A Question I'm Pondering re. House

[deelaundry]

In the latest episode of House MD, House says that he needs Cuddy. And Cuddy says House needs her.

What I can't figure out, given what we have been shown on the show, is why House needs Cuddy. The show has shown us very clearly why House needs Wilson. It's shown us why House needs his team. It's shown us why House needs Cuddy as a boss.

Why does House need Cuddy (as opposed to someone else) as a girlfriend? "She has a zesty bod" is not enough.

(Note, there is also a distinction between "need" and "love." Love can be completely without reason. Need requires a "what for.")

No Cuddy-Hate will be tolerated in comments. You do not have to like her; you do have to be civil and reasoned in your discussion of her.

Comments

[cuddyclothes.livejournal.com]

That is an interesting question! My husband has never said "I need you." He's said "I love you" or "I adore you". (Don't barf) However, it goes without saying that we need each other. I don't know if it's the writers being overly-explicit--LOOK! HOUSE HAS NEVER CONFESSED TO NEEDING ANYONE!--or something more subtle. Doesn't he say "I love you" as well?

It could also be he needs her to keep him in one piece, that he's afraid he'll fall apart without her, which has very little to do with love per se.

[blackmare.livejournal.com]

Except, Cuddy does put up with House's shit. So I can't agree that that's what it is. I can't figure it out any more than Dee can, and I've been forced to conclude that we're supposed to accept that there's some deep meaningful need there because the writers told us so.

Until/unless they can show me, I'm not convinced.

[damigella-314.livejournal.com]

It is a deep question you ask. So I would like to provide first a non-answer: it is very bad when a relationship is based on need. Love, desire, friendship, common interests are reasonable. Maybe even a desire for family, or financial and emotional stability. But need? Need is sick.

I think House needs Cuddy because, now that he has kicked Wilson out of his life, he would otherwise be alone. I'm not sure this relationship will end. It might, but I've seen in RL much worse ones go on for decades. What I am sure of is that it will bring Cuddy little happiness, and House even less.

I don't dislike Cuddy. I used to like her much more as she was before: an Amazon, fighting burocracy and power and male privilege and managing to do so in stiletto heels. Now she's turned into a snob, who needs a special daycare for her toddler. That's so OOC for someone who runs a clinic open even to the uninsured. She should send Rachel to a public school, and use the money she saves to make said school a large donation.

[blackmare.livejournal.com]

SPOILER ALERT, so those who want to avoid them should scroll past this.





Shore and Jacobs have pretty much outright said House and Cuddy will end.

I'm just holding out for that day, because I don't think the relationship works, and I can't figure out why House "needs" Cuddy as a girlfriend, other than for sex, which seems to be all he ever talks about when he does say anything specific. It bugs me, and in large part because I feel like, WTF, House, she's a person. And I have to agree on the being irritated with her sudden fixation on snooty preschools. I always liked Cuddy and would like to have her back, but the romance seems to be warping both their characters pretty badly.

[leaper182.livejournal.com]

I'm probably a bad person for saying this, but thank God House/Cuddy is going to end! As soon as the show started going that way, I was just like, "Okay, S1!Cuddy would not have touched House with a ten-foot pole except at 3am when she's not thinking clearly. WTF."

The House/Wilson shipper in me wants to see House/Wilson in canon, but the trouble is, I'm scared the writers will fuck it up and shit all over the idea with stupid crap. Even if Hugh's a H/W shipper, I don't know if he'd be able to save any tripe the writers come up with. :(

[(Anonymous)]

I think the only way the writers could/would do House/Wilson without fucking it up and losing a lot of their male audience would be to get them together in the last episode or second to last episode of the series.

Thats what I'm holding out for at least

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I have a favor to ask. Would you mind reading this interview with the new writer on House: http://blogcritics.org/video/article/interview-one-on-one-with-new/

and letting me know what she says about Wilson? Thanks.

[leaper182.livejournal.com]

Err, were you asking me, or another commenter? The way the threading looks on this computer is a bit wonky...

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I was asking Mare, but you are very welcome to read the interview if you want!

Copy-pasta

[black-cigarette.livejournal.com]

In the InHouse app for “You Must Remember This” you mentioned that the relationship between House and Wilson was your favorite relationship on the show. Why?

