I suppose I am one of the few fans who actually felt that the Tritter arc suceeded in its main intention, which was to explore further the relationship between House, his drug addiction, and the convoluted manner that those around him view/support/enable it and him, with the final result of the arc being, as both Shore and Laurie have stated, no changes for House. (In the same manner, I didn't vilify the Vogler arc, either. I found the deepened exploration of the relationship between House and his ducklings to be quite satisfying in its revelations.) Yes, the characters of both villians in these arcs could have been less cardboard-like, but that to me was a minor issue to the overall point of these arcs. Getting back to the main topic of this thread, overall I do not feel that any particular relationship is central to this show. House is central to this show, the relationships are peripheral. You could make a case that House's relationship with his father is possibly the most 'central' of all, if you consider the impact it has had on House and who he is, yet it has only had precious few minutes of screen time. I agree that the relationships in focus each season will vary, however, making it appear that one is more important than the other at any given time, and I agree with blacktop that season 4 will bring us more House/Cuddy and a different take on House's relationships with Foreman, Cameron, and Chase. And, with the addition of 3 new fellows, there will be fertile new relationship territory to be explored. But, all relationships on this show are ultimately intended to tell us more about Gregory House. I've never believed that Shore has wished any relationship to be an end to itself, only a reflection on his creation. Therefore exists the sometimes maddening lack of information and lack of deepened character development that many have complained about in reference to the peripheral characters of this show. To me this is not a flaw of the show, but is intended. As for House/Cuddy, this is my 'ship', as I see find myself (and can't stop myself, dammit) from identifying with her, longing to be in her place in dealing with this maddening, sexy man. I struggle with my interpretation of House and Cuddy's scenes together. How much of what House says and does is provoked by jealousy and how much by true sexual longing? Does he really view her as a potential partner, or a support pillar/friend? Or both? Or does he really know himself? I agree with those who feel that House himself doesn't know his own feelings in reference to Cuddy, despite his ability to dissect romantic feelings in others with precision. I suspect, for the very reasons mentioned above in other posts, that we will never see a true relationship between the two. It's fine to read about it in an AU in fanfiction, but really Cuddy would come across as a weakened character if she became sexually involved with her underling who disses her openly in public and makes her professional life miserable. I love Blacktop's comparison of Cuddy's multiple rescues of House as being similar to giving birth to him anew. The imagery in the immediate post-Tritter arc episode, ODOR, of House stretched in a crucifix-like pose on the picnic table with Cuddy hovering over him may have been quite intentional. She does love him, but in a very complex way, as he does her.

Lots to chew over in the season premiere, "Alone" for these two. I felt their relationship in this episode picked up smoothly from the tone established in the finale of season 3. In "Human Error," we saw a melancholy House musing on the way that light reflected off of Cuddy's legs in his darkened office. The tone here was almost elegiac, a physical tribute completely devoid of his usual snark and childish sexual innuendo. In "Alone," this relationship shift was sustained. I felt something was slightly different between Cuddy and House here. Not bad or wrong, but somehow different. They seemed less playful, more anxious, very intense, physically closer than ever before, but harried and hurried in most scenes. But the shared fiddling with the rubber band and the long eyelocks assured me that underneath everything they were very much on the same page. This was one of the few times when we have heard lots of heavy medical discussion from Cuddy, usually it is the fellows who provide that exposition, so maybe this is some of what changed between H/C. Also, although she tried to escape it, Cuddy really was having to fill the role of White Board on two legs, letting House throw out ideas, reporting back to him on the progress or lack thereof with the patient. At the same time she kept on her administrative hat with him, chiding him for his callous behavior towards the family, urging him to interview candidates, warning about extravagant theories or risky procedures. I think that House felt the change in atmosphere too. Toward the beginning of the episode, House asks her if she is no longer Dean of Medicine and then sarcastically welcomes her back to that role with a remark about being able to enable and pander at the same time. Lisa E. looked glorious in "Alone." Gleaming in angelic white, dynamite red, or high impact black-and-white, she was physically more beautiful than ever. Sitting on the conference table, marker in hand, legs bare and inviting, Cuddy was a banquet ready for the feast. But except for the mandatory comment about the provocative effect of her "water bra," House seemed restrained in his verbal thrusts. More importantly, House listened closely to what Cuddy had to say at each turn. In the penulltimate scene, she laid out conclusively his shortcomings in the treatment of the current case and argued pursuasively for how much better he would have worked with a team. We see House's eyes follow her face intensely and without the mulish resistance that is his usual posture. We also see his close tracing of her every facial movement in the great scene in which the two stand shoulder to shoulder in her office to confront the POTW family. She is slightly in front of him, deflecting the family's anger but letting him know of her own displeasure. House has chosen to have this confrontation in front of a witness, as he says to the boyfriend, because he doesn't want to get hit. Laughable as it would seem to imagine a 100 lb woman could protect a 185 lb man, this is a plausible development as it is worked out in the body language of that scene. Another scene in which House follows Cuddy's face with intense interest takes place in the operating theater's observation room. He stands unusually close to her, again adopting the classic male posture of shoulder to shoulder. But he keeps sliding his eyes to watch her until finally Cuddy shifts the conversation to a face-to-face one puncuated by her finger jab at his chest. Most often in the past seasons, House has looked to Cuddy for attention and approval. This certainly continued to be true in "Alone:" House the attention-eater played that guitar long and loud in order to get her to came to his office to reprimand him! He also needed to hear her say that he was right at every stage of the diagnostic process in his constant quest for approval. But my take on "Alone" is that to this mix House has perhaps unconsciously added protection and guidance to the qualities he needs from his nuanced and complicated relationship with Cuddy.

