Digging into the heart of the House, M.D. season finale in an exclusive interview with its writer.
The fifth season of House, M.D concludes with Dr. Gregory House (the always extraordinary Hugh Laurie in a heartbreaking performance) watching his world come crashing down around him — his sense of reality shattered, unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. It was a somber way to end the season, the camera pulling back to reveal the lone figure of Wilson, watching sadly from afar as House enters the doors of Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital.…
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— go to most recent comments26 - Gerry
"I am sorry but I still don't see how Wilson could let a hallucinating House wander off into the night given what had happened between him and Danny all those years ago. Wilson's telling House to go terrorize Cuddy and the strange look on his face after House left made no sense either, especially since he'd been asking him to talk to her throughout the episode."
Wilson allowed House to practice medicine knowing he was hallucinating--I think that takes more of a leap of faith than leaving him to think about going to rehab, hoping he will make the choice himself. Because House was being so analytical about the hallucinations, knowing he was having them and trying to find physical causes, one of which he was willing to concede could be vicodin, I think it's understandable Wilson was willing to accept House was not in imminent danger and in fact was perhaps facing facts Wilson's thought he needed to face for years. Wilson responded when House asked for his help in the DDX and was there for him as a friend. He doesn't see anything at that point that means he should try to get House forcibly committed--there's a lot House isn't saying.
The comment to go terrorise Cuddy was Wilson accepting that House and Cuddy have their own strange dynamic and Cuddy is just as much a part of it as House. She's got barriers up as much as he does and House making her respond through anger is one way they communicate. Not a great way, but these two people both have issues. He didn't want the moment to just slip away because neither was willing to talk about it.
And Cuddy in UMS knows House has not been sleeping well, but she also knows she gave him sleeping pills. That's not the same as knowing he's breaking down. When he comes in to say he quit, she's tired and trying to go home to her baby and she assumes he's playing another game she's supposed to figure out. She thinks she has to figure out Housecode and she's just not willing to play right now. I think that's understandable and in character. And in fact House is using Housecode, just not in service of one of his games.
27 - Val
Thanks for the great article Barbara! DE has penned some of my favorite episodes and it is clear she has a special insight as to House and Wilson's relationship. The interview certainly filled in some more gaps.
I will only add that it seemed completely logical and reasonalbe to me that Wilson was the one to bring House to the institution. It immediately brought to mind the parallel of the situation with his brother and added to the sadness of moment for Wilson. In my view, House was essentially right in 'Birthmarks' when he told Wilson that he 'quit' their friendship because he didn't want to lose another person he cared about. He wasn't there for his brother when he "lost" him, he lost Amber tragically, and now he was losing someone else he cares for.
After what House and Wilson have been through in the past year, it seems fitting that the season ended with the two of them again. Wilson guarding the things House has that identify his life. A life we know is important to him.
I love when there are writer commentaries on DVDs. I don't think we'll get it, but it certainly would be a treat to have some commentaries from writers like DE this season.
28 - Grace
I'd like to move forward to next season. I want clinic duty back. I want less of a soap opera. I want more of the medical stuff. I want much less of Foreteen and/or 13. I want writing that is deserving of Hugh Laurie's acting. DS and KJ, I hope you read this, because I think maybe you are getting a bit too big for your britches.
I hope I am wrong about that.
This post is not meant to offend. I just love this show and want it to be the best it can be. You've got HUGH LAURIE as your lead!!!!! Do you realize how lucky you are??Act like it!
29 - hughinblue
Wow...now I have to watch yet again...I thought Wilson had stepped into Ambers shoes in the conversations and they werent real...wow
Thanks Barbara for a great recap and interview..I love Doris and how she really has the pulse of the House Wilson relationship...I'll forgive her if she writes a little Huddy because I know if she does..she'll do it right..
30 - poppu
Forget about the viewers not believing House can detox in 24 hours. I have a hard time believing that Wilson bought it!!
31 - OhFunnyBrit
Thank you, Barbara for that wonderful interview. I wonder if TPTB have any idea how many fans are experiencing post-finale depression? I cannot erase the image of the small, broken House, not to mention the Stones song, from my mind. Hugh's dead-on portrayal of "rock bottom" truly brought me into House's mind and heart, and I feel as if a real-life loved one is in that asylum. Many other fans are in a similar funk. Hugh, Lisa, Robert, and TPTB deserve huge kudos for creating a show and characters so real that they can affect us this strongly. I'm hoping that Season 6 finds House with his mojo back, and in a relationship with Cuddy, loving snarkily ever after.
32 - Bertha S.