I love the tenacity of it and the resilience of it. I love that. In so many ways—on the surface—you look at it and think, “[their relationship] is not healthy.” But at the same time, they rely on each other so much. And they’re perfect for each other. They understand and accept each other.

So I think it’s that acceptance: Wilson knows House and accepts him for all the messed-up ways that he is. And the same goes for House, who also accepts Wilson. And essentially that their friendship has survived Amber’s death and with so many of the other trials and tests that no matter what, in my heart, I just feel that this is a relationship that will sustain and that will survive for the two of them. Those kinds of bonds are amazing, and you can find them in real life. They don’t come from somebody you’re related or someone you’re in love with, but these two people find each other, accept each other and stand by each other. And it’s just—I don’t know; it’s special.

ETA that she also said some things that strongly imply that we're going to be stuck with House/Cuddy for a long time yet. Which does not make me happy, but then apparently I am in the minority.

Re: Copy-pasta

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!! That interviewer drives me up a wall (and always asks a lot of questions about House/Cuddy and next to zero about Wilson) so I am so happy to get just this bit.

Lingenfelter is ONE OF US, ONE OF US. *\o/* *grin*

Re: Copy-pasta

[black-cigarette.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Barnett makes me nutty, too. When the interviewer writes House/Cuddy fanfic, you just have to understand the lens she's using and account for that. She apparently loved Two Stories, which I thought was a really weak episode on many levels and very unlike watching House.

ETA that I had seen the video interview with our shiny new writer, and she is definitely ONE OF US. The way she lit up when talking about House and Wilson ... it was heartwarming.

Re: Copy-pasta

[(Anonymous)]

The only thing I didn't like was when she said that if there was going to be someone that would work out romantically with House, it would be Cuddy. If it's gotta be a girl, tbh I'd rather it be Stacy than Cuddy

I'd love to see the video, do you have a link?

Re: Copy-pasta

[black-cigarette.livejournal.com]

I don't have a link -- it's not the kind of thing I save -- but I'm sure someone does. It's probably posted at house_wilson, but you'd need to look back a couple weeks, I think.

[theninth.livejournal.com]

I think House needs Cuddy because, now that he has kicked Wilson out of his life, he would otherwise be alone.

This is exactly what I was going to say. House has been pushing Wilson away and now has to latch onto Cuddy. He really doesn't understand that they have both been his friend and they can both be his friend and it's really not a "one-or-the-other" situation. He really does seem to believe that it's "best friend or girlfriend" as the only possible situation.

[blackmare.livejournal.com]

But the thing about that theory is, it was Wilson who did the kicking out -- literally -- not House. It was Wilson (who I love beyond words) who foolishly damaged his best and longest friendship for the sake of madly rushing into living with his ex-wife; Wilson who shoved House away.

If House is now reluctant to stay all that close to Wilson, it breaks my heart but I understand it. Wilson kicked House out in favor of Sam, and that was just after he bought a condo specifically because it would be big enough for him and House both. If you were House, what would you do? Would you trust Wilson not to repeat that kind of thing?

Please understand I am not saying Wilson is a bad person, or a bad friend, or any of that. I'm saying Wilson has some emotional baggage he hasn't addressed, that causes him to run hell bent for leather into romantic relationships as if they were the only life raft in sight and he was drowning. And he's shown that he'll shove House out in the process of doing that. It's a fear thing, for him, not a horrible-person thing, but that can't make it less painful for House.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

If House is now reluctant to stay all that close to Wilson

Do you think, based on the show, that House now trusts Wilson less? It didn't seem that way during the session with Nolan that took place after Wilson asked him to move out.

[black-cigarette.livejournal.com]

I may have missed that episode, or forgotten that scene (I missed some stuff at the end of last season/beginning of this one, and haven't caught up).

But if House isn't staying very close to Wilson these days, it might have to do with more than just the bizarre obsession (and I'm sorry, but after last week? I'd definitely call it an obsession) with his relationship with Cuddy. I really don't know. I don't see House as having "kicked Wilson out" as others said, but I do see the distance, and I wonder how much of that was because Wilson did kick House out.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

He really doesn't understand that they have both been his friend and they can both be his friend and it's really not a "one-or-the-other" situation.

