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Ugly (House)
Encyclopedia
"Ugly" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of House
and the seventy-seventh episode overall. It aired on November 13, 2007. The episode revolves around a teenager named Kenny Cyrus with a major facial deformity. He is set to get surgery in order to remove the deformity, but has a heart attack just prior to the surgery. Dr. Gregory House, who still has not hired a new diagnostic team out of six interns, tries to figure out what is wrong with Kenny. Kenny was being filmed by a documentary crew during the process of the surgery, so House has to find out what is wrong with Kenny while being filmed by the crew.
The episode was watched by 11.4 million viewers, making it the eighth most-watched program of the week. The episode gained positive reviews by critics, who were surprised by the story surrounding Dr. Chris Taub
, one of the fellowship applicants, in the episode.
As the film crew continues to document Kenny, House becomes increasingly annoyed and tries to avoid them by briefing his team by the MRI
machine and in surgery. However, ultimately he cannot escape the cameras and the candidates find themselves acting self consciously in front of the lens. Meanwhile, House begins to regret recruiting former CIA
doctor Samira Terzi (Michael Michele
) when she fails to demonstrate the intelligence he witnessed at Langley. Wilson, who believes that House is being distracted by Terzi's looks, offers up the solution to quickly fire her and then ask her out on a date. He also notes House's propensity to hire attractive women, which led him to this situation. House argues that he's "not that guy"; Wilson retorts "every guy is that guy". During the episode the film crew also interviews Cameron, asking why she resigned and making it look like she was romantically attracted to House.
Dr. Taub, using his experience as a plastic surgeon, gains Kenny's and his father's trust and frequently clashes with House on the diagnosis. House believes Kenny is suffering juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
while Taub believes it is merely the side effects of increased intracranial pressure
. By persuading Kenny's father not to follow House's treatment and by attempting to kick him off the case, House fires Taub, only to have his decision reversed by Cuddy. Ultimately both House and Taub are proven wrong when Thirteen
realizes Kenny is suffering Lyme disease
, with the telltale rash hidden by his hair. Incensed by Taub's actions, House begins to dig into his life, and gets him to confess that he resigned his old position as a plastic surgeon because he was discovered having a secret affair with his nurse. He signed a non-compete agreement with his former partners in exchange for their keeping quiet about the affair, effectively blackballing him out of his area of expertise.
In the end Taub is not fired, but Dr. Terzi is let go and House's request for a date is turned down. Cuddy and House watch an early cut of the documentary, which has been edited to portray House as a compassionate, sympathetic doctor. House is aghast and leaves the room, questioning whether he can still trust Michael Moore
movies. The documentary continues, revealing that the surgery was successful, and that Kenny thanks Dr. House.
), who made her first appearance in "Whatever it Takes". Michele had previously played a doctor named Cleo Finch
on the medical drama ER
. Omar Epps
, who stars in House as Dr. Eric Foreman
, also starred on ER, but two years before Michele. As usual, the filming took place on the Fox
lot in Century City
. This episode contained the song 'Slide Away
' by The Verve
from their début album 'A Storm In Heaven
'.
's Sunday Night Football, with 11.4 million viewers, it received a 17 share in the ratings. Overall, the episode was well received by critics. Nina Hämmerling Smith of TV Guide
quoted: "Perhaps the best thing about the episode was the amount of screen time given to old favorites like Wilson
(Robert Sean Leonard
) and Cuddy
(Lisa Edelstein
). The show's most convincing writing has always been in the scenes when those two spar with House, and I was thrilled to see more of that". Most critics were surprised and interested by the performance of Chris Taub
in this episode. Richard Keller of TV Squad, wrote that he was almost certain of the fact that Taub was going to be fired and he was glad that he wasn't. He also quoted, "For some reason I like Taub. Maybe because he's not pretty like the rest of them. He's just an everyday schlub who's a pretty decent doctor".
Buzz Byrne from Critics rant called Taub, "interesting". James Chamberlin of IGN
did not think that the black and white documentary really worked for him, and when it was over he didn't feel like he had just watched an episode of House. Chamberlin graded the episode with a 7.7. Michelle Romero, of Entertainment Weekly
commented "I loved it when House told his crew that she Dr. Terzi got the gig because she had more experience than the swimsuit model". Television without Pity graded the episode with a B- (out of 84 votes). According to Glen L. Diaz, of BuddyTV
, various fans think that the smile on Cuddy's face at the end of the episode explains everything about how she thinks of House. Peter Jacobson submitted the episode for a Primetime Emmy Award
on his behalf in the category Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
. Sean Whitesell submitted the episode on his behalf in the category Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
. Neither nomination came through.