Yes ST. DORIS you are GOD :) I hate Huddy with a passion but I thought the House/Cuddy scenes were very good. I'm not a fan of women doing the onscreen leg spread so I'll never watch that kind of Huddy but anything else is great. I also hated that you all turned S5 Wilson into the Huddy whisperer. Wilson is my fav character so I rewatched his scenes over and over again even though it was about the dreaded and horrific Huddy. Maybe in S6 we can have some REAL HOUSE/WILSON MOMENTS THAT DON'T INVOLVE THE "C" word.
I loved the BSN HOUSE/WILSON scenes - totally awesome. You also explained why Wilson was the one who drove House to the psych facility. At first I didn't quite understand why it wasn't Cuddy since she's supposedly House's oldest and dearest friend and so in love with him - "eye roll"
For me, S5 House has lost some of its luster. I loved DCE, The Social Contract, and Birthmarks, and some other episodes with great House/Wilson scenes. I originally started watching House because it was a medical procedural/mystery show. But pathetic crazy childish House has been such a turn off, the show is no longer my favorite. I think the writers should remember that House is played by a gray haired wrinkled 50 year old actor and not some 30 year old hottie.
33 - maya
Gerry-->The last three episodes of this season are layered enough to be open to multiple interpretations. As was so beautiful illustrated in the finale, we all find an interpretation of the facts, a story that we most feel comfortable with. The story that works best for me is that House hallucinated those scenes with Wilson and Cuddy.
Bertha S--> I am sure there are plenty of women (and men) who find the actor you refer to as "gray haired wrinkled 50 year old" more attractive than all the 30 year old hotties in the world combined. I am one of them. And I totally buy the boyish and impish quality he brings to the character of House.
34 - Annette/wiirenet
Thanks for the article. I never really paid attention to or read about the writers before.
I need to admit though, part of me is a little disappointed getting such insight into Ms. Egan because I really thought she had a little House/Wilson shipping agenda.
But it seems she is all about the friendship and just as intrigued with House/Cuddy. Its still nice and all, but I guess I had some secret hope that was crushed by reading how "normal" (non relationshippy) she talks about House and Wilson and how she likes House with Cuddy too.
Oh also, I'm a 21 year old girl and I think the "gray haired wrinkled 50 year old" is way hotter than any "30 year old hottie" actors!
35 - Luisa Borges
Hi Barbara,
Was really looking forward to read this interview. I love your insights and I think you bring a lot to the plate when conducting a talk.
Doris Egan is just great, I love her scripts because they usually come with such big psychological insight bonus. And I also love split brain stories (I'm a huge Oliver Sacks fan ans neurology is my cup of tea, along with psychology), so to know that she really likes that and has written about it before was a huge plus for me.
Also loved to hear about her "Huddy"outline, that's a gem for sure.
And you managed to answer some of my questions from the episode (more like food for thought for me than questions per say, I thought the episode was a real round one). And build on the whole left brain / right brain issues that I love so much to read about.
The last scene background talk was a special gift. Wilson was really the guy to take him and reading about the symbolism behind it all was a perfect gift. She writes them like no one else.
Once more, thank you so much for this really special gift!!
All the best to you.
36 - DebbieJ
" I think the writers should remember that House is played by a gray haired wrinkled 50 year old actor and not some 30 year old hottie. "
Oh, thank God!
37 - ctch23
Loved the acting (HL, RSL and LE are simply too good!) and the general direction of the series is headed in.
Having said that, I agree w/ maya up thread that some of the H/W scenes may have worked better as hallucinations. I was actually surprised that at least some of them weren't.
Does anyone know when Season 6 begins?
38 - Orange450
Barbara - you and Doris Egan do not disappoint!! What a great interview and write-up. Truly the next best thing to being there. Thank you both so much!
The weekly hour that we spend in our Housian fantasy world feels almost as real to us as our real lives do " and sometimes even realer. And that one hour certainly takes up a disproportionate share of my time and thoughts. So I love the opportunity that you give us to sneak a peek at the actual people, the behind-the-scenes thinking, the craft and hard work of creating an episode. I guess I enjoy being reminded what a tremendous amount of time and effort is expended by real people to create one hour a week of virtual reality in the truest sense!
“Wilson became the Keeper of House Past.”
Were these her words? Because when I read them, I couldn’t help but think of the idea that Wilson felt such guilt for the one time that he failed as “his brother’s keeper”. So now, of course, he will definitely play that role for House, his other brother. And I’m sure that the psychiatric hospital, Wilson’s brother, and the notion of Wilson as “the Keeper” will play into next season, somehow!
“It’s like being God (seeing your creation come alive).”
What a phenomenal, fulfilling experience that must be. To write like she does, and then have Hugh Laurie and the rest of the cast work their magic on her words. Sounds like the definition of “the dream job”.