I didn't see the Huddy at all last night. Sorry.

iGven that most shows start going downhill once everyone pairs off, I like Huddy (meaning I enjoy their scenes together, and I like their chemistry) but I don't really want them to make the ship 'canon'. I much prefer them to stay the way they are right now, but perhaps with more scenes like in that episode at the end where Cuddy was commenting on May/December relationships and House says he's got two tickets for a show; Cuddy gives him a look, and it ends there. Huddy fans have a canon point from which to write whatever fics they want, that other Huddy fans can read, and which everyone else can just choose to ignore. Because honestly, the only worse thing that not your ship not coming 'true' is your ship coming true but in a way that makes you resent it. So I'm up for more Huddy scenes, but I don't want them to get together.

This may be because I've been rereading my Harry Potter books and because House and Wilson were revealed to be fans, themselves, but I've recently wondered about House and Cuddy's relationship as a contrast to the way Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger act in theirs throughout the series. First and foremost, Ron is an absolute prat. He is insensitive and vulgar and thinks nothing of taking advantage of the fact that Hermione works harder than he does to make up for what he doesn't do. Furthermore, he insults Hermione's intelligence, her passions (the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare), and even her existence as a girl to her face. Harry, on the other hand, who I believe has much in common with House--if not constant sarcasm, then certainly the part where he doesn't wish to be recognized for that which he is famous for, both on the grounds that he did not ask to be in such a situation and because he'd rather not people assume they know him simply because of things he's done--has done none of these things and even went out of his way not to alert Hermione to the fact that Dobby was the only elf who would clean Gryffindor Tower anymore because she left clothing everywhere for them to pick up. Harry truly values Hermione's opinion and listens to her, even if he doesn't always agree with what she says. Ron dismisses her, outright, constantly. But back to the point. House has never insulted Cuddy's intelligence and clearly, *loudly* appreciates the fact that she's a girl. Furthermore, he doesn't refer to other girls as 'trolls' or the like. House has never done anything like this to Cuddy. He may say idiotic, smartassed things to bother her or direct a laser pointer in certain places, but he would never constantly bicker and argue with her to the point where it drives their other friend (in this case, Wilson, however little he resembles Harry's personality) away in abject irritation. Furthermore, he would never want to use her in whatever fashion anyway, being much more satisfied with having done his own work to the best of his ability and then being able to present that to her and get a prized smirk in return. Cuddy trusts House's judgment most of the time. The only times she doesn't is when Wilson's meddling self gets in the way of what she knows about House and manipulates her into believing otherwise, particularly for the sake of his own ego, which is also a big problem for Ron. Cuddy would never do anything regarding House's health if she didn't think it was best for him, but her low point for me was mocking him about the placebo that she tricked him about in the first place after he was desperate enough to come to her for help with his increasingly intractable pain. That's the only time I was ever openly scathing in my reactions to Cuddy because she was acting as though the whole thing were a joke, even though it was partially her fault he was in that situation to begin with. But, ordinarily, this does not happen. House respects the decision she made regarding his leg because it was a purely medical choice made without the bias that Stacy had and an attempt to do her damned job while at the same time cleaning up the mess of the idiots who proceeded her and didn't cover all their bases, leaving him dying. She was working with what they left her with and I don't think he's ever resented her for what happened. The only reason Ron ever started being nice to Hermione was because a book told him to do it. House, on the other hand, is deeply caring toward Cuddy in his own way, trying to make sure that if she went with a sperm donor, she didn't end up regretting it for whatever reason. Finally, she figured out what he was saying about going with someone you like, but the sweetest and, I have to say, most adorable part for me was his surprise and confusion about why she later came to his office. He never figured out that he would be someone she likes but, unlike Ron, didn't let jealousy and his facet of eternal immaturity get in the way of what was really important to her. No one who really cares about someone else would be that selfish; certainly not House. As for that facet of immaturity, I could go into reasons for why it's there, but that would take this post off-topic with the added bonus of making me resent John House again. I don't want to go back to that place...

