House as a friend

[deelaundry]

I feel like there've been a lot of posts, comments, and fics lately about how Wilson is not a very good friend to House. In the spirit of positivity, let's turn this around and list all the things House has done to be a good friend to Wilson.

I've got:
- House let Wilson stay with him after the Julie break-up
- House didn't turn Wilson in for sleeping with a patient

What else? The S4 season finale is fresh in all our minds, but things that happened in canon or were referenced in canon before then would be great.

(PS. Hi, I'm back.)

Comments

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that moment in Insensitive is one of my favorites! If the writers had had Wilson use that technique (pointing out the facts, and then asking House to re-think and make the best decision ("Wilson: Are you sure? Are you sure that you’re the right one to be making this call?")) instead of the interminable lecture method, early Season Three would have been a lot more pleasant. In general, though, I don't think listening to sense about your own rash actions counts as a gesture of good friendship.

The apology to Wilson in "Family" definitely counts, though. Even though House tried to say he was lying and immediately called Wilson pathetic, it was clear that the apology was meant. : )

[bell]

I don't think listening to sense about your own rash actions counts as a gesture of good friendship.

Yeah, it's pretty dubious! But I thought it was a step up from the usual You're An Idiot reaction House throws around; it made me happy because it was a clear moment of him taking Wilson's words seriously~.

It should not be this hard to think up moments in which House has been a good friend. D: [...Inviting Wilson to watch the L-Word? That is, before he sabotaged potential Cuddy/Wilson.]

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Inviting Wilson to watch The L-Word was a friend thing to do, but IDK if it was a good friend thing to do, if that makes any sense whatsoever!

It is hard to think up unequivocal moments, which is why I asked the f-list for help. With House, it's more shades of gray, probably... he is marginally less dismissive of a friend than of everyone else, and etc.

[bell]

IDK if it was a good friend thing to do, if that makes any sense whatsoever!

Makes sense! It's something you do with your friends, but it doesn't make you a good human being (unless watching the L-Word with them at that precise moment is fundamental to their well-being. Which tends not to be the case).

More recently: I think House's protectiveness of Wilson when he first finds about Amber counts. True, a lot of that was fueled by his jealousy, but House is also worried that she's using him (the scene in Amber's apartment highlights this). And, once he's realized that Amber is dating Wilson out of love, him stepping aside is a big sacrifice (even if in the next episode he's back to holding on to Wilson as hard as possible, with the Joint Custody).

[taiga13.livejournal.com]

Yeees, but I would call those moments where House was just being a decent human being. The fact that Wilson is one of the few people who can get House to act like a decent human being is a sign of friendship, but I wouldn't say that the behaviour proves House is a good friend. I would also say that it's not proof of friendship that House didn't turn Wilson in for sleeping with a patient, since House doesn't strike me as the type who would do that anyway (he wasn't interested in turning in PedoDad in 'Skin Deep'), but maybe he would have been in trouble if it came out that Wilson had done this and House had known and hadn't said anything. So yes, it counts. I'm not so sure about the prying into Wilson's life, since he does that to people he doesn't consider friends and it's not as if it HELPS Wilson any.

I would say that 1) letting Wilson stay with him, 2) making Wilson face up to the failure of his marriage, 3) not ratting on Wilson sleeping with a patient, 4) taking in Hector, 5) always forgiving Wilson for crap like The Big Lie, and 6) undergoing the DBS are proof of House being a good friend to Wilson.

Otherwise he's a terrible friend, there's no point denying it.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I'm not so sure about the prying into Wilson's life, since he does that to people he doesn't consider friends and it's not as if it HELPS Wilson any.

In general, yes, I agree. The "Histories" case was special, though, in the way House handled it. How he approached Wilson in the last scene on the street corner, the gentleness of his voice, the look of concern on his face... and then the camera pulls away with them sitting together. I think House was there for Wilson in that moment in a way he doesn't often show.

The new point you bring up is House forgiving Wilson for crap. That's important.

One more good friend sign I just remembered -- He makes Wilson laugh. He does things on purpose to make Wilson laugh. Their moments of shared humor are some of my favorites on the show.