“For the patient, his girlfriend’s love saved him eventually, willing even to do battle with his very assertive right brain (and left hand)….Cameron and Chase worked out the “glitch” in their marriage plans, as Chase refused to accept Cameron’s need to keep her dead husband’s sperm “as insurance” against their marriage not working out. Cameron needed Chase to understand, and eventually he did.”
Hey! I mentioned those specific ideas on your BSN review. That’s so cool!
I’m down for anything she and the Starfleet want to give us - I'm happy to leave it in their hands, and just drink it all in. I tweeted to DE that she seems to know exactly what we want *and* exactly what we need. (I guess I really shouldn’t speak for anyone else, but it’s certainly true for me.) And as far as I’m concerned, I hope she and the rest of TPTB continue to juggle oranges indefinitely. Their skill is impeccable, their execution is flawless and *I* certainly don’t mind ;-)
39 - barbara barnett
"“Wilson became the Keeper of House Past.”
Yes, those were her words, exactly.
Thanks everyone for your very kind comments.
40 - Wnkybx
Thanks, Barbara, for a wonderful wonderful interview! I especially appreciated DE's explanation of why Chase and Cameron had their "glitch." It was so interesting to read about the alternative ending with the idea of footage from within the psych hospital. I actually was wondering why he gave Wilson his belongings, and the explanation of this creative choice made me appreciate it even more.
I hope that you will be able to do more interviews with the writers and producers! You definitely ask very interesting and probing questions. I love it.
41 - Bliffle
I sometimes enjoy a House episode, choosing to search for a little gold amidst the dross of commercial TV, I take an optimistic attitude.
At first I enjoyed the Disease Mystery Detective story and the crusty attitude of the protaganist. But the medical stories degenerated and the soap opera parts became more intrusive.
Now I watch it just to see an occasional fragment of humanity presented in an understandable way. Something with which I can empathise.
House himself has become just an annoying pest, but other folks are becoming more interesting, chiefly Wilson, who is acted by a very talented actor. Chase and Cameron are become more interesting, but not the others.
42 - blacktop
Barbara, thanks so much for this wonderful interview with Doris Egan. It is a great way to wrap up a strong season of your reviews. All your hard work and insight is much appreciated.
Season five started with the horrible split between House and Wilson as a result of House's complicity in Amber's death. We followed House's efforts to repair the damage culminating in the first stage in "Birthmarks" (Doris Eagan wrote this) when both men acknowledged their mutual need for one another.
The second stage of the restoration of their friendship climaxed in the reveal about Wilson's brother's return. House offering to accompany Wilson to see his brother was a major step in the reconstruction of their relationship (Egan wrote this one too). But they took a negative bump when Wilson cruelly probed House's tentative efforts to seek psychiatric help in "Locked In."
Now in the season five finale (Egan again), House and Wilson have restructured and reestablished their friendship in full. It is not necessarily healthier or more mature, but it is complete and unique in its place in their lives.
Last year's finale launched this season's House/Cuddy arc because it ended with House and Cuddy in solidarity, holding hands as House emerged in misery from his coma and with the anguished Wilson gone. This year's finale is the mirror opposite: House and Wilson are united in misery as they journey to the mental hosptal together, with Cuddy suffering her shock in isolation.
I think therefore that next season we may see a similar elongated arc for the House/Cuddy relationship with a slow process of repair and reconciliation. Unfortunately House/Cuddy does not have a skilled champion on the writing staff to equal Doris Egan's masterful devotion to House-Wilson, so I don't think we can expect to see such a well-crafted effort in the coming season. So I am not going to hold my breath for any extraordinary gifts on this front in the future.
43 - Ella
I admit that it bothers me when the House team professes that they "don't know" how long the show will last. It seems to me that in order to tell a coherent story, there needs to be an ending point in mind. I know, I know - TV just doesn't work that way! I wish it would, though, for House. It seems a shame to take a character as complex and compelling as House and make up his story as you go along.
But that's just me.
44 - Narenika
Thank you for this interview. It clarified most important thing to me. This is not THE show I've fallen in love five years ago and it's not gonna be. I love Hugh Laurie so I would eventually watch some episodes next season but I won't be invested in this show anymore. Cuddy's worship finally killed my pleasure.
45 - Ray
For God's sake. Go away, haters.
46 - Narenika
Haters? I've watched episodes from first 4 seasons at least 4 times each. I know more about it's characters than about some of my friends. I'm not hater. I was thrown overboard by TPTB THIS season. So be it.
