Clueless (House)
Encyclopedia
"Clueless" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of House
, which premiered on the Fox
network on March 28, 2006.
her. However, when Maria suddenly uses his name it is revealed that this man is not a rapist, but rather her husband, Bob, who was engaging in role-play
with her. The man is soon unable to breathe.
Meanwhile, Wilson
has been staying over with House
due to problems at home. The episode starts with House and Wilson agreeing that Wilson will move out the next day.
House leads the team in a differential diagnosis over Bob's breathing difficulty. He also questions the motives for their marriage. During discussion with the rest of the team, House has too much caffeine
, which leads to him juggling
at inopportune times and then forcing all of them (including Cameron) to conference in the men's room while he urinates.
House is convinced that the symptoms are typical of heavy metal poisoning but none of the tests confirm that diagnosis. The more interesting finding is that while at the hospital, instead of Bob's condition remaining stable or getting better, he experiences multiple respiratory attacks.
Although Foreman
pushes a lupus
diagnosis and treatments, House decides Maria must be poisoning Bob, as any heavy metal that could enter his system by other means has been tested for. He tries to convince Cameron to search her, but ends up doing it himself. Maria lets House search everywhere but a body cavity search, but he finds nothing.
Still certain that Maria is to blame, House rushes home to retrieve a vial of liquid to test his theory, instructing Cameron to prevent Maria from using the bathroom until he returns. Cameron is unable to stall the wife long enough, but House enters the restroom just as she is leaving the stall, takes hold of her hands and apologizes for his inability to properly treat Bob. However, when House lets go of her hands the fingertips are stained purple. He explains that he asked Cameron to stall her only to prevent her from washing her hands, allowing him to test his theory by way of a gold indicator he retrieved from home (stannous chloride
), which reduces gold ions to colored colloidal metallic gold
. By applying the indicator to his hands and touching Maria's hand after she went to the bathroom, he confirms his suspicion that Maria was killing Bob with gold sodium thiomalate
. Cameron pays him the $100 she bet him that the couple's marriage was happy.
At the end, House erases a message from a realtor to Wilson.
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
, which premiered on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network on March 28, 2006.
Plot
The episode's cold opening begins with Maria, a woman looking in the mirror after showering when she is violently grabbed and carried to the bedroom by a man. As he attempts to force her onto the bed she fights him off, and he begins to have difficulty breathing. Her apparent concern for his welfare is surprising, given that he was trying to rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
her. However, when Maria suddenly uses his name it is revealed that this man is not a rapist, but rather her husband, Bob, who was engaging in role-play
Rape fantasy
A rape fantasy or a ravishment is a sexual fantasy involving imagining or pretending being coerced or coercing another into sexual activity. In sexual role-play it involves acting out roles of coercive sex...
with her. The man is soon unable to breathe.
Meanwhile, Wilson
James Wilson
James Wilson was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. Wilson was elected twice to the Continental Congress, and was a major force in drafting the United States Constitution...
has been staying over with House
Gregory House
Gregory House, M.D., or simply referred to as House, is a fictional antihero and title character of the American television series House, played by Hugh Laurie. He is the Chief of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, where he leads a team of diagnosticians...
due to problems at home. The episode starts with House and Wilson agreeing that Wilson will move out the next day.
House leads the team in a differential diagnosis over Bob's breathing difficulty. He also questions the motives for their marriage. During discussion with the rest of the team, House has too much caffeine
Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants...
, which leads to him juggling
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
at inopportune times and then forcing all of them (including Cameron) to conference in the men's room while he urinates.
House is convinced that the symptoms are typical of heavy metal poisoning but none of the tests confirm that diagnosis. The more interesting finding is that while at the hospital, instead of Bob's condition remaining stable or getting better, he experiences multiple respiratory attacks.
Although Foreman
Eric Foreman
Eric Foreman, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Omar Epps.-Background:A neurologist, Foreman was a member of Dr. Gregory House's handpicked team of specialists at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's Diagnostic Medicine Department...
pushes a lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
diagnosis and treatments, House decides Maria must be poisoning Bob, as any heavy metal that could enter his system by other means has been tested for. He tries to convince Cameron to search her, but ends up doing it himself. Maria lets House search everywhere but a body cavity search, but he finds nothing.
Still certain that Maria is to blame, House rushes home to retrieve a vial of liquid to test his theory, instructing Cameron to prevent Maria from using the bathroom until he returns. Cameron is unable to stall the wife long enough, but House enters the restroom just as she is leaving the stall, takes hold of her hands and apologizes for his inability to properly treat Bob. However, when House lets go of her hands the fingertips are stained purple. He explains that he asked Cameron to stall her only to prevent her from washing her hands, allowing him to test his theory by way of a gold indicator he retrieved from home (stannous chloride
Tin(II) chloride
Tin chloride is a white crystalline solid with the formula 2. It forms a stable dihydrate, but aqueous solutions tend to undergo hydrolysis, particularly if hot. SnCl2 is widely used as a reducing agent , and in electrolytic baths for tin-plating...
), which reduces gold ions to colored colloidal metallic gold
Colloidal gold
Colloidal gold is a suspension of sub-micrometre-sized particles of gold in a fluid — usually water. The liquid is usually either an intense red colour , or a dirty yellowish colour ....
. By applying the indicator to his hands and touching Maria's hand after she went to the bathroom, he confirms his suspicion that Maria was killing Bob with gold sodium thiomalate
Sodium aurothiomalate
Sodium aurothiomalate is a gold compound with the chemical formula C4H4AuNaO4S and is used for its antirheumatic effects to treat rheumatoid arthritis...
. Cameron pays him the $100 she bet him that the couple's marriage was happy.
At the end, House erases a message from a realtor to Wilson.
External links
- "Clueless" at Fox.com