TB or Not TB

Season 2, Episode 4, Aired
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Episode Summary

While in Africa, a famous doctor becomes inexplicably ill and is sent to Dr. House for treatment.
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Fan Episode Reviews (23)

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  • House deals with an arrogant yet noble patient...

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By DonStants2, Jun 03, 2009 Report Abuse
    I thought this episode of House brilliant, yet not perfect, simply because Sebastian Charles was so irritating as the patient. His message was inspiring, yet he was inexplicably annoying. No doubt he was meant to be, but I found this a little bit wearing at times.

    Nevertheless, the storyline was interesting. Cameron's interest in Charles and House comes head to head here, and I think Chase summed it up perfectly when he says "He's not House- theres nothing there". I thought House's diagnostic processes were very funny in this episode, especially when he burst into the room during the press conference.

    The clinic scenes were also very funny, and how the obnoxious clinic patient who was shirty with Foreman was dealt with at the end was inspired and ingenious writing.

    Overall, another solid episode of a very decent start to Season 2.moreless

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  • One of the best episodes of House ever by far!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Canogaparkcindy, Aug 27, 2008 Report Abuse
    This episode was simply amazing I would have to say, having a practical celebrity as one of the patients of Dr. House, the whole thing with the press conferences, love interests, just all seems to fit perfectly, I liked the patient up until the point he wouldn't take the pills but he finally did, an unintentionally funny part is when the patient puked & fell down a flight of stairs with Cameron, I also like how Foreman & Wilson are watching the TV while House is trying to figure out what's going down with the patient, also when Cameron fixes the patient's robe & sees his butt, at the end Cameron doesn't end up dating him & he gets better & we find out why House hated him, and it was a pretty stupid reason but a great episode.moreless

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  • A generic episode that could fit anywhere in the first three seasons (save an appearance from Stacy) -- but still a great episode.

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By cste12, Feb 27, 2008 Report Abuse
    In "TB or not TB," Ron Livingston makes a guest appearance as an American doctor who treats overseas children for Tuberculosis. House spends a majority of the episode arguing that he's not a hero and is pompous like the rest of us, but just hides it better. His opinion does not change at the end of the episode when the patient leaves the hospital and has a press conference ("Look at him, he's enjoying this"). I laughed out loud with the not-so-subtle writing in the opening sequence when Sebastian is appealing to the Pharmaceutical company's board room full of executives and he collapses. His executive friend, a chemistry major in high school, comes to his aide on the ground and looks around the room asking "Isn't somebody here a doctor?" I found it funny because it brings to realization the fact that the industry is run by businessmen, as evidenced by the differences between Nexium and Prilosec (esomeprazole and omeprazole), and the actual doctors are just highly paid tools to help the businessmen make money.

    The writers seem to have started a pattern in which there is one clinic case and one major case per episode. The clinic case was seen by Foreman (wearing Dr. House's lab coat), and the lady became very mad at Foreman, whom she thought was House because of the nametag. The clinic story crossed paths with the main patient story in a uniquely written part where House proves that you can influence how people think based on a stereotype (in his case -- the cane). And while proving this to Cameron -- doubling as his argument against Dr. Sebastian -- he gives an apology to the angry female patient for putting his cane on her foot, which and overlooking Cuddy mistakes for his actual apology.

    The series is starting to fall into a rut, but we have a feeling that this Stacy situation will come of something soon. Even in the 'rut,' the writing is above average and the episode is very entertaining.moreless

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  • Review

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By cavanagh15, Feb 20, 2007 Report Abuse
    I thought this was a good episode, with another wild change it up sickness that wound up being exactly as House projected it would be. I thought the episode was randomly comical, which is what I love about this show. I didnt think I was a big fan of the Cameron-House hook up until I saw her talking a lot to the doctor from africa. Every scene that he flirted with her my heart was racing that they would share some kiss that would change the way she felt about House. I dont think I want them to be together, I just like the fact that she likes him and he dodges it all the time. I think this show needs to bring House back to the Clinic a little more often as thats where the humor in the series actually originated from. Solid Episode thoughmoreless

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  • An okay episode

    8.3
    "Great"
    By Slayergirlkal, Feb 14, 2007 Report Abuse
    This wasn't the greatest episode ever. Dr. Charles was well I agree with House on him, I didn't really like the guy. And I hated Cameron. When they were doing the differential and House made a comment about Dr. Charles' cologne smelling like an elephant dung smoothie Cameron had that yuck look on her face and then she went and said it smelled fine.

    I didn't really like the light tension between Sebastian and Cameron. It is obvious that House was a little jealous when he saw Cameron and Sebastian holding hands.

    Foreman and House making a bet on the tilt the table test was amusing though. House won like usual and he was a sore winner when having Foreman go and take an extra hour of clinic duty for him.

    Foreman's clinic patient was great though. I loved how she complained to Cuddy and House was supposed to apologize for what Foreman did.

    It was an okay episode not the best though.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • The Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, Norway and not in Stockholm, Sweden as claimed by House and Wilson. Edit
    • Chase says that his dad is rich, present tense. But as established in last season's "Cursed," Rowan Chase only had three months to live and clearly more time has passed then that since the events of that episode. A few episodes later in "The Mistake," it will be established he died in the spring of 2005, and this episode takes place afterward, so the reference to his dad in the present tense still doesn't work out. Edit
    • Streptomycin is not available in pill form, it is only available as an intramuscular injection, however, it is shown as a pill as part of Dr. Charles's antibiotic cocktail. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • The song played in the closing minutes of this episode is "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Leon Russell Edit
    • "Stoia Tucker Pharamaceuticals" is an in-joke reference to First Assistant Director Chris Stoia. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • House: The reality is irrelevant. I'll prove it. People who know me see me as an ass, treat me as an ass. People who don't know me see a cripple, treat me as a cripple. What kind of selfish jerk wouldn't take advantage of that fact? Edit
    • Dr. Foreman: What's the emergency? House: (looks at his yo-yo) I can't remember how to do "walk the dog." Edit
    • House: You're allergic. We can control it with antihistamine. One pill a day. Mandy: Pills? House: You don't like to swallow? Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • House; Does this go up to 11? Echoing a line from the movie This Is Spinal Tap (1984) spoken by Nigel (Christopher Guest) when talking about how loud his guitar amplifiers go up to. Edit
    • Title: TB or not TB The episode title is a pun resembling Shakespeare's famous quote from Hamlet, "To be, or not to be." Edit
    • House: Yeah, I know, I saw the concert. This is a refence to the Live Aid concert held in 1985 to combat the terrible conditions in Africa. Also, during the Live 8 concerts in the summer of 2005, there was a segment where it was mentioned that every three seconds someone dies in Africa. Edit

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