In my view, House has been in a bit of a slump. I expected it to come bursting out last week as several character driven plots where being forced into the open. Sadly,last episode was better than some this season but was still a disappointment. It remains to be seen how long the House formula can stand up. Without something important happening, viewers are having a hard time to find a reason to tune in. Hugh Laurie can carry a scene, but the writers simply have to make waves or his talents may be wasted.

A drunk possible pedophile priest is brought to the hospital after having a hallucination of Christ on his church’s steps. His illness is chalked up to his drinking and is set to get released, but House needs a phony case and picks him up. He needs the case to give him time to sort out his problem with Thirteen and Foreman. He gives the new couple a choice, end your relationship or end your employment. Assuming he’s playing a game, Thirteen and Foreman refuse and House fires Foreman. Its hard to swallow as permanent, but at least there is an attempt at development.

The priest is no simple case. When the crew is just about to release him, his toe falls off.  Later he has what looks to be a heart attack, and his right eye goes blind. All the while the young priest, whose life and faith was wrecked with an accusation of pedophilia, sounds more like House than a man of the cloth. The crew begins to settle on a diagnosis of AIDS, but the priest refuses an HIV test. Taub understandably has little sympathy for the accused priest and seeks the victim out to warn him of possible infection.

After being fired Foreman visits Cuddy asking for a letter of recommendation. Because of Forman’s problems she refuses, essentially preventing him from finding another job at all. Thirteen suggests that she sacrifice herself, giving Foreman his old job back in exchange for hers. Somehow the whole thing backfires and Thirteen and Foreman are at each other’s throats, much to House’s delight.

After the priest exhibits yet another symptom. They decide it may not be AIDS at all. In a moment full of revelations, the accuser who Taub sought out comes to the hospital asking the ill priest for forgiveness. The priest is innocent. House then has his epiphany as well. After eliminating the hallucination of Jesus as a symptom, House finds that the priest has a genetic disease which suppresses the immune system. As the priest and House discuss the ramifications of the day’s events, it gives the producers a chance to harass TV’s most famous atheist for his beliefs.

In the final sequence we see Thirteen and Foreman back at home, snuggled up as before and celebrating their victory over House. They’ve convinced everyone that they’ve broken up, allowing them to both keep their jobs.

Once again the plot this week seemed full of potential, but its just inconceivable that Forman could actually leave the show. Because of that, it was just too hard to swallow and buy into. Also, I continually find the attempts to give Dr House religion phony and lame. Would writers feel this comfortable questioning any other belief system this way? Can you imagine a moment in which a Hindu Doctor’s faith was shaken by the power of a Christ hallucination on TV? It would never happen. It would be considered offensive. House has the only recognizable atheist on television. He stands mostly alone as a mainstream character who does not believe in God. Yet the writers continue to find crippled children and jaded priests to test House’s belief over and over again. Its as if he simply MUST believe a little bit, just to keep the audience feeling good about him. Honestly, any other faith or belief system would find this insulting, and more importantly its really beginning to get boring.