a vaccination, believe me, prices will drop really fast. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • House: General Hospital's on channel 6.
      General Hospital is a very popular soap on ABC, and is also House's favorite show. Also, in central New Jersey, channel 6 is in fact an ABC station. Edit

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Season 1 Episodes

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Ep 22
Honeymoon
Ep 21
Three Stories
Ep 20
Love Hurts
Ep 19
Kids
Ep 18
Babies & Bathwater
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Role Model
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Control
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Sports Medicine
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Detox
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Histories
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DNR
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Poison
Ep 7
Fidelity
Ep 6
The Socratic Method
Ep 5
Damned If You Do
Ep 4
Maternity
Ep 3
Occam's Razor
Ep 2
Paternity
Ep 1
Pilot

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