The relationship between House and Cuddy has long simmered in House, MD. Is it going to boil over?
“There is not a thin line between love and hate. There is, in fact, a Great Wall of China with armed sentries posted every twenty feet between love and hate.” Dr. Gregory House articulates his feelings vehemently when his best friend Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) asks him in an early season one episode (“Occam’s Razor”), “What’s going on between you and Cuddy?” (Even so early in the series history, Hugh Laurie really nailed the internal struggle still at war within House's heart and soul.)…
Article comments
— go to most recent comments76 - JL
Not that I think Barbara requries defending, but I'll just note that she did, in fact, deal exclusively with the relationshipn between house and Wilson in her article, "House MD's House and Wilson: A Fine Bromance", which was published back in September.
77 - Orange450
Hi Luisa. I agree with what you say. It's similar in my neck of the woods - people in general act much younger than previous generations did. I enjoyed what you said about picturing your Mom when she was your age, because I do the same thing. I have grown-up children who regularly express their disapproval of their parents' immature conduct, to which my husband and I reply that we hope that they'll be having as much as fun as we're having when they are our age.
My comment about House and Cuddy's behavior was aimed specifically at their relationship-navigating skills. That is an area that I do believe generally (although not always, of course) becomes easier with age, and with the kind of life experience that both of them have had. (Right before I turned forty, a slightly older friend of mine told me that I would find it liberating. She was right. Before I turned fifty, the same friend told me that if I thought forty was liberating, I would find fifty to be downright empowering. She was right about that, too.)
My comment wasn't aimed at the fun and pranks they share. And I definitely agree that the "work is my life" focus would play a significant part in shaping how they each cope in other aspects of their lives.
Have a wonderful vacation!
78 - barbara barnett
JL--We used to call that "jinx" when I was a kid--when two people said the same thing at the same time. So..."jinx." LOL
79 - JL
(Well, Barbara *clearly* doesn't need defending, she's nipped in while I was typing!)
80 - Melissa
I love all of these comments...
I was just watching an episode on USA from season 1, and in one scene Cuddy tells him "I won't always be here to protect you". I loved that scene. Because despite her warning, she pretty much has always been there to protect him, and he knows it. From Vogler, from Tritter, from jail. She's saved his life at the end of season 4. She sat by his bed and held his hand when Wilson left. Despite the snarky nature of their day-to-day interactions, the power of their bond is pretty incredible.
Cuddy is House's longest relationship. It's spanned over twenty years. I think this is really significant, because there hasn't been anyone else in House's life for that long. She's his family. She's shown that she pretty much loves him unconditionally, or as close to unconditionally as you can get. And I very much believe that he loves her too.
In "Joy", he realized for the first time what it would be like without her there. And it terrified him. Because he had no reason to take her warning seriously before. She was always around to spar with him or bail him out. And he couldn't control the torrent of emotions. I think that was the first time he came face to face with what she meant to him. But I also don't think he was ready for it - he didn't know whether to run after her or run for his life. I think before Joy the two functioned as a dysfunctional pseudo - husband and wife, neither forced to acknowledge how indispensable the other was to their lives.
I don't think Cuddy ever knew how much she meant to House until Joy. She undoubtedly was aware of the attraction and the mutual respect because of shared history, but I don't think she fully grasped how intricately their relationship was woven into the fabric of his life. And of course, once she was confronted with that, she had to confront the fact that her loyalty to him was based on more than just respect and history. Hence, the scene in "Last Resort".
I really hope the addition of the baby doesn't put a stop to the evolution of this relationship. I hope it brings new layers to the exploration.
And as curious as I am about what happened between them romantically in the past, I kind of like that we don't know. This allows the viewers to create their own narrative. The show does this a lot - with Amber and Wilson, for example. I almost hope they never tell us. Did they try to date and it just didn't work? Did they both know it was a one night stand? Did one reject the other afterward? All of the possibilities make their current crazy courtship more interesting to me.
I very much want the series to end with them together in some form. I'm okay if it's ambiguous though. Ambiguous endings are my favorite - I like when everything isn't wrapped up neatly. And I very much expect this series to go with an open ended finale.
Wow, this was way too long. Sorry guys!
81 - Sera G
Hello!
Further interesting observations and opinions since I ended last night.
Can we talk about touching? We have written so much about the looks and 'messages' the characters convey with their eyes, I was thinking about physical gestures. Actually, there are not that many. Cuddy is not really a physically demonstrative person. However, once in a while she will touch House on the arm. She offered him a hand on his shoulder (in encouragement) when he was in rehab (S3) and took him by the arm in "Fetal Position". There have been a few other times. What I notice is that each time he looks at her hand as if he is surprised or so unfamiliar with a non-medical or nonsexual physical contact. IMO it is almost as if he has to process what for someone else would be a routine or commonplace expression of comfort or friendship.
I am a'toucher'. Even people who are not usually don't react with bewilderment. He doesn't pull away, I notice. He almost examines it. After we learned about his father's abuse, I thought that might be the reason. I don't think that is it.
Anyone else notice this or am I just reading waaaay too much into things. With this couple/show...that is entirely possible.
82 - Luisa Borges
Hi Ruth, I do agree with you that I have a partial eye, when something catches your attention and you become involved in it that´s usually what happens.
So I single out what catches my eye and what catches my eye tends to be stuff that relate to what I like. That´s why its great to read different opinions as they show other interpretations of what we say, it broadens your mind, so to speak, even if it doen´t change it.
What stuck out it that scene for me was not so much House´s intense behaviour per say (which is part of his M.O. as you pointed out) but the fact that he was doing this after the diagnostic was done and that´s something that I have not observed him do too often (if at all, memory is a little hazzy on this right now). I can also remember him obsessing over not treatment relevant issues in Top Secret but that that was also Cuddy related.
Anyway, thanks for sharing your views.
83 - barbara barnett
She's his family. She's shown that she pretty much loves him unconditionally, or as close to unconditionally as you can get. And I very much believe that he loves her too.
Interesting. The unconditional aspect of her relationship with House is something I've never considered. House has always contended that all love is conditional. We just don't know what the conditions are. He has pushed Cuddy beyond her limits, and after awhile, she simply ingores him (like wilson does in some respects)--ignores the subterfuge, seeing what's underneath it. She keeps coming back.
I just re-watched Lucky 13 and am still stunned by the emotion that Hugh conveys as House in that final scene. He is stunned and so upset, swallowing hard before he puts those shades back on. If he'd left them off, Cuddy and Wilson would have no doubt (as if he left any in the seconds before he put them back on) as to the emotions roiling inside. That's not the reaction of a spoiled employee who will no longer be the focus of his boss' professional attention. That's the reaction of someone who's been punched in the gut with devastating news.
