House ep: "Don't Ever Change"

[deelaundry]

Figured something out that was bugging me:

House at the end of the episode says that he isn't self-sacrificing when he says Wilson could do worse than dating Amber. On first go around, I took this -- as I think Wilson did -- as House blatantly denying his feelings/potential for good. But the more I thought, the more I came to believe that House is doing one of his switcheroos a la "Half-Wit": telling the truth in a way that makes others believe it's denial.

If that's the case, and it really isn't self-sacrificing for House, then what does it mean? Put "I'm not sacrificing myself" with "people don't change" and... House can deal with the Amber thing because he believes Wilson hasn't changed. He believes Wilson will follow the pattern: save Amber, betray Amber, move on. That means Amber's no more of a threat to House than Julie, Bonnie, or Wife #1 were.

This also means that House hasn't changed. He believes the things he always has. Which means the show's not over. Phew.

EDITED TO ADD: Another light bulb just went off! Why did the end upset me so much, if I accepted it as true?

What happened in "Locked Up and Set Free" when Wilson's world expanded and he found substitutes who met his emotional needs? When he didn't need House specifically any more? Yeah, that's right; House and Wilson broke up! And got boring, according to several of commenters.

That's why I was so bothered by the ending of "Don't Ever Change"! My own Cassandra megalomania, thinking I'd predicted the awful future.

Comments

[genagirl.livejournal.com]

The feeling I had at the end was that House felt secure enough to give Wilson some freedom. He knows Wilson deserves to be happy BUT he also knows Wilson (who wants to change) won't change and will come back to him in the end. Still, the thought that House would let him have some freedom really moved me. The look on HL's face was heartbreaking.