This is going to be a post in haste but I've GOT to get this out. I will probably x-post this to the fanblog at some point.

OK, at the end of Detox, at the Big Scene, Wilson says to House, "You're miserable! And you're afraid to face yourself."

Hmmmm... miserable. And where have we heard that before? In the chapel, when Sister Eucharist is sparring with House. She called it months ago (and House blew her off.)

I am wondering if Sister E is almost a kind of mirror image to House. In some ways, they're alike. He cares for the sick; she is the infirmarian for the sisters -- kind of the "school nurse" for the monastery. They're on the same wavelength about the source of Sister A's present illness -- they both think it's of natural origin (as opposed to supernatural.) House even indirectly quotes Sister E later in the episode: Sister E remarks, If I break my leg, I believe it happened for a reason. I believe God wanted me to break my leg. I also believe He wants me to put a cast on it. Later House tells Sister A, I know you believe in God but I bet you still look both ways before crossing the street. House says "everyone lies;" Sister E thinks Sister Augustine has been malingering all these years (and in doing so gives a big whomping clue to Sister A's illness.) They both end up in the chapel, though for very different purposes, where they even eat together, breaking a candy bar instead of bread together (*ahem* that would be bread as in Eucharist.) House starts the probing questions game -- let me provoke you into revealing more about yourself -- and what does Sister E do but play the game right back?

Of course, mirror images are backwards. He doesn't believe (or says he doesn't); she does, and in a tough, practical way. He goes to the chapel to distract himself with TV; she goes to center herself in prayer. When House calls Sister E on her "four out of seven" sins; she doesn't get defensive; she is probably well aware of her faults. But when she calls out House, he rudely breaks off the conversation so he can get back to distracting himself.

More later on the nuns' names -- I'm sure they're significant!

UPDATE: Okay, more on the names. Sister Pius is easy. She has a simple, almost credulous faith. Pius = Pious.

Sister Augustine is named after the great St Augustine of Hippo, who led a wild life as a youth (including fathering a child out of wedlock) but after years and years finally came to belief.

Sister Eucharist... that is such a weird name in the sense that I cannot imagine a nun IRL taking this name. And I am still mulling over what it means to the episode. In Catholic theology, the great mystery of the Eucharist is Jesus Christ really and truly present -- the faithful can see him and touch him. Sister E looks for the natural explanation first, but she is named for an astounding mystery. Maybe it's because she sees God expressing Himself in ordinary events requiring an "ordinary" response from her. She doesn't need special effects like stigmata to rock her world -- she sees "signs and wonders" in the ordinary.

Sister P is simple, naive, almost gullible. Sister E is much more tough-minded and practical. Sister A seems to have the golden mean between these two extremes -- her faith is solid and child-like in the sense of trusting, not childish in the sense of uneducated. She approaches faith with both the childish trust of Sister Pius and with the practicality of Sister Eucharist.

You can see this visually in that amazing shot of Sister A in bed, with her two sisters in prayer at her right and left hand. The triangular composition of the shot reminds me of medieval sacred art.

There is much more to the nuns than meets the eye. And... I' m sure I have more to say on the subject, but not at the moment. But you're not the only one to notice the difference between Sr. E and House.

I think it was the episode Damned if you Do, where Wilson spent Christmas with House and not his wife. And Wilson said that she does not mimd spending it alone because she alone all the time or something like that.

The Detox is the episode that I like the best because we got to see House like he really was off the medicine. I was surprised that he broke his fingers to stop the pain in his leg.

Christina

House can really play the piano.

The nun was allegic to copper and the other nuns did not know that. One nun say that House performs and he says that they talk alot.

I am wondering why does Chase hate nuns? I am thinking because he is not religoious.

Christina

So I'm watching DIYD today, and I noticed something right at the beginning. House comes out of the exam room after giving Sister Augustine the antihistamine pill, and says to Wilson "How do you solve a problem like dermitits?" HA! This is a reference to The Sound of Music that I never caught before: the song Maria has a line "how do you solve a problem like Maria?"

Guess that was a heads up to Wilson that House had just treated a nun. Wilson missed it though, check out the expression on his face.

:lol: The coolest episode ever is Detox...It's really sad in some ways, too. I hate when he smashes his hand in that thing...What is that thing called. it was a smooth heavy object type thing.[SIZE=1]

I almost cried when that kids dad hit House. I wanted to crawl through the TV and smack him back...And getting away from the poisen is what poisened him?? WTF is that all about. I want to see something like that happen to Foreman or Chase...[B]

or maybe he's Catholic

intentionallydensehuh, I believe that thing was a pestle... of the mortar and pestle fame. We have a large marble one of those on our kitchen.. a perfect finger-breaking object...
I think you're getting at a good point here, Auditrix. Damned If You Do was one of the first really House-character oriented episodes, if you like... Giving us our first real insight into his philosophy and character.
I think that another episode that is very telling about House is DNR... If we look from the angle that House is a show about pain, then DNR is a trifle overlooked in the philosophical-dramatical area.
So there.
:)