I'm not 100% sure I agree with this (I think House is just failing at balance, not shutting Wilson out completely) but if it is true, how hilarious is it that House argued vehemently that the character in his favorite book series "can love BOTH of them."

[xayeidemon.livejournal.com]

I have the feeling that something is about to be retconned. Or House was lying. I can't bring myself to think the writers meant anything deeper by that line, other than to illustrate how in love House is or wants to be with Cuddy.

[blackmare.livejournal.com]

how in love House is or wants to be

Only logical explanation I have yet to hear, right there. House is ... oddly, behaving like Wilson usually does. Clinging to a romance that in his heart he knows can't work out, doesn't have a firm foundation, because he thinks it's his only chance at being happy. I think it's making him anxious, distracted, and not happy at all, despite its moments of contentment.

[taiga13.livejournal.com]

I bow to your wisdom, that is exactly how I feel about it!

[bullet2.livejournal.com]

I think the only reason House would need Cuddy is because he feels it is his last chance to be in a relationship. And sure, that doesn't sound like House, but maybe there is some pressure because of his age. I think many people do something they wouldn't do otherwise, only because they fear it would be too late if they wait longer.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Wilson told House that Cuddy was the only one who would put up with House. And House is much more likely to cling to what he's got than risk trying for something new, so maybe that's how he needs her.

Damn, that's sad. For House, and for Cuddy, who then is not treasured/loved/needed for who she actually is. : (

[topaz-eyes.livejournal.com]

I go back to S2 and "Humpty Dumpty", where House tells Cuddy:

Cuddy…you see the world as it is and you see the world as it could be. What you don’t see is what everybody else sees. The giant, gaping chasm in between.

House wants to be happy--that's been a running theme of the series--and he wants to have a relationship, because relationships are supposed to make you happy. But he is pessimistic at heart and he knows it. It's quite possible that at some level he hasn't resolved his personal issues. Therapy doesn't always work the first (or second, or third) time round. So maybe he thinks he needs Cuddy's optimism to balance out.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I can see that. That could definitely be the reason.

My only problem is that they haven't laid it out on the show.

he wants to have a relationship, because relationships are supposed to make you happy.

This is what we have seen as his attitude/motivation throughout this season. But I haven't been convinced by anything in canon that Cuddy herself, as a unique individual, is who House needs as a partner. Which makes me incredibly sad for Cuddy, and incredibly frustrated with the show. I think back to House's cry of "BLASPHEMER" when Wilson tried to say a man and a woman could be friends.

[remydoodle.livejournal.com]

That has been driving me crazy for the last few days. I haven't even been able to post pictures over at bits of house because I really don't want to look at them. The episode itself was bad on so many levels but when House said he NEEDED Cuddy that was the first thing that crossed my mind, WHY?
Keeping with what happened in this episode, Cuddy said he only thinks of himself. Is he saying he needs her to be more thoughtful of other peoples feelings. Does he need her to make him a better person. I don't think so, only he can do that and he is not a stupid person. He knows how to be in a relationship; he was in one with Stacy for 5 years and from the interaction in season two it seemed like they had a good relationship. Except for the "cut a chunk of his leg muscle out" incident!
Being in a relationship is a lot of give and take. I've seen a lot of take on Cuddy's side and little give.
This might be getting off the subject but their relationship seems so childish. It seems like teenagers are writing the relationship parts of the story. I don't know how to word this but let me give you an example. I've noticed in a lot of House fan fiction that the writers will write about how dirty House's apartment is and how lazy he can be. In watching the show for 6 years I have never seen House's apartment dirty. Yes, his bed is unmade and his living room has lots of books and stuff laid out but it is not dirty! The only time he did that and let his kitchen get dirty was when he had Wilson living with him and was trying to get him to react. This past Monday, when they showed the toothbrush with toothpaste still on it and whiskers all over the sink, that was written by a 17 year old fan fiction writer.
If anything, a scene like that would be House setting himself up to be dumped because he wants out of the relationship. Not castrating himself and saying I need a woman to take care of me and tell me what to do!
Just my thoughts.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I've seen a lot of take on Cuddy's side and little give.

