In the aftermath of the dissolution of his relationship with Cuddy, House finds himself checking into a five start hotel to be pampered and distracted from his troubles and his pain. Clearing his bank account, he indulges in an abundance of hookers and booze, trivial games and heavily medicating himself with Vicodin. These things give him superficial pleasure, but don’t heal his aching heart or his leg.
Wilson understands that House’s leg pain, despite House’s argument that pain doesn’t discriminate, is due to his emotional pain over his break-up with Cuddy. Knowing House has dealt with his leg pain all this time without Vicodin is his clue. Seeing House in this state, Wilson does imply that House should get counseling. Aware that he has a problem, House’s means of counseling is by way of a lady of the evening persuasion and not the real guidance of a true trained professional in the field.
I think part of House’s means of dealing with the pain was to avoid the place in which he knew he would have to confront the main source of his problem…Cuddy. Being away from the environment seems to work, since he is still on his diagnostic game. But much to the chagrin of Taub, this is not the proper means to handle House’s situation, even going so far as to say that House needs to act like an adult and come to work to do his job. Amazingly though, House seems to be doing just fine out of the environment and handling the case with ingenuity. Unfortunately, the thrill of the puzzle is not exciting him as it usually does and the games, hookers and booze seem to only entertain him for so long until they become boring. This aspect is evident in a small frame of a scene where we see a close up of House’s face lying in the hotel bed looking distant and lost despite the company of one of his chosen ladies. It’s clear that this means of contact is not what he’s seeking. Fabricated love is no replacement for the warmth of the true thing. Without it, House probably feels incomplete and empty.
Refusing to let House succumb to his depression, Wilson does everything he can to bring Cuddy back into House’s life. Although Cuddy admits that her decision to end the relationship did come at a time when her emotions where high after cheating death, she explains to Wilson that she deserves more than what she received from House. To her, when she needed House the most to share in her triumphs and tragedies, he wasn’t there. The mere idea of hoping he would be there is not fulfilling enough for her, because she wants to know that whoever she has a relationship with will indeed actually be there. Cuddy realizes that House may deserve a second chance, but what about her? Her needs also need to be met and they simply were not with him. Cuddy makes clear to Wilson that the Vicidon and the mere fact that House can be an ass were not the reasons she ended the relationship with House. For her the feeling of not being alone and having the one she loves be there for her is what she wanted from him. Reflecting back to last week’s episode, here Cuddy seems to verbalize what her dreams illustrated….from the Western scene where she runs out alone to the firing squad to the “Get Happy” musical number where she finds herself running up the stairs to infinity alone in the end. In Cuddy’s heart, she struggled with the decision and even placed complete blame on herself for expecting too much of him and wanting him to change. What’s interesting is that I don’t think Wilson believed she wanted House to change, but that maybe Cuddy was looking for an excuse to justify ending her relationship with House at an impromptu time. Regardless of Wilson or House’s feelings, Cuddy comes to terms with the idea that House can’t be the man she needs but stresses that it isn’t his fault….it’s just who he is. However, she does place the blame on herself for starting the relationship in the first place, based on her delusion that he could change. Of course, this very idea still leaves me scratching my head since this clearly in conflict with her feelings in “Now What?” House even pointed out that she probably thought he could change and she said she didn’t want him to with sincerity. So, what changed her?
To avoid Masters’ moralistic and honest persona, House lies to her that he is not taking Vicodin while diagnosing and making procedural decisions. He knows full well that her drive for patient care and truthful attitude could prove problematic if she reveals to the wrong people his opiate addiction. As for House’s team, Foreman, Chase and Taub have dealt with House’s addiction and understand that he can function under the influence. House’s senses and attitude are still spot on, probably since the medicine keeps him focused in times of mental anguish, as has been evident in past seasons with the exception of season five when depression and addiction impacted his complete mental health.
