I'm willing to bet Jesse and Jennifer would rather play wedding than sit at home because they only get a 30 second scene in an episode where they either give House a case or do a surgery. They're both professionals and it's part of the job. They bring quality to the show in their work and they can be proud of it. Their story has been among the best the show has offered all year.

Quote: Interesting that House created a fake life that mirrors the life that Wilson wants him to have: be happy, be with someone, try to be with Cuddy, try something other than Vicodin. Of course it was a lie, he based it on someone else’s expectations. You think he doesn't actually want that life he pictured for himself? I do. Since that very scenario -- not being lonely and being pain free -- is exactly what House wished for himself in "Wilson's Heart," they both want the same thing.

You think he doesn't actually want that life he pictured for himself? Like Amber&Kutner’s hallucination said, it was a nice life, but it wasn’t true. The irrational part of his brain was trying to fool him about what he wanted and took the most available fantasy to accomplish it and filled the blanks with Wilson’s ideas about happiness, not necessarily House’s. I do think he wants a life without pain, without misery, but a life with Cuddy and her baby that he doesn’t even remember that exists? No.

I just realized what's been bugging me about the reveal that the sex was a delusion (guess I'm having a left brain / right brain split). It means that in five seasons, Cuddy is the only character on the show not to get laid. They promote her sex appeal so heavily, but she has no sex life at all! That made me do a tally in my head. Don't ask me how I can remember all this, I wish I knew. Keep in mind that Thirteen, Taub and Kutner have been around 2 years instead of 5. Thirteen = three known sex partners (patient whose name I can't remember, Foreman, other chick at end of episode with patient whose name I can't remember) + others likely during her partying phase in early S5 Wilson = 3 known sex partners (Julie, Grace, Amber) + two possible ones (Robin though I think it unlikely, brother's nurse) Foreman = 3 known sex partners (drug rep Sharon, Wendy, Thirteen) + one possible one (he mentioned to Dr. Marty that he had a kind-of girlfriend, maybe it was the drug rep) House = 2 known sex partners (Stacy, Paula) + others possible (HL and the producers have said he hires hookers) Chase = 1 known sex partner (Cameron) + others possible (he flirted a lot in the first two seasons). I'm not counting the banker who liked to be burned, as that was before the show started. Cameron = 1 known sex partner (Chase), others unlikely (as she spent the first two seasons hung up on House and then picked Chase as her FWB) Taub = 1 known sex partner (wife Rachel), others unlikely during the past two years but he had one affair before he appeared on the show Kutner = 1 possible sex partner (since his obituary said he had a girlfriend) And there's Cuddy, clocking in at zero. The closest she came was Don the lube guy, and her seduction of him failed. That is so, so wrong.

I think he does want the life he pictured, just as he pictured it. It wasn't true because it hasn't happened, but it is true that that's what he wants. Wilson knows and sees how House feels (and has felt for a long time) about Cuddy so he's just trying to reinforce what House wants just as he did with Stacy. He wants House to be happy and that is what he thinks would make him happy because he knows House. House forgets the baby because it's not something he directly wants but he does want Cuddy. Whether he could be a proper father to Rachel is now deeply doubtful if it was ever possible. But I think he will care about her just because he cares about Cuddy. Now whether all that is something he's ever likely to get, very unlikely, especially now. But I do think they will still be supportive of each other, though I expect all these relationships to change for a while. Assuming House does get back to practicing medicine, his life will be that much harder because people will wonder if his crazy ideas are really crazy. It makes his own history his primary antagonist. Don't need Vogler or Tritter when your reputation is such that people think twice about going to you or trusting you.

