I'm also annoyed that they don't seem to go to Wilson anymore whern it might be cancer. I love Autopsy(might be my fave HHouse episode ever) for all the reasons Taiga listed and then some. Oh I wish we got more competent Wilson. He has to be a good doctor to be department head as young as he is, but I get the feeling we're not allowed to see this anymore because it takes away from House being as brilliant as he is.

I've seen the word "Flanderization" floating around; it refers to exaggerating one or two behaviors of a character until those are all that define them. This was happening to Wilson in the second season - anyone else remember how in Skin Deep he missed the fact that Alex didn't have a uterus? If the writers could remember that Wilson is a specialist, and a darn good one at that - as galaxygirl mentioned, Rowan Chase made a point to see him, and he told House that he'd been booked for a rectal cancer lecture over a year in advance - it'd make a lot more sense both inside the show and in regards to the real world. I personally find it more interesting when House employs Wilson for his people skills rather than his capacity as oncologist. Granted, this is a new development, but it's much in keeping with Wilson's ability to charm and manipulate the people around him.

I've been showing friends a whole bunch of S1 and a bit of S2 (I mean, come on, I had to show them Steve! Didn't I?) So, I'm not that crystal clear on the Tritter Arc at the moment, but I'm of a mind to suggest that it was then that Wilson, Wonder Boy Oncologist, started to become more of a schmuck than the Juvenile Genius that we know him to be. (For the record, I have a bigger crush on Wilson than I do on House. Which is saying something.) In Wilson's defense (aside from smacking the writers on the nose with a rolled up newspaper), I would venture to say that Wilson was a bit distracted during all of that. In the canon, he had his best friend getting in all kinds of trouble (serious trouble) for a habit that Wilson himself disapproves of and worries about, he discovers his wife cheats on him and is suing for divorce, he feels like a failure because this will be his third one, he's living in a hotel for God's sake, Tritter destroys his practice (although I think part of that was Wilson's overreaction....), Cuddy has deserted him and is no help....isn't that enough to have a nervous breakdown let alone kind of lose it at work? Poor thing. :( Outside of the canon, I'd imagine that Bonnie was hovering in the wings with Hector. What fun for Wilson! :shock: With everything else that's dorking up his life, he gets an ex-wife sniffing around (gloating?) and trying to dump a dog off on him. All in all, I'm not terribly surprised that Wilson was having a hard time of it. On the other hand, now that we've gone down that very, very dark road...I'd like to see the House/Wilson friendship return in full force. It's much too fundamental to the story. Not only is it the basis of the Sherlock Holmes/Gregory House allegory but it takes advantage of the amazing chemistry Laurie and Leonard can project. They don't even have to work at it....it just happens like lightening. 8)

I still think Wilson feels inadequate when House is around. He dreads to be the one not listening to House and lose a patient, so House can bully him into pretty much anything when it comes to medicine.

I think it might be a self-esteem issue. I mean, yes, he was a Boy Wonder and everyone liked him, but when it came down to it in Babies & Bathwater, he was let go and House who's a complete pain in the ass was worth a 100million. The same thing happens with Tritter. There Wilson actually says it: House'll save lives and he won't...WTF? But I can imagine it must be depressing. Wilson works really hard, is a nice guy, and yet when he needs people to back him up he's alone. Then he looks at House: he doesn't really work that hard, he only obsesses about things that interest him, and he annoys everyone in the process, but he only has to say the word and he's got a whole bunch of people covering for him. I think that would make you question yourself...And self-doubt does actually affect your performance. Which would then make you doubt even more...Until infinity, or until you're put on anti-depressants (or speeeeeeeeeeeed)

Hmmm. Food for my thought. I'm not convinced that it's a self esteem issue when it comes to his practice of medicine. Personally, I think that is the one place he feels the most competent. His life has proven him right. He really is the Wonder Boy Oncologist. He is sufficiently confident in his ability to seduce women that he was taken aback when House lied and said that Bonnie complained about his prowess in bed. My favourite bits between House and Wilson (not THOSE bits! Get your minds out of the gutters!) are when House turns to Wilson for help with the Nefarious Random Cells o' Destruction in the DDXs. Wilson's weakness seems to lie in acknowledging his own talents. He seems to only understand his formidable abilities when they are appreciated by a) the women who jump him after he's simply asked them out to a play and/or the museum and b) House.

