Fetal Position (3 Apr. 2007)

When a pregnant woman has a stroke, the team is at a loss after all tests reveal nothing, but when her organs start shutting down Cuddy takes over the case.

Director:

Matt Shakman

Writers:

David Shore (creator), Russel Friend,

Stars:

Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Hugh Laurie	...	Dr. Gregory House
Lisa Edelstein	...	Dr. Lisa Cuddy
Omar Epps	...	Dr. Eric Foreman
Robert Sean Leonard	...	Dr. James Wilson
Jennifer Morrison	...	Dr. Allison Cameron
Jesse Spencer	...	Dr. Robert Chase
Anne Ramsay	...	Emma Sloan
Tyson Ritter	...	Tyson Ritter
Jeff Sugarman	...	Fetal Surgeon
Bobbin Bergstrom	...	Nurse

Storyline

When a pregnant woman has a stroke, the team is at a loss after all tests reveal nothing, but when her organs start shutting down Cuddy takes over the case.

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Plot Keywords:

stroke | oversized tennis ball | pregnancy | paper airplane | abortion | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 April 2007 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 10, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bad Hat Harry Productions, Heel & Toe Films, Moratim Produktions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The operation that House performs on the mother and fetus in this episode is closely based on a Michael Clancy photograph called "Fetal Hand Grasp", which documents a 1999 operation on a 21 week old fetus with spinal bifida. During that operation, Clancy photographed what he describes as the child reaching out of the incised uterus and grasping the surgeon's finger.

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Goofs

The SLR-Camera used by the photographer makes winding sounds of an analog camera, although it is obviously a digital SLR - which doesn't wind.

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Quotes

Dr. Gregory House: Hi. I'm Dr. House. My boss says you're important. Personally, I don't get what's so hard about making Scarlett Johansson look pretty. Arms out in front of you! Palms up, like you're holding a pizza. Close your eyes.
Emma: It's so easy you should consider a career change. Probably make a lot more money.
Dr. Gregory House: Dr. Mackman tell you the clot was clear?
Emma: Yes.
Dr. Gregory House: He said that you and the fetus are fine?
Emma: Yeah.
Dr. Gregory House: He didn't mention your pronator drift.
Emma: What's that mean?
Dr. Gregory House: It means Mackman is an idiot! May I?
Emma: Yeah.

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Connections

References Vertigo (1958)

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Soundtracks

"Are You Alright?"
Written and Performed by Lucinda Williams

User Reviews

One of the best House episodes so far!

This comment is somewhat of a rebuttal against another viewer's comment.

I've read some comments by others that degrade this episode, but I love it. It's warm, unique, and shows a change in the way House views the world.

Cuddy also steps up to the plate in this episode; while House gives up the case of mother and child for lost (the mother won't have an abortion to save her own life -- we all know that House is extremely pro-choice) when no other solution can be found. Cuddy sees herself in the middle-aged woman who is trying for the last time to have a child, and so Cuddy won't give up. She tells herself to "think like House," illustrating that she is not using her own methods, but those of House. I think that under any other circumstances, Cuddy doing House's job would be tacky, but it works in this episode; Cuddy is fighting very hard for a cause she believes in -- having a child when it's "too late."

I recommend this episode highly to any House fan. I keep this on my DVR and watch it occasionally. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to watch things more than once, so that is saying something for me to hang on to it.