House Episode...Wilson! Spoilers for the most recent episode!

[rabid1st]

How many times have I told you people that I am not a slash fan? Many, many times.

And I'm not. In fact, I'm rather a slash detractor. I have remarked that I don't really understand ladies who get all hot and bothered over two manly men locked in a sub/dom embrace. I know that people do find such stories interesting...stimulating, even...but I am not one of those people. And yet...I am a House/Wilson fan. I don't read House/Wilson slash, but I proudly wave the shipper banner for them. I am a fan of the canon relationship. I don't get all warm and tingly like I do for Rose/Ten but I very much enjoy the idea of House/Wilson.


Which brings me to the cheering over the most recent episode of House and the beautiful being that is James (don't call him Jim) Wilson. I love House/Wilson because I firmly believe Wilson is the only person who could live with House and still love him. I also believe he is the only person House would continue to respect and admire throughout his life. It is rather like Rose/Ten in that respect for me. And when the writers, in their wisdom, did as I hoped they would and went from Cameron to Cuddy to...yes...Wilson, I was in shipper heaven. But we are still a long way from the series finale, so I thought that House would be moving out when Wilson first lost his temper. Remember the Canadian episode? But no...instead House solves the problem (with duct tape). Then, I thought...okay...House isn't done with Cuddy. But amazingly Cuddy found a better man in Lucas (and House took care of Wilson by drugging his grape soda). And yes, Cuddy is way better off with Lucas. She and House are just annoying together.

But this last episode...oh, my...from the opening bars of "Faith" by George Michael (I guess it would be nice if I could touch your body...oh, no not everybody has got a body like you)--gay anthem anyone? to the lovely exchanges of dialogue..."He's a self-important jerk"..."That seems to be what I'm attracted to." From the jealousy over Wilson having another friend...to House confessing he will be alone if Wilson dies on the operating table...to that self-important friend playing on Wilson's sympathies...to him saying "What you want when you're dying isn't the same thing you want when you're going to live."

And Wilson sees the kernal of truth that has been there all along...he wants House beside him in life and when he faces death, too. He wanted House there to help him decide what to do...at the surgery window...in the chair by his bedside...and in his house. He bought a house for them...once again Cuddy provides the foil for House/Wilson to shine against.

"We need a bigger refrigerator," Wilson said, by way of asking if this baby step was okay. And I yelped so loud Jan thought I was hurt and came to check on me. Because this is what the endgame should be on House M.D. It should be Wilson and House together. And it should end with that last minute confirmation of things that I have always hated in UST relationshps. You know the one where we learn they are a couple just before the show disappears forever? But with House M.D. that would be perfect...no mushy stuff to break his character. Wilson and House should reveal that they have been lovers for some time, during the last scene of the series. All of the ducklings can stare at House in slack-jawwed amazement and he can say, "What? Come on! You thought we were BFFs in the same house? The Felix and Oscar of Princeton-Plainsboro? Wilson is hot." Then he hobbles off down the hall, leaving everyone speechless, and half the fanbase wondering if he's kidding. And once again...I would cheer.

Comments

[np-complete.livejournal.com]

Wilson is dying? I haven't watched in quite a while, but that's new to me!

(I can't believe we're both up at 3:38!)

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Yes! It is very late! And no! Wilson is not dying. He was risking his life for his other friend...and House didn't want to be there for Wilson...because he didn't want to face that. I don't think anyone who loves you would want you to risk your life...so I viewed House's small tantrum as a natural extension of that. And sure enough...House came through. House and Wilson have just bought a loft together...officially a couple now. Though there will be some hetero-hijinks in coming episodes I am sure.

[thisficklemob.livejournal.com]

Heh. That was rather slashtastic, wasn't it. I liked Wilson being shown to be House-like... so he was wrong in the one he bragged about in the A-plot, but catching a recurrence because a guy didn't brag on his grandkids? Very smooth. (Especially since the guy didn't actually complain of depression, which is probably a known symptom, but Wilson picked up on it in a twenty second conversation.)

I liked the buying a condo together, but I wasn't quite sure of the why of it. I guess because House's stuff was everywhere, and Wilson, like you said, decided he'd rather keep him. (Also, in my vernacular, a "loft" is a one room apartment, so I wasn't sure how that qualified.)

The one thing I wasn't so sure of was the punishing Cuddy part. Um, what? Bros before Hos I suppose, but she didn't actually do anything to House. They were never together, and him having a psychotic break was not her fault. And while I could have seen her maybe getting past his jerkery and mental illness tendencies, I wouldn't have wanted her to do it any time soon. She's a mother, she has to think about her kid in deciding who to get involved with. And she found somebody better for her soon, more power to her. Even Wilson has to see that House wasn't ready for the kind of relationship Lucas and Cuddy have.

