Football and blithering on about House
First, a match report. I went to the Lane to watch Spurs play my *other* favourite team, the almost unknown Aalborg Boldklub. Perhaps a recap is in order: My Dad is Danish (and from just northwest of Aalborg), my sister married a Dane whose entire family are fanatical AaB supporters and then they moved to Aalborg. Yep, I was in a bit of a quandary tonight. I ended up cheering for everyone - much to the bewilderment of people around me. Well, we won and we lost and I'm just happy to have seen the match. It was a good one.
And now for something completely different. I really wanted to share the story of the patient with haemorrhagic diarrhoea I encountered yesterday, but then I was sidetracked (and that's probably a good thing).
A recent (and long and complex) post-episode commentary by KidsNurse made me think of the changes in dynamic between House and Wilson since S1. Hence this long and mostly obscure - not to mention grammatically challenged - post. I should mention that I don't regard any of this as canon. It's wild speculation but *my* speculation nonetheless.
The friendship between House and Wilson was somewhat shallow during S1. The pilot episode told us some and Detox fleshed it out a bit but it wasn't really all that interesting (to me at the least). Around the middle of S2, Wilson came to the conclusion that House was not only unhappy but also actively sabotaging himself. It must have been coming for some time - perhaps since the return of Stacy - and probably true in some ways, but I think some of it came from Wilson trying his best (worst?) to ignore his own mounting problems. The rooftop argument ('need to be miserable' etc) in Need to Know was the beginning of a wedge driven between them. House had less patience with Wilson's lectures and Wilson stopped giving House the benefit of doubt (which, lets be honest, he didn't always deserve). It slowly progressed through S2 (through their stint as roommates), sometimes close to the surface, sometimes almost forgotten.
And then came the shooting. Wilson must have felt like the world fell from under his feet. His (abrasive, rude) friend had been hurt by someone who, in Wilson's view, probably did it because of something House had done (a view shared by Cameron in Insensitive: 'You were shot because you're a jerk'). I think Wilson came to a decision. Perhaps it wasn't a conscious one, but it was firm: House is a danger to himself and others and must be stopped before he hurts someone - or from Wilson's underlying point of view: Before someone decides to hurt House again. It doesn't make sense, of course. No matter what House had done, it didn't warrant someone shooting him, but in many ways he was treated as the guilty party rather than the victim. I don't agree with it at all, but it's clear to me that it was Wilson's state of mind at the start of S3 and it has informed every episode since then.
At first House was healthy and hale and Wilson wanted to believe that he was truly going to get better. So what could be changed? Well, he'd still have learn, by deceit if necessary, the humility of not always being right and through that, I assume, not to be a jerk and not to induce people to take shots at him. House didn't take it well and, at the same time, began feeling pain again. Wilson didn't take that well. Some of it must have been the suspicion that House was trying to scam him (see the remark on not giving him the benefit of doubt) and some of it blind hope that House would remain healthy. Either way, it was the first stone laid by both of them.
On a side note: I've heard it said that it's silly to think that Wilson did anything wrong because House obviously forgave him. I'm not sure that's the case. The scene in Cane and Able, when House confronted Wilson, didn't seem very forgiving to me. 'God doesn't limp' was said with not a little anger and honest hurt. House has outwardly forgotten, but he was hurt at the time. Add to that that Wilson might have had the best of motives, if utterly misguided, but that doesn't change that he actively lied to and hurt a friend.
When Tritter arrived on scene, Wilson was in an excellent position to believe everything he was told: House was dangerous, House would do better without narcotics (note: Not without pain management, but I think I've made my opinion clear on that issue), House would do better if he could learn not to insult everyone around him. Cuddy knew of the lie and of Wilson's beliefs - she was primed to go along. And House had lost a little more trust in Wilson and was backed into a corner - and what did House do when in a corner? He didn't bite because somewhere I think he believed (and believes) he deserved it. He ignored it - I assume because all of the alternatives were too unpalatable. I'm not singling Wilson out. House, Cuddy and everyone else had their fair share of blame, but it does seem, when looking back, as if it was a runaway trains set in motion.
During Merry Little Christmas, Wilson seemed to have a little epiphany: Perhaps House wasn't as bad as he'd assumed. He was, overall, a force of good so he, Wilson, shouldn't actively work against him. However, at no point did he seem to change his initial belief: He still thought House should be brought under control but the end of Word and Deeds and the rest of S3 showed us a Wilson who'd decided that controlling House would be impossible. He slowly moved back to friendly banter and sharing a few games of table football. Now he seems to wait passively for House to self-destruct. I think he's bitter and disappointed. He does have good reason for being both of those things: The Tritter arc didn't show House to be a very good friend. House isn't a fluffy kitten, he has claws, and Wilson does need to guard himself against that.
