5.24 - Both Sides Now

Yeah, it's more likely that Wilson will tell her the specifics later on. That's possible, but boy...I really hope not. Wilson's a meddler, for sure, and he'd been encouraging House/Cuddy when they were both (relatively) healthy. But talking about hallucinations had when the guy wasn't in his right mind is a whole different thing. As the Dean of Medicine, there are some things Cuddy needs to know. And Wilson doesn't have that much information. "House was hallucinating Amber. We did a lumbar puncture, sleep apnea test, etc. House was going to check himself into rehab but realized that he would cheat and continue using. This morning he told me that you had helped him detox and that you had slept together." Considering House asked her if they should move in, questioned her about her lipstick and announced to the hospital that they had slept together, she'd be a moron not to have figured out that last bit. The scene took me back to “TSS” where Wilson asked him if he thought that things would work out between him and Danny and House said no but he wouldn’t be responsible if they didn’t. That scene was the TSC not TSS. (Or The Social Conract, not The Softer Side for those of us who don't like having to decipher the abbreviations for 110 episodes.) I don't ship House/misery but I'd prefer it to House/"life is a bowl of cherries with rainbows and a pony on top." House is 49 years old. He lived with someone for 5 years. Although there are people who respect him, he has few friends and most people irritate him. I want to see him become funtional again but within the parameters set by his personality.

Actually I might like to see House with a bowl of cherries and a pony on top. ;-> Nice turn of phrase Poeia!

But from House's perspective after his break down, Cuddy is now implicated, through no fault of her own, in his humiliation and shame. I think that is why he did not ask for her help when his delusion shattered That's what I believe too. I'm sure she would have been willing to help in any way she could, but he probably couldn't bear to be in her presence at that moment. As maya said, leaving him with Wilson was the kindest thing she could have done. House giving Wilson his watch just as Chase and Cam exchanged rings was a crowning moment for their relationship. Though a sad moment, it is symbolic of House’s commitment to their relationship. I saw it as House committing himself to psychiatric care, not to Wilson. What amazes me is that despite his misery he doesn't give up. It's his striving (back to the Sisyphus example I've used previously) and his unwillingness to give up, to continue fighting despite his misery that I love to see in his interactions against himself and his own natures. "He who strives continuously upwards, him we can save." (Goethe's Faust. I took it for an English class. It almost killed me but I do like that quote.) This is the first time I've seen the phrase "House/misery shippers" While there are some sick fucks out there, most people who speak this way simply mean they don't think House should end up in a happy romantic relationship. David Shore has said more than once that House simply isn't capable of that.

Well, is House "striving upwards" or merely existing? Right now, he isn't having any fun at all. If we are getting something out of watching him completely break down, are we sick because we are entertained by his pain?

Well, is House "striving upwards" or merely existing? Right now, he isn't having any fun at all. If we are getting something out of watching him completely break down, are we sick because we are entertained by his pain? House himself, in "Not Cancer," identified himself with the patient Apple in which they both saw the world in disappointing shades of gray, but said that unlike her, he hasn't "given up." That's what I mean by his striving and continuing despite himself. And it's fiction. It's entertainment. We're allowed to be entertained by the story of a man who's battling his own demons. It's not like it's the real world and we're walking around laughing at people whose homes are being foreclosed on.

Quote: House giving Wilson his watch just as Chase and Cam exchanged rings was a crowning moment for their relationship. Though a sad moment, it is symbolic of House’s commitment to their relationship. I saw it as House committing himself to psychiatric care, not to Wilson. If the watch exchange was not meant as some sort of commitment between House and Wilson, then why did they have it happening cross-cut with the ring exchange ceremony? I think the watch exchange was totally and completely meant as as commitment ceremony, totally parallel to the ring exchange. While of course I would love for that commitment to be somewhat romantic tinged, it doesn't have to mean that. It could simply mean a commitment of House's trust of Wilson, and Wilson's commitment by accepting the watch, that he will be there for House from now on, no matter what. It could also have been a commitment to the bond that was between them, no longer in any doubt and stronger than any other relationship either may have. Either way, I am sure the parallels to the wedding were totally and completely intentional.

Doris Egan talks about the final scenes and the juxtaposition (even the original script v. Yaitanes' take on it, which she liked) in the interview on Blogcritics. “Yaitanes pretty much laid out the choreography of the entire final sequence, except for House handing his belongings to Wilson, which was scripted,” Egan explained. The difference in atmosphere, she said, was intended for visual contrast. “In my original version,” noted Egan, “we went inside the place and saw House hand himself over to strangers there, recite his symptoms flatly to a doctor as his personal possessions were taken and Wilson added unhappy amplifications -- all without sound, under music, as you saw it -- and then Wilson watched as House went through a locked door.” Moving the final scene outside, she said powerfully demarcates the different worlds that House and Wilson now occupy. Obviously, if you go that way, you still want to see House divest himself of his ordinary possessions and all they imply; so as House hands Wilson his wallet, pager and cell phone and watch, Wilson became the Keeper Of House Past.”

Considering House asked her if they should move in, questioned her about her lipstick and announced to the hospital that they had slept together, she'd be a moron not to have figured out that last bit. Yeah, I could see her inferring it from what had gone on - that wouldn't bother me at all. It's not her knowing that I would have any kind of issue with. Just that I can't see House being willing to tell her about the sex part at least, and while I'd definitely understand Wilson telling her about the various medical options they'd tried, the sex delusion is something it would seem to me to be something of a violation to reveal.

