If there was electricity, the refrigerator would have worked. And if the fridge worked, they wouldn’t have had to test for foodborne contaminants, we as viewers wouldn’t have been disgusted by the rotting food, and we wouldn’t have found the concept of nesting raccoons quite as believable.
Hoarders typically don’t like strangers in the house because it invites ridicule. Although they never said anything to indicate this was the case, they could have had a need for an electrician and just decided to go off the grid. They could have blown a fuse and had too much piled up in front of the fusebox to do anything about it. If the refrigerator had broken down they’d resist getting another because it would have to be delivered and installed.
I never thought for a moment that House shot anyone. the gun was too powerful. I ascribed the arrest to threatening.
I’m not as worried about the electicity or water, I’m still trying to figure out how he got into or even left the place, as it showed the two had to literally push the stuff out of the way with the door.
was he climing in/out of a window? did they just not show a back entrance?
I’m still not buying it. Hoarding has nothing to do with not having electricity, other than, as has been noted, a lame ass device to push the plot along.
That would be my guess. Once they got the front door started, there’d be no reason to bother checking the other door.
I can buy that hoarding could lead to a loss of services. During my breakdown after my son’s death, my apartment was a utter mess, and I put up with some bad plumbing issues because I didn’t want to have the super in the place to fix it and see how crazy I had gone.
That said, I think including the B story was a mistake in itself. The problem with this episode was the writers’ failure to commit. If they had abandoned their usual formula, it would have worked much better.
Now, as I don’t watch every single episode of this show and missed most of the first part of this season, I have two questions:
- What happened between Taub & the missus?
- Does anybody else think that ex-Mrs. Taub is far hotter than the twenty-two-year-old?
The missus was getting the emotional support she needed from an online friend. Taub got jealous for a while, but Mrs Taub seemed to be able to re-assure him of his manhood/professionalhood/whatever.
Taub figured out they weren’t actually ‘happy’ in their marriage (even though they still cared for each other) so he was the one who asked for a divorce.
Taub moved into his own apartment. Some minor stuff happened. Then more stuff happened with the result Taub is living in Foreman’s brother’s room.
I’m leaving out most of the details, but that sums up the important parts.
If nothing else, it showed that House was really hurt by Cuddy. It was much more emotion than we’re used to seeing, and certainly a step up from an endless parade of hookers.
ETA: So is 13 back for good? Wilde’s name was in the titles, while Amber Tamblyn’s was still listed as a guest star. I did notice that she (the character) seemed taken aback that 13 was coming to work on Monday. “Monday?” Like she knew that it was the end of her run.
I can attest to this from personal experience with a friend who is a hoarder. The electricity and plumbing in her house have issues but she refuses to let anyone in to fix it and won’t pay for their services either. She’s got a pile of money in the bank but she is hoarding it as well. She needs new appliances but the same dynamics apply. One of these days, the kitchen will catch on fire or something will flood and then she’ll have a total breakdown from the loss of all her precious crap.
Thirteen is back for the forseeable future. Masters has one or two more episodes. Preview for next week shows House offering her a permanent position on his team with the condition that she turn in some falsified paperwork. My guess is she refuses.
Yes, absolutely.
“There’s something wrong with us.”
“Yes, I know.”
Well, if it keeps them away from other people, go nuts. 
I don’t think House shot the kid, either - a gun that could put a potato through a truck window BEFORE it was souped up would have put the potato right through the kid’s chest.
Damn it. I like Masters and I HATE HATE HATE HATE Thirteen.
I was just recently able to watch this episode on my tivo and I am hoping there is still someone around wishing to discuss it.
I was taken aback at how different 13 looked after just one year. At first I thought it might just be her new bangs, but after looking up a few older pictures of her I realized it was due to plastic surgery on her nose, at the very least. The way she holds her mouth is different too, but I cant put my finger on why.
I was so disappointed, I thought she was such a beautiful woman before. If someone as young and pretty as she was felt the pressure to get plastic surgery to make her more generic looking, what hope do the rest of us ‘normals’ have?
Is this even the right thread to post such a comment? sorry if its not, I’m quite new here.
I think this is an appropriate head to discuss Olivia Wilde’s looks, which I thought (and still think) highly of. She is still best known for her role as Thirteen, I think.
That said, she doesn’t look like she’s gone under the knife to me.