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House: Dying Changes Everything [season premiere]

By fred | September 17, 2008

(S05E01) Finally, after months of absence America’s favorite doctor is back. While shortened due to the writers’ strike, last season of House was still a really good one. Picking members for the new team was fun, even though it led to having members of the original team vastly under-used to the point where you really wonder why they were still around, but overall results were good.

And then came the finale, that shocking and terrific episode with tragic ending, as Amber, also known as Wilson’s girlfriend, ended up dead. Not only that, but the way things happened did put a cold on the relationship between Wilson and House, and it didn’t really look good for the future of their friendship…

This season started right where we left off, only two months later. Two months Wilson spend away, taking time off to try to survive the loss of Amber. And now that he came back, he’s leaving again, only this time for good. Not a little break, no vacation or anything like that, no Wilson is leaving the hospital.

That was the main element of this week’s episode, the friendship between Wilson and House, and how things had changed now that Amber came in between and died. And things were about exactly as you would have expected them to be, because we now know those characters, we know how they are and how they (re)act, so most of all that took place was predictable.

Not that it is a bad thing, but we knew House would not admit any guilt over Amber’s death, because he did not kill her, we knew Cuddy would try to get the two in a room together so that they’d talk, only they wouldn’t, we knew House would try to use other people and eventually blackmail Wilson into staying because he didn’t agree with his decision, or reaction a he calls it. Hell, we even knew Cameron wouldn’t agree to help House, but agree with him and talk to Wilson anyways.

And while it allowed for some great scenes and funny lines, things didn’t always made sense. I mean, pressuring House into doing something using the TV ? Yeah, okay, I can let that one slide. But how come no one seems to bother that much that he basically gives up on his case, his patient, and is willing to let her die ? He refuses to do his job, and while he apparently kept showing up at the hospital I’m not sure he was actually doing any work at all, but it was fine. I’m sure one could loose his right to practice medicine for such behavior, but because this is House Cuddy doesn’t even bother at being upset or anything…

In the end House really didn’t want to let Wilson go, and he did the unthinkable : he opened up, daring risking to be vulnerable he told Wilson he was sorry about Amber’s tragic fate, and he meant it. He told him he felt like crap, he apologized, and he really thought that, even if it didn’t stop Wilson from leaving, it would make them okay. But it did not, because Wilson then revealed the actual reason of his departure, and it’s not Amber’s death, not per-se.

Because Amber made him realize how House treats people, and Wilson, and how he allows House to treat him that way. And in the end, Wilson feels this is why Amber was on that bus, he might not blame House, but he might blame himself for allowing House to put Amber in such a situation. Which is why he concluded by stating that no, they weren’t okay, they weren’t friends anymore, and he even doubted they ever were to begin with. Pretty damn harsh, although quite understandable. Now House lost his best/only friend, right after finally opening up to actual feelings of his.

Of course, we know Wilson will come back, I mean he has to, this being a TV show and all (right??), but I gotta say I’m also worried about this. We already had all the original team members leaving, only to return, and now Wilson ? It’s really going to look like nothing means anything anymore on the show, and anyone leaving only comes back magically after a few weeks… I’m really curious though as to how he will come back, and what repercussion this will have on House in his way of dealing with people, though I do not expect much changes.

Posted in Reviews
Shows: House