While House is widely regarded as one of the best TV dramas of all time, the show occasionally forgot major storylines, leaving them unresolved. The members of Dr. Gregory House’s diagnostics team all had problems of their own outside of work, and reacted to House’s more extreme behavior in different ways. While some of the interactions with the team could be chaotic, one member of staff was often the voice of reason. Dr. Eric Foreman was part of the show throughout its run and went from House’s new hire to his boss, which was a major conflict at times.
One of the most important relationships in House was the constantly-evolving one between House and Foreman. Even from the beginning, Foreman was not afraid to challenge House, and he strongly denied House’s opinion that the two were more similar than not. Despite trying to escape House’s influence by taking a job in a different hospital, Foreman returned, eventually replacing Cuddy as the Dean of Medicine. Foreman went through one of the most interesting character developments on the show, which makes it surprising that such a significant character would have a major storyline forgotten.
“Euphoria: Part 2” Ended With Foreman Showing After Effects From A Brain Biopsy
House’s “Euphoria” Episodes Revealed Another Side Of Foreman
The two-part “Euphoria” is one of the most stressful episodes of House. A police officer arrives at the hospital after laughing uncontrollably at a crime scene, and he then starts experiencing euphoria and hallucinations. Foreman then begins to display the same worrying symptoms, revealing that the illness is contagious. House quarantines both Foreman and the cop, and after the cop dies, Foreman has a brain biopsy. Afterward, he experiences unusual symptoms, with the left and right sides of his brain becoming crossed. Foreman is able to recognize people and his reflexes are normal, but the new development appears worrying.
“You haven’t done anything stupid, spontaneous, or even remotely interesting since you were seventeen.“
Foreman often played his cards close to his chest. House once told him “You haven’t done anything stupid, spontaneous, or even remotely interesting since you were seventeen,” and Chase even described him as “boring.” That said, there is a reason for Foreman’s reticence. He had a chaotic upbringing and spent most of his life trying to prove that he was a changed man. House‘s “Euphoria” episodes revealed Foreman’s fear and vulnerability, and gave him an emotionally-charged reunion with his father. It also highlighted how much the team cared for each other, despite their differences.
House’s Next Episode Completely Ignored What Had Happened To Foreman
Other Characters Reacted To Foreman’s Experience, But The Symptoms Largely Disappeared
House might not be the most realistic medical drama on TV, but it regularly depicted the complex emotions that people can go through when struggling with an illness. Foreman had endured a terrifying experience in which he nearly died. This should have been a major storyline for the character, but the show ignored this in the aftermath of “Euphoria.” Foreman is a little confused about the coffee machine, and is shown practicing his recall with memory cards, but that’s mostly it. While he clashes with House over his atтιтude toward a patient, this is not a symptom of his previous illness.
The final diagnosis for Foreman was primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, caused by a fungus in his patient’s house.
In the beginning of the next episode after the “Euphoria” parts, Foreman states that his brain is no longer confusing right and left, indicating that it is back to normal. While House has one of his cruelest moments and calls Foreman “the scarecrow” after The Wizard of Oz character, who does not have a brain, Foreman appears capable of returning to work. Foreman is clearly relieved to be alive, and House and the other members of his team believe his atтιтude is informing the way that he is treating their patient, but his physical and neurological symptoms are largely resolved.
Foreman’s Recovery Could Have Been A Great Storyline If It Lasted More Episodes
Foreman’s Injury Could Have Been A Great Parallel To House’s
Foreman is not the only character in House’s team to suffer from a medical issue. One of the major plot arcs concerning the fan-favorite character Thirteen was her struggle with Huntington’s Disease. One of Foreman’s defining characteristics is his level-headedness, so having him struggle with memory problems and other side effects, as well as the emotional impact of his experience could have been a great storyline. With both characters fighting challenging symptoms, it could have added an extra dimension to Foreman and Thirteen’s relationship, which was one of the worst storylines in House due to their lack of chemistry.
One of the major storylines that lasted throughout House was House’s struggle with his chronic pain and Vicodin addiction after his initial leg injury. The physical issues House suffered caused many of his mental symptoms and prickly demeanor. While Foreman refused to admit that he and House were similar people, as House claimed, the series could have shown a contrast between the way that the two characters dealt with their respective illnesses. If Foreman found a way to deal with his symptoms, this could have added an extra dimension to his character, before House trusted him with his biggest secret.
