When he awakes, Wilson is at his bedside. “You’re an idiot,” he says almost before House opens his eyes. I rarely agree with Wilson and think he is often manipulative and dismissive of House’s real anguish. But, in this case, I do have to agree with him. It was a stupid move and a terrible risk, unless, as Wilson says, House, while not actively suicidal, doesn’t really care whether he lives or dies at this point in his life. House immediately wants to talk to the clinic patient. Not to Stark. House will leave Stark alone, knowing that he is dying, letting him live out the remaining days of his life with his image of an afterlife intact. But House wants to talk to outlet-guy. “What have you seen?” Wilson asks of House. House averts his eyes, only insisting that he needs to talk to the patient.
Has House seen something? “Nothing,” he responds to Wilson through a great deal of anguish (I wonder if the anguish we see so brilliantly conveyed on Hugh Laurie’s face is pain or disappointment that House has seen nothing – as we will learn - or a combination). Or is the averting of his eyes, the anguish we are privy to, an indication that House has indeed “seen” something; something he does not want to talk about, especially to amateur shrink James Wilson. “You need to talk about this,” insists Wilson, believing that House really does not care if he lives or dies. This new fact (or maybe it’s an old fact that Wilson had thought was faded from House’s psyche) greatly disturbs Wilson. But House covers by telling Wilson that he insisted that House find out for himself.
I think that House wanted to see the clinic patient (who was dead) to warn him against trying it again. That now that House had been there voluntarily, and saw no evidence of any sort of afterlife (that he’s admitting to, anyway) he wanted to make sure that his patient didn’t try to find Nirvana in that way again. At least that’s what I think. Otherwise, why not want to talk to Stark immediately?
Like Wilson, I worry that House (yeah, I know he’s fictional) will do himself harm at some point. He’s not at a point (I don’t think) where he was last year anywhere along the first half of season three, where I thought that at some point he might want to end it (and nearly did in "Merry Little Christmas"). House expressed to Stark that given a choice between a miserable life and nothing, he should chose misery over nothing. If there was something on the other side — a “better” life, would House be more inclined to end his own life? House has always had doubts, despite being a self-proclaimed atheist. In any event, it was a poor test and fairly shoddy, impulsive research. But, for the time being, has erased House’s doubts.
Article comments
1 - Ann
Thanks, Barbara. I loved your review and look forward to what you'll have to say about future episodes of House. What are your thoughts about the first two episodes?
2 - Barbara Barnett
My first comment! Thanks Ann. Glad you liked my review. My earlier reviews are housed (as it were) at my LJ. I've posted reviews for the first two seasons there as well as reviews for the entire third season and some of the first season and second seasons as well.
3 - HouseFan
Nice commentary, makes me look forward to reading your thoughts on more episodes.
As the seasons have progressed and we've learned more about this guy House, and perhaps because of the episode involving the autistic boy, it seems to me that House is living with Aspergers as many adults now do without having a pinpoint explaination of why they are how they are.
It's just my opinion, and hopefully this show will last a few more seasons and we'll learn more about House's past. Remember, it's been said that he was the way he is before his leg problem.
4 - Barbara Barnett
Thanks, House Fan. The question of House and Aspergers comes up all the time in the various fan forums. Does he have it? The show played with notion in the Season 3 episode "Lines in the Sand," in which the patient was an autistic child. House was seemingly fixated on his office carpeting in the aftermath of his near-fatal shooting at the end of Season 2. Wilson went to Cuddy with the idea that maybe House had Aspergers syndrome. Cuddy disagreed. I'm not sure one way or the other (I don't even play a psychologist on TV :)). The main character in the BBC show Wire in the Blood (who is a psychologist, actually) was diagnosed with Aspergers and it is part of the show's canon. Tony (the main character) has a lot in common with House, so... I do think it's going to be something that will be debated by fans until the series is over the issue is addressed head-on. But it's an interesting idea.
5 - Terri
I loved your in depth review and agree wholeheartedly with it. When I consider what the afterlife would be for House if you don't mind indulging me, I would like to quote a few lines from my own fanfic that deals with just that. AFter House dies mysteriously he has a conversation with 'God', or whatever supreme being you wish to consider....
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"He felt remarkably well. So well in fact that he began to feel a touch of anger at not having felt this way in life.
“So a person has to die to feel alive?” he muttered to himself shaking his head in the process. “Where am I anyway?” the thought was immediately met with a response.
"You are were you always expected to be. This is your idea of the afterlife Greg. It is what you always expected to find."
“But there is nothing here!” he yelled out to his invisible companions.