Angelfirenze, I am not a student of Harry Potter, but I certainly appreciate this rare and thoughtful look at the House/Cuddy relationship here. I think that in identifying trust as an important question in their relationship, you have pointed us in a rewarding direction. I am sure that most posters here will vehemently disagree, but I do think that House and Cuddy fundamentally trust each other on matters professional and personal. The most telling recent example of this was the striking scene toward the end of "The Right Stuff" when the two clashed in the scrub room as House prepped for the exploratory surgery on the astronaut-patient. In swift summary, House outlined for Cuddy how the eternal back-and-forth between them would proceed: He would propose a seemingly outrageous medical procedure, she would first object but then see to the end of the thought process and understand the value of his idea. He would be brought before the hospital board for his unorthodox actions, she would defend him, succeeding ultimately but not before wasting lots of her time. So he urged her to circumvent the process, trust him to do what was best for the patient, and withdraw her objections. Locking eyes in a silent plea and promise, Cuddy agreed to trust him for the good of the patient. I think this sliver of a scene sums up the underlying dynamic of their relationship, which is not based solely on sexual attraction, emotional history, or the warm patterns of domesticity, although it contains all of these elements.

Why would anyone disagree? House has shown he trusts Cuddy to stand by him when it matters and that's exactly what she has done (not counting those eps when she was an emotional wreck). The scene Blacktop refers to is one of my favourites of the show so far, it sums up the way they relate just perfectly.

I don't like the House/Cuddy romantic/sexual pairing at all--essentially for all the same reasons bailey articulated so well early in this thread. I think the things I like most about Cuddy are really all down to LE's beauty, talent, vivacity--when I look at Cuddy's actions on paper, I'm hard put to understand why House doesn't hate her. For me, the cruel and manipulative things she has done to him "for his own good" are a real stumbling block. (I have similar questions about Wilson but that's for another time and place and I don't want to be taken out and shot at dawn....). Another reason I don't like House/Cuddy is the imo slightly sick dynamic they play out of "naughty, defiant child/domineering, punishing mother" which, when sex is applied gives off to me a really sick Freudian vibe. A boy wanting to sleep with his mother at least has psychoanalytical precedent but a mother wanting to sleep with her son is just plain deviant.... :? I also feel that I get really contradictory messages from the show about House and Cuddy. We get so many indications that people like blacktop are convinced that Cuddy really understands House and that he trusts her and yet at the same time, we are given evidence that she doesn't get it and reason's why he (imo) shouldn't trust her at all. Sometimes I really wonder why House still likes and trusts Cuddy (and Wilson) and all I can come up with is that he either is a really tolerant, forebearing and forgiving person (yeah, right) or that his self-esteem is so damaged that he believes he deserves to be lied to, manipulated and injured by those who care for him/he cares for. If they have to go with House and Cuddy sleeping together, I hope it plays out as superficial and both of them ending up knowing it was a bad idea and should never happen again. ETA: Therefore exists the sometimes maddening lack of information and lack of deepened character development that many have complained about in reference to the peripheral characters of this show. To me this is not a flaw of the show, but is intended. I don't see why it can't be both: just because it's what tptb intended doesn't mean it isn't also a flaw in at least some viewers opinion. I agree with you as to the function of all the other characters but think the show would be improved overall if there was more development and consistency in the secondary characters. House bouncing off a more dimensional, nuanced secondary character would be far more revealing and satisfying to me than off the rather flat and inconsistent portrayals we often get on the show.

