House M.D. (TV Series) Skin Deep (2006) User Reviews

DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING!

[kj_tenneson · 8/10 · 4 August 2021]

A teenage supermodel, managed by her father, attacks another model on the runway and then collapses. House, uncharacteristically, takes the case without complaint, but is going through his own trauma as the pain in his leg intensifies.

It isn't long before we find out that Wilson believes House is manifesting his emotional pain over Stacy, through his leg. Meanwhile, the supermodel is revealed to have had sex with her father, and has been secretly taking heroine. However, House doesn't want to report the father until he's gotten any and all relevant information from him, but Cameron goes over his head and gets Cuddy to involve social services.

In the interum, House begins a massive search for the cancer he's sure she must have, but it turns out that the patient has a rare form of hermaphrodism, and was technically born male, but the testes never descended; making her immune to testosterone and making her a walking container of pure estrogen.

As for House's pain, he turns to Cuddy for a spinal injection of morphine, but when House returns a second time to ask for another shot, Cuddy reveals she had given him a placebo - causing House to have to face the fact that his pain is not physical, (beyond what he normally manages with Vicodin), but psychological.

This was a very different kind of episode and I really enjoyed it. Hugh Laurie never disappoints, but I was most impressed by Cameron Richardson (who played the patient, and is actually a model in real life), who did an amazing job portraying her character... with the exception of being 15, but then again, there are real 15 yr olds out there, who also look like they're in their early 20s so...

Split personality

[xredgarnetx · 8/10 · 4 September 2006]

Real-life model Cameron Richardson plays a teen model who exhibits aggressive behavior and collapses on a runway during a fashion show. From there, it's all downhill in an episode that allows House to fully acknowledge his lecherous side. Surprise after surprise awaits the team, as the model goes from bad to worse both in body and mind. Richardson is extremely fetching as the sickly waif who may not be all she appears. For the astute viewer, the ultimate revelation will have been guessed halfway through. Still, a good show and no harm done. House's leg pains appear to be increasing, which will lead in coming episodes to a Holmesian solution, if you Sherlock Holmes fans out there get my drift. It is worth nothing this episode gets about as close to nudity as this series is ever likely to, and this gratifying display of flesh is put on by none other than Richardson, in a moment of angry confrontation with House.

The weaker House

[james_corck3 · 8/10 · 12 October 2006]

Weak about his humanity coming through that shell of irony and cane. House shows himself more vulnerable in this chapter, as well as the story and the plot, which starts weirdly in the fashion show and finishes up in a way I didn't even understand. Then the girl is not a girl but is a boy but is a girl, but is both things at the same time!? Weird enough to be interesting and good, with a good work made by the make up department and good performances delivered by all players, specially, of course, Hugh Laurie.

Good House episode, recommendable for all the family, and I am not kidding. Think on The Beauty and the beast, but in the same character.

it was great and all but...

[kiiwwi · 1 June 2021]

I mean I love house but this show wouldn't have survived in 2021. There was no way for this many problematical comments to be just ignored.

Shocking and crazy in a great way.

[m-47826 · 6/10 · 15 April 2022]

The episode was full of revelations, and other interesting things about each characters. Kiiwi is right, people are too categorical these days, for episodes like these. That could address certain topics, without writers boring agendas. Crazy things can happen, and the show knew how to handle some slippery slope. The part where House thinks he can feel his « dead » leg again, looks too much like a decoy, to distract us from this very weird case. Which also showed writers had no idea what to make him do there. It makes the episode lack momentum, which is a shame, because it was a really bold and unexpected premise. That pushed boundaries, and made viewers uncomfortable, with wild twists and turns.

quite inappropriate

[marielouise-gariepy · 2/10 · 6 May 2023]

Even at the time the episode was made, a 15 years old would have been considered the victim not the seducer of the grown men taking advantage of her. The fact that she is intersex in the end is played as some sort of explanation for her lecherous behaviour, because she is a 'male' in a woman body and therefore can't help being hyper sexual. And they make it sounds as if she suddenly is a freak, with no one showing compassion and empathy. This episode is frankly disgusting.

I understand House is not serious medicine, it's entertainment with a hospital's background. But your duty as an artist, is to be fare to the characters and the universe you bring to life. Here, I don't think they have.

Interesting but dated episode

[kellielulu · 24 July 2022]

There is an interesting twist at least it was back then. It's probably one that would never make it today . Gender identity is viewed differently now although in a way it's not the specific approach they would use now.

I am also not sure why men were so attracted to the patient of the week.

Out of character episode

[b-12102 · 3/10 · 20 January 2023]

Honestly one of the lesser episodes so far since I've started watching from S01E01. House doesn't make as much sense thoughout the episode and his character feels quite weak. He seems to make risky and very controversial choices because his leg "hurts", but this feels cheap.

Although the episode was entertaining, I found the ending to be incredibly hard to watch with how mean house was to the girl because of an intersex condition she was born with. What's up with the minutes of misgendering her? C'mon, we know house can be a bit mean and definitely ruthless... But this was just bullying a 15 year old girl. Incredibly out of character for him to just act out like this on a child. There was no snarky comment, no joke, no comeback, just mean misgendering to the point of making her cry.

Disappointed in house, blow to his character for him to be blantantly transphobic. Have to wonder how much the writers personal beliefs influenced this episode, because this is not the house we've learned to know.

8 & higher? No way

[bringbackberniew · 26 January 2024]

So many problems with this one. The "teenage supermodel" is said to be 15 yrs old. Well, guess what? She isn't all that attractive, certainly not "supermodel" territory. And, more obviously and crazily, the 15 year old looks like she is 25. 15? Seriously? Big GONG!

2nd GONG! Her dad looks maybe 10, maybe 12 yrs older than the supermodel. GONG! Horrific casting.

The story itself is just too convoluted and House does not act like House, which blah blah, leg pain.

On the positive side, I guess House's ex was not in this one. Yay! Some have far far too much time with House and his ex. Geez. That is the weakest on-going story-line in this show. I was skipping around Season 2 episodes. It seems like maybe 6 episodes earlier (in the airport) and in this they said House had "made her leave".

Phoned in and moronic

[joehug · 2/10 · 3 October 2022]

Easily the dumbest and most disturbing episode I've seen so far. I'm surprised to see the show dip so early on.

There should be at least some minimum level of medical believability to make it to air. Here there is none -though it attempts to pander to goofy fringe agendas apparently.

If House can't pull itself out of the gutter and attempt to create reasonable and realistic crises the show, we're going have to plug on it. People with the slightest medical backgrounds are groaning over this type of trash.

It takes so very little these days to make it on a scripted show. TV is becoming a mindless format if this episode is any indication.