Come to think of it, do we have any evidence that Cuddy has *ever* gotten laid except for the long-ago one-night stand with House? There was that soldier from "Top Secret" that House remembered her making out with, but we never found out if they sealed the deal. There's been some fan speculation that she must have slept with someone to have gotten the dean's job so young, but I don't agree with that; I don't think that's something she'd do. Either it's all happening off-camera/happened pre-canon, or she really is married to her job. Also, I'm not sure whether to count Kutner's alleged girlfriend as canon. It was in his obit, which was an online creation by Fox, but it was never mentioned on the actual show. I'm also disinclined to consider that obit canon because it gave Kutner's age as 33, and Foreman said in the 911 call that he was 28. Also, Kutner asked Amber out in season 4. He could have acquired a serious girlfriend sometime after that, but I think it would have come up, especially during the PI arc, if that were the case.

I think a babe as hot as Cuddy has gotten laid at *some* point. As she said "I like sex" in the Don the lube guy episode. That would imply she's had some. ;-)

I can accept that Cuddy has never had a serious relationship, but that she's only ever had sex once? After telling House she liked sex and was obviously preparing to put out on the first date with Don the lube guy? No way. I had an idea, which is probably wrong but I'll offer it up for speculation. When House kissed Stacy and wanted a relationship with her he wanted Wilson to play the go-between; he told Wilson knowing he would run off and talk to Stacy, then asked Wilson what Stacy said. This time he expressly told Wilson not to talk to Cuddy. Same situation, different reaction from House. Is it possible that one part of his brain was trying to protect the delusion from being blown, as would have happened if Wilson had talked to Cuddy?

I went to a concert last night so I'm late to reply! I thought the ep was just ok. Relieved the "I always want to kiss you" and 6 hour detox were just hallucinations - thank god! Hugh's acting was good - when he reached for the lipstick I knew it would be pills. Wilson's Cuddy replacing Vicodin after 6 hours theory was stupid and makes Wilson seem like an unbelievable character. Cameron Chase thing was pointless and in poor taste. Creepy wedding ending was good though. The two sides symbolism and cheesy way of manipulating the patient's issue to hurt his girlfriend etc. was terrible, and I thought Carl Reiner's character's brand of humor belonged in a different show. I have no idea where they will go with the pyschiatric hospital thing, I'll give them that. Good mental journey, but the Cameron/Chase and patients ridiculousness detracted from the fascination. House being committed did not seem as traumatic as I expected, as he went so willingly.

I think if he went by force, kicking and screaming, or half-heartedly because of pressure, it wouldn't be so dramatic and, to quote from the internets, so full of win.

Combining this pic of the new facility with Wilson's comment in UMS about knowing "a nice facility" makes me wonder if House is hallucinating when they arrive at the hospital--that what we saw really represents his worst fears. Possibly the actual hospital looks like this newer one. (I think someone else questioned whether it was a hallucination, but I can't find the post.) Thank you for bringing this up because I had the exact same thought. Is this place more modern looking and House is visualizing it looking like a haunted building? Giving into something that he seems to not believe in has to be horrifying and scary for him. This is a really bizarre thought but I am going to throw it out so I can humilate myself. You know how we recently saw that pic of Hugh in France with a military hair cut. They would not have shot a scene at this hospital and had his head shaved, would they? Nah. Just trying to figure out why his hair was so short and if it had anything to do with that hospital.

sdemar, I thought the odd thing was that he cut his hair but didn't shave. I just noticed that Wilson never asked about the hallucinations. House comes in to brag about sleeping with Cuddy after she helped him detox. Wilson gave a double-wow and asked how the pain was. But he never said "and Amber?" I really want to know what's hallucination and what's not.

