It's a little late in the season, with 2/3 of the episode already done, but House has taken a pleasant turn these past couple episodes. Now that House and Cuddy are no longer together, House is back to the antics which made him so fun in the first place, and there's no worry he'll go scampering back to Cuddy, who acknowledges that she and House will never work.
And at the same time, there's a dark underpinning to House's actions, exemplified by the final scene where he jumps on whatever high floor he's on into the pool. It's more a fun gesture and not suicidal, as it turns out, but it's clear House is willing to throw himself into more dangerous situations than he would before.
The patient this week is a bullrider, and we're treated to a very cool cold open (both the beginning and end of the episode were done well). The main subplot is Meg trying to contain her irrational feelings about him while the team jockeys for position in House's absence. It's not particularly compelling, since the conflict lies in House, but it's not bad either, which is all you can ask for these days.
Score: 8.7/10