Considering House asked her if they should move in, questioned her about her lipstick and announced to the hospital that they had slept together, she'd be a moron not to have figured out that last bit. Yeah, I could see her inferring it from what had gone on - that wouldn't bother me at all. It's not her knowing that I would have any kind of issue with. Just that I can't see House being willing to tell her about the sex part at least, and while I'd definitely understand Wilson telling her about the various medical options they'd tried, the sex delusion is something it would seem to me to be something of a violation to reveal. I think Cuddy thought House was revealing their past one night of sex. I don't think Cuddy thought House was talking about anything in the present.

I think Cuddy thought House was revealing their past one night of sex. I don't think Cuddy thought House was talking about anything in the present. Two years ago, in Top Secret, House said that Cuddy gave him everything he wanted when she hired him because one night he gave her everything she... Therefore, the one time they did have sex was before House started working at PPTH. In Control House said he had been through 5 regime changes at PPTH. Even if those 5 changes had happened in one year, he has been working at PPTH for at least 6 years and slept with Cuddy at some point before that. So, Cuddy and House slept together 6+ years ago. They've seen each other almost daily since. "Today" House asked if she thinks the two of them should move in together and he announced to the hospital that they have slept together. He then had a complete breakdown in her office resulting in her bringing him to Wilson so that Wilson could get him admitted in a psychiatric hospital. And you think Cuddy assumed he was referring to one night, more than half a decade ago?

Yes, I'm sure that if House or Wilson didn't tell Cuddy the whole truth that she'd figure it out for herself. Which is why I'm looking forward to seeing how she handles it when House comes back to PPTH (as he must). Moving the final scene outside, she said powerfully demarcates the different worlds that House and Wilson now occupy. (puzzled) "and Wilson"? Wilson's not part of that world. Unless she just meant his presence in that scene. ETA Oh, I see, thank you Poeia. I thought she was referring to the contrast between Chase and Cameron's outdoor wedding and House's arrival at Mayfield (slaps self for being stupid).

Moving the final scene outside, she said powerfully demarcates the different worlds that House and Wilson now occupy. (puzzled) "and Wilson"? Wilson's not part of that world. Unless she just meant his presence in that scene. I read that as demarcates the world that House now occupies from the one that Wilson occupies. Had Wilson entered the hospital, he would have accompanied House to his new life, albeit temporarily. But Wilson was left behind as House walked to his new world.

Moving the final scene outside, she said powerfully demarcates the different worlds that House and Wilson now occupy. (puzzled) "and Wilson"? Wilson's not part of that world. Unless she just meant his presence in that scene. I read that as demarcates the world that House now occupies from the one that Wilson occupies. Had Wilson entered the hospital, he would have accompanied House to his new life, albeit temporarily. But Wilson was left behind as House walked to his new world. I don't interpret what DE said the same way at all. I think that she really meant "the world that House and Wilson" now occupy, as compared to Chase and Cameron. At the wedding, C and C were blissfully happy, and they were starting what they hoped to be a beautiful new life together, in contrast to House and Wilson. Yes, they are not together, with House inside, and Wilson outside, but as DE wrote in Birthmark, House is the most important person in Wilson's life. Even though they will be apart, Wilson will surely be thinking of nothing else but House and how he is doing and also what he could and should have himself done to prevent House from ending up in there. So I think DE really meant that the House and Wilson both are now in a different world than Chase and Cameron and maybe the others at the wedding also. A much darker world.

Moving the final scene outside, she said powerfully demarcates the different worlds that House and Wilson now occupy. (puzzled) "and Wilson"? Wilson's not part of that world. Unless she just meant his presence in that scene. I read that as demarcates the world that House now occupies from the one that Wilson occupies. Had Wilson entered the hospital, he would have accompanied House to his new life, albeit temporarily. But Wilson was left behind as House walked to his new world. Since she said "different worlds that House and Wilson now occupy" that means to me they are in two different worlds, one outside in the everyday world and one inside in the psychiatric hospital facing a personal inner world which is now broken, a very different sort of world. The demarcation of outside and inside emphasizes how separate and different their lives are now, or really, now that I think about it, Wilson symbolizes the outside world that House has had to leave behind to rebuild himself. I think the cross-cutting between the wedding and him going to the psych hospital was done to contrast their bright, sunny happiness at being joined together with House's numbness, disintegration and breaking apart. While Cameron and Chase are joined together with their ring ceremony, House giving Wilson his watch and such highlights that he is leaving the outer world—Wilson, Cuddy, and all the rest of his former life— behind for now. He has to let go of his life right now if he is ever going to get it back.

I think Cuddy thought House was revealing their past one night of sex. I don't think Cuddy thought House was talking about anything in the present. Two years ago, in Top Secret, House said that Cuddy gave him everything he wanted when she hired him because one night he gave her everything she... Therefore, the one time they did have sex was before House started working at PPTH. In Control House said he had been through 5 regime changes at PPTH. Even if those 5 changes had happened in one year, he has been working at PPTH for at least 6 years and slept with Cuddy at some point before that. So, Cuddy and House slept together 6+ years ago. They've seen each other almost daily since. "Today" House asked if she thinks the two of them should move in together and he announced to the hospital that they have slept together. He then had a complete breakdown in her office resulting in her bringing him to Wilson so that Wilson could get him admitted in a psychiatric hospital. And you think Cuddy assumed he was referring to one night, more than half a decade ago? Hmmm . . . most people recall people they've had sex with. And since Cuddy has been pining for House all these years, I'm pretty she'd remember their sexing, which may be why she's been pining for him all these years. The point is House and Cuddy had sex. From Cuddy's perspective, what House was revealing was not when they had sex but that they had sex. House was telling the truth which is why Cuddy was pissed off not that House was lying because he wasn't. She was angry because he revealed the sexing.

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