House-Anatomy of a Relationship "Two Stories" - 7.13

Anatomy of a Relationship
An Episodic Examination of Huddy In Love
“Two Stories” – 7.13


“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.” –Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

It’s too bad that House didn’t pick up this idiom from his counterpart’s creator because it would have saved him A LOT of hassle in this week’s episode centered around small things becoming huge life (and relationship) threatening catastrophes. House, stuck waiting for his ‘chat’ with the principal at a school he has gone to for career day , is given love advice by a couple of fifth graders, Zach and Colleen, who await their own meeting with the principal. For a gifted school it appears as though many of those kids are trouble makers! House has gotten himself in trouble with Cuddy and with each new deception wanders further and further into that deep, back corner of Breakup Land. The kids and House talk things over and House, as usual, is more open with strangers than his closest friends. The real miracle is that House not only listens to Colleen’s sage advice, he actually follows through on it. Meanwhile, he tries to solve the case of a college student who literally coughs up a lung. Ewwww.

In “Two Stories” Huddy is slipped up by House being a guy. In recent episodes, House and Cuddy have worked through dealing with each other at work and dealing with each other at home. Things have settled into a comfortable relationship and that’s always when the little things manifest themselves. This time Cuddy casually mentions that House should take out the garbage and should stop using her toothbrush. House, being a guy, ignores this. Now, guys, don’t get all crazy about this, which being guys I know won’t happen, but still. Us ladies have all seen it before. We know that we shouldn’t be bothered by the little things. We shouldn’t let the fact that he never puts down the toilet seat make us angry. We know that squeezing from the middle of the toothpaste isn’t such a big deal, BUT if it’s not a big deal why don’t they just do as we calmly and sweetly ask? Right? Well, Cuddy wonders this same thing as she watches House ignore every polite request to be mindful of the little things. Finally, it’s too much and she realizes the one thing all of us do at this point: if (insert male name here) is not going to even care enough to put the toilet seat down than (insert male name here)must not care enough about me and I’m going to have to dump his butt. Okay. So we don’t always add that “dump his butt” part, but then again you need to see it from Cuddy’s angle. My sweet husband has done the same type of stuff that House pulls, but not once has “manipulative ba$#@%d” or “self-centered, selfish son of a b+*%h” ever once been used in the same breath as my husband’s name. Ever. And when I gently ask my sweet husband to make small adjustments he does his best to accommodate me. Yes, he’s super sweet.

House, on the other hand, has no other history except not making adjustments to accommodate anyone. Ever. He has always looked out for number one. Even as he dove into the relationship and made small efforts to make it work he always kept himself as the bottom line. When he finally admitted that he was wrong about lying to Cuddy he did it to make his life easier. When he became the Preschooler Whisperer it was only to get Rachel into Cuddy’s school of choice, which would make her happier which would make House happier. Each seemingly selfless act on House’s part all ultimately led to House really just watching out for numero uno: himself. House, for whatever reasons, thinks ultimately only of himself. It’s a horrible habit he has chained himself to. Cuddy knows this and is legitimately worried House may never overcome it; especially when she went about asking him to recognize it in a grown-up relationship sort of way.

House tells the two kids outside the principal’s office that he has to treat Cuddy this way. Everybody is always kissing up to Cuddy, coddling her and House feels it’s his responsibility to make sure someone is around to knock her down a rung or two. Both Colleen and I called him an idiot at the same time. Here I thought House had the whole separation of work and personal life understood. Here I thought he recognized the difference in how they interacted at work and in personal life. I guess not. House somehow now feels he has to whip Cuddy into submission everywhere. Dang! That’s the complete opposite of what you do in a personal relationship. In personal relationships you need to build up and support your partner. You need to fight the same fights and encourage. Dang. Now I don’t know why House is suddenly thinking this way. Is he using this as yet another way to distance himself? Is he acting this way because he’s getting scared at the bonds he is creating? Or is he acting this way because he actually thinks this is the best way to keep Cuddy around. He’s mistaken. He learns this the hard way when Cuddy stops him at her doorway and kicks him to the curb.

I don’t think that Cuddy is actually ENDING the whole relationship at this point. She’s certainly irritated and has reason to be. However, I’d like to think that Cuddy is stronger than that; that she wouldn’t let some small irritants ruin all the work they’ve put forth to this point. But then again. We find out in the patient that one little pea, one small thing in the wrong place (his lung) nearly kills him. And these little things, these little irritants in the wrong place very nearly kills the Huddy relationship.

So then we Huddies are very fortunate that House finally takes the advice of the wise-beyond-her-years 11-year-old and just stops playing games. For now. Colleen tells House that Cuddy will still like him. He just needs to start listening and then paying attention to what she’s saying. Pretty good advice for just about anyone.

House approaches Cuddy that evening. He doesn’t let her push him away. He goes in and says what he needs to then gives her the space she needs to decide what’s going to happen from there. It’s a very grown up thing for our little House to do. I am proud of him. Cuddy recognizes his effort too and invites him over for dinner. Apparently, being the most amazing man your girlfriend has ever met goes a long way when you screw things up. House coyly pulls out a new toothbrush from his coat pocket, which is either a clever symbolic act of an olive branch or more proof that House always knows what’s going to happen before most humans.

I enjoyed this episode. I thought that it developed House’s character some more, although it may have dipped into the “Out of Character” realm a couple of times. We had our warning, however, the first time we see House outside the principal’s office. He’s sitting under a mural of Christopher Columbus reaching out to the new world reading to explore new territory. There’s even some foreshadowing on the wall with an eagle flying in with an olive branch. Come on. We know that nothing in a House episode just happens. It was not coincidence. I bet you money. So I liked what I saw. And honestly, Hugh Laurie is amazing and can sell a candy store to a diabetic. Wow. Love him.

I’ll be honest and upfront right now about the future episodes, especially 7.15 coming up here. I’m nervous. The more I’ve read about it the clearer I can see Richie revving up the boat as Fonzie straps on his water skiis. I have faith, however, that the wonderful writers at House will not fail me. I think if that episode is done right and well, it’ll be amazing. Fingers crossed. I also think, my dear Huddy fans, that we are headed to rough waters. I’ve said this in past posts and I’ll say it again. House, as a basic character, cannot be happy. I hope I’m wrong and I’ll be the first to admit I am wrong if the season ends as positively as it began but…….

Thanks for reading! See you next week.