It seems that there are people in the world whose intelligence can even trump that of Dr. Gregory House. In this week’s episode, a delivery courier, James Sidas, is revealed to be the youngest graduate of MIT, with three published books and an IQ of 179. Unfortunately, before he’s able to sign an autograph for his delivery client, his hands lock up and he succumbs to vertigo.

Episode Summary

After Sidas’s blood tests come back clean, the team begins the usual brainstorming, shuffling between various diseases. Chase finally suggests TTP (Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura), a blood-coagulation disease that takes refuge in the spleen. Some scalpel slices later, the patient’s spleen is out and yet he continues to worsen.

While Taub and Chase head to Sidas’s home to scrounge, Foreman and Thirteen speak to the patient. During the conversation, James explains how being a courier alleviated the pressure of being brilliant. Skeptical, Foreman and Thirteen leave with nothing. Every star, though, has some sort of skeleton, and Sidas’s becomes evident as a stowed-away handle of vodka, found by Chase in an air-vent.

Meanwhile, House continues to try to separate Lucas and Cuddy, and snags an invite from Cuddy to her sister’s Thanksgiving dinner in order to do so. Unfortunately, Cuddy caught his bluff, and sends House to the wrong address. House then pulls out the big guns lie and tells Lucas that he loves Cuddy. The following morning, Cuddy angrily tells House that Lucas broke up with her, and declares that in spite of what House said, “There is no us. There never will be.”

Returning to the patient, the team finds out that their genius is a robotripping junkie, who takes the cough syrup in order to dumb himself down for his wife. Yet, James continues to have symptoms of something more serious. Finally, House realizes, after hearing of one of James’s past injuries, that he has accessory spleens, which is verified by a CAT scan, and that he did in fact have TTP.

The episode closes with House getting turned down by Cuddy multiple times. House then realizes that Cuddy had lied about breaking up with Lucas, and that she turned him down to turn him off. When Wilson asks him if he’s okay with it, he says he is. Unconvincingly.

What Worked

We’ve become so used to the witty, conniving, egotistical genius of House that we’ve overlooked the true inherent loneliness of being too brilliant, and this episode brings us back to the other side of the spectrum.

What Didn’t

As nice as Lucas seems and as great as he and Cuddy seem together, House and Cuddy are meant to be together; it’s not a question or a point of contention – it’s simply a fact.

Predictions

Cuddy was more than blunt with House about her feelings for House- or lack thereof – and yet something tells me he didn’t really get the message all too clearly.