84 - Luisa Borges
Hi Orange 450,
Thanks so much for your comment and thoughts. Great stuff. And I do that bit of reflection about my Mom all the time, its funny how things change (to me that´s one of the great wonders of life, the unpredictability of it).
And I really see what you mean about the relationship age referal with House and Cuddy. He was married once, and to make that commitment he must have been a more mature man. But somehow I think the hurt from how it all ended, really shut him off and he sort of regressed back(like a turtle to its shell).
We have never heard of a significant man from Cuddy´s past so the idea is that there was none, and she said in the last episode that she never had a significant relationship with anyone. I´m thinking that maybe she has issues too, not from being hurt but maybe from fear of being hurt (IMHO I think she over thinks stuff, she tries to see all the angles and ends up sort of paralysed by that).
So, like you said, back to high school time (or better yet, primary school). From this angle her new "motherhood" role could provide some interesting shifts.
And thanks so much for the vacation wishes, I´m in for a lot of House fun with your comments close by as I re-watch some episodes.
Best holiday wishes to you too!
85 - Luisa Borges
Melissa and Barbara, wonderful to read your comments.
I´ll venture a thought here, maybe House´s condition for love is "not to leave him", he fears being abandoned, so he pushes to see who´ll stick no matter what. Testing limits.
Beautiful description of the Lucky Thirteen end scene. 100% agreed.
86 - JL
Hey, Ruth, you said:
"...If Shore decided to change horses because of the House/Cuddy 'chemistry', why did he wait more than two and a half seasons to do it, meanwhile building a solidly written foundation for House being with Cameron?"
I think that's one way of looking at things -personally, I think the build-up time makes for a much stronger 'solidly written foundation'!
Here's my theory about House's romantic relationships:
I haven't watched the show, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but my big fan sister has read a lot of the writers' discussions, blogs, etc.
She tells me Buffy was originally set up as a One True Pair with Angel. And then Angel's storyline wasn't quite working and he left and Riley was deliberately set up as her new boyfriend - the Wonderful Guy she's Clearly Meant To Be With.
And then, at some point, the writers suddenly DISCOVERED that Spike was in love with Buffy.
Two characters that were never designed to be in love, but were meant to spend their days fighting with each other. And yet, somehow, they'd fallen in love along the way, causing much confusion for the writing team.
Apparently, the next few seasons were spent with great arguing amongst the writers, each with a differing opinion as to Who Buffy Is Meant To Be With. And, even though the writers were each still trying to follow their own path, once the actors were on-screen, things would change again.
Does that progression sound... familiar?
I have no idea whether something similar happened for House. It just seems to fit what I've read and heard, both in the show, in the spoilers and in commentaries and interviews with David Shore and others.
Hugh Laurie and Lisa Edelstein have always made their scenes together highly... enjoyable. I think the writers enjoyed writing for them, without intending to set them up to fall in love. I like the idea that they somehow found that this seemed to have happened without their realising it.
But, as I said, that's just my theory.
87 - KS
About her seeing what "he might be": I'm not sure about that. I've always thought that Wilson and Cuddy try too much to, (for lack of a better word), "control" House. As I've said, I think that's an acceptable characteristic in a boss, but in a romantic relationship? I don't know.
I think she does understand him, and he understands her. (Though the argument could be made that he sees through and understands just about everyone close to him, and even those he just meets.) I definitely see a lot of the same things you've mentioned between them. The respect, protection, and the obvious attraction. But, the first two, to me, could boil down to a good friend. I also think that, after the kiss and Wilson's subsequent nudging, he's trying to decide if they could have a successful relationship. He knows they're good friends, he knows he's attracted to her, but could it be more? To be honest, I'm not sure it could. Especially not at this point. I don't think he's at that place yet.
What's interesting to me is that we also don't know how their day to day interactions were before the infarction. This whole bickering thing could've been going on since college! (I know they haven't worked together since that time... I'm just saying.) I really feel that's another thing that goes into House's consideration of Cuddy as a romantic interest: she knew him before the infarction. He can't brush off her feelings for him as only being becaused he's "damaged", which I think is how he still labels Cameron's.
All that being said, I gotta say Barbara, I'm pretty sure you're 100% Huddy! (You wrote less pages on Cameron and Stacy combined than on House and Cuddy! Not that I'm saying that's bad: whatever floats your boat. ; ) But, you did say: "I'm only doing this in two parts for space considerations. The article won't be nearly as long as this one. But I also think House's relationship with Cuddy, like his relationship with Wilson is very complex and very long-standing. And it's something being explored currently in the show's narrative." Well, maybe I just answered myself! (Joking, of course!!!) : )
A couple things: In "Top Secret", he did come back with a correction of the word "ship" to be "barge", if referring to her butt. ; ) And, as for the theater tickets: I'm pretty sure he said in the next episode that it was a test, to see if she'd say yes. (Still funny, though!)
Orange450, you said: "Since at this point in the show I can see Cuddy having a baby more clearly than I can see her in a permanent relationship with House - I had the thought that they'll try for a relationship, but the baby will put a strain on it, and eventually Cuddy will decide that being a mother is more important to her than being with House. But they'll stay very good friends." - I could definitely see that as a possibility. I suppose if the baby arc doesn't work out, they could also postpone the Huddy arc until the end of the series. But, if they don't, I don't see how it's going to work out. (Though, as I've said before, I don't think the writers know their endgame yet. And, for the sake of the "postponing" argument, haven't they already done that for House and Cameron? Hmmm...)
Thanks for the article and your thoughts, Barbara!
88 - barbara barnett
All that being said, I gotta say Barbara, I'm pretty sure you're 100% Huddy! (You wrote less pages on Cameron and Stacy combined than on House and Cuddy! Not that I'm saying that's bad: whatever floats your boat. ; ) But, you did say: "I'm only doing this in two parts for space considerations. The article won't be nearly as long as this one. But I also think House's relationship with Cuddy, like his relationship with Wilson is very complex and very long-standing. And it's something being explored currently in the show's narrative." Well, maybe I just answered myself! (Joking, of course!!!) : )
A couple things: In "Top Secret", he did come back with a correction of the word "ship" to be "barge", if referring to her butt. ; ) And, as for the theater tickets: I'm pretty sure he said in the next episode that it was a test, to see if she'd say yes. (Still funny, though!)