Last week's ep made me a bit concerned for Cuddy/Lucas, though... because even though they did pull off fooling House, at least temporarily, we also never saw them discussing anything but House. Not a healthy relationship basis, if they spend all their time outmaneuvering her non-ex. But then it occurred to me... how often do we ever see any two other characters have a (non-medical) discussion that doesn't involve House?

So I came up with a sort of Bechdel test for House episodes. A Housedel test, if you will.

1.) Two characters who are not House have a conversation.
2.) That isn't about a patient or medical issue.
3.) In which House does not come up in some way, and where he did not have anything to do with the reason the characters are having the conversation.

Pretty rare, I think. *g*

P.S.

[thisficklemob.livejournal.com]

I guess I should specify recurring characters. Guest characters frequently have non-medical, non-House discussions, if only before they get sick and meet House.

[purecreation.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched House in a long time, but the other day a co-worker was raving about "did you see last night's House?!" And as they began to explain the scenario, I thought to myself, Oh boy, the House/Wilson shippers must be bouncing off the walls with this one! lol I've been considering getting back into the show, b/c while I don't ship House/Wilson in a slashy sexual way, I did really enjoy their friendship and it sounds like it was a great episode. :)

[auntiesuze.livejournal.com]

I'm not a House/Wilson shipper, but this week's episode was slashtastic, anyway! :D

I like your way of dealing with it. I can't picture the writers actually making them a couple, but just dropping the bombshell at the very end would be TOTALLY AWESOME.

[soophelia.livejournal.com]

Because this is what the endgame should be on House M.D. It should be Wilson and House together. And it should end with that last minute confirmation of things that I have always hated in UST relationshps. You know the one where we learn they are a couple just before the show disappears forever? But with House M.D. that would be perfect...no mushy stuff to break his character. Wilson and House should reveal that they have been lovers for some time, during the last scene of the series. All of the ducklings can stare at House in slack-jawwed amazement and he can say, "What? Come on! You thought we were BFFs in the same house? The Felix and Oscar of Princeton-Plainsboro? Wilson is hot." Then he hobbles off down the hall, leaving everyone speechless, and half the fanbase wondering if he's kidding. And once again...I would cheer.

THIS!!! That would be perfect.

I admit I am a hardcore shipper of House/Wilson, just as hardcore as I am when shipping Doctor/Rose. If RTD can give us a pony, it will be a truly wonderful holiday season.

[soophelia.livejournal.com]

Pretty rare, I think. *g*

It is pretty rare. Remember when Foreman and 13 got together? They spent a lot of their time talking about House and trying to hide their relationship from him.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I rather thought that the punishing Cuddy part was just an excuse for what Wilson really wanted to do...which is move in with House. Wilson has been acting like a reluctant go-between on this whole House/Cuddy dance...encouraging House but not really being unhappy when House comes back to him at the end of each attempt. He reminds me of that friend with a crush that will try to be stalwart when supporting you, but really is secretly hoping that your romance fails. And in this case, he went beyond just hoping and took a "baby step" of his own. This is why I like that last scene where Wilson smiles the same smile he has when House shows up for the surgery. It is a smile of a man who might be a doormat, but still gets his way from time to time.

As for your test...I must admit I do not pay very close attention to the romances of the Ducklings. Wilson's romances always revolve directly around House...either his marriage is unraveling or he's not having an affair with a cute nurse...or he's dating the female version of House and House is very aware of that. Sometimes I think Wilson is in sexual denial...just as House explained to someone once.

But I am not, in this case, the sort of shipper who wants to see House settled and happy. I do think just prior to the big reveal at the end...we might see some signs that House IS happy on the show...but not in a direct connection to Wilson. Just a little relaxation of his mood...to make the Ducklings curious and lead to the endgame. Actually, even in this episode...you can see what I have often seen: the only time House is ever happy and laughing...is with Wilson. I remember when he and Wilson made up last year...and they had that through the window shot of them in a resturant booth, laughing together.

