'House' Is Discharged After Eight Complex Seasons

We say goodbye to Hugh Laurie's challenging and entertaining Dr. Gregory House on Monday night.
By Tami Katzoff

Hugh Laurie on "House"
Photo: FOX

On Monday night (May 21), we say goodbye to Dr. Gregory House, one of the most iconic TV characters of this young century. For eight seasons, he's been confounding us, challenging us and, above all, entertaining us with his quirky brilliance and cutting wit.

On paper, the character doesn't seem to be very appealing: a crippled, self-destructive, drug-addicted doctor who distrusts, ignores and avoids his patients and alienates his friends — not exactly an endearing guy. But in the hands of the mighty Hugh Laurie, it works.

Laurie was barely known here in the U.S. before he took on the role of House. English folk knew him as a masterful sketch comedian and half of the dynamic duo (Stephen) Fry and Laurie. When he was brought across the pond to star in the new American drama series, he sparked the still-ongoing trend of talented Brit actors migrating to U.S. television.

Like the various "Law & Order" series, "House" is a procedural — there's always a medical mystery to be solved. Unlike "L&O," "House" is less about the cases and more about the people. One of the most contentious relationships on the show was between Dr. House and his boss, hospital administrator Dr. Lisa Cuddy. Lisa Edelstein's Cuddy was alternately lusted after and antagonized by House, and when they finally paired up after years of sexual tension, the fans were either ecstatic or repulsed. The romance ended because of House's Vicodin abuse, and the friendship ended because House, in a jealous rage, drove a car through the front of Cuddy's home.

Many fans would agree that House's true soul mate was Dr. James Wilson, perfectly portrayed by Robert Sean Leonard. Wilson stood by House through defiant drug addiction, detox, a stint in a mental institution and more than one trip to jail. Some would say Wilson, as House's only real friend, was the consummate enabler; I would say he was House's lifeline, his one unbroken link to the rest of humanity.

When we last saw them in the penultimate episode, Wilson was sick with cancer and House was heading back to jail. Monday night's episode is titled "Everybody Dies," a play on one of House's most favorite and infamous slogans "Everybody lies." Whatever happens, I expect there will be more than a few tears shed by the end of the night. I've already stocked up on tissues. I'll leave the Vicodin alone.

Share your favorite "House" moments in the comments below!

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