Thanks KS for your thoughts. Firstly, I'm not a referee, I'm a writer-and a fan of the show. I'm gonna see what I'm gonna see. But one thing I do try to do is to look at things from various angles and through various prisms. I probably spent more words on the Wilson/House articles than on this one, and this one is longer (as I said) than the other two (Stacy, Cameron) because their relationship is pretty complex. Am I biased? Probably. I don't write news, and this is an opinon piece.
I was very big on Stacy, and thought that story was wonderful. But it was short-lived within the series timeframe, so...yeah. Short to write about. And I've never quite bought the idea of House and Cameron as each other's one true love. I just haven't. Sorry. House for all of his attraction to her in the series first season, and even into the second, I don't think (and this is my opinion folks) has never taken the idea seriously. Not to be with her. He likes her; he's attracted to her. He was phenomenally hurt when she quit (you could see it in his eyes)both times. But I think whatever House might have seen or wanted back then, I think it's passed.
One of the things that Cameron's relationship with Chase has NOT elicited from House is jealousy. He's been OK with it (except for the sex in Hunting) and has never suggested anything that says jealousy or hurt. That's not the case with either Cuddy or Wilson.
89 - KS
Oh, I totally didn't mean anything bad. Sorry if it came across that way! : )
Thanks again for the article!
90 - barbara barnett
No worries KS :) We are all passionate about our "ships." And about the show.
91 - Charma
Well..after reading you guys' comments i just had to write one of my own.
Cuddy and House have great sexual feelings toward each other...but to call it love, true love??? I don't think so. They understand each other and care about each other but they're both afraid to move; to make that step from flirtatious sexual tension between boss and employee to a serious relationship. And they have good reason. House is afraid to show his emotions. He was hurt before and is afraid that he might be hurt again. So he keeps his true feelings hidden, deflects anytime someone says anything true or personal to him and covers his feelings for Cuddy by making sexual comments about her ass, breasts (and so on). House knows that he can't give her everything she wants. Like he said to Stacy " We're gonna be going fine for weeks, months and then I'm gonna say something insensitive and you're gonna say it's just House being House... I can't give you what you want" (roughly what he said). To me, this applies for Cuddy too. He knows that soon enough she's gonna expect him to be romantic and intimate and attentive.... and he won't be. He knows that they'll soon enough realize that the sexual tension was nothing BUT sexual tension. He doesn't want to get hurt again (as he did with Stacy) so he steels himself from love. His reasoning is that emotions only lead to hurt and anger; so he stays away from it.
Cuddy on the other hand is afraid of being hurt by House. In "Joy to the World" she said "I'm bad at relationships". This gives us an insight to her past life. Most likely since all her other relationships ended or went horribly, she's afraid this one might be as well, especially because of House's nature. He's jerky, manipulative,insensitive and funny in a harsh way... and it attracts her. But his hard personality also has the potential to hurt her. Part of her wants a real relationship but another part of her is afraid to move on. They're both hesitant to show their true emotions in full. Gladly though, that doesn't stop them from giving tiny hints of affection.
I'm totally addicted to this complex and sexy connection between House and Cuddy. I think some commenters have it twisted though. A full-blown relationship between the two would NEVER work and would (in my opinion) make the show remotely less interesting. The tension, the fighting, the tiny hints of affection. THAT's what makes the show interesting and fun to watch. The writers keep us hungering for more and I love it!! Thx for writing the article. Can't wait 'til January!!!
92 - Melanie
Hi Barbara,
As usual, your article, was great. I agree with everything that you said. I disagree with what some of the posters say about House and Cuddy's relationship though. Many of you have said that what House and Cuddy have is not love, just sexual tension. I think that House and Cuddy have respect, trust, and appreciation for each other both as doctors and people, a sexual attraction, they both try to protect the other,and they make each other laugh. Are these not signs of love???? I am all for the House/Cuddy relationship. I just hope that the writers continue to take it slowly. The cat and mouse game is what is fun and exciting. I want to see more of how they met, etc. Many posters are also saying that House cannot give Cuddy what she wants/needs and the relationship would not survive. The relationship has survived this long! Could you imagine what would happen if they actually admitted how they felt to each other! I think that House is very capable of giving Cuddy everything she wants/needs. It isn't a matter of him not being able to give, he's scared. He doesn't ever want to feel pain like the pain he has experienced in the past. It's too hard for him. So, rather than risk it all for love and happiness, he pushes people away and insults them. It's his defense mechanism. He figures if he's mean, no one will want him or want to be with him. He can't hurt them and they can't hurt him. Problem solved. The only problem is, with Cuddy, he has strong feelings of admiration and love. It's not as easy to be mean to her and push her away. His plan is crumbling! It's fun, as a viewer, to watch him realize these things and experience these emotions that he is so strongly trying to deny. He does have a heart and we all know it. It's just fun to try and find it!!!!!!!!! Thanks for all the great articles Barbara!
93 - j.i.m.
How much House and Cuddy mean to each other is dependent on how much weight one gives to the clues about them. In that sense, it is under our personal control.
I think they are obsessed with each other, House about twice as much as Cuddy due to his obsessive proclivities. No woman looms larger for House than Cuddy and no man looms larger for Cuddy than House. Often, when they are together, others seem to disappear. More often than they should, they indulge in their vibrant kinship by speaking exclusively to each other as if they are alone together when that is not the case. (part of it is bad manners)
Their kiss did not inspire desire and passion but rather uncovered it, much to their surprise. They beheld each other in shock and awe. For days afterwards House was no longer fit to spend time or sleep in his own home because of his desire to be with her and no where else. Through the arc, both were willing, at separate times, to throw caution to the wind in order to be together. Circumstances intervened, as happens in series TV, movies, literature.
The emotions are abundant, the circumstances are prohibitive as written, and the series rolls on.
I would categorize their non-relationship as akin to an amicably divorced couple who were never married and still mean the world to each other. This makes them officially non-family. A Shore and Co. confection.
94 - Stagestruck
I hope this comes out coherent, I don't have my thoughts completely in place but here goes:
Title song first verse - Love, love is a verb, love is a doing word.
Pilot episode - Rebecca Adler to Wilson
Rebecca: Does he care about you?
Wilson: I think so.
Rebecca: You don't know?
Wilson: As Dr. House likes to say, "Everybody lies."
Rebecca: It's not what people say, it's what they do.
Wilson: [Pause] Yes, he cares about me.
