I've been hoping for Stephen Fry to guest star on House ever since the show began, and now my fondest wish has come true. Not only that...Stephen Fry actually cowrote the episode.

For those who aren't in the know, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry wrote and starred in the BBC show A Bit of Fry and Laurie for several years, and are widely believed to be one of the funniest comedic duos since Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. (Please...if you haven't heard of them, don't tell me. Let me keep my illusions, okay?)

Most of the other characters were backgrounded a bit in this episode, but it was nice to see that Fry understands the character of Cuddy better than the show's regular writers. The scene where she and Fry's character exchange rapidfire quips was truly beautiful, especially that final shot of House with his jaw nearly hitting the floor. See what happens when you underestimate her, House?

This episode reminded me that Hugh Laurie is truly a consummate comedian. He's so good at it, that we forget how good he is when watching a normal episode, because his comedic timing is so impeccable that it seems natural. But Stephen Fry knows how to write for Hugh Laurie and how to truly showcase his comedic talent.

Just *thinking* about the scene in which he's chasing the kid around the clinic because he doesn't want Cuddy to know that he's lost her makes me laugh hysterically. Every time his head popped up with that look of concentration, I'd laugh harder.

Okay, it might have been nice if the medicine had been a little stronger, but since this was apparently written fairly hastily after the writer's strike, I don't really mind. It was just nice to see House back and snarky as ever.

I liked the POTW (as well as his husband, obviously!) a lot, and it was great that his cancer is going to be treatable, because I was a little afraid this was going to be one of the episodes where the patient dies.

And I've been waiting for the show to have an HIV-negative gay man as POTW. Basically, I was so thrilled that they could have read the phone book for most of the episode and I would still have been dead of squee.

Stephen Fry, is of course, able to play a gay man anywhere from low-key to flaming queen, but I thought they chose just the right balance here, with enough flame to amuse fandom but not so much as to turn off the Average American Viewer.

The medical mystery was not really the point of this episode, so it was eminently forgettable. And why exactly did Hugh Laurie have to take his shirt off in order to convince Fry's character to do the final blood test? I don't know if I blinked and missed the explanation or what, but it was certainly very nice fanservice.

Overall, even if Stephen Fry hadn't played Alan, this would probably still be one of my all-time favorite episodes. Having him there, with all the nods and winks, put this over the top. Good job, folks!