47 - barbara barnett
Blacktop--
I think it will be only through both Wilson's AND Cuddy's love and support that House has any chance of making it through this whole (or at least return to status quo). As soon as Cuddy saw that House was in real distress, all her anger seemed to have been forgotten. As House shrunk back, reeling after the vicodin bottle reveal, he first grabbed Cuddy's hand for support. The stroking of his face, mirroring the image in his delusion...
But Wilson, his best friend, needed to do this for him. For his own redemption if nothing else. If House and Cuddy had slept together for real, I can't see how they could go back to the affair knowing how much mental pain anguish House is now suffering. It would have been part and parcel of his living nightmare.
As he recovers from whatever it is: subtstance-induced psychosis or "brief psychotic disorder" are my top guesses. (Or something physical) he and Cuddy can retrace their steps and her place in his life can be restored.
I have faith in the writers, Egan, Lerner and Friend, and some of the others who know how to get inside House's pain and inside his heart (as well as his head)and explore this. I can't wait to see how this is all dealt with. And I'm pretty sure there will be no "magic reset" button. Not after this.
I remember Lerner and Friend telling me at the end of last year that the season finale would have repercussions for the first half of season five. They were only wrong in that the repercussions lasted all year. The finale opened up a slew of new doors for exploration.
I know some people feel very cheated that the Cuddy/House sex never took place for real, but I don't think it's the last we've heard from this storyline either.
House will have to be changed somehow--either on mood drugs/undergoing psychotherapy (certainly, after a psychotic break like that), it will affect all his relationships--especially with Cuddy because of all the feelings and emotions that came to the surface for her in the last two episodes of this season.
48 - Anon
Thank you for the interview.
Is it all right to be bitter that we didn't get to see a lot of interesting stuff of the finale because the episode would have been too long, though, as "Last Resort" was much longer than a minute more?
49 - wackjob
Barbara, thank you for this illuminating and fascinating interview. I adore how DE writes for House and Wilson, as I think I mentioned in my comments on your review of BSN. Of course it was Wilson who took him to the hospital; Wilson is his closest friend of many years, and it was important for Cuddy to appear at the wedding (especially as the hospital's representative!). I appreciated that she was holding Rachel, who had seemed to cease to exist.
I'm a Huddy shipper, because I'm intrigued by how two damaged people collide in spite of themselves. Cuddy and House's relationship has always been layered and complex, especially after the first season.
My only cavil is the mental hospital looking like Castle Frankenstein, since none of them actually look that way. The usual protocol, even when you are pre-admitted, is to go to the psychiatric ER with your friend/family member. When you get into the actual unit, that's when they take away your personal belongings, usually putting them in what is called a "sharps closet," meaning anything sharp but also including things like cell phones and wallets. It's locked, of course.
I feel weird revealing this much about my experience, but I've been around this block a few times. And although I know this is television, these artistic choices can have tremendous repercussions among the perceptions of the mentally ill.
Off the heavy stuff--I can't wait for Season 6, but I've ordered Season 4, most of which I've never seen, so my withdrawal will a little easier. ("House" methadone with the breathing dangers!)
50 - wackjob
Whoops--I meant "House" methadone WITHOUT the breathing dangers! Unless my husband freaks out that I'm watching too much "House." I can't get him to be a fan of the show no matter what I do.
Also, I found Wilson's and Cuddy's scenes to be completely believable in this episode, given what they know. And as for the change of clothes, I think that might be a delusion like the lipstick, that he is in light "happy" colors and then he reverts back to what he's really wearing, his usual dark colors (esp. in the last few episodes).
51 - Mary Dagmar
That is one of the best interviews with a writer that I have ever read. Doris Egan showed how the closer a writer is to the character the more complex and real the story seems. Much of the plotting and subtext of the script was explained and the metamorphosis of a television script from page to screen was revealed. This interview showed us the deep an personal love the writer can have for the series and it's characters.
I hope the post airing interview with the writer happens more often. Thank you so much.
52 - sdemar
QUOTE FROM BARBARA: I know some people feel very cheated that the Cuddy/House sex never took place for real, but I don't think it's the last we've heard from this storyline either.
Barbara, as a Huddy shipper, I didn't feel cheated from the lack of sex. I felt cheated because the conversation in Cuddy's office, the detox and the conversation in the living room the next day never happened. Add to that the fact that Cuddy said they did not have a personal relationship.
53 - hwl40
Thank you, Barbara, for looking into the hearts and souls of fictional characters brought to life by the creator, writers and Hugh Laurie. As you said so correctly, this is not an ensemble show. The heart and reality come from the David Shore, the writers and Hugh Laurie, all of whom live on this planet and struggle personally with one or more of the issues affecting House. Your commentary helps us process the reverberations from their amazing work. It's like poetry, so much there that isn't said, that can't be spoken so they show us the experience instead and a powerful one it is. No wonder we need to talk to each other!
