Ep 20. Post Mortem

After a long run of eight seasons, House, the critically acclaimed medical drama that aired between 2004-2012 created by David Shore, featured Hugh Laurie as the iconic lead role of Dr. Gregory House. Post Mortem was the twentieth episode of House season 8. The episode was directed by executive producer and director of numerous House episodes, Greg Yaitanes, and written by David Hoselton and Peter Blake.

The episode follows the story of Dr. House, who's trying to solve a medical mystery related to an autistic patient named Adam who collapses while on a hike with his father in the forest. Initially, the team diagnosed him with dehydration, but his symptoms worsen and lead to death. He also presents a rose in his hand and new symptoms appear, leading to his death.

As they investigate the possible causes of the fatality, Dr. House seeks the opinions of the team, who've had different views on the case. The episode gradually builds up the tension between the characters as they try to solve the case competently. As the story unfolds, it soon becomes evident that there's something fishy about this case. Dr. House, with his trusted team of specialists, goes deeper into the medical history of the deceased patient, trying to unravel the mystery.

The team looks at the case from different angles, with different doctors suggesting varied possible reasons for why Adam' passed away. The doctors explore various theories, some of which Dr. House dismisses immediately. Their persistent efforts yield some helpful clues, but none of them can hold up to the standards of Dr. House. Dr. House must navigate numerous ethical dilemmas to solve the case, as he's driven to figure out what went wrong.

In this episode, Dr. House's personal relationships also come into play as his love interest, Dominika Petrova, deals with the realities of living with him while his closest colleague, Dr. Wilson battles cancer.

Post Mortem took its inspiration from ancient history in that Dr. House was turning to an 18th-century book to figure out what was going on. By doing this, he created quite a bit of mayhem and made some of his listeners attend to their own agendas, while others sought answers. The show beautifully portrayed the suspense that built up continuously throughout the episode, which kept viewers on their toes.

In this episode, the characters of the show were wonderfully portrayed, and the casting was spot on. Hugh Laurie's performance as Dr. Gregory House was outstanding, as always, and the supporting cast was equally superb. Special mention should be made about Robert Sean Leonard's performance as Dr. Wilson in this episode. His struggle with cancer mirrored the medical case, which added a personal twist to the storyline.

The show was also filmed brilliantly, with the exceptional use of camera angles, lighting, and sound. The visual narratives were stunning and assisted in creating the tense atmosphere that persisted throughout the episode. The scenes that were shot in the forest were particularly breathtaking, making the show visually mesmerizing.

In conclusion, House season 8 episode 20, Post Mortem, was an exceptional episode of one of the greatest medical drama series of all time. The episode's writers, directors, actors, producers and the entire production team played their respective roles exceptionally well, resulting in a remarkable finished product that has stood the test of time. The show's excellent attention to detail, impeccable scripting and suspenseful storylines kept viewers glued to their screens till the very end. This is an episode that stands out, even in the House series and is undoubtedly worth watching.