As we’ve seen in past, House may blow a lot of smoke when the people he trusts give him relationship advice, but he often follows it. However, Cuddy hasn’t necessarily picked up on the nuances of Wilson’s feelings, as her funny yet poignant couples counseling shows. In her zeal to heal her friends’ rift, she seems to have forgotten that House told Wilson he was sorry during the deep brain stimulation in "Wilson’s Heart," and nobody besides House seems to think House’s willingness to do the very dangerous DBS showed his feelings for Wilson in action. Wrestling with his fear, House gamely goes into what is mostly uncharted territory for him: he expresses his feelings in words.
In a final powerful scene, House approaches Wilson and talks about Amber, expressing his sorrow and guilt. In an unprecedented move, he tries to be the kind of friend Wilson said he wanted in season two during the collapse of his marriage, and asks if he can help. This is House at his most vulnerable, dropping his defenses and risking the rejection Cuddy so accurately said he dreaded.
In a stunning reversal of Cuddy’s expectations, though perhaps not House’s, Wilson denies blaming House for Amber’s death, but has a more damning charge: he bluntly tells House he spreads nothing but misery because all he can feel is misery. Wilson is not only not prepared to be friends with House now, in a blow calculated to hurt, he tells House he’s not sure they ever were. Both Leonard and Laurie nail this scene, both so vulnerable and so hurt, you don’t know where to aim your virtual hugs. This episode was much lower key than "Wilson’s Heart," but the ending left me with the same feeling of being punched in the gut. Hugh Laurie shows yet again why he is so deserving of his Emmy nominations, as he allows the audience to feel just how much House loves Wilson, even as Wilson doubts the friendship.
The final scene left me torn about my feelings for Wilson, which probably suits the writers just fine. I think the choice to have Wilson realize that House was not responsible for Amber’s death was a good one, as that area of blame doesn’t stand up to much scrutiny. Wilson’s charge that the friendship has been little more than House spreading misery and Wilson enabling it on the surface appears to have more substance. But does it?
Article comments
1 - Kit O'Toole
I thought that ending scene with Wilson and House involved some powerful acting. The looks on both Wilson and House's faces were simply heartbreaking, and you could see both sides of their arguments. As you said, Leonard and Laurie just work perfectly together. Those two really make "House" the quality show that it is.
2 - Debbie
I agree with the previous poster, Robert Sean Leonard and Hugh Laurie are a powerful acting pair. I never ever tire of watching them together. I absolutely loved the closing scene. RSL and HL just totally nailed it on so many levels. I need House and Wilson for House the show to work for me. So I hope the break-up doesn't last too long.
I am so looking forward to their make-up scene cause they totally nailed the break-up scene.
3 - Gerry
Thank you both for your comments. Yes, I think that Hugh Laurie and Robert Sean Leonard work beautifully off each other, both in the comic scenes and in the dramatic. And the break up scene was very moving on both their parts. I think Wilson was viewing their relationship through his pain, much as 13 was viewing her patient through her's, and there's more to be said on what he's gotten from the friendship. But Robert Sean Leonard was fantastic in showing the raw pain Wilson feels. And watching House take the risk we know he fears and open up to Wilson, hope for a moment that they could be alright, and then have his emotions rejected more thoroughly than even he feared: a punch in the gut. It will be an interesting ride watching these two try to find common ground to rebuild.