My thoughts on the Wilson episode
The day came and the day passed, and with the perspective of several days in between I can now objectively say that the "Wilson" episode was one of the most brilliant things that happened to me this year, if not actually the most brilliant.
( Rant about )
( Rant about )
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that House wouldn't be affected at all by his patients' deaths or that he wouldn't care even in the slightest, but I do think that it comes easier to him to detatch himself when he doesn't form emotional connections with his patients. After all, he did have his judgement somewhat clouded in "Frozen" when he got close to Cate and never mind on "Wilson's Heart".
The examples of cases that you are using were pretty much unresolved cases and that's what I think bothered House the most, rather than the deaths. In "All In" it was a case that he had been unable to figure out in 12 years, to me everything seemed to indicate that his obsession was coming from his inability to figure it out, to solve the puzzle, he can't stand not knowing. In "House Training" House was obsessed with finding out what exactly had killed her, because he doesn't accept 'death' as a diagnosis, he needs to know.
Like I said before, I don't think House doesn't care one bit when patients die, I don't think he's evil, but the distance that he puts between himself and his patients does make him pretty detached from this deaths. It's probably why he puts the distance, caring can be stressful :/
"I think both decision-making styles can be valid, and Wilson's style can sometimes produce better results than House's (e.g., when he diagnosed depression and thus a new cancer in his patient), but House is convinced his way of thinking is the best."
Very well put. I agree, both styles have their pros and cons, hard to tell which one's better. But of course, House is the genius, so he'll have the best results more often.
Thanks so much for reading, I'm glad someone did lol
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There was much more of a theme of "would being a kinder person make House a better doctor?" in season one, one of the episodes when he's contemplating if having a doctor that will cure you is better than having a doctor who cares and so on.
And then even in "Wilson" House tells Wilson that he'd be a good doctor if he could be more objective. Then there's the "TB or not TB" episode in which the TB Doctor said how people like House cling to objectivity. And the objectivity is so his security blanket. Without it he starts to become a little less stable, his choices are more rash.
Hell, House did try to objectively measure Wilson's friendship (and made it to $5grand which is pretty impressive, well done, Wilson!).
I wonder how much better / worse House would be if he got more caught up in the lives of his patients. One of my favourite episodes is season 1's "The Socratic Method" with the mother everyone else writes off as being schizophrenic. House comes to care for that woman's son, but then at the end cuts all ties so that the son can have a good relationship with his mother.
On the other hand, if your patients are going to shoot you then perhaps staying away from them is for the best.
But oooo, you've raised a really interesting topic of debate! I wonder if Wilson is the kind of doctor people would want when they're living, but House the kind they want when they're dying, not someone to hold their hand but someone who will try everything to get them better. The fact that House doesn't have to feel a personal connection to go out on a limb to help his patients has helped him, and ultimately his patients.
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