Put me in the camp that thinks Wilson has self-esteem issues. His marriages, his patients, his job, even his office seems to indicate his need for validation and self-assurance. Season one Wilson was a much more confident man, it was at the end of season 2 that his confidence seems to vanish. The divorce, the Grace affair, House being shot, the ketamine failure and then Tritter are enough reasons to make him doubt about his abilities. But I believe that he was always insegure. Even his relationship with House is a form of validation and a source of insecurity. No wonder he needs anti-depressants!

He is sufficiently confident in his ability to seduce women that he was taken aback when House lied and said that Bonnie complained about his prowess in bed. I didn't see it that way at all. I think that Wilson thought it was a real possibility that Bonnie thought he was bad in bed. That's the insecurity coming out. He may have spent years with her moaning and screaming and basically acting like he "worked hard to please" her, but the instant House suggested otherwise I think Wilson's look said "Oh shit! Did I read that wrong, too??!" He may be Boy Wonder Oncolgist, but he has had enough go wrong in his life to erode that. Being a co-dependent does not equal high self-esteem. Just being the type of friend he is to House suggests esteem issues. And besides, except for giving House dating advice in Love Hurts, it is usually House who says Wilson is the Ladies'Man, not Wilson. He may have lots of success with the ladies, I just don't know if he sees it that way. Esteem can be a tricky thing.

I think it's funny that House never corrected (surprise!) Wilson's mistaken notion that Bonnie said he was bad in bed. Of course House would love for Wilson to go the rest of his life thinking that.

But I can imagine it must be depressing. Wilson works really hard, is a nice guy, and yet when he needs people to back him up he's alone. Then he looks at House: he doesn't really work that hard, he only obsesses about things that interest him, and he annoys everyone in the process, but he only has to say the word and he's got a whole bunch of people covering for him. That was perfectly said IMO. I definately belong in the group that says Wilson has self-esteem problems. Speaking as someone who has struggled with self-worth my whole life it only makes me feel for him even more.

I've been spending too much time in Cameron's thread... I came back here to clear my mind :) One of the things that I heard constantly about Wilson is how dark the character is. I agree, but sometimes I have the impression that a lot of people confuses his "dark side" with an "evil side". I truly believe that Wilson is a good person, full of good intentions. This makes him dangerous, but not evil. What do you guys think?

This makes him dangerous, but not evil. I agree, Wilson is certainly dangerous and good at manipulating (he's fooled House on more than one occasion) but I don't think he's evil. If he was evil he would have gone to Tritter just to get his car etc. back. He makes mistakes but his heart is in the right place and for me that makes all the difference.

I agree that Wilson is a master manipulator. But dangerous? He has always tried to protect House so I could only see him as being destructive to himself.

I think Wilson is dangerous because he does things convinced that he is doing them for a good cause. His intentions are good but I guess that he's the kind of person that thinks that the ends justify the means. This always brings problems to everyone involved. It's dangerous when you think that you can do whatever you want just because you are a good person, with the best intentions - House told us this in Fidelity. It wasn't just a clever line, it was Wilson in a nutshell.

Point taken. I guess a prime example of this would be his betrayal of House in Finding Judas. But I also feel Wilson is his own worst enemy. Low self-esteem, depression, the continual acceptance of abuse from House, etc. His choices have led him to this point. This is why I felt he was a danger to himself. Other than House, Grace, and maybe the ex-wives, have we seen other examples of where his good intentions actually being dangerous or detrimental to others? I only started watching House this spring and though I have seen every episode, I am still learning the characterizations. Wilson is by far my favorite character on the show.