Many thanks, you are amazing.
54 - simplethings
#52 This is also why I felt cheated. For me, it was about them being stripped to their cores with the walls coming down that was truly intriguing me.
However, what I would be interested in knowing is if the conversation that House imagined had any truth to it. Did he have access to any information regarding Cuddy and her endocronology class? I feel like knowing House, he might have known that she had audited a class of his which could have led to them sleeping together once in college.
Maybe the information within that part was part of House's real mind wanting Cuddy to come clean with information that he knew to be true. (Wishful thinking, right?)
Regardless, I take solace in the fact that he was ready to jump in to a relationship with her and that we did get to see what kind of affect she could have on him. She, to me, is truly his savior and I feel like if nothing else, we did get to see that come to the forefront in the last two episodes, whether it be in his mind or not.
(Not negating Wilson here, just focusing on Cuddy.)
Also, I think that Cuddy saying they could never have anything personal is canceled out because of what happened immediately after. Had she known his state of mind, she wouldn't have been as hurt, and I doubt that what she said will stick.
I certainly would have liked to see the complete trifecta at the end together taking House to the psych hospital. That would have been a little icing on the cake.
55 - barbara barnett
:Barbara, as a Huddy shipper, I didn't feel cheated from the lack of sex. I felt cheated because the conversation in Cuddy's office, the detox and the conversation in the living room the next day never happened. Add to that the fact that Cuddy said they did not have a personal relationship."
I'm less bothered by this because it's the reality that House's subconscious created for himself--a safe story where Cuddy's love redeems him. This look deep into House's heart is extraordinary, and we haven't really seen that before (in my humble opinion). When Cuddy said they didn't have a personal relationship she was talking from a place of huge anger. She felt betrayed, and violated. In her mind House was blabbing in the most horrible way about a long-past night of sex, risking her career. In his mind he was reacting to her rejection. One with no reason, rationale or explanation. When she realized he was in such distress, she went immediatley to his side. Touching him (his face, his arm and letting him hold onto her hand.)Her anger was gone. They were in completely different places. I think there will be much room for Cuddy next year as House heals.
Mary, it was a wonderful opportunity getting into the head of the writer. Thank you for your very kind words. Likewise hwl40 and everyone who has had such kind comments and participated in the lively discussion here.
56 - morinen
Thanks a lot for the interview! (Though I would love to see the full script in addition to the narration ;)
So, I take it all the conversations with Wilson and the balcony announcement were for real? The interview suggests that but still there is no official confirmation. Barbara, am I right? What's your impression?
On the side note: I would prefer the last scene within the hospital, because this scene with House limping all the way down to the doors and Wilson staring at his back was kind of odd.
57 - Anon
I just wanted to add that Doris Egan is my favorite writer and that's why I would have like to see everything that she wrote. I didn't mean to offense anyone working on the show.
58 - Anon
(English isn't my mother tongue and I think my words don't mirror my thoughts. Sorry.)
59 - Eve K
Morinene - I dont think the last scene was odd at all. This journey, cleaning up the mess in his head, is a journey House ultimately must take alone, and this was a sign of that. I think that was the reason for choosing the Frankenstein Asylum instead of a modern facility, it showed that it was a big and scary task House had taken on.
That being said, the scary Asylum look on the hospital was maybe a bit over the top, and maybe an insult to those viewers who actually been to such a clinic. I dont think its a coincident that that hospital in reality is closed and abandoned. They dont look like that anymore (hopefully). I hope the portrayal of the psychiatric treatment is modern and up to date. If we get to see it. (Maybe House is back at work next season fit as a fiddle? Dont hope so...)
60 - Veresna
Barbara,
Two unrelated comments I guess. But I certainly agree that "We never did have a personal relationship" is said in anger and pain, and as was stated (by the patient or Wilson in the pilot?), it's what people actually do than what they say that matters.
Secondly, something that just struck me in the past day is that House tells Taub to "Stay with him" (the Carl Reiner character). I was so caught up in everything else that was going on, that it's taken me several days for the comment to really hit me. House, who so vociferously states that medical care is related to cold, impersonal calculations wants to make sure the patient is not alone. It made me think of 'Locked In', where he scoffed at the notion that hand-holding would be more useful than an MRI, and then found himself seriously thinking about it. In the midst of everything else that was occurring, how interesting that he was thinking of the patient's emotional welfare, and feeling guilt again--as he had for the ballerina in UMS.
61 - barbara barnett
morinen--I believe the balcony thing was real.
Anon--no worries!