LTEC: House giving Cuddy the desk. (Though I could make a case for it coming from Wilson simply by the questions he asks her, almost like its really no surprise to him - hopefully TPTB will throw us a bone before the season ends).
The entire IVF shots/keeping her secret/ and constantly sabotaging her dates (still pondering the boob grab though - with that one I have no words - completely thrown off that horse).
I'm always hesitant to make much of what House says, unless he's in an obvious open moment with the POTW or caught up in a moment with Cuddy (peer review) or Wilson (his resignation) , but I almost always take seriously what he *does* especially with regards to Cuddy and Wilson. They, who IMVHO, are the two people House cannot exist without. He must have them in his life in some way, romantically (Cuddy), bro-mantically (Wilson), simply as friends (both), or only as collegues, it doesn't really matter ( I cannot truly picture any other character in the show having this much influence on House's basic survival, including Cameron. If she left the show, House's world would not come crashing down as evidenced in the beginning of S4- he'd be just fine and dandy), he *needs* Cuddy and Wilson both, and he does everything in his power to keep them in his life and constantly involved in him. He is overly involved in their personal lives to a fault. It's what he does and rarely what he says that is important, and I think a very important running theme.
Is he in love with Cuddy, who can say? Going back to the Title song... What does he do, that is where the answer lies I think. Physical language is the absolute key and where most communication between people happens. House and Cuddy have been writing volumes since he urgently pressed that elevator button in the pilot episode. I await eagerly for what they will do next.
Hugh Laurie is a master at physical language, and I enjoy every moment! He raises the bar for all the others and they consistently rise to the occasion.
On a side note - I think with every one else, it's what he says that counts. There is nothing really at stake with anyone else, so he can be brutally honest with them. He lets no one else in. Not even Stacy anymore, but he absolutely trusts Cuddy and Wilson with his very life (even when they overstep in their desire to see him happy). They have endured trial by fire over *years* and have come out as refined gold. Priceless to House, and essential. I love this triangular dynamic!
One last thing - I did enjoy House's little snark to Cameron in a recent episode:
Paraphrased - to her after she discovers the diagnosis: "Look me up when you hit puberty."
Stage
95 - Mrs Jane
Hi, am reading the comments and enjoying myself!
My two cents : the Huddy thing's evolving well. I was against it when the first spoilers were let out, but the writers have done a pretty good job so far, except for one little thing : the office scene in LTEC, or to be more precise, Cuddy's "Everybody knows..." and "We are supposed to kiss now." That was totally backbone-less und completely un-Cuddy-like! Without that, everything would have been just great.
One thing, however, makes me ponder the near future of our beloved show. They have serious problems with supporting cast! There are too many of them. 13's storyline is completely asfixiating the ex- and present ducklings, not to mention Wilson, and the whole 6(or 8)-member-supporting-cast-team is asfixiating House. The writers balanced this issue well in S4, so what's the problem now?
Anyway, not to go too far from the subject of this article, I expect a slooooow development of House/Cuddy thing. By the end of next season we might actually have something real to discuss, not just body language and speculations.
96 - barbara barnett
Hi Mrs. Jane and Welcome. OH, but discussing the body language is fun...so is the speculation. I really love it. Interestingly enough, I was having a conversation with a co-worker (a middle-aged male) and he totally loves the 13 stuff. Go figure. He thinks she's great.
And he actually got me to thinking about how the different demographics look at the show. It's like the tale of the blind men and the elephant. Or Rashamon. Everyone comes at this from a different vantage and personal history.
But to pose a question to the Cameron-House-ites: two things--
1) The gesture of the desk was a broadly romantic and anonymous gesture from House. It took a lot of planning and not an insignificant amount of money, I'm sure, to bring it to the hospital. I can't think of why House would have done that--if there was not something very significant going on with him regarding Cuddy. (And I don't mean sex--only--or even primarily)
2)His reaction to Cameron's departure vs. his reaction to Cuddy's new preoccupation with the baby. He was OK with one (and was OK with her being with Chase) Not OK with the baby; not OK with her interest in any other man. House was also not OK with wilson's leaving and his leaving the cell phone and abandoning the patient was his emotional plea to wilson to stay around. Again--can't think of an analogous reaction to Cameron at any time.
Congrats to Hugh and House for their SAG nominations. IT's the series' first nomination for the award as a cast. Great news. Also, I've now gotten hooked on Twitter. It's addictive. Too addictive.
97 - Orange450
Hi Barbara, for the record, I'm not a Cameron-House-ite at all. L'hefekh, if you know what I mean. But just for the sake of playing the game: when she came over to his apartment to quit, back in S1 - he seemed pretty upset by it. Out of proportion to the reaction you'd expect even from a boss who - as HL said in an interview back then - "would be quite cut up if one of them [his team] left". He wouldn't even shake her hand at the door. And then he took the trip over to her apartment to ask her to come back. I agree that there's been nothing like that since. But many in the fandom considered those to be fairly significant actions for him at the time.
98 - barbara barnett
Orange, you are right about that scene. He was very upset. I think he felt terrible. At the beginning of the next episode, House clearly had stayed up all night upset about it. And it was significant that he went to her house to lure her back.
I don't think it was romantic. I didn't at the time, either (and I was open to the Cameron thing). I don't believe that House felt that connection with her in the same way he felt it with Stacy (or benchmark at the time).
I never saw those furtive glances (from him) body language or other subtext that suggested anything deeper than a strong, strong attraction to her.
I have thought much about that scene in Role Model and what it meant. Why House was so upset and why he wouldn't shake Cameron's hand. I have always felt that he believed that he'd let her (and the rest of the scooby gang) down by his sticking to his moral guns with the speech. She got what he was really trying to do.
99 - Seel
Great article and great comments from everyone!
I will have to put in my fifty cents when I have the time.
I just wanted to say that if the writers are reading this blog (and other forums), they must be having the time of their lives with everyone interpretating things differently (or not), and all the tiny little details we pay intention to (that maybe were totally involuntary) and all the different ships and everything...
Must be having a great laugh!
100 - 60 plus
Barbara, Re: different demographics and their takes on House...I have a bit of background in demographic analysis, and I have often thought that it might be fun to try to gather such data--at least basics such as age and gender. If that could be done anonymously, it would be interesting.
Part of the fun of the fandom for me is its diversity. I love it when a poster reveals a bit of personal info and it completely blows away the image I had of her/him.
It seems to me that much of our commonality rests on an insatiable curiosity about and love of the puzzle that is Gregory House--and our determination (dare I say just like that of our beloved doc) to dig deep and uncover all the layers to get closer to the answer of the puzzle even though we know it will never be definitive.