I have seen Cuddy give when it comes to her time and bending to do the things outside of work that House likes to do. Remember in that one ep when he mentioned that they spend time in bed playing video games? No way would that be something Cuddy would do on her own. And she gave up time with Rachel to come over to House's apartment for most of their early dates. (Which as a mom I thought was unrealistic, but I'm assuming that's due to unrealistic Hollywood writers, not a flaw with Cuddy.)

A lot of what House has been doing to give to Cuddy has been him running himself in circles because he doesn't want to follow Wilson's advice and actually ask Cuddy what she wants. House has done, especially in the early eps of Season 7, a lot of what he thinks he's supposed to do. Even in the latest ep, he stole Cuddy's computer to read her journal and come up with a cockamamie scheme instead of just listening to Cuddy and doing a small thing here or there. When he showed her the toothbrush at the end? That was what she had wanted, for him to show small considerations.

And yes, the setup of the toothbrush itself was stupid and teenager-like. It works as symbolism of House's self-centeredness, but not as an actual event.

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

The use of "need," I think, goes back to a lot of issues House has shown over the years -- the belief that Stacy referred to that he doesn't deserve to be happy, the idea that his entire self-worth has to do with his mind and that without it he has nothing.

He "needs" someone who can believe in his ability to be a better person, a person who deserves happiness, a person who is more than just the jerk, more than just the genius.

Now his mother love him unconditionally, according to House. Wilson, as we learned from his session with Nolan last season, is someone House believes would never leave him.

Cuddy, on the other hand, he fears could leave, and in fact will leave. So why her? She knows the worst he can be, and yet, as he said way back in the second season, she's a person who sees the possibilities and reality, but doesn't see the chasm in between. So she knows his worst, but can also visualize the best. There are few people -- few women, specifically -- that fit that very limited criteria. And he needs someone that can believe in him, despite knowing the worst, and at the same time that belief gives him the belief that he is more than his genius, more than a jerk, and does deserve happiness.

ETA -- or what topaz_eyes said.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

He "needs" someone who can believe in his ability to be a better person, ... a person who is more than just the jerk, more than just the genius.

OK, now this reason is one that has been shown on the show. He is already getting those from Wilson, but he doesn't get hugs and kisses and sex from Wilson, so I can see how Cuddy fits a different bill.

I omitted "deserve happiness" from your statement because I think most people believe everyone except Hitler deserves happiness. So House already has that. Although, he does need someone who will cause him to see that he deserves happiness.

On another subject, I was bothered by House's off-the-cuff statement that Cuddy should love him unconditionally. Um, really? After six months dating? That's a lot of pressure. And a strange thing for the writer of the ep to throw in, when House has stated more than once that he doesn't believe in unconditional love (even though that's what he gets from Wilson, but I digress).

[leaper182.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why House would need Cuddy outside of being his boss. She tends to act as the voice of reason whenever he's haring off to do god-knows-what to a patient, and considering that she was part of the leg debacle as shown in "Three Stories", I would've thought that House wouldn't want to get into a relationship with her. Then again, this is the writers doing whatever, and I've disagreed with how the writers have done things lots of times. :(

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

this is the writers doing whatever,

This is true, and SO SAD.

[black-cigarette.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much my take. Shore and Jacobs decided they wanted a House/Cuddy romance and they wanted it to last x number of episodes and ... if they had to bend both characters into pretzels to do it, I don't think they minded. And that saddens me.

[leaper182.livejournal.com]

I think my biggest complaint overall with the writers is the fact that they will write out a story arc, and then after it's finished, things return to the status quo, nothing changes, and no one seems to remember it unless it can create drama. It's pitiful, and it's why I bailed on the show after the Tritter arc. There were no consequences for House, and it was just, "Wow."

From what I understand, Wilson goes back to his ex-wife. I can understand why he'd do this, and since there's been this back-and-forth thing about his friendship with House, it makes sense. However, I would've thought that she would be smarter than to start a relationship with her ex, but I could be wrong.

