If you're a House junkie (like me), I know you've been waiting anxiously for its return from hiatus. So, did the most misanthropic doctor on television deliver the goods?

The answer is a definite...kinda maybe sorta? Sure, there were things I enjoyed in this episode, but overall, I felt like I was watching a rerun. Haven't we done the "everybody lies, no really, everybody lies" storyline to death? And Thirteen played the part of Cameron much too well. I honestly forgot I was watching someone who wasn't Cameron during several scenes.

I think it would have been refreshing if just once the dramatic reveal was that, in fact, the patient wasn't actually lying about anything! Just once, please?

For some reason the Secret Santa storyline felt like a retread as well. House tries to make his fellows fight with each other and they fall for it. Yawn. C'mon, guys, if you're working for House, presumably you have a rudimentary brain, so feel free to use it.

But despite all of that, "It's a Wonderful Lie" managed to be fairly enjoyable, possibly because the POTW's (Patient of the Week's) daughter was purely fabulous. I like Janel Maloney and as a West Wing fan, it was nice to see her as the mom, but Liana Liberato rocked the house as daughter Jane.

I loved every scene Jane was in and she was written as the kind of kid I hope my daughter will be. Jane held her own with House, not to mention a breakroom full of fellows, and I squealed with glee every time she showed up. (The deadpan delivery of her mom's favorite sexual positions especially made me laugh.)

Mind you, Hugh Laurie was his usual amazing self--far more amazing than the script deserved. (His comic delivery is easily one of the best in the business, even in a drama.) It was wonderful to get to hear him singing, and although I was shocked to see him in a church at the end, I liked that he went to see his clinic patient in the Christmas pageant. His little smile for her was fabulous (and sexy, but doesn't that go without saying?).

There were even a few good parts of the "everybody lies" storyline. I enjoyed the scene with House and Maggie in which she said "The world would be a better place if everyone acted like their mom was looking over their shoulder." It's an interesting point and certainly one House could stand to think about! I wonder if we'll ever get to see his mother again...

Maggie also had an excellent point when she called Taub on his describing a bone marrow transplant as having no risk. In fact, I think this episode would have been much more interesting if they'd spent time focusing on issues like white lies and comforting untruths (e.g., House's list to Jane).

Another scene I enjoyed was Foreman and Taub doubleteaming the jerk that Maggie slept with: The way they played him with just a few glances was pure poetry. I hope that we get to see more of the fellows working together like this, because otherwise the show will degenerate into a dreary repeat of the first three seasons.

We got some very nice scenes with Wilson, who looks like he might finally be losing patience with House. (Hey, I can hope, right?) His snark level was nearly on par with House's this week: for example, "You are so full of love. Or something" and "Nowhere, I just know it hurts you."

Sadly, there wasn't nearly enough Cuddy in this episode, which I hope will be remedied soon, because her interactions with House are generally my favorite parts. (And while I was happy to see Chase in his one scene, I was so busy being horrified by the sight of him doing a bone marrow aspiration with a drill, that I couldn't enjoy it.)

Well, despite his best efforts, House has finally chosen his four fellows, and now we have new questions to consider. Can Thirteen resist becoming Cameron Mk II? Can Foreman get past his history with House? Can Taub grow a moral center? Will Kutner finally kill himself with a defibrillator or an MRI machine?

Sadly, with only two more episodes to go before the show runs out of scripts (due to the writer's strike), these questions might just have to wait.

On that note, I'll leave you with the best line of the entire episode: "It's a moose. On a Jew."

Well...yeah.

(Remember, House is all new on Sunday, after the Superbowl. Mira Sorvino stars as a psychiatrist being treated by House via telemedicine. Should be fun!)