"Exactly"
The realization hit him hard. He understood what they meant. He didn’t believe in an afterlife so consequently there was no pearly gates, no tunnel of light, no ‘anything.’ Essentially he got exactly what he wanted.
“So this is hell then?” he asked out loud to his invisible and growingly annoying companion. Almost before the question left his lips an answer shot back.
"No, for you this is heaven."
House pondered that for a moment, trying to grasp its meaning.
"All your life you’ve believed that there is nothing after you die. And all your life you have pushed people away in an effort to be alone. Hell for you would have been pearly gates, overwhelming joy and long lost friends here to greet you. If that is what you had found it would have meant that you were wrong and you couldn’t bear that, could you? That would have been hell.
Gregory, this is all you have ever dreamed of and the best you could hope for. Aren’t you taking pleasure in your faultless reasoning?"
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I don't think House would be happy if there was an afterlife simply because he would be proven wrong.
Terri
6 - sdemar
I have had the pleasure of reading your commentaries over the past few years, and have always felt that you truly understand the nature of this very complex man called House. I look forward to visiting here and commenting on your reviews.
7 - Barbara Barnett
Thanks Terri and Sdemar for your lovely and welcoming comments. Terri, I'm not sure what House may or may not have seen this time, or after his infarction as described in Three Stories. He said he chooses to see his experience as the brain shutting down, so as not to believe that life (his life--as harsh as it's been, and with his disability--and maybe even his addiction issues) is not simply "a test." I liked the clip from your story. Thanks for sharing it.
barbara
8 - HouseFan
Barbara,
I wasn't aware of debates about whether House is living with Asperger's, that's just what seems to explain the character more than anything else if you look at the progression of the character over the 3 seasons and even the few episodes into this 4th one. I'm not a psychologist or anything of the sort, nor do I watch Wire in the Blood (reminds me of all the CSI and Law & Order shows, which are all the same to me). I like Waking the Dead and Cracker more, better characters and stories.
The thing is that even though Cuddy disagreed with Wilson at that time regarding House's fixation on the carpet, it's not just about the carpet, it's much more than that. It's House's relationships with people in general, not just women problems. It's that Cuddy puts up with him because he's brilliant at the diagnostics. It's that Wilson is his friend because Wilson tolerates him. In the one with Larroquete (apologies for the wrong spelling there) House talked about why he wanted to be a doctor, and if he was telling the truth that's another clue among many. The drug use itself, if he was an addict before his leg problem, could be connected since the first resort most doctors take is to suggest drugging up anyone who seems "different" socially. For example, if someone doesn't enjoy large crowds of people, a doctor tells them that they need antidepressants or something similar to make them "feel good." Not liking large crowds of people cannot be carelessly equated to being depressed. It's complicated, as is the House character.
As I stated, it's just my opinion at this point in the run of the show. It could make for interesting storylines if the writers/producers went more into House's past. Just hopefully in a more Three Stories way than a cheesy TV drama way.
9 - Barbara Barnett
HouseFan,
I agree a storyline that delved into the idea of Aspergers would be very interesting. I don't know enough about autism or the Aspergers variety of autism to say for certain. I do know that House has many of the traits of people with this type of autism. But some things do not seem to fit. Several people I've talked with who have AS see themselves in the character of House; but some have said that he doesn't fit enough of the criteria.
A webpage that has several sets of diagnostic criteria for Aspergers syndrome can be found here.
10 - HouseFan
Barbara,
Thanks for the website link, and for your comments. Sorry mine were so long, but it is an interesting area to debate for the House character. I think it would make for a great storyline. Possibly a role for Stephen Fry as Autism/Aspergers expert from England who just happens to be doing work at Princeton Plainsboro?
11 - sassydew
I always enjoy your thoughtful reviews and this one is no exception! I'm delighted to see that they will now be posted here at blogcritics! :)
12 - Barbara Barnett
Hi Sassydew,
So glad that you found me over here ;) I'm looking forward posting regular reviews and commentary on the show. Enjoy.
Barbara
13 - hl_lover
Sasmom,
Congrats on an excellent review of an excellent episode of "House".
I would lean in the same direction as yourself concerning House and Asperger's. His antisocial behavior seems too intentional and can be turned off at will. But I can see how the idea could be entertained that he carries this diagnosis.
Anyone who cultivates the aura of being a jerk and prides himself on it (outwardly) would not be in this subclass of autism.
14 - Nancy
I'm so glad you admitted outloud that you don't like Foreman. I don't like him either. I wish he would leave the show. This is not a personal attack against the actor, just the character.