# House season premiere 10/3: "Twenty Vicodin" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 4, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508 "2011-10-04T02:00:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/21 "2011-10-04T17:49:36Z")
> [@Just\_Ed](#): > > I’d agree the episode was written in the “middle of the story” as relates House’s prison term. I don’t recall if they said how long it’s been, but they did mention at some point he didn’t have a lawyer and took the first plea they offered him. So we’re apparently going back to the earlier, crankier, bitter, cynical character of the first few years (which should be a good thing). They showed the parole hearing, in which they stated that House had been sentenced to one year, but was being offered it after eight months due to over crowding. They also offered an explanation for Rachael escaping injury when House drove his car into Cuddy’s house. She spends every Friday night with Grandma. I am so stealing House’s line to the ill prisoner: “Belief implies giving a crap on a level I’ll never achieve.” ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/22 "2011-10-04T18:39:57Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > They also offered an explanation for Rachael escaping injury when House drove his car into Cuddy’s house. She spends every Friday night with Grandma. That was a retroactive explanation though, wasn’t it? I vaguely recall seeing the little girl around the table during that final episode. I was disappointed by the premiere. The situations were often implausible. However, the writers are accustomed to writing for a hospital not a prison. I expect they’ll do better next week. In general though, most of House’s predicaments have become implausible. I’d appreciate it if they could bring things closer to reality again. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/23 "2011-10-04T18:51:56Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Btw…anyone else laugh at the ‘It’s lupus!’ statement? 😛 I did. My first thought was “It’s never lupus” turns out I was right. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/24 "2011-10-04T19:19:32Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > That was a retroactive explanation though, wasn’t it? I vaguely recall seeing the little girl around the table during that final episode. > > I was disappointed by the premiere. The situations were often implausible. However, the writers are accustomed to writing for a hospital not a prison. I expect they’ll do better next week. In general though, most of House’s predicaments have become implausible. I’d appreciate it if they could bring things closer to reality again. I appreciated it on the same level as I appreciated “OZ.” “OZ” was implausible also, but most of the time it made for good, gritty character-driven drama if you could suspend your disbelief. Although for one episode I wouldn’t expect strong standout characters such as Schillinger or Chris Keller. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/25 "2011-10-04T19:41:19Z")
I wonder what Urkel did to get in there… I also liked that they followed up on all the scientific writing on his cell wall - he’s trying to proove that Dark Matter exists, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/26 "2011-10-04T20:53:00Z")
It just gets more ridiculous with every episode. I love the guy though. How convenient was it that she kept a bottle of Vicodin right there on the desk? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/27 "2011-10-04T21:06:45Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > It just gets more ridiculous with every episode. I love the guy though. > > How convenient was it that she kept a bottle of Vicodin right there on the desk? That does seem unwise, given the prison setting. Surely anything like that is under lock and key even in a regular hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/28 "2011-10-04T21:16:27Z")
I thought she left them on the desk purposefully - so House could get them. Later she asked him if he got all he needed. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/29 "2011-10-04T21:22:27Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Would anyone else like to see sexy female prison doctor become a regular, replacing Cuddy? I think she’s the new Cameron/Thirteen/Joan of Arcadia cottage. The show needed to end about 2 seasons ago. The character has moved from interesting to entertaining. It’s not bad TV, but there’s nowhere left for the character to go. For example, from the teaser they showed that House and Wilson’s friendship might be over. Again. We’ve been there and done that at least 4 times. They’ll play it well, but there’s nothing new there. They’re still turning out good performances and semi-decent scripts but it’s run its course. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/30 "2011-10-04T23:26:08Z")
Did they ever mention how they caught up with House after last season’s finale? Did the cops just show up on the beach one day? Was he lured back into their jurisdiction with an irresistible medical conundrum? "Or did he just turn himself in out of conscience or boredom? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/31 "2011-10-04T23:37:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_Q](#): > > Did they ever mention how they caught up with House after last season’s finale? Did the cops just show up on the beach one day? Was he lured back into their jurisdiction with an irresistible medical conundrum? "Or did he just turn himself in out of conscience or boredom? I don’t recall, but it couldn’t have been that hard. He’s Greg House, not Jason Bourne. He doesn’t have the training to vanish without a trace. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/32 "2011-10-04T23:41:01Z")
> [@Johnny\_Q](#): > > Did they ever mention how they caught up with House after last season’s finale? Did the cops just show up on the beach one day? Was he lured back into their jurisdiction with an irresistible medical conundrum? "Or did he just turn himself in out of conscience or boredom? They said he came back after a few months, and essentially turned himself in. ---