Eve K--In Under My Skin, House tells Wilson that he's not scared of going to rehab, although he knows his life is falling apart and he feels like crap. That long sad walk to the scary looking facility was a metaphor for House's accepting that he is really ill, that this is not something he can deal with alone, and that he's scared (more than scared; I think he's truly terrified. He has finally faced himself after years -- even from before when we've first me him--)
It's is a stunning development.
YVeresna--es. One of the most significant tropes on the show is "it's not what you say, it's what you do." As angry as Cuddy was, the moment she saw what distress House was in she forgot all that.
I noticed, too, how visibly shaken House was when he realized that Mr. SChwartz probably has pancreatic cancer. That little "stay with him," was one of the most poignant lines in the entire episode. He had almost dismissed the patient, distracted by so many other things and almost missed a major diagnosis. That in itself must have been a blow to him, but he feels responsibility--still feeling guilt--and he expresses it by his insistence that Taub stays with him. House always feels bad when a patient takes a turn or dies, he never expresses it to anyone else. But he's been feeling irrational guilt feelings for a couple of weeks--Kutner, Chase, the ballerina also. This is another clue about House's mental state--none of those are rationally guilty feelings. He's feeling responsiblity for things over which he had no control. Schwartz, he dismissed, he should feel guilty for that, but it's something he would not ordinarily have expressed.
62 - Eve K
Barbara - I didn't mean he didn't need help from anyone.
He needs professional help (and support from W & C), but he must do most of the work himself. He cant cheat.
Wilson and others can walk with him, but not for him, and that last mile he must do himself. Thats how I saw those last meters of walk, him understanding that. But of course you are right about him finally accepting that he has to deal with this.
I also loved the "stay with him" line, its like hes hade a major change of heart when it comes to dealing with patients.
63 - simplethings
That "Stay with him" line might also harken back to House's line from HH "Stay with me" to Amber.
Just a thought.
64 - sheila
I unhappy because I'm House and Cameron fan :(
Why TPTB destroy them?
Where is season 1, 2 and 3?
so sad!
65 - barbara barnett
Eve K--totally got what you said, and I agree. The acknowledgement and that lonely walk meant that it had to be his own decision and his own path, not one that anyone could select for him (unlike Stacy did). He will need all the love and support he can get.
66 - Johnna
I loved that "stay with him" line! I think that once House realizes that his brain was trying to tell him about the pancreatic cancer, he didn't pick up on it right away, again. Therefore, he doesn't trust himself again. So he delegates the stable presence that he himself can't be. It's a small scene, but it shows just how much House is worried about himself, in my opinion.
Barbara, this interview was pure gold. As a writer myself, I always enjoy reading about writers' journeys--and the House screenwriters are top notch! Once I got over the initial shock of the finale and watched the two episodes again, I love these two even more than the season 4 ones.
Anyone who can pull all of us into House's soul like this deserves my respect! And that includes you, Barbara, since you seem to care about House's character a great deal as well.
67 - Flo
Great interview for a great season finale.
I love the dichotomy thing. It is really fascinating. The fact that everyone is not just one-dimensional is really important because that’s what the writers are trying to do: create deep, complex characters with many sides to their personalities. It is also a notion that I believe to be accurate for everyone. We are all dual. It is very deep and very true.
The episode made me think of some essays from Freud like "The Uncanny" in which Freud talk about duality in life.
I found it interesting that in the very beginning of the episode House looks himself in the mirror thus divides himself in two. The mirror gives him the image of another House with lipstick on his face where there is not. The smiley House, who washes the lipstick of his face that we see, is the ‘mirror version of House’. The shot presents us his reflection. That’s fascinating. Okay, I’m not going to write a long post about psychoanalysis but I think that House is a good candidate for it right now.
Everything is not what it seems to be: the lipstick is a Vicodin bottle; Cuddy’s reaction is not from the aftermath of sex, Cameron’s doubts are not really doubts about a future failure etc.
So everything is dual. Cameron’s distress is paralleled to House’s happiness, Cameron and Chase reconciliation is mirrored by House and Cuddy’s struggle in the end: Chase realized what was wrong just as House does in Cuddy’s office. The left and right parts of the brain are different but irremediably linked and intricate. Always duality and how hard it is to maintain a balance.
The last scene wonderfully illustrates that idea with a logical and well done parallel editing between the wedding and House’s departure to the mental institution.
About House and Cuddy, as a non-shipper, I didn’t feel cheated at all. I love what Doris Egan says about the subversive aspect of their relationship. House is indeed the more romantic one in this. The usual conservative roles of man and woman are reversed and it what’s make their relationship so interesting.
It is a dynamic that was also present in “The X-Files”. Scully was the rational, the reasonable one while Mulder was the passionate and instinctive one.
