You know what really made me happy about this? My intense hate for Cuddy is fading. She didn't really stalk House in college because she's been pining for 20 years. She didn't really ditch her kid to help House detox magically overnight and then give him magical healing sex. She wasn't angry at him because he was being an ass after having sex with him. She was pissed he talked shit about her kid, and she's drawing the line there. I'm a sucker for a mama bear.

Wow. Just wow. I can't wait to rewatch this one in the morning. It will be just fascinating to see House go through all that, all headed for that Sixth Sense-ish moment in Cuddy's office. The way it was too good to be true in some ways - especially in terms of fluffing House's ego - genuinely too good to be true. (on a WTF-y sort of note - is Cuddy actually taking oxytocin to nurse the baby? Or was that just a random line?) Not even one hug, Wilson? *sniff* The PotW was interesting, too - his situation was genuinely fascinating, and I loved that his girlfriend noticed the pattern in his behavior, after a lot of dubiously useful relatives of PotWs lately. (I noticed it too, and was thus stupidly proud of myself, LOL.) When both halves of your brain love someone, that's pretty impressive. (Poor guy, though - unnecessary corpus callosum surgery!) And aw, Carl Reiner. :( I thought Cameron's reasoning for keeping the sperm was so bizarre last week, and I'm glad there was good reason for that - namely, that the real reason was the one that actually made sense. :lol: Thank goodness Chase got smacked by that clue by four. Good on both of them for finally talking it out, because it was a really good scene between them. I was surprised to actually see a wedding (damn, Cameron, how'd you pull that together in two weeks?), but it was gorgeous. The contrast between the joy and commitments of the wedding and House entering the hospital...ouch. Beautiful, beautiful episode.

is Cuddy actually taking oxytocin to nurse the baby? Or was that just a random line? She's not breastfeeding. It wasn't oxycontin, it was a hormone that's supposed to be involved with emotional bonding. House found elevated levels of it in comparison to a recent sample and assumed it was due to him. Maybe it was due to She was pissed he talked shit about her kid, and she's drawing the line there. I like that interpretation. I've been wondering what made her go off on the "we have no personal relationship" if the sex didn't really happen. House has been nasty to her before, but never snarked on her child like that. Now she'll forgive him, but if that's what caused her reaction I like it.

Amen to that, NekoCat! I'm personally thrilled that the end of last week's episode ended up being a hallucination. It redeemed Cuddy's character bu showing that she wasn't just a weak pushover who'd desperately come crawling to House's aid even after he insulted her "bastard child". (who'd want to have sex with him aftr that lousy comment?) Regardless of whether she had a crush on him or not, it's fantastic that she stood up for herself and for her kid. Good on ya, Cuddy!

Not even one hug, Wilson? *sniff* As much as I'd love a little House on Wilson hug action. I think they were both in too much pain - one or both of them would have broken down. It would have been too emotional for them.

I've got to say, what with the rash of hallucinations on network TV this season -- Dead Denny on "Gray's," and hallucinations on "Bones," -- I love the fact that "House" is the show that makes it a mental breakdown issue, and not merely the sign of a brain tumor.

Okay, I know this theory might be a bit controversial, but I just rewatched the ending a few more times. At the wedding, it was sunny and warm, and everything was in bloom. At the hospital it was cold and grey and wintery, with no leaves on the trees. Chase and Cameron were happy, and everything was sunshine and roses. But both House and Wilson were in terrible pain . Why? Cause they won't admit how much they love eachother, like Chase and Cam, or they think they can't, and that's why they suffer and their world is so much bleaker. And since it was St. Doris who wrote this, I really think that was part of the point of it all.

Well, I thought it bleak that while Chase and Cameron were "committing" House was "being committed"... I think THAT was intentional. Namaste made a remark somewhere else that got me thinking. When House and Wilson were on the balcony, House was reassuring Wilson that they would still be friends. As if in House's ideal world where he's happy and pain-free, Wilson is still the best friend and not just the guy House needs because he's miserable. That's weirdly sweet. Weeks ago I predicted that Wilson would have House committed against his will. I was half-right. And Carl Reiner created and wrote most of the episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show (as well as playing Alan Brady.) And he's Rob Reiner's father. All way before my time. ETA Sorry for misunderstanding you vitawash, I thought you had misspelled "oxycontin". Probably because that's what I heard when House first said it and I went "whaa??"

She's not breastfeeding. It wasn't oxycontin, it was a hormone that's supposed to be involved with emotional bonding. House found elevated levels of it in comparison to a recent sample and assumed it was due to him. Maybe it was due to Oxytocin, yes. That's what I was referring to - it's a hormone that is released during bonding, but also nursing, which adoptive mothers can do - they just usually can't have that as the only food source. (The idea seemed insane to me considering Cuddy's hours and lack of maternity leave, but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss something...) I also wouldn't be surprised if Chase had had quite a few of those 8 someones. And at least one of them was God.

I just realized that I'm a little confused about how much Wilson was real and how much was hallucinated. House told Wilson that he's slept with Cuddy after she helped him detox and that he'd been Vicodin-free for almost 24 hours. - Had to be a hallucination. Real Wilson would have known that House hadn't detoxed in 24 hours. All of Wilson's dumb relationship advice had to be a hallucination, too. He talked about House being Vicodin-free and using Cuddy as a substitute. When I realized that the affair was a hallucination, I couldn't figure out the scene in Cuddy's office. Why would Cuddy expect Wilson to ask her about her and House? Now I think that was also hallucinated. House wasn't there during the conversation but I guess it was an "omniscient eye" thing. Right now the only scenes I'm sure were the real Wilson were his talking to the patient and the trip to the hospital. (And I'm not 100% sure about the first one.) If House and Wilson had hugged, I'd think that scene was a hallucination, too. House and Wilson don't hug. They can walk perfectly in sync, inches from each other, but they rarely touch. (Other than when he was "steering" Cuddy during Meaning and when he was with Amber, Wilson has almost never touched anyone. The bubble around him is bigger and more inviolate than House's is.) ETA: Because, as much as I change tenses, even I know that it's wrong to do it mid-sentence.

Whew, I'm glad I wasn't the only having trouble separating real/hallucination Wilson stuff.

Well... I think Cuddy was expecting Wilson to come in and explain away "the bastard child" comment. I really think a lot of this episode was a whole misunderstanding on Wilson's and Cuddy's parts. Aside from some of Wilson being a hallucination, maybe he was playing the role of the audience?

I didn't think anything but the lipstick, Amber and Kutner were hallucinations. I love how House's mind was working the whole time regarding the coffee cup. He knew something was off.