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...
and the seventy-seventh episode overall. It aired on November 13, 2007. The episode revolves around a teenager named Kenny Cyrus with a major facial deformity. He is set to get surgery in order to remove the deformity, but has a heart attack just prior to the surgery. Dr. Gregory House, who still has not hired a new diagnostic team out of six interns, tries to figure out what is wrong with Kenny. Kenny was being filmed by a documentary crew during the process of the surgery, so House has to find out what is wrong with Kenny while being filmed by the crew.
The episode was watched by 11.4 million viewers, making it the eighth most-watched program of the week. The episode gained positive reviews by critics, who were surprised by the story surrounding Dr. Chris Taub
Chris Taub
Christopher Michael "Chris" Taub, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Peter Jacobson. He becomes a member of House's new diagnostic team in the Season 4 episode titled "Games".-Professional life:...
, one of the fellowship applicants, in the episode.
Plot
A documentary film crew is chronicling a teenager named Kenny (Khleo Thomas) with a major facial deformity who opts to undergo a dramatic reconstructive procedure. When Kenny suffers a heart attack just prior to the surgery, House and the team are called in to determine the cause, since the surgery cannot proceed until Kenny's cardiac condition is diagnosed.As the film crew continues to document Kenny, House becomes increasingly annoyed and tries to avoid them by briefing his team by the MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
machine and in surgery. However, ultimately he cannot escape the cameras and the candidates find themselves acting self consciously in front of the lens. Meanwhile, House begins to regret recruiting former CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
doctor Samira Terzi (Michael Michele
Michael Michele
Michael Michele is an American film and television actress. She played Dr. Cleo Finch on the medical drama ER and Det. Rene Sheppard on the police procedural Homicide: Life on the Street...
) when she fails to demonstrate the intelligence he witnessed at Langley. Wilson, who believes that House is being distracted by Terzi's looks, offers up the solution to quickly fire her and then ask her out on a date. He also notes House's propensity to hire attractive women, which led him to this situation. House argues that he's "not that guy"; Wilson retorts "every guy is that guy". During the episode the film crew also interviews Cameron, asking why she resigned and making it look like she was romantically attracted to House.
Dr. Taub, using his experience as a plastic surgeon, gains Kenny's and his father's trust and frequently clashes with House on the diagnosis. House believes Kenny is suffering juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common form of persistent arthritis in children. JIA is a subset of arthritis seen in childhood, which may be transient and...
while Taub believes it is merely the side effects of increased intracranial pressure
Intracranial pressure
Intracranial pressure is the pressure inside the skull and thus in the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid . The body has various mechanisms by which it keeps the ICP stable, with CSF pressures varying by about 1 mmHg in normal adults through shifts in production and absorption of CSF...
. By persuading Kenny's father not to follow House's treatment and by attempting to kick him off the case, House fires Taub, only to have his decision reversed by Cuddy. Ultimately both House and Taub are proven wrong when Thirteen
Thirteen (House)
Remy "Thirteen" Hadley, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House, portrayed by Olivia Wilde. She is part of the new diagnostic team assembled by Dr. Gregory House after the disbanding of his previous team in the third season finale...
realizes Kenny is suffering Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
, with the telltale rash hidden by his hair. Incensed by Taub's actions, House begins to dig into his life, and gets him to confess that he resigned his old position as a plastic surgeon because he was discovered having a secret affair with his nurse. He signed a non-compete agreement with his former partners in exchange for their keeping quiet about the affair, effectively blackballing him out of his area of expertise.
In the end Taub is not fired, but Dr. Terzi is let go and House's request for a date is turned down. Cuddy and House watch an early cut of the documentary, which has been edited to portray House as a compassionate, sympathetic doctor. House is aghast and leaves the room, questioning whether he can still trust Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
movies. The documentary continues, revealing that the surgery was successful, and that Kenny thanks Dr. House.
