The thing about the guitar for me isn't how expensive it is, but that it's a musical instrument; for me, that's right up there with ripping books, and I don't even play myself. And for someone whose music is his only healthy means of emotional expression... And the fact that Wilson didn't expect House to take it as seriously as he did just confirms for me that Wilson doesn't understand House's psyche as well as he thinks he does, and therefore should stop making decisions based on what he thinks House feels and needs instead of what House says he feels and needs. I agree with you wholeheartedly here. I think this sort of encapsulates why I was a little bummed by the opener. Obviously, I recognize the need for space and distance between the old cast and the new cast and the new roles that the old cast will inhabit. So, by that definition, "Alone" was always going to be a bit strange. And, playing it up for laughs was probably the most logical approach to storytelling they could use. However, it also demonstrates why I find the mere concept of the House/Wilson/Cuddy show to be a short-sighted deadend narratively and dramatically. Together Wilson and Cuddy have nothing to do but screw with House in whatever way they think he needs to be screwed with. And it rarely results in offering a different lens through which to view House. I suspect that is why I am attached to the old ducks and look forward to their new interactions with House in different capacities. From Wilson I love seeing the friendship side of House; I also can appreciate that Wilson willingly associates with House and must derive something from it. Cuddy is virtually the opposite, though. It's as though her every action wrt to House is being driven by guilt or pity or anguish. I don't find it particularly interesting any longer as it doesn't offer much of a future.

Does anyone think that the taped up guitar is a parallel with House's bandaged up cane at the end of Safe? The episodes had a kind of similar feel to it, H/W wise imo.

Okay, I really don't think that House would be devastated about losing his team, in fact I thought HE showed that he really didn't care. BUT, I don't think we're supposed to believe that. I don't think we're supposed to believe that House doesn't care about them because if he didn't, that would crush a lot of fans. Why would Wilson expect House to take the guitar seriously? House was amused when Wilson sawed through his cane, no angry. I can understand Wilson's POV and would you really prefer seeing Wilson manipulating and lying like he's done in the past? I know Wilson can be self-righteous and I know that he doesn't know House as well as he thinks he does. His methods have failed in the past so he tried something new. It's honestly like Wilson can't do anything right to some people.

The difference in sawing through his cane was that House was the instigator in that prank war, and it was like a well executed defense and he couldn't help like Wilson's response to his pranks. And, wasn't that -not specifically sawing the cane, but fighting back -what House had been trying to get him to do, anyway? But, being on the receiving end of a prank war isn't all that fun, I'd imagine. And, since Wilson had been on the receiving end before and didn't have fun, I'm surprised that he expected House to find it fun when he was in Wilson's position.

I'm surprised that he expected House to find it fun when he was in Wilson's position. He probably wasn't thinking about it like that. He was probably thinking, "House tried this with me and it worked. He had fun." Sure Wilson didn't have fun when he was on the receiving end but House kept pushing until he got the results he wanted. I'm just having a hard time comdemning Wilson for doing something that's considered cute of funny when House does it. I know House gets a free pass a lot because he's House, I give him free passes myself a lot, but once again, is this really a step backwards from "the lie?"

Thank you. The only thing I ever really got angry with him about was "the lie" well and sleeping with Grace but that was such a delicious episode I just couldn't stay mad. I also never blamed him for MLC. He tried something new this time. So what? If anything it shows he at least gets that "the lie" was a huge mistake. He did something House would (and has) do.

I hated the Lie and he was on my shitlist for a while after that. I rank the lie as the worst thing he's done, followed by the detox scheme. I'm not a big fan of that one either, though I can see his reasoning for that one as well.