Hey, what about Cameron and Chase discussing the killing of the dictator at their house? Or...13 and Foreman discussing their relationship while House was in the asylum? I suppose it doesn't count if they have to lock House up in order to talk about their relationships. But yeah, House is and should be the focus of the show...and I like that. This is one show where I don't feel that my ship should be given lots of attention. A once a season lovefest like this episode keeps me going for a long time.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Get the DVD from...last season and this season. Wilson isn't in the first part of last season so much...but the pay off with House falling apart without him...is very good. And this season has been great. House in the asylum was surprisingly satisfying. House with Wilson has been wonderful, not really mushy at all...yet very shippy in that twisted House/Wilson way. And, you know what? You don't have to view it as shippy in a sexual way...until that final scene of the series. I was thinking I really don't want to read House/Wilson slash or see them kissing or snuggling on screen anyway. They are perfect as they are...but I can see them having a successful relationship with one another. And Robert Sean Leonard did say that he doesn't think Wilson is going to have another girlfriend...so maybe Wilson is going to have a gay awakening...beyond and around House...before it gets TO House. That might be interesting for next season.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I was thinking that a good way to handle it might be for Wilson to have a bit of a gay awakening...not anything graphic...but just a Meredith Baxter moment. House could be temporarily freaked out when he learns that Wilson is dating a man. And then it sort of fades into the background as House accepts that he still loves Wilson even if he's gay-now. Wilson going out on dates, given the new living arrangements, would be funny...especially if he's hiding the "woman" from House. And then, once House has solved the mystery and accepted it, we just let it go...and there's the announcement at the end of the show.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I love them, though not as much as Rose/Ten which is my absolute OTP. And the reason Rose/Ten is my absolute OTP is that I truly can see no reason at all for them to be apart. I do not buy that he's so cowardly he can't face her dying...nor do I buy that either one of them is better off without the other. They have given us absolutely no sign that they are not perfect for one another. Even House/Wilson have those rocky moments of imperfect understanding that could lead to the relationship failing. The thing with Amber and last night's jealousy over the friend...and well...House has done some pretty horrid things to Wilson over the years.

But until the last few minutes of JE...Rose and Ten always supported one another and worked things through...and I think they should work this through, too. Rose, generally, has to explain to Ten that he doesn't have to shelter her from things...before he gives up on whatever "happy life" he's planned for her. She just has to explain this one more time by clearly stating, "I do not want this almost-you person. And YOU need me more."

[thisficklemob.livejournal.com]

He reminds me of that friend with a crush that will try to be stalwart when supporting you, but really is secretly hoping that your romance fails.

Yes, I see that.

Oh, I wasn't complaining, about the Housedel test. I was merely reassessing my cause for worry with regards to Cuddy/Lucas. Because nobody on this show is seen to do much that doesn't begin or end with House somehow. True, Cameron and Chase started their dictator-killing discussion in House-free mode, but notice how he ended up inserting himself into the discussion when he pointed out to Chase that she forgave Chase because she blamed House.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I didn't think you were complaining. I just couldn't think of an example that went against your rule. I always like to test rules to find the breadth of exception.

[hoegh.livejournal.com]

LOVE IT, LOVE IT...

Actually, I'd been very disappointed with this season so far, and stopped watching a couple of eps back... but your post (again!?!) made me go back, so thanks!

Just wanted to add that I saw the "What you want when you're dying isn't the same thing you want when you're going to live."-moment differently (though I guess it amounts to the same). To me it seemed like a blatant metaphor for (as always) House, and how the one he wanted when he was dying (Cuddy) wasn't the same he wanted now, even if he hadn't really realized it himself. So that gave Wilson hope and the boldness to actually do something about their relationship...

And yay for Cuddy and Lucas. Just having Lucas back is making me squee. Love his character! And kinda love new, dark!Chase, too. Have a nice life, Cameron.

[hoegh.livejournal.com]

Aaand because I was in a hurry when writing the above, let me ramble explain:

When I say when House was dying, he wanted Cuddy, I mean of course all through his slowly killing himself, climaxing in S5. Now that he wants to live, after all, he's realizing he wants to be with Wilson. Yes.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

That's another good idea, hoegh! And I'm very happy to have brought you to the good television again. This was seriously one of the best episodes. And I agree with you that the whole series was off to a rocky start. I used to not be bothered by House/Cuddy and had it as a sort of back up ship. But the way it played out on the show really made me dislike it. I knew that it would be a car-crash sort of relationship...but I thought it might be one that it was hard to look away from. However, it turned out to be so messed up by House's slide into complete delusion and by Cuddy being so fed to the back teeth with him that I couldn't see them ever being functional...or dreaming of functional behavior...that it wasn't captivating at all.

I will admit that the writers had me going with the overnight sex and detox finale last season. But they were helped along by so much bad TV that preceded that moment, that it wasn't even fair. I mean, I had come to the point where I didn't expect a television show to make sense...and so my only hope was that we would have the trainwreck this season. However, instead, we did move toward what I feel will be the final, happy relationship...of House/Wilson. I want the writers to strike a blow for a gay lead character at the end of the show...because that's the time to strike. House MD has been a huge hit and has already sold so well in syndication...that a last minute reference to the gay would be like the writers are laughing up their sleeves at convention. Which is VERY House! And if they do as I suggest...then the truly bigotted people can go along with the ducklings and go..."Nah! He has to be kidding."

But then...I've been wrong about finales before...many, many times.