She is not actually a dwarf, and her small stature is really another symptom of the disease. Treatment will not only cure her, but will allow her to grow to a more-or-less normal height. Abigail initially rejects the treatment, because she doesn’t want to be different from her mother. After some prompting from House, Maddy pressures her daughter to take the treatment, because life is hard enough without deliberately holding yourself back. (Nice Christmas message!)
25 Days of Christmas Episodes – Day 2: House, “Merry Little Christmas” (Dec 2)
In terms of the ongoing arc, Detective Tritter has evidence to show that House is a drug addict. Without House’s knowledge, Wilson goes to Tritter to broker a deal. House has three days to turn himself in for mandatory rehab, and he’ll avoid prosecution and keep his license.
Being House, he mostly just gets mad at Wilson. House doesn’t believe he’s an addict, a belief which is but to the test when Cuddy cuts off his Vicodin supply. After cleaning out his stash and his backup stash, he tries to steal a dying man’s oxycodone. And then it gets worse. At home, House goes into detox. We’re talking lying on the floor in a puddle of his own vomit, cutting his arm to release endorphins and block the pain from his leg.
At the hospital, he finally manages to intercept painkillers meant for one of Wilson’s now-deceased patients. After he OD’s on that, House is finally willing to admit he has a problem. On Christmas Day he goes to Tritter to take the deal, but the deal is off the table. House’s forged paperwork from that last bottle of painkillers gives Tritter the smoking gun he needs.
Seriously, this is the Christmas episode!
Best Line – House to Maddy: “Care to go for a spin.” Trust me. In context this is hilarious and also filthy.
Christmas Tropes:
Nativity Scene – A big one in the hospital lobby. House uses the baby Jesus as a convenient prop to compare Wilson to Judas.
Celebrity guest – David Morse of St. Elsewhere appears as Tritter.
Learning a lesson – When you’re stealing painkillers from a dead guy, you really have to reassess your life.
Cheer-o-meter Score: Wow. This episode is bleak, even by House standards. A few moments of levity do not make up for a Christmas Eve detox, especially when you actually show us the puddle of vomit. In terms of Cheer, one’s a Zero.
