House, M.D. Builds Toward the Season Five Finale

After the shock of Lawrence Kutner’s (Kal Penn) suicide in the last episode of House, M.D., it’s hard to think of what might happen next. The shock of Kutner’s abrupt departure is the sort of thing usually reserved for season finales. However, there are still four more episodes to go! I can’t even imagine what the House brain trust has in store for us in the weeks to come. But I can tell you a one or two things I do know for certain. First, expect to see more of Cameron and Chase in the coming weeks, and look for House to react to Kutner’s death in unexpected ways. And--a television icon makes an appearance in the season finale.

In the aftermath of Kutner’s suicide, House (the brilliant Hugh Laurie) suffers from apparent insomnia. Or could it be something more serious? House, M.D. builds up to its May 11 season finale over the next several weeks, as the folks at Princeton Plainsboro continue to deal with tragedy of Kutner’s death.

The entire staff reacts to the suicide, but none more so than House, himself. In “House Divided” (April 27), Ryan Lane guest stars as Seth, a deaf teenager who “hears” explosions, while House’s insomnia play tricks on his mind.

In “Under My Skin” airing May 4, House and his team treat a ballerina (Jamie Tisdale), whose lungs collapse during a performance. House, still unable to sleep, tries desperate measures to find rest. And in the season five finale, written by Doris Egan “Both Sides Now,” comedy legend Carl Reiner appears as a clinic patient.

House airs Mondays at 8:00 p.m. (ET).