Thoughts (and questions) on the finale

[menolly_au]

I have mixed feelings about the finale. I'm trying not to be negative so instead of going into the ins and outs of all my problems with it, here's just a few random thoughts and questions, I'd love to hear anyone else's take on them.

Wilson turns into House

Over the last few episodes Wilson has become more 'House-like' – both in appearance, and in attitude. Is this the 'real Wilson' coming out?

In the last scene they are practically twins, with the stubble, the leather jackets, the bikes. What is this telling us? That House's way of living is the right way? Wilson worries about the consequences of House's actions (faking his death) like he has all through the series, and now he accepts those actions.

(Wild theory – Wilson is House in this scene. House is hallucinating him just as he hallucinated all the others.)


Whither House?

Barring a miracle Wilson is going to die before a year is out, even if not exactly at five months. What does House do then?

House can't go back without facing a lot of trouble, he can't have his own identity so he can't be a doctor in the States. Does he suicide? Is that what the ending is telling us with House saying that he is dead?

Or is this ending House throwing off all the things that have tied him down, his past, the hospital, his puzzles, all the baggage and when Wilson dies he will start fresh somewhere (maybe that beach in Fiji studying dark matter).


What was all the stuff in the burning building about?

What was it supposed to be showing us about House? In the last segment Cameron told House that he wants to give up, to go to sleep and stop the pain once and for all. That he is taking the cowards way out. House says he can change, jumps to his feet and tries to leave the building. But then the collapse happens, and he fakes his own death. So, did he change?

Is this all real?

Everything from the collapse of the building to the end felt very 'unreal' to me, down to House sitting on the steps without his cane, and the brightly lit bike ride at the end with the happy music playing.

flywoman pointed out that the song at the end was the same one that Creepy Amber sang in Under My Skin. Is this random? Surely not. petitecuriosity tweeted the powers that be who said the whole this was real but I still wonder.

Why did House descend into despair this episode?

House seemed to have made his peace with Wilson at the end of last episode. Then in this one, after he solves the patient's case he takes off, disappears for two days and does heroin with his patient. Is this because he's facing going back to jail? If so why didn't he save himself when Foreman gave him the chance, was it just because he was relying on Wilson to bail him out? Or did he just go do the heroin because he was curious, because he thought it might make him 'happy'?



You know, I got to the end of this episode, and thought 'ok, I'll go find next weeks promo to have a look at'.... It's strange to think that there will be no more canon for this show. What we know now is all we're ever going to know officially about the characters. Everything else will be our own imagination. It's been a great ride.

Comments

[alternatealto.livejournal.com]

Hmmm . . . I had some of the same reactions and I'm still working my way through my feelings about the finale. But here's my take on your questions, for what it's worth:

Wilson turns into House -- I think what we were supposed to see happening here was that Wilson has decided that he can't change what House has done, can't deny he's glad his friend isn't dead, and is finally willing to relax and just go with the flow, enjoying what time there is, enjoying House's company, living for the moment.

Whither House? -- I liked this the best of the whole thing, in fact -- the openness of the ending. You can imagine whatever you want for the end: a spectacular double plunge off a cliff into a deep ravine; a shared morphine OD; Wilson's remission from cancer and years of happy life with his BFF under two new identities; a final exposure of House's deceit and his miserable existence in prison with Wilson dying in some grim "hospice" somewhere . . . Anything at all, from the best to the worst. It was like TPTB gave the fanfic writers a big bunch of colorful markers, a nice blank slate, and a hearty "Have at it, kids!" as a goodbye gift from the show.

What was all the stuff in the burning building about? -- To me, the stuff in the burning building was House finally coming to the realization that he's been wrong in one of his cardinal beliefs. It was all leading up to the last four words he says in that building: "But I can change". This, this from the man whose mantra has been "People Don't Change"! He's finally realizing what people have been telling him throughout the entire run of the series: that's not true. People can and do change when they have sufficient motivation. House has spent all his time hanging on to his misery, his puzzles, his tiny apartment, and his pain. He gave them all up for Wilson -- that's change.

Is this all real? -- I think so, or rather I hope so. Foreman's look of comprehension when he finds House's ID under the leg of his table tells me that yes, this was all supposed to be real. I loved the fact that he was clearly happy to know House is still alive.

