At some point, religion ends up being being discussed in most hospital shows, usually through a minor character (James Cromwell's priest in ER, the religious nurse in Scrubs). House is no exception, only this time the subject is closely linked to the medical science, a contradiction that makes for an utterly fascinating watch.
The diagnostic case is that of a nun (Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell) seemingly suffering from an allergy of some kind. When she doesn't respond to treatments, but instead gets worse as time passes, the enigma becomes a direct confrontation between the nun's spirituality and House's belief that he has a better chance of saving her life than any higher power that might be.
The topic of faith provides interesting insight into the character of House, who has his own set of beliefs - chiefly the "everyone lies" mantra, which plays an important part in the episode's outcome - and comes off as a very complex man beneath the misanthropic mask he wears at work. Mitchell is a nice contrast to that attitude, and their interactions are the emotional and philosophical core of a story that manages to go beyond its formulaic plotting to tackle something deeper, and does so with great care.
The diagnostic case is that of a nun (Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell) seemingly suffering from an allergy of some kind. When she doesn't respond to treatments, but instead gets worse as time passes, the enigma becomes a direct confrontation between the nun's spirituality and House's belief that he has a better chance of saving her life than any higher power that might be.
The topic of faith provides interesting insight into the character of House, who has his own set of beliefs - chiefly the "everyone lies" mantra, which plays an important part in the episode's outcome - and comes off as a very complex man beneath the misanthropic mask he wears at work. Mitchell is a nice contrast to that attitude, and their interactions are the emotional and philosophical core of a story that manages to go beyond its formulaic plotting to tackle something deeper, and does so with great care.