Every time I watch, it gets "curiouser and curiouser." The first two times, I paid no attention to timing. It felt as though it all happened in one day. Then I noticed that House and Wilson had several clothing changes. I don't have the equipment to scrutinize it scene by scene, but it appears that it might have occurred over three days. And at the end, Wilson and House are wearing the same clothes they were when Cuddy brought House to Wilson's office, so the trip couldn't have been too long. (But they had overcoats on.) Although I can accept it if it was done this way purely for the dramatic contrast, it's hard to believe that the daytime outdoor wedding took place the same day and time as the arrival at the hospital. It was warm and sunny enough for Cuddy and Rachel and other women guests to be in sleeveless dresses. If it was the same day, Cuddy had clearly had a more "wintry" outfit on earlier, and House and Wilson were not dressed for spring/summer. Going beyond the differences in the weather, the whole arrival at the hospital seemed strange in other ways. Why did Wilson park so far away? I realize that House giving Wilson his watch, wallet, etc. and his walking alone were meant to emphasize the fact that he entered willingly. But even if he didn't go with him, carry his bag, etc., Wilson could have parked closer. Why did the place seem so deserted--no other cars, no people, etc.? And how did the staff members suddenly appear from nowhere, walking up the steps with House? The silence from the time that Cuddy and House entered Wilson's office to the end, including the wedding, was a dramatic and effective director's choice, and HL and RSL certainly were over the top portraying the nonverbal communication between the two. I do think, however, that in reality there would have been some things said aloud. This is one reason that I think there is an outside chance that House is delusional/hallucinating at his arrival at the hospital, although I will not be surprised if that is wrong. (At this point, nothing TPTB come up with will surprise me! :) I know this is rambling..I'm in the same boat as many of you have indicated. Each viewing just brings more questions. We have a lot to ponder and process during the coming months. What an extraordinary gift we have been given!!!

TPTB will need to give both Wilson and especially Cuddy a measure of contentment before the bitter end. Baby Rachel is supposed to provide that comfort but I don't think it is enough unless Cuddy is revealed as more of a masochist than we have seen so far. (Has anyone seen the delightfully masochistic film "Secretary"?) I have, and criminy jim I have no idea how your mind connected those two thoughts! Taiga, The connection wasn't a deep one, just that, in "Secretary", a couple who are equally sadistic/masochistic in their turns (and feel guilty about it) can learn to accept themselves and be happy indulging their proclivities even as the outside world looks on in disapproval while the close and supportive family and friends are able to accept and even approve of their strange style of expressing love. The connection to Cuddy was, in order for her to gain a measure of contentment with House, without any other development in House except returning to himself, her character would need to be revealed or developed as one that accepted and celebrated her attraction to difficult men (a form of masochism in my book) as the heroine did in "Secretary". I don't see that happening. Shore strikes me as one who uses the standard boundaries of society as barriers to continually resist, not transcend.(That would be delusional in his book) So, my hope was that Cuddy finds a substitute, a House-lite. The fact that Cuddy has never been shown to have a sex partner has always been significant to me as a story clue. It is being held onto by the writers for some purpose. A big shoe that is waiting to be DROPPED. (She is, obviously, occasionally sexually active, but we are not shown that for a reason.) Boffle, you have once again revealed your talented writer's mind. No need for a Vogler or Tritter? Such fertile ground for the writers. :-) Is House going to continue to try and squelch his right brain or endeavor to set it free? To get his "one thing" back will be the goal. How would House do it? I vote for squelch a la Spock. As happened to others, this finale took a toll on me as well. A slight headache and general malaise. But a dose of hot chocolate and some Dickens served as an effective counterweight. Most of his characters take continual despair in their robust stride, anchored in even more restrictive social circumstances. Tragedy just doesn't suit me. But I can't stop watching.

I just can't totally buy the "this is the life House wanted" scenario. I think his hallucination is the life he wanted: he definitely wants to be pain free, but I think the relationship he wants with Cuddy is impossible. He wants one that's hot, passionate, full of them challenging each other with their ever-present push me/pull you games, but one that WON'T encroach on the lifestyle he's gotten used to. I'm not quite sure why I think this way, but I see House wanting a relationship that never really progresses to something more. He doesn't want to be lonely, that's true, but I also don't think he wants to be domestic either. The only woman he could have done that with was Stacy, and she's gone as is that window of opportunity in his life. I can't see House and Cuddy sitting down and reading the paper over coffee on a Sunday morning, I can't see them going grocery shopping together, or any of the mundane, everyday things that normal couples do. I think this is one of the main things that torments House - he desperately wants to have a normal relationship, but his defense mechanisms that prevent him from being hurt and abused any more also prevent him from having what he wants.