That's the bottom line for me. It is what distinguishes this show from all the others I have enjoyed tremendously, but never "obsessed" over, in my 60-plus-plus years, and it is what drew me into a world I never knew existed...a fandom! (My granddaughters nearly fell off their chairs when I mentioned reading fan fiction. :) )
I watch the show with the mindset that just about everything that happens has relevance only as it relates to House. So while I might like some characters and arcs more than others, part of the delight is figuring out what a particular event/storyline/etc. says about House. There is almost always a connection. TPTB rarely disappoint me because my only expectation is that I will gain another glimpse into this fascinating, and, as you so well describe him, romantic Byronic figure.
As for Huddy, the most iconic moment for me during the past few episodes was immediately preceding the kiss. Cuddy's desperate pleading "Why do you always negate everything?" And House's equally desperate and oh-so-honest-and-vulnerable reply, "I don't know." That interchange broke the dam between them and allowed the pouring out of the emotion in the kiss.
I believe Cuddy will continue to want the relationship to deepen and will, in her own way, continue to ask why he doesn't let it happen. And House, although he is gaining more and more insight--albeit at a snail's pace--is still frustrated and has to continue to say...in his own way..."I don't know." But, especially since the kiss, I don't think it's possible for him to deny the question the way he may have in the past.
It reminds me of the quote from Rilke about not trying to find the answer, but to live the question. For House, the ultimate torture.
101 - Luisa Borges
As always, the last posts and discussions are amazing.
Love the body language analysis as well as House´s reaction to different people in his life (Cuddy, Wilson, Cameron). I´m 100% with Barbara on this one, Orange 450´s take on this was also very good. Melissa great thoughts.
I do agree he was always possessive towards Wilson (their friendship being his solace) and about Cuddy, with her friendship is not the issue (IMHO) its love. He´s jealous of them, of the people in their lives, of their other interests. And with Cuddy, well, he tracks her fertility cycle, worries about her health and warns off competition, being that a prospect boyfriend, a friend (Wilson) or a baby.
Well I´m off to my vacation but I doubt that anythink short of complete internet connection blackout will keep me from coming back to comment again before this year ends.
But just in case I don´t come back before january, I´d like to thank Barbara for providing this great essays (to me they´re really essays) for all of us and for harboring this great commenting space where we can exchange ideas and further our House analysis. All the while having just so much fun.
Happy holidays to everyone! And may 2009 come with more great House moments to challenge us and trigger our best analysis (and plenty of House and Cuddy sparks).
102 - Eve K
Seel - Yess, the writers would think some of this comments are hilarious, and that we have no life, and that maybe - just maybe - we should edit - people - edit - myself included. But for the most part - excellent and insightful comments on this blog, and I think the writers be kind of proud.
Congrats again Barbara - over 100 comments to your well written article. (even more to come I guess (-:)
By the way, I hate when they mix two characters names to make a name for a couple, but I LOL when I read the heading "THE DEATH OF THE HUDDY." after the latest episode. Like some kind of monster.
I think that Cuddy + House equals an emotional disaster area. But its entertaining. And I dont think we've seen the end of it.
60 plus - About the different demographics, I think that 13 has a following of guys aged 15 +. And that the guys are not here on this blog (some men are, and what they write is really different from the women).
Some personal details - Im from Scandinavia an the time here is around 2 in the morning. Im watching "Scream 2" and who is getting stabbed in the brain in the first minutes of the movie but Foreman? OMG! One down - one to go (13). What a way to start the holidays.
103 - Eve K
OK - Im not the demographic for the scream-movies, Im sorry to say...but it was fun suddenly seeing Omar Epps in there. Have a pleseant evening.
104 - Melissa
Such great comments. The body language analysis is great because both HL and LE do so much of their acting without words. It's so subtle, and I think that's what leaves it open to so much interpretation. j.i.m., I love your characterization of them as a pseudo - divorced couple. Stagestruck, I love your analysis too.
I do believe they love one another. Their actions throughout the series have shown that to me, and I think the bond has intensified over the seasons. Of course, it's open to interpretation because neither has said it directly. But the choice of the song "I'm in Love wth a Girl" in "The Itch" was very telling. As I believe you said in another review, Barbara, the songs at the end often reflect House's feelings. Well, the lyrics of that song are "I didn't know this could happen to me". I don't think House believed he could love anyone again post Stacy. Or maybe it's just that he didn't want to, and fought it with everything he had.
I'm with you, Barbara, in that I never saw anything romantic between he and Cameron - at least not on his part. He clearly thinks she is beautiful, but what I've always seen is more of an affection and a desire to protect her, because he is touched by her innocence and idealism, and wants to be a mentor to her. Her crush always seemed girlish and high school to me. The thought of the two of them romantically involved always creeped me out.
I think House needs someone tougher. And Cuddy's tough, but not completely hardened, which makes her much better suited to him. She can give it right back to him. He may pretend to dismiss her, but he never really does. Because she gets to him, like Wilson noted on the first season. And that makes him nuts.
I love this blog, and I love the dysfunctional relationship between these two characters. I am looking forward to seeing it develop more, even if it is slow. I didn't expect it to be linear, because nothing in life really is. Thanks to everyone who posts for giving me so much more to think about, and a place to ruminate!
105 - jh
Barbara,
I simply want to say thank you for your House related articles! I just recently discovered this treasure trove of intelligent and kind discussion concerning House. I particularly liked the column on House in Love. Thank you for taking the time and effort to write it. I hope you will continue to write on House in the future. You have a devoted reader now.
106 - laurel
i want house to become a step dad, awkward but there for cuddy. but they never get together onscreen, but you know theyre like defacto married through the baby. then a patient dies because house was sensitive, he overdoses on vicodin and all of house ends in his dramatic suicide. cuddy cries holding the floppy house and wilson comes in to revive house but cant. cuddy is screaming and then the camera zooms out to show the baby alone in a cot, the innocence in a screwed up world.
107 - Mel
I saw your article on Fox/House site too! Congrats!
108 - j.i.m.
When thinking about House's journey and the destinations he'd have to visit along the way to finally attain some peace, I thought of House's dissonant dual nature and the critical importance of harmonizing it.
We all possess dual natures, but House is flummoxed when trying to mediate between the two parts. He isn't as extreme as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but he seems to have disconnected the telephone lines long ago and instead bounces back and forth between the two.
