episode 6x03
Whadda you know, spoilers ahead!
The new ep, Epic Fail, was good. It struck the right tone both with the goings on at the PPTH Diagnostics Department and with Dr. House's attempting to find his footing. I have to be honest, after I had gotten quite worked up ahead of the new season with worries about it all going to hell in a hand basket, I think Shore & Co. might just possibly pull it off after all. House calmly assessing his situation and deciding he needs to take his work at the hospital out of the equation: very rational, logical, decisive, even sensible. It felt nice and strangely enough not forced. Cuddy's reaction to his announcement too was dignified and mature. Her coming over later to ask House where they sort of stand now was handled beautifully: he apologized sincerely without overdoing it, she accepted that they were OK but that House needed more time to process everything, something she could use too, knowing now that there isn't any heavy unresolved tension still hanging between them. House bantering with the Chinese-American lady in Chinese was cute with one caveat: her saying Cuddy looked like a hooker was over the top. Sure, that is what House could've said (and never really meant) but nobody else really says/thinks that way. That joke is getting tedious, esp. when put into total strangers' mouths. She is beautiful, never cheap. That brings us to House joining and quickly, doggedly surpassing Wilson in his cooking lessons. Everything worth doing is worth doing well is a maxim House swears by. I hope he does keep up the cooking later on this season. Please don't make it into just another cute gimmick that is done once and that's it. Him cooking for Cuddy... now that makes me salivate. Then on to Foreman: his struggling with being in charge was totally predictable but it felt right nevetheless. In the end, he did put two and two together and came up with the correct diagnosis anyway. Sure, Thirteen found the answer also, in the reward-contest answers, but that was covering for him, doing the right thing. Of course, when we later find out that the unknown internet diagnosis came from House... yeah, that was symbolic for Foreman not getting out from under House's shadow. House sublimating his painkiller addiction with diagnostic puzzle solving: classic, just right. Cuddy is right though, without House there's no Diagnostics Dept.: Taub wants to leave, Thirteen can't be Foreman's lover and employee at the same time (as long as Foreman is so insecure about his medical abilities). All in all, a good episode that carried the plot further, developing things at the right pace with solid performances by esp. Laurie, Edelstein and Epps.
P.S.: In case you wonder where episode 6x02 went: as ep 6x01 was 2 hours it counted for 6x01 and 6x02...