While House is always lauded for the performance of Hugh Laurie; the relationship between House and Wilson; and its overall effectiveness as a medical procedural, one criticism often sticks:

Nothing - and, more specifically, no one - ever changes. Even after House's stay in the mental hospital this season, have viewers really seen noticeable changes in the cantankerous doctor?

For that reason, the episode "Remorse" was a welcome hour of television. It dealt directly with the main character's time in the loony bin, focusing on a letter of apology he wrote to a former medical school classmate whose paper he stole back in the day.

As always, Wilson alerted House to his true motives: it's easier to apologize to someone you barely know than someone you truly care about (e.g. Cuddy). But while it seemed as though House was simply going through the remorseful steps at first, actual guilt began to seep into him upon hearing that this man's fate took a turn for the worse due to House's paper switcheroo.

(We'll have to assume that guilt clouded House's usual power of observation, too, as he'd typically have sensed something was up upon seeing what a nice apartment this supposed cashier resided in.)

By the end of the episode, after House dropped the check off at the guy's home in order to stave off eviction, it would be hard to argue that there wasn't a change in him. The old House? He'd still be scheming to break up Cuddy/Lucas and he'd be seeking revenge on the former classmate for lying.

As for the patient of the week, it made the best use of Thirteen in awhile.

We don't care too much about her Huntington's Disease, nor does her relationship with Foreman keep us glued to the screen.

But a verbal showdown with a true psychopath? Fun stuff! Guest star Beau Garrett was ideal in the role of Valerie, as the scene where she warned Thirteen about a lawsuit and then instantly transformed into a loving wife at the sight of her husband sent shivers down our spine.

Our only complaint from the episode? Not nearly enough House and Wilson interaction, though we laughed out loud at House's chess metaphor for their relationship.

These were our other favorite House quotes from the installment:

House: Psychopaths always fascinate me. I think it's their cultural literacy and strong family values. Or is that Jews? | permalink

Dr. Wilson: Wait a minute, is that acutally a check for him?
House: No. It's a giant novelty item for winning the lottery. You're just standing really far away. | permalink

House: I'm gonna pretend to go to work now. | permalink

House: Have sex. Fight. Or quit. Whatever you're doing now isn't working. | permalink

Check out the official Fox promo for next week's episode and let us know what you thought of "Remorse."

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.