Strangely enough, House sometimes reminds me of Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" who loses his faith and rejects humanity because of its evil. Brown can't reconcile man's dual nature and therefore lives out his life a bitter man. Similarly, House fumbles the opposing sides of his nature, never maneuvering them into balance.
A symptom of House's rejection of himself and humanity is his personal ban on fulfilling anyone's expectations or allowing himself to expect anything good from someone else. Wilson and Cuddy are the hard won exceptions.
Roger Cohen of the International Herald Tribune wrote of Günther Grass's "Crabwalk",
"We want to link the two sides of the story ...and we grapple with the enormity of that task, ...a key of some sort that makes understanding possible.
Forget it. Humanity is double. Just as love and hate reside in proximity to each other, the noble and the abject are not distant neighbors. We may wish that it were otherwise, but purity is not always or even often the midwife of beauty. While the moralists bay at each other in this age of faith-driven certainties, the novelist explores the ambiguities that are the painful heart of human nature."
I think Shore and Co. are doing some of this exploring as well with Dr. House.
109 - KS
I've wondered about his apparent lack of jealousy at times, or at least how he's exhibited it differently than he has with Cuddy. But, I've thought of two reasons:
1)I don't think he feels Chase is a real "threat". (He exhibited more jealousy towards Sebastian, because he was an actual "threat".)
2)I really think he feels that she only likes him because he's damaged, and therefore doesn't think he'd actually have a chance at a relationship with her. (Remember the Season Three premiere, when he asks her to dinner and she says no. He responds that she has no interest in dating him; maybe she did when he couldn't walk, but not now that he's "healthy" she doensn't. Her response is that he's "not healthy". Then he smiles as she walks away.)
I also think, too, of all of the comments by the writers and producers, especially in seasons 1-3, but even into 4 and 5: they suggest that they don't know who House will end up with. They promoted House/Cameron a lot the first few seasons, and now it's House/Cuddy. But, when it was House/Cameron, they still had House/Cuddy moments, and now vice versa. I actually started out thinking I was going to want House to end up with Cuddy, but the more I watched the episodes, personally, I changed more to House/Cameron. (If that doesn't happen at the end of the series, though, I wouldn't want him to end up with anyone other than Cuddy!)
It is funny how people can watch the same things and come away with totally different viewpoints! : )
110 - cath aka mzmraz
Hey Barbara! You're tweeting! Hope you don't mind me following you.
I really enjoy reading the comments to your post, it's a good thing that the posters have remained respectful.
I agree that the writers may not have actually made up their minds as to how this series ends, but I really want to focus more on what is going on at present, and I believe it is HUDDY - or at least House's exploration of his feelings with Cuddy.
What I've actually been thinking about is his line with the PI Lucas: "I've been negotiating with that woman for over 20 years...". I don't know what triggered him to say this or why he's suddenly so curious about Cuddy. But this just proves that early on, even before the kiss, even before the baby, House was already thinking about Cuddy. I guess the issue now is how House is going to resolve his feelings towards Cuddy...I just read some recent spoilers and am not very happy about it...I trust that the writers know what they are doing with this very special relationship, I hope they don't disappoint!
111 - arieta
I post for the very first time (and possibly last) just to say that I am a devoted House fan who was hooked during season 3 and I descovered this blog about two weeks ago and I am very glad about that. I enjoyed very much part 1 and 2 of House in love as well as the reviews. I will keep reading consistenly these beautiful articles and comments even if I am not posting.A fan from Greece.
112 - Orange450
Barbara, your take on the interaction between House and Cameron in Role Model and Kids is an interesting one. It hadn't occured to me and I think it makes sense.
At the same time, I echo KS's statement: "It is funny how people can watch the same things and come away with totally different viewpoints!". Because in other House discussion venues, the House/Cameron community regularly cites extensive examples of furtive glances, body language and subtext to support the case for a romantic (not just sexual) attraction between the two. As you say - everyone has their PPOV.
I wanted to share the following, from New York Magazine. Unfortunately, it was written by a blog commenter in response to an article about "Mad Men" - but substitute "House", and it becomes the ultimate description that I wish I'd written!
"People want their friends to watch [Mad Men] because it is an off-the-charts brilliant show. It is composed of brilliant writing, acting, directing and art directing. Its aesthetics are brilliant. It is breathtakingly original on every possible level. It is thrilling, incisive, literary, witty, profound, heartbreaking, suspensful, sexy, sensuous, sardonic, ironic, historically accurate, nostalgic and groundbreaking."
And in the same issue (Best in Culture for 2008, the year in TV), there's a description of Damian Lewis which references Hugh Laurie: "As Hugh Laurie is to "House", Lewis is to "Life": The you-can't-take-your-eyes-off-him star of a ho-hum show."
I've never seen "Life" (or "Mad Men", for that matter). And there's no question that you-can't-take-your-eyes-off-him is the right adjective for Hugh Laurie. But House a "ho-hum show"?? Even allowing for the PPOV, that defies the imagination!
113 - barbara barnett
j.i.m.--I love those literary analogies to House. I've always felt that his character really does hearken back to an earlier age of literature. I've thought mostly Victorian, but House really is the descendant of an entire class of literary anti-heroes. This struggle that rages within him is constant and I always recall that pointed question that was asked of him in rehab about expectations. His answer was (rather bitterly): My friends have no expectations of me.
114 - Amy
I love the "thing" that House and Cuddy have had between them since the beginning. I think it is a big part of the soul of this series. I also think that in the last scene of 'Joy to the world' where House comes to talk to Cuddy and she tells him that she might be really adopting the baby, he felt somewhat alone. He has seen Cuddy as his partner, someone who gets him and who he gets; they were in their misery together and searching for that missing part of eachother. But that overwhelming smile of peace and content that Cuddy had on her face as she looked at the baby and talked to House, just seemed to break his heart. He was losing his partner... I cant wait to see what happens next. She could either loose the baby and fall back into the welcoming hands of House or get the baby and House would have to deal with it by either acting on his feeling or ignoring them like he always does.
115 - JL
Orange said: "At the same time, I echo KS's statement: "It is funny how people can watch the same things and come away with totally different viewpoints!". Because in other House discussion venues, the House/Cameron community regularly cites extensive examples of furtive glances, body language and subtext to support the case for a romantic (not just sexual) attraction between the two. As you say - everyone has their PPOV."
Someone way back in this discussion (or maybe even another one) noted that some of the more subtle moments that get analysed to the nth degree may not even have been planned by the writers, or actors.