I don't think the past few series have damaged the friendship - or rather, I don't think it's damaged the complexity of it. I don't see how adding all of these new layers to it could possibly do that. I find it true to what I know of friendships: We all carry around perceived hurts and slights - even in the closests of relationships - and that's what makes our friends, lovers, parents, children and all and sundry loved ones so utterly infuriating and impossible to live without at the same time.
Edited: Unlocked because I realised that someone had linked to it.
And now for something completely different. I really wanted to share the story of the patient with haemorrhagic diarrhoea I encountered yesterday, but then I was sidetracked (and that's probably a good thing).
A recent (and long and complex) post-episode commentary by KidsNurse made me think of the changes in dynamic between House and Wilson since S1. Hence this long and mostly obscure - not to mention grammatically challenged - post. I should mention that I don't regard any of this as canon. It's wild speculation but *my* speculation nonetheless.
The friendship between House and Wilson was somewhat shallow during S1. The pilot episode told us some and Detox fleshed it out a bit but it wasn't really all that interesting (to me at the least). Around the middle of S2, Wilson came to the conclusion that House was not only unhappy but also actively sabotaging himself. It must have been coming for some time - perhaps since the return of Stacy - and probably true in some ways, but I think some of it came from Wilson trying his best (worst?) to ignore his own mounting problems. The rooftop argument ('need to be miserable' etc) in Need to Know was the beginning of a wedge driven between them. House had less patience with Wilson's lectures and Wilson stopped giving House the benefit of doubt (which, lets be honest, he didn't always deserve). It slowly progressed through S2 (through their stint as roommates), sometimes close to the surface, sometimes almost forgotten.
And then came the shooting. Wilson must have felt like the world fell from under his feet. His (abrasive, rude) friend had been hurt by someone who, in Wilson's view, probably did it because of something House had done (a view shared by Cameron in Insensitive: 'You were shot because you're a jerk'). I think Wilson came to a decision. Perhaps it wasn't a conscious one, but it was firm: House is a danger to himself and others and must be stopped before he hurts someone - or from Wilson's underlying point of view: Before someone decides to hurt House again. It doesn't make sense, of course. No matter what House had done, it didn't warrant someone shooting him, but in many ways he was treated as the guilty party rather than the victim. I don't agree with it at all, but it's clear to me that it was Wilson's state of mind at the start of S3 and it has informed every episode since then.
At first House was healthy and hale and Wilson wanted to believe that he was truly going to get better. So what could be changed? Well, he'd still have learn, by deceit if necessary, the humility of not always being right and through that, I assume, not to be a jerk and not to induce people to take shots at him. House didn't take it well and, at the same time, began feeling pain again. Wilson didn't take that well. Some of it must have been the suspicion that House was trying to scam him (see the remark on not giving him the benefit of doubt) and some of it blind hope that House would remain healthy. Either way, it was the first stone laid by both of them.
On a side note: I've heard it said that it's silly to think that Wilson did anything wrong because House obviously forgave him. I'm not sure that's the case. The scene in Cane and Able, when House confronted Wilson, didn't seem very forgiving to me. 'God doesn't limp' was said with not a little anger and honest hurt. House has outwardly forgotten, but he was hurt at the time. Add to that that Wilson might have had the best of motives, if utterly misguided, but that doesn't change that he actively lied to and hurt a friend.
When Tritter arrived on scene, Wilson was in an excellent position to believe everything he was told: House was dangerous, House would do better without narcotics (note: Not without pain management, but I think I've made my opinion clear on that issue), House would do better if he could learn not to insult everyone around him. Cuddy knew of the lie and of Wilson's beliefs - she was primed to go along. And House had lost a little more trust in Wilson and was backed into a corner - and what did House do when in a corner? He didn't bite because somewhere I think he believed (and believes) he deserved it. He ignored it - I assume because all of the alternatives were too unpalatable. I'm not singling Wilson out. House, Cuddy and everyone else had their fair share of blame, but it does seem, when looking back, as if it was a runaway trains set in motion.
During Merry Little Christmas, Wilson seemed to have a little epiphany: Perhaps House wasn't as bad as he'd assumed. He was, overall, a force of good so he, Wilson, shouldn't actively work against him. However, at no point did he seem to change his initial belief: He still thought House should be brought under control but the end of Word and Deeds and the rest of S3 showed us a Wilson who'd decided that controlling House would be impossible. He slowly moved back to friendly banter and sharing a few games of table football. Now he seems to wait passively for House to self-destruct. I think he's bitter and disappointed. He does have good reason for being both of those things: The Tritter arc didn't show House to be a very good friend. House isn't a fluffy kitten, he has claws, and Wilson does need to guard himself against that.
I don't think the past few series have damaged the friendship - or rather, I don't think it's damaged the complexity of it. I don't see how adding all of these new layers to it could possibly do that. I find it true to what I know of friendships: We all carry around perceived hurts and slights - even in the closests of relationships - and that's what makes our friends, lovers, parents, children and all and sundry loved ones so utterly infuriating and impossible to live without at the same time.
Edited: Unlocked because I realised that someone had linked to it.