What was interesting about this episode is how much House became testy and refused to listen to Wilson trying to help him, along with his berating of Cuddy for her interference in a procedure that he wanted to run with his team. House was in complete defiance of everyone and everything I think, because he’d probably reached the point where he was tired of listening to people and only trusted himself at this point, since he’s experienced the betrayal of trust over and over again. Perhaps in his worldview talking about the things that are crushing his soul and heart will do nothing to ease the pain. Talk is just talk and to House that’s probably cheap. Acknowledging the problem doesn’t make it go away, because even after the conversation the problem still exists. So, House takes the…”to hell with everyone” approach. Sadly, this is a far cry from when things went sour with Lydia in “Broken” and House turned to Nolan instead of pills and booze. Cuddy shattered House’s trust in people and the world in general. Therefore, he declares his independence from personal interference and contact in his life. It’s indeed a sad state of affairs and one that has this fan worried.
As for Cuddy, I do feel at some point her guilt complex will begin gnawing at her inner being. After all, she indeed is responsible for House’s state of mind and his actions. On the inside, she cannot deny that she still loves him. But she makes known to Wilson that one cannot go backwards. Wilson pleads with her that House needs her in his life. As much as this may be true, to her what good is it talking to him right now when she clearly is his problem? I believe she’s trying to let Wilson know that right now anything she says, House won’t listen to anyway. He’s hurt and rightfully so. Eventually though, I think once her feelings begin to fester, she will try and have that serious conversation with House provided he can act like an adult. Right now, his current behavior isn’t exemplifying that kind of attitude.
Again throughout this episode, Wilson is trying to be a friend. But House is annoyed by the very act, I felt. This is especially apparent when House is irritated and insulted at the very idea that Wilson feels he can read House’s thought process. In House’s words all Wilson is trying to do is justify his scared state of being over the possible idea that House is falling apart. But the fact is that Wilson is justified in his feelings, since he was the one to witness House’s mental breakdown in season five. Wilson is well aware of the potential signs. Plus, Wilson was present for House’s break-up with Stacy. Thus, he knows what trying to pick the pieces of House’s life back up entails. Yet, if House is resisting the friendly gesture, the potential for disaster is eminent. And contrary to House’s popular belief, I think he is falling apart and I would be scared too if I were Wilson. It all goes back to everyone’s thoughts on House in “Two Stories” when they felt he had ulterior motives for Cuddy’s charity dinner. According to them, their thoughts were based on “experience.” It’s no wonder Wilson is worried based on his experience in terms of dealing with a House in a depressive state of mind.
There was one line from the patient of the week that stuck out for me and this very statement draws a very curious look from House…one that shows the viewer he’s processing. When House gets consent from Lane to have them blow up his heart, Lane agrees without asking any questions. This puzzles House, because Lane loves that eight second high of bull riding. Lane does but feels they are telling him he has to give it up. Thus, he’ll find something else to love. This caught my attention, because it could have two different meanings in accordance to House’s thoughts. One illustration is the very idea that House is forced to give up his love for Cuddy. As a result, maybe this is to illustrate that he can find someone else to love. The other interpretation could be that, at this point, the things that excited House he no longer loves and House is aware of this. So, perhaps his thought process is allowing him to question whether or not he too can find something else to love. On the other hand, House can also be perplexed as to how Lane can give up something he’s loves so easily that has been a part of his existence for so long and breezily give no thought about moving onto the next thing. Did Lane’s attitude end of inspiring House’s odd behavior later on to where he decided to breezily move on without any ramifications?
Later on when House confronts Cuddy for the first time since the break-up, he’s clearly angry. Who could blame him? The conversation itself is typical but I think there’s hidden subtext there. House tells Cuddy that his “damaged, depressed, drug-addled judgment is still better than hers or any other doctor’s” in the hospital. But could he have been subliminally saying that her judgment was not met with as much clarity when she dumped him? That although he may have taken the Vicodin to be there with her, he was still there and clear headed? Maybe, in his eyes, he may have used the drugs to help him emotionally get through the situation, unlike Cuddy who used her emotions as a drug to end the relationship when she wasn’t rationally thinking and may still not be rationally thinking.