**Author:** ![straykat23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@straykat23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straykat23)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/33 "2011-10-05T00:46:50Z")
What did the note say at the end? I was a little to far from the TV and couldn’t read it. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/34 "2011-10-05T00:49:54Z")
> [@straykat23](#): > > What did the note say at the end? I was a little to far from the TV and couldn’t read it. > > Thanks! “You were right” ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/35 "2011-10-05T11:56:02Z")
I really liked the episode. I think everyone who watches this show knows the formula of the show - House gets put in a compromising situation, he dispatches some witty banter, makes a few holmsian observations, breaks a few ethical rules, defies authority, and is vindicated (sort of) by being right at the end after a few false starts. sometimes he’s not and the patient dies. sometimes he’s right and the patient dies anyway. more often than not he’s right and the patient lives. _shrug_ that’s why we (should) watch the show. House is about nuance and execution. the acting is great, the stories are as fresh as a medical mystery show allows for, the dilemmas are compelling, the women for the most part are attractive (yeah i’m talking 'bout you, future Mrs. David Cross), and the dialogue is witty, but not distracting. i really liked him breaking in new-hot-doc down with his observations. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/36 "2011-10-05T12:31:16Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > That does seem unwise, given the prison setting. Surely anything like that is under lock and key even in a regular hospital. It’s my understanding that it’s under lock and key even in a regular Walgreen’s Pharmacy. If I’m reading page 13 of [this PDF](http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/manuals/sec/security.pdf) correctly, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 says that CIII-V (and IIRC Vicodin is either 3 or 4) would not have legally been able to sit out on her desk with prisoners wondering in and out of the office. (If there was ever a question for Qadgop…) But I have to leave so I really can’t look to see if there’s anything more recent that allows it. To me…that’s just sloppy writing, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![BryanM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@BryanM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BryanM)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/37 "2011-10-05T14:11:07Z")
How was house allowed to have his cane in prison. Only on tv. Lol ---
**Author:** ![BryanM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@BryanM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BryanM)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/38 "2011-10-05T14:13:47Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > I work at a men’s prison; my sweetie was a guard at the same one for a number of years before taking medical retirement due to incapacitation during a riot. I don’t work behind the fence, so I was asking MrTao about what was possible or not in the episode, since I was curious. 😛 There are LOTS of female guards at our prison, many of them older, out of shape, or with attitudes that make you wonder how on earth they could be a guard. But they are, so…\ (I can’t qualify, as my eyes are bad. Go figure) It also seems weird to me that female guards are put on desk duty when they become visibly pregnant, but female office workers or medical workers are allowed behind the fence even if too pregnant to move. It’s a little weird to me, as they are also within prisoner reach, but I suppose it’s the difference between dealing with low-level inmates \ and having to extract a combatant murderer from his cell three times a night. > > Anyway, the one thing that struck both my sweetie and myself was that House seemed to NOT be a level 1 inmate. To me, not having been behind the fence to work, it seemed a pretty open place. Sweetie claims they seem to be level 2-3 at least, which is a lot more restrictive. (Still seems pretty open to me!) So, we have to wonder how House got put in with more obviously violent guys, when his first real felony was pretty damn minor in the scheme of things. Sweetie also says calling for protective custody doesn’t work like that, though he didn’t elaborate, so…\ > > Interesting episode, and yeah, I am thinking they’ll keep the prison doc around for a while in the House universe. WAY too big a set-up not to. > Edited to correct CAT TYPOS. STOP TRYING TO HELP, CATS! How was house allowed to have his cane in prison? Lol, only on tv ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/39 "2011-10-05T14:34:30Z")
> [@BryanM](#): > > How was house allowed to have his cane in prison? Lol, only on tv To the best of my knowledge prison approved medical devices are allowed. What you suggest they would do for someone that needs a cane or wheelchair? What I was surprised about is that a prison approved cane is adjustable, which means it likely telescopes all the way out into two pieces where things can be hidden. I wouldn’t expect it to be wooden, but something lightweight and made of a single piece so that you couldn’t hide things inside of it and it would be more obvious if it was tampered with. ---
**Author:** ![BryanM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@BryanM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BryanM)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508/40 "2011-10-05T21:43:44Z")
I know prisoners can make weapons out of just about anything. But the cane I would’ve thought was weapon right off the bat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-season-premiere-10-3-twenty-vicodin/598508.md?page=3)