House has never insulted Cuddy's intelligence I'm distressed now because House had to go and prove me wrong, calling her a 'second-rate doctor at best'. I'm sincerely hoping he didn't mean that. Then again, it's yet more proof of her trying to get him to do things and working against him to do it, which I just don't understand. I have to wonder if his response to her contrived manipulations is to insult her to try and get her to feel as bad as he does after realizing what's happened yet again. Her deal with Cole got him fired, but House didn't seem to be angry with her for it. I also have to wonder what her reactions are to the Numbers shamelessly biopsying parts of his internal organs without the proper follow-up care, or his latest attempt at an out of body experience just to prove a point. KidsNurse pointed out in her Livejournal that Wilson seems to be finally burning out when it comes to House and I have to wonder if it's possible that Cuddy might be reaching her breaking point, too. Of course, I still haven't received concrete proof that anything since 'No Reason' has actually happened, so I think I'll continue to live in denial until otherwise proven wrong. But, anyway, it surprises me that House continues to put so much store by both Wilson and Cuddy's opinions (as he said himself last Tuesday) when he's endeavored not to ever trust anyone. In his own way, he seems to be almost desperately naive when it comes to them. It's as though he knows that if he lets himself believe they're capable of hurting him or not wanting what's best for him, then he'll lose his only footholds to an already incredibly shaky ability to trust. The fact that Cuddy and Wilson don't seem to realize this, or refuse to acknowledge it, is heartbreaking, really.

I've seen posts in a number of places complaining about House calling Cuddy a second rate doctor, and how it proves that now he has no respect for her. But he's called her just as bad in the past. Heck in the second season "Humpty Dumpty" he said she "hadn't been a real doctor in more than 10 years" then called her a "crappy doctor" in the same scene that he tells her she's good at what she does. Which is essentially the same thing he does in "Games," calls her a second rate doctor, then says that she's good at her job. I don't see anything different now. But then I also think there's more lightness this season in Wilson and House's overall relationship. (Yes, there are arguments, but there's also guitar napping, foosball playing, breaking into closets and houses together and generallly hanging out.)

Thank you for reminding me of that. *deeply relieved* DON'T MENTION THE GUITAR NAPPING TO ME! I wanted House to stab Wilson about that. *shudders* Delivering a whammy bar in a box. Bastard. But, anyway, *laughs*, you've reminded me that he's done this sort of double-edged compliment layered in insults in the past, to no detriment regarding either or their relationship. I feel better now. Yay. Thank you.

But he's called her just as bad in the past. Heck in the second season "Humpty Dumpty" he said she "hadn't been a real doctor in more than 10 years" then called her a "crappy doctor" in the same scene that he tells her she's good at what she does. Which is essentially the same thing he does in "Games," calls her a second rate doctor, then says that she's good at her job. I don't see anything different now. I agree with namaste's observations here and would add that in the scene from "Games" House is gaming Cuddy to manipulate her in hopes of getting his way in naming three rather than two fellows. In "Ugly," we saw House (and Taub) bow to Cuddy's reading of the MRI screens. We also saw House take her suggestion to do the screening in the first place rather than the more invasive procedure he had argued for. I don't think that House believes Cuddy is a bad doctor, but I do think that he feels this may be a button he can push from time to time to throw her off balance as they dance their eternal rondelay of advance and retreat. Interestingly, her response in "Games" was to let the so-called insult roll off her with a return quip - Am I blushing? House's final words of the episode to Cuddy -- How long have you known me?-- and the fond gaze they exchange at that moment lead us gracefully toward yet another round of their dance.

But he's called her just as bad in the past. Heck in the second season "Humpty Dumpty" he said she "hadn't been a real doctor in more than 10 years" then called her a "crappy doctor" in the same scene that he tells her she's good at what she does. Which is essentially the same thing he does in "Games," calls her a second rate doctor, then says that she's good at her job. I don't see anything different now. I agree, this is hardly the first time he's said something along those lines. He thinks she's good at what she does now, but that she's not that good of a doctor (not saying he thinks she's a bad one, necessarily.) And I don't get the panic on LJ about H/W. I think things have been much better this season and I have certainly not gotten the impression that Wilson is giving up on House.