This is why I found the following recent 'anvil-sized hint' moments significant:
- Cuddy holding House's hand in 'Wilson's Heart'
- House's look of horror in 'Lucky Thirteen'
- and, the most obvious one, the song, "I'm in love with a girl" in 'The Itch'.
The writers seem to have wanted to leave no doubt whatsoever with this story and have gone out of their way to provide Moments that were much more definite than the 'subtext' ones we've had previously.
Amy said: "...She could either loose the baby and fall back into the welcoming hands of House..."
;)
I'd usually say 'falling back into someone's arms' - but maybe your description is more appropriate... (ahem!)
116 - ann uk
Could any other drama evoke such impassioned discussion ?
I think House and Cuddy could succeed. House has a job which demands obsessional devotion, but so does Cuddy so that what might drive other couples apart might hold them together since both would understand that they could not always expect the other's full attention.I think that for them their relationship would be a haven of intimacy, understanding, pleasure and play.
It might be better if they did not live together since they both need their own space.
The baby might be a complication ......?
On the other hand I rather regret Cate. She managed to get close to House from the South Pole - what could she do in person ? !
117 - ann uk
PS. I just want to say how much I agree with 60+ . The central mystery of the drama that rivets us to the screen each week is House - who he is , what he is , and what will he become.
I noticed that Hugh Laurie talking about House in an interview , referred to him as "I", so clearly the character has become as real to him as he is to us.But, then , I have always suspected that there is a lot of Hugh in House and a lot of House in Hugh.
Thanks, Barbara, for yet another perceptive review and Merry Christmas to all my fellow House addicts.
118 - Eve K
Hi there!
I just have to say this - many posts ago I said that HL would make a great Higgins in the new My Fair Lady movie - and it seems that Emma Thompson agrees with me. (-: Fry for Pickering?
NB - I loved the old movie, it will be hard to top, but who knows?
Se the URL for the article from Variety.(-:
Lets hope the good people over at House lets him out to do other things once in a while.
119 - Andrew
Is any one knows the song of fake-die, she singing and also play at end???
120 - Flo
Interesting analyze and comments as usual!!
fisrt of all, I am not a huddy fan, I watch the show as a whole. I don't want to project myself into it.
That being said, the House/Cuddy thing is real and interesting and it can be fun and relevant to talk about it. So one of the reason it is so much interesting is IMO, the nature of the fear of those two and especially House. I already write about that in a comment on the LTEC review.
I think the fear of House (and maybe Cuddy) is a little different this time. We know that one of the reasons (and the main one apparently) why House doesn't want to be involved in a relationship is that he fears that it won't work and he will be hurt again as much as he will hurt his partner. It has been said several times in the show that he's scared of the failure of romance and its consequences.
But What House is also afraid of is happiness and success in a personal kind of way. I think he is afraid of a relationship with Cuddy not because of its potential failure but because of its potential success. He is scared that it might actually work.
Like Wilson said in "The Itch", Cuddy is smart beautiful, and more importantly she can stand him.
He is totally right. Cuddy can understand and appreciate House in a way that no one else can. They know each other for at least twenty years and she is the only one who could cope with him for so long. She knows him very well.
Melissa wrote: "Cuddy is House's longest relationship. It's spanned over twenty years. I think this is really significant, because there hasn't been anyone else in House's life for that long."
I totally agree with that! I think the fact that they knew each other when they were very young and before they were doctors is very important. She's not afraid of playing games with him and she doesn't want to change him desperatly. She likes the challenge too.
House is very aware of that and that's what scares him. I think that in its own weird, dysfonctional way, this relationship could work.
Cuddy has her issues too. What defines her personnally is her lack of relationship and in the last episode she admits to "blew every relationships she had". So the future of their thing depends on her as much as on him.
Anyway, this is a great relationship because it is complexe and deep, serious and kind of fluffy at the same time.
Like I said, I don't like projecting myself into the show. I think it's not a good idea and makes you expect and write more about what it should be or you wish it would be instead of seeing and appreciating it as it actually is.
So now I'm gonna talk about screenplay writing.
Writing process can be absolutely, awfully, painfully hard!!!!! It's one of the greatest thing of this show: it's beautifully written. I wish I could write like that!!!
Anyway, in cinema studies one of the first thing the teachers tell us about writing is that a scene must prepare all the other ones. Okay, I know it seems obvious but the number of incoherent movies or tv shows it is just wow!
The same rule can be applied for arcs in tv shows. You have to prepare them a little. One of the best example was how the Stacy arc in season two was prepared by the Cameron/House one.
Cameron did a fantastic job in season one: she forced House to tell us a little bit more about himself, on a personal level. She confronted him about being alone, about (supposedly) not caring about anyone and about his relationships with women. She showed us and maybe made him remember that he was capable of love.
Just for that the Hameron arc was very interesting and necessary.
The House/Cuddy arc was prepared in a different way and during a longer time. Little pieces in different episodes that we can pick up and put together. Barbara, IMHO, You did that very well.
Even if point of view is a big part of how you interpret what you see, there are things that are simply there. House and Cuddy relationship is not just friendly or just abusive or just sexual. It is a little all of that at the same time.
This ship presents us the characters in an other light than we're used to see them.
It is actually interesting that people fear an Huddy relationships for the same reasons than the characters: it is new (we only saw them alone so far) and it might somehow work. The only way we didn't see House is in the realization of feelings of love for another person and act on it (He was already in love with Stacy in S2). Trying to do something about it. I think it's cool to see that. I hope the writers will continue to explore this because it could say a lot more about our beloved character!
One thing about being obsessed with our "ships" and being biaised:
Just to present things in general Huddy fans see feelings of love everywhere and overanalyze every movement, gesture and all, and hameron and other ships (or those who just don't like Huddy) fans are in denial of Huddy because they don't want it so they just see the abusive, or friendly, or boss/employee relationship. Some people even talk about a brother/sister relationship!! Talk about denial!
I know it is a rough shortcut and I'm sorry, it just to make a point.
Anyway I totally agree about the important of the point of view but I think that we just like some characters more than others and that just makes us biaised. That's what it is difficult to analyze a movie and especially a TV show.
Barbara just tries to see how it is written and even though she obviously has her own point of view and opinion I find her articles well written because it shows that she can see the show as a whole and not just as a huddy fan like it was implied.
So great toughts Barbara just continue like this.
So long!
