House: All About Wilson

I would like to thank the House writers for two things. Number 1: Thank you for giving Wilson his own episode. It was an amazing change of pace to what we’re usually accustomed to and gave Robert Sean Leonard a chance to shine. And number 2: Thank you for making it so easy for the fandom to keep on riding the House/Wilson train.

But let’s begin – We find out Wilson is going on his yearly hunting trip with his (other) friend, Tucker. This year’s trip will commemorate five years of Tucker being Leukemia-free. Everything’s going great until Tucker collapses and can’t move his arm.

It’s interesting that we are now getting a perspective of what’s going on in the hospital from the other doctors. We get to see House’s team running around trying to solve a bizarre case (a man who ate 10 bags of popcorn) and Wilson interacting with his own patients. Interaction with Wilson’s patients is far more personal than House’s weekly guinea pigs. Most of Wilson’s are in the hospital regularly for cancer treatment, and Wilson has developed personal relationships with them. For example, take the grandfather who loves to brag about his grandchildren, but when on one specific day he doesn’t do so, Wilson is able to diagnosis his depression.

Just because this episode isn’t fully centered on House, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t play his part. House insists that Tucker’s recent medical problems have to do with the return of his cancer. Wilson refuses to accept this and so House bets $100 that he’s correct. Wilson tries several wrong diagnoses until tests confirm that he now has acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). And House is now $100 richer.

Tucker’s condition worsens even more when Wilson notices his body is resisting the chemotherapy. Wilson, blinded by his friendship with Tucker, wants to double the dosage. It’s a risky idea but it partially works when it rids Tucker of the ALL. That’s the good news. The bad news is it destroyed his liver in the process. Without a new liver, Tucker’ll die within days.

Tucker is obviously resentful towards Wilson for essentially speeding up his death. He asks Wilson to donate a portion of his liver to him. Wilson had already donated blood to him five years earlier, so I think Tucker is starting to take him for granted. Tucker uses his newly reunited family (divorced wife and estranged daughter) to pull at Wilson’s heartstrings.

House is completely against the idea of Wilson donating part of his liver. They have a huge blow-up where Wilson argues that he is not a doormat and kicks House out of his apartment. They make up pretty quickly, though, when Wilson realizes he just can’t help but be a doormat and finally agrees to the operation. He wants House there during the surgery, but House tells him no. “Because if you die, I’m alone,” he says. AW!

After the procedure, we see Tucker is regaining his health but instead of going back to his family, he decides to go back to his young, hottie girlfriend. Poor doormat Wilson thought he was helping a family reconnect when instead he just helped a man ditch his family again and go back to living the fast life. Wilson being who he is isn’t mad, but “disappointed.”

On the Cuddy front, she announces to Wilson during this episode that she and P.I. Lucas will be moving in together and they’re looking for a new place to stay. House eventually finds out, but he’s (supposedly) decided to move on and doesn’t let this nugget of information bother him. The episode ends with Wilson and House visiting a tres chic loft – the very same one Cuddy had bid on. Too bad, though, because Wilson ends up offering more and closes the deal. He once again realizes that House is his one true friend, and because Cuddy hurt House, this is his way of “punishing” her… Oh snap! Things are about to get awkward.

For another take on this episode, read Wilson’s House by Cameron Cubbison.

Season 6, Episode 9: Wilson (originally aired November 30, 2009)

For more on House, click here.

Tuesdays 8/7c on FOX

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal and IMDbPro