how well does House read Wilson? Considering how much Wilson gets away with lying without House knowing it until someone tells him(dinner with Stacy, Grace, etc) I'd say House doesn't read Wilson very well at all. Wilson seems to be good at hiding things when he really wants to.

the turn they had Wilson take in the Tritter arc of doubting his own capabilities as a doctor. "House got the diagnosis and I didn't," mused Wilson I had a different take on this story. To me, it wasn't so much about Wilson doubting his own abilities as it was about Wilson doubting House's abilities and being proved wrong. Wilson basically was saying to House, "You're not all that--you just guess lucky" because being "all that" is what justifies House's addiction and being a miserable jerk and Wilson wants House to stop being a vicodin addict and a miserable jerk because he cares about him. That's why he set up the lie about Richard's dx--because he thought it was just another lucky guess which, if they told him about it, would just strengthen House's determination not to make the changes Wilson thinks he needs to be healthy and happy. But when Wilson finally sees that House got the diagnosis and he didn't--and not just by lucky guesses--he had to see that House does indeed have something Wilson doesn't when it comes to diagnostics. I don't think it changed how Wilson saw himself as a doctor; what it changed was him having to admit some of the validity of House's position. House needs the vicodin and his own special brand of bs detector, etc. in order to do what he does. It is something House does, not just lucky guessing. Make sense? I think Wilson understands House better than anyone else but I also think there are some fundamental blind spots in his House-whispering as well. For example, I disagree that Wilson read House correctly about the fake cancer/brain implant thing, as did Cameron. Wilson thinks House wants in the study as a cure for depression; Cameron thinks it's because he wants to get high. IMO, both are wrong. The study House was trying to fake his way into implanted a stimulator directly into the pleasure center of the brain in order to treat depression in cancer patients. What is the opposite of pleasure? Depression? No. Pain. Pleasure/pain. Now, who do we know who is obsessed with pain and counteracting it? I saw the fake cancer issue as being a follow-up to the ketamine: another instance of House looking for a way to deal with his pain besides vicodin. (Another is him wanting the nerve of the CIPA girl for possible transplant into himself.) To me, Wilson assuming that House wanted that implant for depression instead of pain relief is yet another instance of Wilson not quite getting House. Which led to Wilson dosing House with anti-depressants just as forcing him into detox because he didn't see the reality that House needs the vicodin for the pain to do his job--not just because he's addicted to it. He cares and his intentions are good but he doesn't fully understand which is why his best laid plans don't work: they are based on false premises. I think it is an essential part of House's reality that nobody--not even his best friend with his best intentions--really, completely gets House. ETA: I think House trusts Wilson in spite of everything for two reasons. One, I think he knows Wilson's intentions are good. Two, House is a risk-taker; he knows there are possibly dangerous lengths to which Wilson will go, that he is manipulative and can be dishonest, etc. but he is willing to go along for the ride of being involved with Wilson because he likes risks. It's not so much that he doesn't believe Wilson could hurt him as that he thinks the risk of being messed about by Wilson is interesting, exciting, worth the candle. :wink:

Which led to Wilson dosing House with anti-depressants just as forcing him into detox because he didn't see the reality that House needs the vicodin for the pain to do his job--not just because he's addicted to it. He cares and his intentions are good but he doesn't fully understand which is why his best laid plans don't work: they are based on false premises. I completely agree. One thing that really bothers me is that noone really understands the pain House feels. He's addicted to Vicodin for a reason, not some druggie looking to get high. As someone who has dealt with chronic pain and dependence on prescription meds, I know what someone will go through just to get any kind of relief. I just think Wilson, of all people, should know why House does what he does.

The study House was trying to fake his way into implanted a stimulator directly into the pleasure center of the brain in order to treat depression in cancer patients. What is the opposite of pleasure? Depression? No. Pain. Pleasure/pain. When Cam accused House of trying to get high I was just about screaming at the TV "No, no you ignorant bicth!! You are a doctor for crissakes, and have known this man for how long!! How can you think it's not about the pain????!!" As for Wilson going for depression, it is really hard to be in constant, unrelenting, intractable pain and not be depressed. I am surprised Wilson didn't try to get House into that study, himself. As much as I loved so much of Half-Wit, the resolution and the way everyone viewed House's motivation really annoyed me.