121 - Lisa G
I am so happy I found this site. I love The article and truely enjoy reading everyones comments. You have all given me so much to think about. I am especially intrigued by the body language discussions and how House and Cuddy mirror each other in so many ways. Another interesting thought was about the desk. I like the idea that maybe it played a role in House and Cuddy's past. I do hope the desk is refered to in a future episode. Cuddy never did get to thank House for shipping it to her office. I hope the writers eventually reveal a little more about their implied past. I am sure there was something there. Anyway what I wanted to say was in regard to House's reluctance to get involved with Cuddy. As many people have said their strong feelings for each other are undeniable and yet they push or pull and even run away from what could be. Yes, I agree that House is terrified of being hurt again and if he can't make it work with Cuddy, who is so well suited to him, than he won't be able to make it work with anyone. But, even more importantly, I think he has even more to lose than a last chance at love. House has so little in life. He has his work, which defines him. He has his friend Wilson and in many ways he has his playmate and protectress Cuddy. I think House fears that if he tries with Cuddy and it fails not only will he loose Cuddy, who is a vital part of his life, but there is a strong possibility that he will loose his work too. As many others have said, Cuddy is the one who enables him to do what he does. She created the position for him when no one else would hire him and she continues to protect him so he can work. I think if they tried at a relationship and it failed House would never be able to stay at the Hospital and be around Cuddy. He is too fragile and it would, I think , cause him too much pain. Much more pain than it would cause her. So one way or another he would have to leave. And as we, and House himself knows, no Cuddy means no job. For House this would be dire.
So where-as Cuddy is only hesitant to begin a relationship because she can envision a bad ending between the two of them, resulting in weirdness and a few months of not talking to each other ( she said this to Wilson in The Itch) House, on the other hand can see his whole life falling apart.. or blowing up as it did in his nightmare in The Itch, when that tiny pesky misiquito caused such a big explosion. Like Wilson I too believe that the misiquito represented Cuddy. If things don't go well everything can blow up. For House starting something with Cuddy that could end badly is just too risky at this moment. I think he is sure of his feelings for her but he is not sure how deep her feelings go and without reasurance he cannot risk it.
Hopefully they will eventually be drawn together again. The chemistry between them is too strong to deny but as others have said it will have to be Cuddy who leads the way and fesses up first.
Sorry I wrote so much but I have been reading everyones posts for a week now and thinking about it all. Anyway this is my first experience with a blog and I hope I haven't oversteped. Just one more thing, I am not familiar with all the jargon. Can someone please explain the references to ships- as in the Huddy ship or the Camoron and House ship.
122 - barbara barnett
Flo, Lisa G--thanks so much for your comments (and everyone else as well.)
Flo, like you, I'm intrigued by the complexity of the writing and storytelling (as a writer as well as a fan). Thanks for your insights.
Lisa G--welcome. You are not overstepping at all. To explain: "Ship"=relationship. Lots of the fans converge the names of the people involved in a "ship" i.e. Hameron (House+Cameron); Huddy (House+CUddy), etc. Hope that clarifies.
123 - PATTY
Very well written article. Many good points, but I really disagree with House & Cuddy becoming an "item". On very show I have ever watched, when 2 main characters have been brought romantically together, the show is ruined. Maybe House does need to be romantically involved with a woman, but most definitely not his boss. And I don't think there is anything "shy" about any looks or statements he gives Cuddy. He's a stubborn, opinonated mule. What everyone seems to have forgotten is that although Cuddy sometimes has to rein House in, she usually manages to humiliate him in front of others, including his team, and she and Wilson decided that they needed to teach him how to be humble & accept the fact that he's not always right in the epsiode where Cuddy cured his patient with a shot of Cortisol (House was right. The man had Addison's). Wilson convinced her to keep lying until it became obvious that House could not deal with his being "wrong" any longer. That was quite mean, in my opinion. Is that what you do to someone you supposedly care for? As far as this season goes, what are the writers doing? I have never heard such immature dialog in my life! These people are adults, and they are being given dialog that 8th graders use! Give me the writing of the first 3 seasons! Also note that even during his flirtation with Cameron, and the continuing sexual sparring with Cuddy, he has never used their first names. He only called Stacy by her name. To me, that speaks volumes.
124 - Owl
At the end of "Meaning" Cuddy tells Wilson about the patient's rather miraculous recovery and she says, "I have to go tell House" and seemed like she was about to go do so. Wilson stops her. She says she sees House every day, "I can't just..." and Wilson interrupts, "Everybody lies." Wilson convinces Cuddy not to tell House for his own good, and he reinforces it at the beginning of the next episode, "Cane and Able," when Cuddy again wants to tell House.
We "know" that Wilson is supposed to be a very convincing (manipulative?) person. Remember, House asked him to "work his magic," the magic of Wilson's silver tongue, on the evangelical kid in "House vs. God" to convince him to have surgery. House figured out that it was Wilson's idea not to tell him about the Addison's patient too, because he knows Cuddy. Cuddy is, after all, a woman with an overwhelmingly deep well for guilt (evidence in "Humpty Dumpty" where even Stacy confirms it saying he knows Lisa, knows that she cares...).
One of the things I really liked about Cate in "Frozen" was her astute observation of Wilson: "...you, on the other hand have a perfect score. You are responsible, nice, human.... Makes me think that you are secretly a lot less nice than you seem..." Wilson was behind the "bet" in "Detox." He convinced Cuddy not to tell House he was right about his Addison's diagnosis in "Meaning," he made the deal with Tritter, and he responded very affirmatively that he wanted House to risk his life by attempting deep brain stimulation in an attempt to save Amber when House already had a severe concussion in "Wilson's Heart."
I don't hate Wilson, and I certainly don't think House is an angel, but I do think Wilson likes to think of himself as the better of the two when the reality is he's really not as nice as he like to think he is.
And while it's not really relevant, as an X-Phile it doesn't bother me that House doesn't call many people by their first names. Fox Mulder called Diana Fowley by her first name, but he didn't call Dana Scully by hers and in the end he ends up with Scully (Shippers rejoice ;-) ).
125 - Orange450
While I was thinking about gifts today (it's only natural at this time of year), I had a thought about the scene in JTTW where House comes into the nursery to see Cuddy, holding his valuable Joseph Bell book that he hadn't unwrapped since Wilson gave it to him the previous year.
It occured to me that each of them have now - after waiting a long time - opened gifts that have tremendous meaning to them. I could even go a little farther and say that their respective gifts reflect significant aspects in their respective natures. For House, it's his rare ability (not to say gift) of diagnosis. And for Cuddy, it's the fulfillment of her maternal dreams.
Happy Holidays to everyone, and may we all receive the gifts we most wish for - even if they are all intangible ones, like health, happiness and peace.