Dr. Gregory House will hit a milestone in his newest episode Monday at 7 p.m. on FOX.
“The Dig” will mark both the 150th episode of "House" and the return of one of its main characters, absent since the end of last season.
The episode begins with House (Hugh Laurie) arriving outside a state prison to pick up Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley (Olivia Wilde). Thirteen has been in prison for six months and is surprised to find House waiting for her. But perhaps the biggest surprise is what she did to get there, and it's certainly not a mystery House can pass up without solving.
This milestone would not be complete without House's usual callous disregard for rules, other people's privacy and social and professional taboos, especially when it comes to his team, his patients and those who could be considered his friends. In the first few days after picking her up from prison, House takes Thirteen to an annual spud gun competition instead of taking her home. He utilizes the time both to probe her for more information about her mysterious disappearance and subsequent incarceration and to get her to help him compete against his smug teenage potato-propelling rival.
Also, as is the pattern for the show, House's team back at the hospital takes on a new case, in this instance consulting with him via telephone as needed. A junior-high science teacher is admitted to the hospital after coughing up blood during class. The team searches the patient's home for clues and discovers he is a hoarder. It's not until the second visit, however, that a discovery is made that turns the case on its head. It's not the last twist for the team and its patients.
House is well known for his rude language, crude humor and candid innuendos, and, again, this episode is no exception. Viewers will, however, also see some chinks exposed in House's armor of insensitivity as Thirteen, who has been absent throughout House's failed relationship with Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), learns almost as much about House as he does about her during his search into the puzzle of her prison-warranting crime. The pair share an especially close moment at the end of the episode, which viewers will have to see to fully appreciate and understand.
Unfortunately, this episode also delves further into the personal and sexual life of Dr. Chris Taub (Peter Jacobson) and includes sexual dialogue and a sex scene. There is also a scene with House talking to Thirteen while she is trying on clothes in a store dressing room. These scenes seem largely unnecessary to the plot of the episode and certainly don't add any quality to the show.
It would be a stretch to call "House" a family show, but “The Dig” delivers all the drama, humor and twists for which "House" has become famous.