Again, this is the writing staff for House, so I'm bound to be disappointed. :(

[pgrabia.livejournal.com]

...and considering that she was part of the leg debacle as shown in "Three Stories", I would've thought that House wouldn't want to get into a relationship with her.

I've thought this very thing myself several times this season. Stacy did it out of fear, but Cuddy was the professional there who should have been adherent to certain ethics i.e., the patient's right to refuse treatment or a certain kind of treatment and to choose another. Instead it appeared like she had an alternate route on the tip of her tongue ready to violate his rights with the suggestion of the middle ground procedure he didn't want. Now, I'm really not trying to bash Cuddy here, but that's what she did according to canon. I just can't see House ever being able to trust her completely enough to be in a relationship with her after that.

[cuddyclothes.livejournal.com]

But in "Now What?" she kissed his scar! That makes up for EVERYTHING! Don't you realize that? Poor misguided fan...

(Actually, I groaned, "Oh God, no," when that happened.)

[leaper182.livejournal.com]

Wait, seriously?

Wow, that sounds like a scene right out of a badfic or something. And not even one of the vaguely amusing kind.... :(

[nuclearfootball.livejournal.com]

Well, I--oh wait never mind.

[pgrabia.livejournal.com]

Someone else mentioned this in another discussion but I can't remember who--Petitecuriosity?--but I think House transferred his addictive need for the Vicodin he held in his hand in "Help Me" to Cuddy the moment she showed up and told him that she left Lucas for him. I'm not implying that he doesn't love her because I really don't know if he does or doesn't. I'm saying he was at the point where he believed he needed a crutch to keep going and it was going to be Vicodin until Cuddy appeared as his savior of sorts; it transferred to her to give him meaning and strength and the ability to keep coping in his unhappiness. She's his new addiction--it's plain in the way his life is being taken over by his obsession to be with her and keep the relationship alive. Addicts will tell you--and I'm one--that they need the drug to cope or live (even though in fact they don't).

That's the theory I've latched onto anyway.

[jomadge.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking the same thing. She's feeding the addictive side of his personality. To be fair, I think Wilson was doing a bit of that last season as well. That's not to say he doesn't genuinely care about them, but as I always say, "To love him is to feed him."

[taiga13.livejournal.com]

Everyone else has pretty much said what I'm thinking: House needs a woman to be happy, and Cuddy is the only one who would put up with him. I know House/Wilson shippers scream bloody murder when anyone says House or Wilson need a woman to be happy, but that's how they've been written. Wilson has been depicted that way consistently for going on seven years now, and Doris Egan said that House's hallucination in Both Sides Now was about wanting a woman to love and care for him. In the Mayfield episode he accepted that about himself, that he didn't want to be alone any more. I think he sees Cuddy as his last chance at happiness, just as he thinks Wilson saw Sam as HIS last chance. He pushed Stacy away because he believed she needed more than he could give, and he was probably right. Now he's ready to try again and he sees Cuddy as the only woman who would have him and that he'd want to be with. I thought it telling that when Nolan asked him what he valued about Wilson he replied that it was that Wilson wouldn't leave him no matter what he said; Cuddy's the one woman who's still at his side (by which I mean hasn't fired him and still flirts with him) after everything he's put her through.
I also don't think that he's pushed Wilson away at all, they've just cut his screentime to focus on House and Cuddy (and Taub). They're clearly still spending time together.
There's lots of things that I hate about the House/Cuddy relationship but what was driving me crazy with this past episode (down on the list of things I hated about it, I admit) is that House HAS been in a relationship before. He lived with Stacy for five years and Wilson for one. It worked out for them, why not Cuddy? You know Stacy didn't tolerate crap from him. Maybe the difference is that Cuddy has a REAL child to take care of!
I confess that I want the relationship to end with House dumping HER instead of the other way around. Not because I hate Cuddy - quite the opposite! - but because it would be unexpected.

[daisylily.livejournal.com]

I would say that doesn't need her, but then I would also say that the characterisation of Cuddy has been off this season, and the characterisation of House has been WAY off* - last week's ep was the only one that I felt was believable so far. House/Cuddy as it's written in this season just doesn't work for me, and it makes me sad.

*unless he's supposed to be like that, for some as-yet-unrevealed reason