Think about this prank war like House's manipulation of Wilson in All In (keeping him in the game by first making him lose, then win etc.) From All In: Wilson: These games are insane House: Games have a higher success rate

Okay, I really don't think that House would be devastated about losing his team, in fact I thought HE showed that he really didn't care. BUT, I don't think we're supposed to believe that. I don't think we're supposed to believe that House doesn't care about them because if he didn't, that would crush a lot of fans. So, by that argument they're having Hugh act as though House doesn't care, but they're telling us that he does because even though House isn't acting like it we should pretend that he's actually feeling that way so that it'll make us feel better? I don't buy that. House doesn't like change. Since day one. He tried to prove that wrong and he showed that he's growing and has grown quite a lot since we first met him, but even if he's learning to adjust with change he still doesnt' quite know how to deal with it. Now, instead of hiding away to avoid things like he used to, he's using distractions to avoid things and just flat out refusing Cuddy to her face instead of sneaking off to empty lounges to watch television. He's always had different ways of dealing with his dislike of change. He didn't want to replace Cameron the first time. He had to be forced into it. He didn't want to lose Cameron in the first place but he's so socially retarded about things that directly affect his life that he couldn't immediately process that and only dealt with it well after the fact in a combination of the realization that his team was a three part unit and the fact that he just didn't want to interview anymore. I have no problem both seeing House's denial as just that or believing that he understands that he needs that team with him. Three years ago he didn't need them. Now he does. He probably wasn't thinking about it like that. He was probably thinking, "House tried this with me and it worked. He had fun." Sure Wilson didn't have fun when he was on the receiving end but House kept pushing until he got the results he wanted. I'm just having a hard time comdemning Wilson for doing something that's considered cute of funny when House does it. I know House gets a free pass a lot because he's House, I give him free passes myself a lot, but once again, is this really a step backwards from "the lie?" I really didn't realize that anyone *was* condemning Wilson for it. Are people really angry with him? I don't see that. Of course there's no reason to hate Wilson for what he did, but you have to look at it from both House *and* Wilson's side. Wilson thought he was playing House's game using House's rules. And based on the fact that, at the end of the episode he was sitting in front of a room of applicants, Wilson won. House, otoh, doesn't like not being the one calling the shots. He likes to start the games, not be a victim. And if he doesn't want to play he simply doesn't want to play. He has no problem pushing people as far as he can, but he doesn't handle being pushed. If it's something personal and you back him into a corner he shuts down or attacks, but it's not going to be fun and games if he doesn't want it to be and in this case he didn't want to be bothered, hassled or bullied into doing something he didn't want to. I, too, must defend Cuddy's honor. What was 'provocative' or in any way inappropriate in how she was sitting on the table? She looked bored, more than anything else. I was surprised by the "Cuddy is a h00r!!!11" stuff I've seen, too. I got no House/Cuddy vibes from any part of the episode. In that particular scene I saw exasperation or frustration. She didn't have an answer. She wasn't lying back with her legs spread, she was sitting on the side of a table staring at the white board. That could have been any of the six principal cast members sitting there and it would have had the same vibe.

House, otoh, doesn't like not being the one calling the shots. He likes to start the games, not be a victim. And if he doesn't want to play he simply doesn't want to play. He has no problem pushing people as far as he can, but he doesn't handle being pushed. If it's something personal and you back him into a corner he shuts down or attacks, but it's not going to be fun and games if he doesn't want it to be and in this case he didn't want to be bothered, hassled or bullied into doing something he didn't want to. I'm confused about what you're saying. Just because House doesn't like it no one should do it? Everyone should all consider House's feelings? The prank upset House so it shouldn't have been done? After three years of seeing House doing much, much worse to Wilson than this prank and looking at it from "both of their sides" I'm not about to feel sorry for House in this situation. And yes, people really are upset. Like I said earlier, not so much here but I've gotten that in RL and in other forums and it's annoying me so I'm taking it out here and I shouldn't be. I apologize for getting angry. It's just annoying to hear people complain about the lie (which sucked royally) and then complain about the prank. I just don't know what they want from him.

Haven't thought about the others, but wasn't the only reason he had fun in Safe because he managed to get him back? He hadn't really been into the game before and was mainly frustrated, not having fun. But, it's been awhile since I've seen it, so I could be remembering wrong. And, now, I don't know if I remember his line in this episode correctly either. But, my (possibly faulty) memory makes me think that he expected the whole thing to be fun for House and that he would join in. Safe and Alone were both about one pulling pranks/prank to get a specific outcome/reaction out of the other. So I would think he would use only Safe as a reference point. Act Your Age seemed like a different breed. It was juvenile silliness, not directed pranking. I don't remember what happened in All In. I wouldn't really consider the drugged coffee a prank. More of a way to satisfy curiosity. And, I don't think Wilson was a target in Housetraining. Hector was.