House—Half-Wit

Tonight's episode guest-stars Dave Matthews as Patrick, a musical savant whose talents manifested after a severe bus accident. While is skills as a pianist are prodigious, his social skills are severely lacking. And tonight when he goes onstage to play, he crashes and burns, unable to properly move his hands. House is, of course, fascinated.

In the meantime, House is planning a mysterious trip to Massachusetts General Hospital. Following up vague clues, Cuddy determines that House has brain cancer. This will annoy the Fox network, which already renewed this show for a fourth season. It also distracts the team from diagnosing Patrick, who's getting worse and worse. Eventually House comes to the conclusion that major brain surgery will allow Patrick to have a more normal life, but he won't be able to play the piano anymore.

Dave Matthews handled his role quite competently, and the storyline allowed both Matthews and Hugh Laurie to showcase their piano skills, both of which elements proved to be quite entertaining, and the main, medical mystery plotline was solid. But the "House has cancer--no he really doesn't" subplot struck me as overkill for the point they were trying to make.

Dave Matthews at iTunes