Why did House descend into despair this episode? -- I took it to be because of the scene with Wilson in the cafeteria. Wilson so desperately wanted House to change, to be a better man, to stop with the games and with using Wilson instead of loving him, that he ended up essentially rejecting House in that scene, from House's POV at least. It took him the experience in the warehouse to "get" what Wilson was trying to tell him. I think he did go there to commit suicide via a pleasant heroin overdose, but his psyche confronted him with his own selfishness in uncompromising terms instead. A bad trip indeed, but with good results.

And I completely agree with wanting to see the promo for next week, and having that momentary disorientation when there wasn't one. Sigh.

(Edited because I can't spell . . . )

[barefootpuddles.livejournal.com]

It was like TPTB gave the fanfic writers a big bunch of colorful markers, a nice blank slate, and a hearty "Have at it, kids!" as a goodbye gift from the show.

Exactly! It is what I have been musing on all morning but I love the way you put it. May I borrow this line for my review (with credit of course)?

[alternatealto.livejournal.com]

Feel free!

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your responses, I really need some help to get this sorted in my head :)

It was all leading up to the last four words he says in that building: "But I can change"

I liked that when he said that and then got up with a determined look and then.... the building fell on him, and he opportunistically faked his own death and ran away from the consequences of his actions. I'm struggling to see a change. We've already seen his make huge sacrifices for Wilson (he risked his life for Wilson in season 4, walked away from his patients in the last three episodes for Wilson). I guess I just felt that they were already there at the end of the last episode (he sacrificed being right, and fighting for Wilson's life, for Wilson) and I don't see how faking your own death is a change for House.

I guess the real change is the change in his lifestyle - as you say he's given up the puzzles which have been his driving force for so long, the life he's had. Maybe he can find a better life after the next five months. (I guess I'd be happier about this if wilson didn't have an expiry date, but then House would never have left)

[yarroway.livejournal.com]

I don't think he changed...much. Same with Wilson. But they did change a little. I don't think House has given up on puzzles, but he'll have to get some fake papers if he wants to practice medicine any more, at least in the USA.

House said way back when that living in misery is marginally better than dying in it. I saw that reaffirmed in this episode.

The change I see is that House isn't running away from pain. He didn't ditch Wilson, didn't drug himself into oblivion or numbness (after the heroin), and didn't allow himself to die. He's committed to staying with Wilson even though it will hurt terribly and he has no real hope of things getting better.

[justjuly4.livejournal.com]

Great post. My thought were the same as you describe in the last paragraph! I still can't believe this is a full stop.

I feel very uncomfortable about the ending. Wilson and House will be together - great. Wilson and House will be together for 5 month (ok, perhaps a year) - not great at all. What happens after? Double suicide? I don't think House copes with the loss of Wilson without his job and familiar faces of his fellows. I don't think House is capable to let go and move on after Wilson's death. He has too much emotional baggage, he has health problems, pain issues, Vicodin issues, police issues... He is not the type to get a fresh start somewhere (in my opinion).

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

I feel very uncomfortable about the ending. Wilson and House will be together - great. Wilson and House will be together for 5 month (ok, perhaps a year) - not great at all. What happens after? Double suicide?

Yes, that's my main problem with it I think. Although I've always advocated for House to get a fresh start somewhere else. I guess the law abiding, unadventurous me, just quails at the idea of being on the run from the police and having no identity or a fake identity - I'm sure House would be more comfortable with it, although it's hard to see him coping with Wilson's death as you say.

[barefootpuddles.livejournal.com]

Wilson turns into House

This is definitly a theme of the last few weeks. I think they are become closer to what their true natures are, and hiding less behind their personas (House's persona was caring to little and Wilson's was caring too much).

[petitecuriosity.livejournal.com]

This is definitly a theme of the last few weeks. I think they are become closer to what their true natures are, and hiding less behind their personas (House's persona was caring to little and Wilson's was caring too much).

I definitely agree and think you've stated this beautifully.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

I hadn't considered the House aspect of it, good point.

[sassyjumper.livejournal.com]

You ask a lot of good questions : ) The last one, the descent into despair, was the most puzzling to me. I think there was so much rushing and cramming in this last episode, that this essential question was just ... glossed over? Indeed, why didn't House just take the (very simple) out when Foreman gave him the chance? It's so illogical.