I saw the fake cancer issue as being a follow-up to the ketamine: another instance of House looking for a way to deal with his pain besides vicodin. I have trouble believing this for two reasons (hey, maybe the DVD commentary will resolve it!). One, House took Wilson's advice on socializing to start dealing with depression. That wouldn't make sense story-wise if what lead to Wilson giving that advice wasn't about depression. Two, House medicine is different than RL medicine. It's never been said on the show that antidepressants / whathaveyou can treat chronic pain. If the audience was supposed to make the connection between the 'Half-Wit' treatment and chronic pain treatment, TPTB would/will have made that clearer. Instead they specifically said that the treatment was just for depression.

But they also said--which they didn't have to--that the cancer/depression study involved an inplant in the pleasure center of the brain so for me the pleasure/pain connection makes much more sense than the pleasure/depression one. I agree that House was made uncomfortable by what Wilson was telling him about the irony of what he had tried to do was contrary to what non-depressed cancer patients do--the pushing people away when you need them most part. But I don't quite see how that would have to negate my interpretation of why House tried to get into the study, though. There is also the question of whether the anti-depressants worked for House or not--I don't think they did but ymmv on that as well. I'm not even sure if he kept taking them after he discovered Wilson had been putting them in his coffee....

I am surprised Wilson didn't try to get House into that study, himself. I'm not sure he would have qualified if Wilson tried, hence the need to fake the brain cancer which he couldn't tell Wilson without asking him to lie too on the enrollment submission.

This is a hot subject, isn't it? But when Wilson finally sees that House got the diagnosis and he didn't--and not just by lucky guesses--he had to see that House does indeed have something Wilson doesn't when it comes to diagnostics. Of course Wilson isn't a good diagnostician. He's an Oncologist! It would be a luck guess if Wilson got it right. Wilson wants House safe. He doesn't want to see him being shot, having liver failure, overdosing. He lies and manipulates because he's worried and doesn't want to lose House. Selfish of him? Maybe, but who knows what a person is capable when someone they love are in danger? Wilson thinks that House is a menace for himself and try to protect him. If he is right or wrong doesn't matter to him because his reactions are not completely rational. Which led to Wilson dosing House with anti-depressants just as forcing him into detox because he didn't see the reality that House needs the vicodin for the pain to do his job--not just because he's addicted to it. Wilson knows that House is in constant pain and need some kind of pain management. He also knows there's a hight risk of liver failure because of the Vicodin. He also knows that House is stubborn. The only way he thinks he can make a difference about all this things is being manipulative. And the anti-depressants worked. House was more social and happy since the first scene with the ducks. This is, of course, JMO and I'm not saying that I agree with Wilson's actions just that I can understand him. :)

Google "chronic pain" and antidepressants and you'll find, for example (from John Hopkins): The effectiveness of antidepressants for the treatment of major depression is well documented; however, the analgesic properties of this class of medication are under-appreciated. It is important for the patient to understand for which of these applications an antidepressant is being prescribed. Likewise, it is important that the physician understand that antidepressants can treat both pain and depression. I think this is supported in the show. Remember that House was shown eating instead of taking Vicodin. Wilson had a Catch-22: He shouldn't have dosed House without his permission, House would never have given permission.

And the anti-depressants worked. House was more social and happy since the first scene with the ducks. He was also, eventually, hugely inappropriately "happy" and manic. That doesn't spell "worked" to me. I never suggested that Wilson didn't get House at all or that he was ever completely wrong. I said he probably gets House better than anyone else does. I just think he doesn't get him as completely as he thinks he does. Of course Wilson isn't a good diagnostician. He's an Oncologist! It would be a luck guess if Wilson got it right. I guess I didn't get my point across to you. I don't think anyone--including Wilson himself--expects Wilson to be a better diagnostician than than House or that his not being such means he's not as good a doctor in general or in oncology as House. What I was trying to get across was that Wilson thought House was successful because of luck and when House got the diagnosis he didn't, Wilson had to acknowledge it wasn't all due to luck. I wasn't criticizing Wilson as a doctor because House got something he didn't. That wasn't my point at all.

Manic? Smiling inappropriately is not mania.