Farewell to the Sherlock Holmes of Medicine

If you've followed House on Fox Television at any point over the past 9 seasons, you are probably aware that the central character is one of the most brilliant, nihilistic, misogynistic and just plain rotten fellows to ever grace the airwaves.  Personally, I think Dr. Gregory House suffers from a form of Asperger's syndrome, as in nearly a decade he has yet to form a single normal relationship with another human being.  The closest he comes to having a friend is with long suffering fellow doctor James Wilson, who is now making Dr. House miserable by refusing treatment for terminal cancer.

House is played to perfection by British actor Hugh Laurie, who has been nominated year after year for Emmy Awards but has so far only won Golden Globes.  In 2012 he will no doubt be joined in this honor by Robert Sean Leonard (Wilson) whose suffering as an oncologist who now faces cancer himself has been heartbreaking and an agony to watch.  I have always loved Dr. Wilson best, as he was the Ying to House's Yang.  While Wilson provided sweet balance and kindness...exactly the kind of doctor you'd want at your bedside... House was the mad genius who always saved the patient. No matter how dire or obscure the diagnosis, House and his team found the solution.  Alas the sad doctor could never rejoice from his medical victories.  At the end of the day, House would always be alone, wrapped in pain and whiskey, torturing a few notes of a blues song from his piano keys.

With one episode left to go before the show ends forever, I hope Dr. House and Wilson can find some sort of peace from their enduring friendship.  It really has been one of the great "bromances" on television...right up there with Starsky and Hutch, Barney and Fred, and (my personal favorite) Spock and Kirk. I'll be there next Monday as their saga draws to a close.  Will you?  Here's a wonderful video montage of House and Wilson as we near the end.