Of all the things I adored about this episode and the writing, the continuity blew me away.

I loved the scene with House in St.Sebateins’s Clinic (shout out to Deception) and the parallel between Anika and House’s addicative bevahiuor – both unable to change course despite their respective worlds collapsing around their ears.

But I love the fact that it mirrors so perfectly the scene House described in Three Stories about ‘drug seekers’. Raises a ton of questions about whether he had a drugs issue prior to the infarction.

Also have to wonder about this ep being the realisation, in many ways, of the never aired, alternate ending to Honeymoon. House not actively killing himself but lying in the road and the passive route Taru mentioned in the ep thread.

Another point is the scene in Control when House looks at Carly’s cuts to her leg while she sleeps. Beautiful scene and interesting that he railed at her big time before showing more compassion than we have seen him show most nearly all other patients. If his brutal approach as a means to an end rather than any firmly held hate for her self-loathing. House will use anything to solve his puzzle, while she is a puzzle but the ‘chicken’ scene when she woke up is one of my favourite from all seasons to date.

I'm with on the continuity Benj! I mentioned on another board about how it just seems that with this show the reuns are not a letdown. That the audience sees new things in them based on new information we've learned since the first airing.

I can't say that I think TPTB plan it initially. I think they write and write and write some more without a lot of thought too far down the road. But I do think all the writers have a pretty clear idea who House is and what he is and isn't capable of. And, now that they have a history of sorts to work from, they don't just work to keep continuity but look at how many of those little things can come to mean something more significant.

It's just one more thing that sets it apart from other shows.

I too loved St. Sebastian reappearance. But, I think the drug seeking behavoior of House here lead me to believe just the opposite. I still believe that House was no stranger to drugs prior to the infarction. I still don't rule out that he may have even been addicted to something before then but I just don't see him being any more successful than he was this time at getting his fix from a clinic/emergency room.

I don't want to get a monster post going here so I won't go through all my reasoning but I just don't see him being able to let the idiocy go back then either. He just can't stop himself from pointing out the flaws in people's arguments. I just don't see his behavior being any different then than it was now. So basically it would have been a very risky, unprofitable way for him to get drugs. Unless he was as absolutely desperate then and that would certainly point to him being an addict verging on all out junkie. That's not a popular image and even though I don't always go with popular image I just don't see House pre-infarc that desperate for drugs.

His desperation now doesn't just spring from addiction it's pain and the fear of pain that I feel are his motivating factor now and they didn't exsist before.

Although, I think House uses the Vicodin as much for physical pain as he does for emotional pain and I'm sure the emotional pain has been around a lot longer than the physical pain. But I still don't see that making him that desperate for a fix that he'd be able to hold his tongue long enough to get a perscription.

Then again, maybe being less desperate would make him more patient and able to tolerate the ER/clinic doc. Hmmm, to be or not to be?! :lol:

Oh damn! Another plot bunny has broken loose! My muses need to get busy!

Anyhow, some great thoughts Benj! I'll leave it here and give someone else a chance to examine the rest. If no one else wants to pick up the torch I'll jump back in.

RT - Interesting thoughts :D !

I agree the idea thar House didn't have drug issues at the time of the infarction but I have always felt that the drug seeker scenario was significant and that roads/stories led back to him in someway.

My theory is that he 'form' - a drug problem in his medical file that perhaps counted against him in a 'boy who cried wolf' way when he tried to get help for his leg at that time. Maybe he showed up at the Clinic and they dismissed him or he went elsewhere in the knowledge that past sins might count against him. Or he wasn't drug seeking then and the scene in MLC is intended for ironic purposes.

It wasn't just Three Stories but Crandell, the ex etc gave me the vibe that House had been involved in some drug setup prior to the infarction. The past being inescapable and that when he was happiest with Stacy that is caught up with him.

Anyway good food for fic if nothing else ;-)