'House': Taub meets everyone's lowest expectations

"Prison Break's" Sarah Wayne Callies guest stars as patient-of-the-week Julia on Monday's "House" episode, "Open and Shut." As usual, House and the diagnostics team spend more time obsessing over Julia's personal life than they do over her inexplicable stomach pains.

Julia and her husband, Tom, enjoy an open marriage. According to Julia, many couples cheat on one another, and by accepting that fact and being honest about it, she and Tom have created a solution out of the problem. That might have worked, but Tom isn't being honest at all. While Julia rendezvouses with sexy younger men with names like Damien, Tom sits idly by in secret monogamy. Oh, and he's squandered their life's savings, leaving her without medical insurance in her time of need.

Despite the obvious dysfunction in Julia and Tom's relationship, Taub somehow sees them as some sort of paragon of health. Though he's trying as hard as he can to keep his relationship together, he can't help eying a young nurse.

Prompted by House's incomparable power of suggestion, Taub brings the idea of open marriage up on a dinner date. To his surprise, his wife agrees, after some consideration. He can sleep with other women one night a week as long as she never has to meet them or hear about them. She doesn't trust him to be faithful to her but doesn't like the idea of him lying to her, either.

Taub has become increasingly weak-willed this season. He seems to shuffle through his life, accepting his own faults as inevitable, as if his own mistakes are happening to him instead of being caused by him. Even after he assures his wife that he only wants her, he still kisses the nurse and drives away from the hospital with her. Really, Taub? His wife can do better.

In other news... House is still meddling in Wilson's love life, but Wilson and Sam are still successfully dodging House's bullets. If anything, House's attempt to drive a wedge between Sam and Wilson this week only brought them closer together, clearing up 10 years of strain between them. As much as I love the hilarious back-and-forth between House and Wilson... this is getting old. At some point, something has to give. House has to address his codependency.

Oh -- and Sarah Wayne Callies' abdominal pain developed from a vascular issue called Henoch-Schonlein, which resulted from a bee sting. You know, in case you're one of the four people who cared.

--Carina MacKenzie (let's chat on Twitter @cadlymack)

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Photo: House (Hugh Laurie) examines a patient (Sarah Wayne Callies) who has seemingly routine symptoms but leads an unorthodox lifestyle. Credit: Fox

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Comments

[RealisticExpectations]

I started to develop of dislike of this show when they brought on the new students, and it's only gotten worse. Taub is one of my least favorite characters (next to Foreman).

I don't like the direction the show has taken one bit. It's not going to be long before I stop watcing the show entirely, if it continues at this rate.

[Steve G]

The producers have scored high with Cynthia Watros as Wilson's ex.

From 'Titus' to 'Drew Carey' to 'Lost' she has turned in appealing performances. She is up to the quality of the other strong talents selected to do arcs on 'House'.

Taub? What kind of Jew is named "Christopher"? It means "bearing Christ inside".

And while we are on the subject...what's with Wilson's being Jewish? Is he going the way of Courtney Cox's character on 'Friends', who despite the fact that she had a Jewish brother, somehow ceased being Jewish somewhere in the third or fourth season?

Anyway, theming everyone around the open relationship 'topic of the week' looked like a writing exercise more than a compelling drama.

[Brandon Connell]

That was a great episode. I had some fun with my wife during this one.. lol.