I don't think it's a digression. Any talk re: Hugh Laurie is welcome.

I haven't heard that, I'll have to seek it out. On a related tangent, have you read his book? The Gun Seller. Totally awesome. Find it, read it. The man can do no wrong.
Great episode. I agree with you 100%, I know that no matter what, when I sit down to watch House, I'm going to enjoy the next 43 minutes of TV (DVR). I'm really enjoying the new guy, I hope he stays around for awhile. The scene with him and Cutty at the restaurant was especially good.
It also kind of shows us that she really is attracted to House, because the PI is SO much like House, just slightly different. The draw between them is tangible, and I really like the way they both play it. Should be interesting to see if anything more happens between Cutty and the PI.