The whole suicidal House in a burning building thing ... just didn't have the weight it should have (for me), because I truly didn't understand (or maybe "feel" would be a better word) why he'd gotten to that point. In the end, it all just felt like a device to bring old characters back, and give us one last round of "You're miserable ... you only care about puzzles" for the road. (I'm sorry, I've just been so weary of that schtick for so long.)

BUT ... I'm probably a complete sap, but I really did love the ending. Because it was just plain romantic -- not "bromantic" (ugh, that word) or buddy-ish, but romantic. Who gives up their life, and symbolically dies, for someone unless they are in love? As for what happens to House after Wilson, we can at least speculate that Wilson beats the odds (which were arbitrary, stupid odds anyway) and lives longer. Or maybe he chooses to get treatment after all? Also, I like that Foreman knows what House did ... It feels like it gives House a sort of lifeline back, when (if?) Wilson does die.

Sorry for going on so long. I'm still sorting out my thoughts on the episode -- on your LJ, apparently : )

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

To me the finale seemed a step backward from Holding On. At the end of that House & Wilson had reached an understanding, a resolution of how to face the future. And then in this episode we have a reversion back to House trying to use Wilson, and them having a falling out, and Wilson 'don't know, don't care' when House has been missing (and presumably evading arrest) for two days, and not picking up his phone when House called. And it seemed out of place and discordant to me.

The ending was definitely romantic, but it just struck an odd note to me, after the musical montage which I liked, the image of them riding bikes through the trees while happy music played - it just seeemd a bit unreal to me.

[petitecuriosity.livejournal.com]

I agree with alternatealto and barefootpuddles on their responses to your entry. I think the reason that he didn't save himself when Foreman offered the chance, could possibly be, a fear of change, in doing something he hadn't previously, more layers of his persona falling away (sort of like barefootpuddles stated), or potentially that in going through with his plan, he has to admit to his reasoning behind it, further facing the reality of Wilson's mortality. I'm...unsure if any of this makes sense. I'm still processing things lol.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

The trouble for me is I don't buy the whole chain of events with the back-to-jail storyline so everything that comes from it just seems silly to me. House being so careless about staying out of prison, it didn't ring true to me after the events of the last episode where he was *desparate* for Wilson to spend time with Wilson. Normally yes, I would have bought the idea of him expecting Foreman and Wilson to clean up after him, but not in this arc.

[brindlewolf.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I didn't like this episode at all until the last few minutes. BUT I promised I'd not be negative if they would PLEASE just leave both characters alive and still together at the end. And they DID … so I'm almost pathetically grateful. I don't like it that Wilson got “fatal” cancer to begin with – and I don't like it that House was facing jail AGAIN and has now essentially given up everything in life that he'd worked so hard for … EXCEPT Wilson … but then that's the whole point: He was willing to give up everything to be with Wilson. That's love. We don't have to see a sexual aspect between them. There doesn't even have to BE a sexual element between them. It's just love, and this shows it. For that – I am satisfied with the finale.

Wilson turns into House

I think Wilson always admired and envied House's freedom from all the responsibility Wilson imposed upon himself. Now that they both have nothing to lose, it makes a sort of sense that he would embrace it for himself.

Whither House?

I actually like what David Shore said about this when asked: DS: “I don’t know. That’s way down the road. And that’s not what it was about. The story is the story. And the story ends when the story ends.”
So in effect – write our own version of that. Whatever makes us happy. Personally I am living in deep denial that Wilson will die from this ridiculous cancer thing, so it's a moot point. House and Wilson will just start over somewhere somehow in a way that makes them both happy and leaves them together forever. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

It was definitely real. And I'm actually so glad David Shore came out and said that himself.

Why did House descend into despair this episode?

I loved what alternatealto said about this. I personally believe that it just really HIT House what it would be like to be without Wilson at that moment in the cafeteria when it seemed that even Wilson was abandoning him. Up until that point House was seen at his most selfish bratty self still trying to manipulate everything and everyone to his own ends and not facing that things were inevitably going to change. When he realized that Wilson was even turning against the way House essentially WAS, and WAS going to be not around … coupled with the fact that he wouldn't even have any more time with Wilson – House just thought “what's the point in going on?” and embraced the potw's statement that reality sucks and decided to check out from reality permanently. Then in the end, his own inner voices showed him what he really wanted to do.

