See, this episode of "House" is exactly what I was hoping for after the premiere. It utilizes the cast well, it shows that House is genuinely going through a difficult trial that he intends to stick behind, and it finds a feasible way to bring the good doctor back to medicine. This feels more like House from season one and two, the main interested in the medicine and puzzle more than being a jerk for fun. That House used to have a good heart underneath his gruff and snarky exterior, one that didn't try to poison Chase or cause Freedom Master to jump off buildings, and so does this one.

The first scene of this episode is really great, at least for anyone who plays video games regularly. The patient of the week is a video game designer who says his hands are on fire after doing a virtual run through of his game. House returns to the hospital only to calmly quit. Cuddy and Foreman look surprised, but House is serious about trying to make changes in his life. He moves in with Wilson and tries to find new things to occupy his time and distract him from his leg pain. This makes Foreman leap immediately to take his position, but Cuddy points out she only made the department because of House. Foreman is not House. We know this, but the episode needs to prove it again, if only to keep Foreman's ego from spreading. She lets him do it on a temporary basis and take one client, the video game guy Vince.

Vince is a jerk who believes everything he reads on the internet could be true, but he's not too far off to be nervous about the team working on him. He wants House, but don't we all? Thirteen is supportive of Foreman's promotion, although she quickly shows annoyance that he orders her around. Yay, more Foreteen drama, just what we need. Taub continues to be the most stable member of the team by staying out of it and doing his job. Taub and Thirteen politely do the tests that Vince demands, but Foreman shuts him down pretty quickly and starts trying to diagnose him.

Back in the life that matters, House decides to join one of Wilson's hobbies to see if it distracts him from his leg. They start cooking, and as usual House obsesses over this to the point of insanity. He does become the world's best cook though, and it seems to make him happy for a time. Cuddy visits to talk about his quitting, and it's a rather interesting scene. Neither of them are trying to cut the other down and are actually talking like ... adults. What? That's madness. They reassure the audience they still have plenty of chemistry without House being a jerk, and she leaves.

Image © Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Chris Haston/FOX

After Foreman's jolly team make a few mistakes, Vince decides not to let them kill him first, so he starts putting his symptoms on the internet. Other doctors start trying to diagnose him and Foreman's like WTF! Well you're not an eccentric genius, Foreman. You also don't have the gift of making people believe in you by being nice and sweet like Cameron, so yeah, no one believes in you. Thirteen and Foreman's fighting escalates when he decides a diagnosis and brushes her ideas off. Thirteen goes to ask House for advice, and he suggests she just let Foreman take charge rather than fight it. Aw. He's actually friendly and distracted-nice. Wait, not even a sarcastic insult? BTW, Taub quits. Seriously. He got another offer and he came to work with House, not Foreman. Oh no. But he's the only level headed one!

Nolan guest stars this episode to keep chatting with House about his problems, and House confides he's afraid of turning back to Vicodin. Noooo don't make him an addict again! Vince gets worse in the hospital and offers $25,000 as a reward to cure him. Thirteen reassures Foreman that everything will be fine like a nice girlfriend, and this will bite her in the butt a little later on. Wilson and Cuddy are afraid House is using again, but it turns out he was just trying to mess with them. Phew.

In the end an internet doctor manages to diagnose Vince correctly, and Thirteen stops a potentially life-ending treatment when she reads it. This is a few minutes before Foreman gets the right diagnosis, so he's all excited but then realizes someone got there first. And yes, that someone is definitely House. Foreman says he loves Thirteen and needs her as his girlfriend, so he fires her. Oh yes. That'll keep your relationship strong and loving, Foreman. House shows Nolan the check he got from Vince and admits diagnosing medicine is what makes him happiest. Nolan suggests he go back to it, but House has to be careful not to fall into his bad habits again.

So House is coming back, but hopefully a few of these new traits will remain. He can be the eccentric genius that loves medicine and doesn't care for people, as long as he doesn't go around trying to kill himself or anyone else. It wasn't a bad look at House as a new man, but they have to be careful not to change him too much. We fans loved the show for a reason, and it's not because of Foreman or Thirteen. No we tolerate them because of Hugh Laurie and House. So walk carefully, writers.

"House" is on FOX Monday nights at 8 PM EST.

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Story by Chelsea Doyle
Starpulse contributing writer

Follow Chelsea on twitter at http://twitter.com/mustbethursday.