Production
The episode was written by Sean Whitesell, who had previously worked as co-executive producer on the series. To date, this is the only House episode Whitesell has written. The episode became the second House episode to be directed by David Straiton, who had previously directed "Family". "Ugly" featured the second appearance of Dr. Samira Terzi (Michael MicheleMichael Michele
Michael Michele is an American film and television actress. She played Dr. Cleo Finch on the medical drama ER and Det. Rene Sheppard on the police procedural Homicide: Life on the Street...
), who made her first appearance in "Whatever it Takes". Michele had previously played a doctor named Cleo Finch
Cleo Finch
Dr. Cleo Finch was a fictional doctor in the television series ER, from Seasons 6 through 8 . She was portrayed by actress Michael Michele.-Life at County:...
on the medical drama ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. Omar Epps
Omar Epps
Omar Hashim Epps is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His film roles include Major League II, Juice, Higher Learning, Scream 2, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love and Basketball. Epps' television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the US medical drama series ER,...
, who stars in House as Dr. Eric 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...
, also starred on ER, but two years before Michele. As usual, the filming took place 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...
lot in Century City
Century City, Los Angeles, California
Century City is a 176-acre commercial and residential district on the Westside of the city of Los Angeles. It is bounded by Westwood on the west, Rancho Park on the southwest, Cheviot Hills and Beverlywood on the southeast, and the city of Beverly Hills on the northeast...
. This episode contained the song 'Slide Away
Slide Away
"Slide Away" is a song by the British rock band The Verve. It scraped the top 100 in the UK singles chart, peaking at #98. The song was taken from the band's first album, A Storm in Heaven...
' by The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
from their début album 'A Storm In Heaven
A Storm in Heaven
A Storm in Heaven is the debut studio album by English rock band The Verve , released in June 1993 on the Hut Recordings label...
'.
Reception
The episode was the eighth most-watched program of the week along with NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Sunday Night Football, with 11.4 million viewers, it received a 17 share in the ratings. Overall, the episode was well received by critics. Nina Hämmerling Smith of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
quoted: "Perhaps the best thing about the episode was the amount of screen time given to old favorites like Wilson
James Wilson (House)
James Evan Wilson, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is played by Robert Sean Leonard. The character first appears in the show's pilot episode when he introduces a medical case to Dr. Gregory House, the protagonist of the show. Wilson is Dr. House's only true friend,...
(Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Sean Leonard is an American actor, who has regularly starred in Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Since 2004 he has played the role of Dr. James Wilson on the TV series House...
) and Cuddy
Lisa Cuddy
Dr. Lisa Cuddy, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. She is portrayed by Lisa Edelstein. Cuddy was the Dean of Medicine and hospital administrator of the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. She also becomes House's love interest through the...
(Lisa Edelstein
Lisa Edelstein
Lisa Edelstein is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the television drama House.-Early life and education:...
). The show's most convincing writing has always been in the scenes when those two spar with House, and I was thrilled to see more of that". Most critics were surprised and interested by the performance of Chris Taub
Chris Taub
Christopher Michael "Chris" Taub, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Peter Jacobson. He becomes a member of House's new diagnostic team in the Season 4 episode titled "Games".-Professional life:...
in this episode. Richard Keller of TV Squad, wrote that he was almost certain of the fact that Taub was going to be fired and he was glad that he wasn't. He also quoted, "For some reason I like Taub. Maybe because he's not pretty like the rest of them. He's just an everyday schlub who's a pretty decent doctor".
Buzz Byrne from Critics rant called Taub, "interesting". James Chamberlin of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
did not think that the black and white documentary really worked for him, and when it was over he didn't feel like he had just watched an episode of House. Chamberlin graded the episode with a 7.7. Michelle Romero, of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
commented "I loved it when House told his crew that she Dr. Terzi got the gig because she had more experience than the swimsuit model". Television without Pity graded the episode with a B- (out of 84 votes). According to Glen L. Diaz, of BuddyTV
BuddyTV
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and...
, various fans think that the smile on Cuddy's face at the end of the episode explains everything about how she thinks of House. Peter Jacobson submitted the episode for a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
on his behalf in the category Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor - Drama Series
This is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.-1960s:*1960: no award*1961: Roddy McDowall – Not Without Honor*1962: no award*1963: no award...
. Sean Whitesell submitted the episode on his behalf in the category Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is awarded to one television episode each year at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Often regarded as the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an individual episode of television, the nominees and winners often reflect outstanding achievement in...
. Neither nomination came through.
External links
- "Ugly" at FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox 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...