Ep 17. The social contract

House season 5 episode 17, "The Social Contract," focuses on the relationship between doctors and patients. As the episode begins, House is treating a patient with a heart condition who needs a transplant. However, House is hesitant to put her on the transplant list because she is obese and he believes she will only continue to abuse her body. Meanwhile, Dr. Cuddy is dealing with her own patient, who wants to undergo a risky spinal cord procedure even though it could leave him paralyzed.

The theme of the episode centers around the social contract between doctors and patients. House believes that patients have a responsibility to take care of themselves in order to receive the best medical care, while the patients believe that doctors should do everything they can to save them, regardless of their lifestyle choices.

As the episode progresses, House becomes more and more frustrated with his patient, who continues to make poor dietary choices and refuses to exercise. He even considers dropping her from the transplant list altogether, which puts him at odds with Dr. Cameron who disagrees with his approach.

Meanwhile, Dr. Cuddy's patient undergoes the dangerous spinal cord procedure and ends up paralyzed. Throughout the episode, the two storylines parallel each other, with House and Dr. Cuddy both questioning the ethics of what they are doing and whether they are putting their patients' lives at risk.

In the end, House's patient is ultimately put back on the transplant list and she gets the transplant she needs. However, as the episode comes to a close, House reflects on the social contract between doctors and patients, and realizes that he needs to revise his approach in order to better serve his patients.

Overall, "The Social Contract" is a thought-provoking episode that explores the complex relationship between doctors and patients. The episode raises important questions about the responsibilities of both parties, and challenges viewers to reflect on their own beliefs about healthcare.