Despite Cuddy’s rationale for ending the relationship, she would be selfish not to begin to worry about House and what the situation is doing to him. To do so would be out of character, because for seven seasons not matter what the situation she has always been worried about him. Though no longer lovers, why should that aspect of her character change? Hopefully, we’ll see her become more open to helping him reestablish their friendship at least and intervene if things start going haywire which can potentially happen given the outcome of the ending of the episode.
One wonders what was going though House’s mind in those very moments at the bar and when he is about to take that plunge from the balcony. Seeing those young men and women without a care in the world must have seemed incredibly appealing as he just stared at their happiness. It may have even taken him back to a time in his life when all seemed so simple and not a problem was to be had. Thirsting for that freedom, his decision to jump from the hotel balcony may have been easier than the viewer may have thought for him. He takes some Vicodin after doing some drinking, sees the water below and leaps. The air beneath his feet and the rush of excitement for a moment takes him away. In his mind he may have figured, if I die during this jump, I die. His death would at least be executed in an exciting way and there will no longer be any emotional and physical pain. If he hits the water, then the mere rush and release would provide him with that feeling of freedom from the world’s problems, as he cleanses himself in the waters below…a rebirth of sorts or baptism by fire. As he emerges to the surface, a smile crosses his face, because win or lose he will indeed be partying harder. Unfortunately, this newfound freedom becomes not only disturbing to viewers but to his friend Wilson who was horrified to watch the scene unfold live. Has House…pardon the pun…really gone off the deep end? How far will House go and how riskier are things going to get? His current behavior is only justifying Cuddy’s worries in regards to his character of being a selfish child. Right now it’s an ugly battle and no one is truly winning.
There’s so much to digest and so much to consider with seven episodes left this season. I think things are going to get seriously ugly and I think House is really suffering a mental breakdown to a point where his risky behavior is compromising his own well being. His common sense is going out the window and he’s using superficial means to make his life more meaningful, since he may not be able to find that meaning at the moment. He’s simply not thinking rationally, but on a totally different level than the bottled up depression of the past he’s exhibited. House is beginning to do some crazy things which are beyond the typical House craziness. For me personally, his immaturity is a major turn off because it isn’t funny….it’s troublesome.
As for Cuddy, I think she’s just as messed up as he is right now. She had a scare and that scare is compromising her own thought process. I would like to believe that deep down she knows that you don’t abandon someone who needs your help, especially if you love them. I find it hard to believe that since she was spot on with House’s thought process during their relationship and for seven seasons in general, that she suddenly forgot that when things get emotionally heavy, House feels that pain physically and emotionally. Therefore, she should have anticipated House’s behavior when she was sick and found a positive way to deal with it afterwards. Even now she should have been aware of the anguish this break-up was going to cause him. She started the fire. Now she needs to figure out a way to put out the flames.
I personally think they are both being foolish at this point and need to handle the situation like responsible adults. It’s a sad turn of events, which are not in character with House and Cuddy’s personas, I feel. I think Cuddy is hiding some personal issues from the past that are causing her to present herself to fans as out of character and basically are serving as barriers to her own pursuit of happiness. Maybe there are more issues with her mother that are fueling this ideal mate scenario. As for House’s regression into the beyond insane, it’s truly sad that over the top is becoming the new theme. Relapses do happen realistically, but what House is doing right now is incomprehensible to me.
I’m interested to see where the writers and producers are going with this. It’s generating a lot of buzz that again seems to be splitting the fandom. Then, there are others including myself who simply don’t know what the hell is going on right now, but are curious enough to keep watching. Hopefully, you will as well.
So what do you think? How far do you think House will go? Do you think he’s just having fun or is deeply disturbed and needs help? Who’s right and wrong or are House and Cuddy just both plain wrong? Do you think Wilson can salvage this relationship whether it be the friendship itself or the romantic one? And do you think the writers and producers are off their rockers or do you think this is all a part of some genius elaborate plan?
As always, leave your thoughts in the comments section as I am always delighted to hear what you have to say.
Thanks for reading! This has been another edition of Diagnosing House. We’ll see you next week!
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