I think the faking his death thing was just a wonderfully convenient opportunity that presented itself to him at the last minute and he thought quickly enough to take advantage of it. And I love that he saw Wilson running toward him in those “final” moments of the fire – to reenforce that he was still loved. That's probably what gave him the incentive to do the whole thing so he could be with Wilson.

I do like to believe that House and Wilson will go on and on and on forever. And they didn't take that away from us after all. I love that idea that TPTB gave us a bag of markers and a blank slate to continue our own version of the story -- DS: “It ultimately felt better to have him out there with Wilson doing who knows what. I thought that was a really nice thing to leave people with and to let them put their imprint on that in their own mind.”

I will dearly miss getting a new episode of this show every week, but I can still enjoy it forever in rewatching it and in reading fanfiction, and for that I am eternally grateful. ♥

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your thoughts, it's all helping me get it sorted in my own head :)

And I love that he saw Wilson running toward him in those “final” moments of the fire – to reenforce that he was still loved. That's probably what gave him the incentive to do the whole thing so he could be with Wilson.

That's a good point - if he felt abandoned and unloved in the building that would have been a good moment for him, and I like your reasoning about why he then faked his death.

[petitecuriosity.livejournal.com]

I agree with this completely!

[sassyjumper.livejournal.com]

"I personally believe that it just really HIT House what it would be like to be without Wilson at that moment in the cafeteria when it seemed that even Wilson was abandoning him. Up until that point House was seen at his most selfish bratty self still trying to manipulate everything and everyone to his own ends and not facing that things were inevitably going to change."


These are good points. I think the basic problem, for me, was that everything felt so rushed in this episode (and actually the whole arc, in my opinion), it was hard for me to connect emotionally with how House had gotten to the stay-in-a-burning-building point. Luckily, reading other people's takes is helping me sort it out : )

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

These are good points. I think the basic problem, for me, was that everything felt so rushed in this episode (and actually the whole arc, in my opinion), it was hard for me to connect emotionally with how House had gotten to the stay-in-a-burning-building point. Luckily, reading other people's takes is helping me sort it out : )

Me too ! Last night I was all 'everybody loved this, I want to love it too!' . I think my inner nitpicker at plot holes won't let go enough to let me enjoy it thoroughly but I do like the explanations I am seeing.

[taiga13.livejournal.com]

I love that he saw Wilson running toward him in those “final” moments of the fire – to reenforce that he was still loved.
That's true! The last thing he saw there was Wilson and Foreman running to save him, and those are the two people he connects with afterwards.
When Wilson's cancer was declared terminal I was fascinated by the fact that this would mean House would have to change, because the way he lived his life was so dependant upon Wilson's support. Wilson withdrew that support because he was so worried about this fact, and House collapsed into despair. Then he declared "I can change" and chose to live.
I want to believe that House will be all right after Wilson dies. He once said that "Dying changes everything, almost dying changes nothing". Well, now he HAS died. He has to change. He's got five months with Wilson to help him learn how to do that, and hopefully it will be enough.
I'm actually not too worried about how he'll cope as legally dead. He's clever about these things. He could always take Wilson's identity after Wilson dies, too.

[justjuly4.livejournal.com]

Taking Wilson's identity never occurred to me, but it's a good point if he moves to different country. It's also good starting point for a fanfic!

(I agree with your comment.)

[justjuly4.livejournal.com]

It is a great pleasure to read everyone's comments.

What do you think of heroin use? Did House tried heroin with the patient or not? If he did, I am terrified that he might do it again when Wilson dies... (Can't stop worrying about House, no matter that he is not a real person but a character....)

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

I think House definitely did heroin with the patient (it was very convenient that the POTW died of a heroin overdose although he'd been doing this for years and this was presumably House's first time)

I think the 'message' of the time in the burning building was that the heroin wasn't going to find him happiness, it was his love for Wilson that would do that, so I don't think that he will try it again while Wilson is alive.

I'm finding it hard to see a future for House past the five months, he loves Wilson now, how much more will he love him after spending five months in his company all day and then watching him die? I'm not sure if he would actively suicide, but it's hard not to see him going into another self destructive spiral. Maybe he will be able to move on, maybe Wilson will help him see a future. Plenty of fodder for fan fic anyway!

[justjuly4.livejournal.com]

Good points! I completely agree.