Totally agree about what she says on her feeling like God seeing her creation come alive. I’m auditioning actors for my next movie right now and to hear the dialogues live, from actors is truly an amazing experience. It gets you everytime. Your words are coming alive and the whole story takes another dimension. It’s like your script was just flat and now it’s deeper than you expected. It is really exciting.
I loved that season; the last few episodes were fantastic. Hugh Laurie is an extraordinary actor, Robert Sean Leonard and Lisa Edelstein also.
Thank you Doris Egan and to all the writers and directors.
Thank you Barbara for this interview and everything else and thanks to all of you for your interesting comments.
68 - Stagestruck
Barbara, it's been awhile since I've commented, it's just been so much of a roller coaster ride this season. I've been laying low, lurking about the various commenting boards in search of golden nuggets of sense in the character analysis of this show. I've become really tired of all the negativity, ship wars, and incredible immaturity of a majority of the posters on these boards, and yet I always come back here and find sanity. Thank you for all of your well written and well thought through expositions of each episode.
I'm am so relieved that House and Cuddy did not sleep together. I've been dreading "the deed" all season to the point of needing an ulcer check up. Why oh why are so many people all about the sex? I don't get it. Yeah, okay, sex between them would obviously be hot, but. they. are. so. much. more. than. that!!! In previous postings I've expressed concern that their pairing would be a train wreck and perhaps ruin the dynamic between two of my favorite characters (Wilson being the third). It's certainly not for lack of chemistry between them, and I would love to see them happy together, but he is so messed up...um broken...not quite right...this isn't coming out right, uh how about, not even ready yet? Just when you think he's making progress, and he has in every episode, there is always something, some clue that is blatantly obvious that he's coming undone. I think the first time I truly felt that House was off was way back in season two. He hasn't been all there since the realization that Stacy by first inclination wasn't willing to hurt Mark, but that hurting House was a given, that it was an acceptable consequence of their affair. (On a side note, How HL is able to look ecstatic one moment and then completely devastated the next is beyond my comprehension. Is it even possible to write that type of direction on a page? How does he say so much in so little time and with no words?) House takes a huge leap with his heart, takes a chance again with Stacy, and the results wind up that he becomes a serial 'john' for three years. Yet in those fall out years he starts falling in love with Cuddy. I will stick by what I've posted before and truly believe, House and Cuddy need time. Time to heal in their various areas of pain, time to make more forward steps toward each other with as few back as possible, time to grow up (they can both be incredibly immature), and time to grow together (which is what they both want - they both love each other very deeply). Bed hopping is not the answer and I am thankful to David Shore that he has not gone there. That he has shown incredible respect for his characters and his audience in allowing for the maturing and possible eventual happiness of this really wonderful man named Gregory House, makes my respect for his vision increase exponentially. Season five has so many levels, layers of character study, it almost boggles the mind. My brother once quipped to me that when the Eagles were creating Hotel California, did they really have any idea what they were writing? I'd like to pose the same question to the writers, producers and actors, all of the creators of House MD. Do they really have any idea what an absolute masterpiece they have collectively created? Sometimes it's almost scary to think about. I hope that they are able to eek out three more seasons. I'll be shooting the moon if we get even more! If it takes till the final episode to give House happiness, by all means take your time, only please please please, do it right.
Stage
69 - 60 plus
This interview emphasizes even more what I love about the show. David Shore and all the other producers and writers are passionately committed to not serving up what most TV shows do today. Instead, they deliberately avoid the simple, the obvious, the easy-to-watch, one-size-fits-all approach. As can be seen from the negative reactions on this and other forums, this does not always result in smooth sailing with fans or critics.
As I shared on another site, on House, very little of what really matters is “obvious.” You have to work for it. It’s challenging. I can watch other shows for instant entertainment gratification"even while multi-tasking. And I do. I don't watch much TV, but I can enjoy shows such as NCIS, In Treatment"even a Top Chef. But nothing about those is compelling. (Well, In Treatment is, to an extent, but it's only seven weeks long!) Nothing about them calls me to look beyond the obvious, beyond instant gratification, beyond my own ideas of what the show should be or do, to trust in the show's creators and make an intense commitment to a single character and his journey instead of that of an ensemble cast"-a journey that takes me on a roller coaster ride that consistently rewards that commitment at least seven-fold!
I had a conversation recently with another fan (we're both “60 plus,” so we have a lot of TV history) in which we racked our brains trying to remember another show that so completely centered on one character and to recall another character that was House-unique. We couldn't think of any, even after going all the way from I Love Lucy and Mash days to the present.
Each episode, each season of House has brought me a level of enjoyment unsurpassed by any other such show.
But then, for me, there is no "other such show."
My thanks to you, Barbara, and the other fans who share for adding so much to the journey in so many ways.
