Directed by: Deran Sarafian
Written by: Eli Attie
Patty Michener (Jamie Rose), a prominent woman's rights lawyer, is meeting with a bunch of businessmen when her assistant Lou (Christine Woods) flips out, imagining herself crawling with ants.
Dr. House is playing video games and drinking pop from a very large cup in a patient's room. Dr. Cuddy comes in, shuts off the video game and tells House that Dr. Wilson is coming back today after two months of bereavement leave. House acts like he doesn't really care. Dr. Foreman comes in and tells them about the new case.
Lou is supposed to be pregnant, but the ultrasound shows no baby. House takes another look and determines that the fetus is there, just not where it's supposed to be. Without discussing it with the patient, House declares that the fetus will be removed, and the patient will be back to normal in no time flat.
Reviewing the surgery tape, Foreman, Dr. Hadley and Dr. Kutner discover a ganglioma, which needs a biopsy. But Dr. Chase refuses to put the patient through another major surgery with anesthesia. Kutner comes up with a different way to do the biopsy.
Wilson announces that he's leaving the hospital. House is furious, calls Wilson's decision a "dog wearing a cape"
Cuddy asks House whether he feels any guilt for his part in the events leading up to Amber's death. Cuddy and House recap the events of the previous season finale: House was too drunk at a bar, so he called Wilson to get him, but Amber came instead and got on the bus with him. House didn't prescribe the amantadine pills, didn't drive the bus nor the garbage truck that hit the bus.
Cuddy shows up at House's apartment to yell at him, he shuts the door on her. The next day, Cuddy coerces House and Wilson into the same room to talk things over.
Wilson declares that he and House are no longer friends. He's not sure they ever were.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Everyone Has Standards: As angry and upset as Wilson is, he's forced to admit that while he really wants to blame House for Amber's death, he can't. That being said, it does not stop him from ending their friendship for other reasons.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Dr. Wilson leaves, and Dr. House's attempt to get a Replacement Goldfish fails miserably.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: In their last conversation of the episode, House walks into Wilson's office, looks him in the eye, and apologizes for what happened to Amber.
- Status Quo Is God: Mostly averted, though only temporarily.
- Time Skip: A small one; it's mentioned that Wilson took two months of bereavement leave after Amber's death.
- Title Drop: "Almost dying changes nothing," Dr. House says. "Dying changes everything."
