With the season premiere of House, we were left with a lot to worry about. How are Dr. House's personal developments going to effect his place in the series? Just as important, is the show going to waste all of that change just to go back into its comfort zone? By the end of tonight's episode, none of those questions were really answered, but there were definitely plenty of shake-ups. Given this show's tendency to return to the status quo I doubt that all of the changes will stick, but the laws of probability dictate that at least one will carry through. Let's guess which one.

Just like the end of Season 4, this episode finds the entire diagnostic medicine team of Princeton-Plainsboro either fired or having resigned. Unlike the original cast rotation, I don't think we're going to be getting any new cast members out of the deal, or at least not an entirely new team. Add to that the fact that everybody quit for one reason or another revolving around House's departure and it makes it even less likely to be a permanent change.

So, will Taub stay away? I'd say he's the most likely cut. Taub was never as committed to the field of diagnostics. Really, he was just doing some penance. If he does join his friend's surgical practice it'll be a significant loss for the show, but at least it'll make sense.

The TV-watching cynic in me is pretty sure 13 isn't going to be gone for long. House has always banked on wrangling extra viewers with pretty things and Olivia Wilde may just be the prettiest thing on television today, which is not to diminish her acting chops. Also, the continued soap opera that is 13's relationship with Foreman has been something of a cash cow on its own. No way is this show going to move on from that.

Then there's House himself. I can't express in words how glad I am that the series is keeping House's therapist in the picture. Not only is Andre Braugher an excellent actor, his character's presence adds a unique element to the show. Left to his own devices, House doesn't know how to handle a clean, healthy life. Braugher acts as a rudder and a special kind of foil. House doesn't try to manipulate him, so now our protagonist isn't the super-man who never had to answer to anybody. A more vulnerable House is a more interesting House.

House officially quits his job at the top of the episode then spends the duration looking for something to occupy his mind. He takes to cooking and (naturally?) transforms into a world-class chef overnight, but it doesn't suffice for long. At least we have it confirmed now that a lot of House's leg pain is psychological. When the cooking stops relieving his psychosomatic problems, he considers popping a pill. Instead, he just decides to surreptitiously solve his team's case via the Internet. See, the team has been saddled with a particularly difficult patient who uses his tech-savvy, game-designing ways to seek help on the Web. This exacerbates the personal and professional tensions among the remaining three diagnosticians until they all fall apart and the department implodes. Foreman solves the case independently, but not before 13 unknowingly accepts House's Web consult.

With House's decision to return to professional medicine, the show may just level off to normal, or the subtle changes in House's demeanor and the cast shifts might just be enough to carry the rest of the season. We'll see.

Best Moment: House The Medical Chef. There's something utterly delightful about a guy who uses syringes in gourmet cuisine.

Notes: The whole video game thing was really distracting. I prefer my slick visuals on House to be cool depictions of internal organs and bacteria eating blood vessels.

Episode Rating: 4/5- It felt good to have a prankster House back and I admit that I kinda missed the team last week. My feelings about this episode may change next week when we see if any of the fallout sticks. For now, I'm satisfied, if not all that impressed.