70 - wackjob
60-plus, what an interesting and truthful comment! I am able to fold laundry, or tidy up, or whatever, when any other show is on. But when it's "House," I'm glued to my couch! I don't dare miss a thing!
By the way, I caught a rerun of "Resignation" from season three tonight. At the end, House meets a sexy blonde nutritionist at a bar, they are VERY attracted to each other, and it's made pretty clear that they're going to go home together. She says something like "You have a cool job, you do drugs" and something else that escapes me. He's smiling at her like the cat that ate the canary.
Perhaps it was just a one-night stand, but it was written like it was meant to be something more, even if it was just sex. But she wasn't a hooker. There was no mention of it after that episode. Thoughts, or is it past its expiration date?
71 - wackjob
Also, I think it was this forum, someone expressed disbelief that House would announce he slept with Cuddy. They did sleep together, back in college. Remember the line he says to her, "One night I gave you everything you wanted."
Sheila, the Cameron ship sailed ages ago. She is too independent for House now, she's become her own woman. Her longing for him was (as he quite rightly pointed out) was the romantic young girl saving the gruff lonely older guy. It was a romantic fantasy, sparked by a genuine physical attraction between them. That will probably always be there to some extent, but they have both definitely moved on.
72 - Cat
I loved this article Barbara, one of the best! It was flawless.
But i can't help it. I don't seem to totally like Both sides now. I think that's because i'm a Huddy shipper, but anyway...
And by all means, how could Ms. Egan possibly think that the House/Wilson shippers are sort of mad?? and because she had ventured a bit into Huddy? i mean, BSD had plenty of the greatest Hilson scenes.
It did have Huddy scenes, but those weren't that strong and those were sort of disappointing for the Huddies. So i wonder how would have it been if she hadn't ventured into Huddy...
We can only except next season clears up a bit (actually, A LOT) of thoughts we all have.
Again, Barbara, thanks a lot :)
73 - Rosalita
It's odd, because I think she's a beautiful writer of the House/Wilson/Cuddy triumverate, but I don't think I agree with anything of what the writers think Chase has become.
He's not a confident person, confident in his relationships, at all. Cameron seems to have replaced House as the person he tries to placate most of the time, while ultimately, constantly feeling insecure about her feelings for him. Last season we saw Cameron's 'I love House' slip, and her refusal to confirm to Chase that she'd never slept with House, even when there was a possibility he had an STD.
This season we first saw that Chase had been pushed into a small compartment of Cameron's life, not allowed any of his own space in her apartment and kicked out first thing in the morning. The relationship was clearly very much on her terms, and he accepted it in his loyal puppy way. Finally daring to question it made Cameron realise a little of what she was doing, but she still only gave him a drawer.
Then, thanks to epic lack of screentime, we progress to Chase's plans for a hasty proposal - triggered by fear of loss after Kutners death. That is not a secure reaction. Cameron's reaction was worse, ignoring him and manipulating him into breaking up with her. It was incredibly frustrating to see Chase forgive and forget this so quickly, proposing at the end despite having clearly been hurt. Again, not the action of a secure person.
And finally, the sperm. I could completely understand Cameron's (real) reasons for wanting to keep the sperm. However what seemed to be missed out was why Chase was so hurt by her 'insurance policy'. His father walked out on their family, which was a hugely traumatic event in his life. The suggestion he might replay it must have been painful.
I really disagree with the way their marriage panned out; both Chase and Cameron seem to be too affected by their pasts in ways that don't work with each other. Chase has proved himself to be a very patient, very loving man, who needs someone reassuring to him. Cameron is incredibly high maintenance and needs someone less needy romantically than Chase is.
Ironic given her stated preference for needy people.
Opinions?
74 - ann uk
The underground and overground stations here are plastered with giant posters of Hugh advertising Series 5.This is great in one way as it shows that he is recognised as the global star he now is,but frustrating for me as "House" is only being broadcast on one of Rupert Murdoch's pay channels , not on a free terrestrial channel as before. It is also bad for "House" as it will limit the audience, especially as they are broadcasting it in the summer when the viewing figures always drop.When, oh when ,will the DVDs be available here ?!!!
Sorry to interject a personal grouse into a fascinating discussion which I can't join in.
Series 5 sounds to be even more dramatic than the end of series 4. How on earth will they rescue House from a fate which for him must be the worst he could suffer ?
75 - Orange450
ann uk - I'm really sorry that you're not able to watch! Forgive me if my question is stupid - but are you able to access the Fox website from outside the U.S.? Because the episodes are available there, 8 days after they air. They're available on hulu.com in the same timeframe.
I know it's not the same as watching them along with the U.S., but better than waiting so long, if the option exists for you.