What Happened To House & Wilson After The Credits Rolled

House‘s series finale is a groundbreaking episode of TV, but what happens to House and Wilson after the credits roll might not be clear for everyone. Every season of House saw Hugh Laurie’s character getting closer to a breaking point, and after Wilson was diagnosed with cancer at the start of season 8, it seemed like the show was indeed heading toward a tragic ending. Gregory House is one of TV’s most fascinating characters, though, so it’s no surprise that the events of House’s season 8 finale were not as straightforward as some would have imagined.

In “Everybody Dies,” the fates of House, Wilson, and the others at Princeton-Plainsboro are sealed. Most of the episode sees House in a burning building, hallucinating as some of the most important people in his life start to appear. Although it all plays out like House is about to die, Hugh Laurie’s character ultimately chooses to get up and escape. However, House uses this as the perfect opportunity to fake his death and ride into the sunset with Wilson, who only has a few more months left.

What Happens To House And Wilson After The Finale

“Everybody Dies” Wraps Up House & Wilson’s Stories

House’s series finale ends with House and Wilson ready to spend the little time they have left together. After faking his own death, everyone attends House’s funeral and says their goodbyes, including Wilson himself. Following the celebration of life, however, Wilson finds House waiting for him, alive and unharmed. Wilson, having rejected his last cancer treatment, has only five months to live, and House chooses to spend that time with him.

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It’s sweet in a way that the two end up together, even if their fates after House finishes are left ambiguous on purpose. The final shot of the episode sees the pair dressed to the nines in swanky leather outfits and driving off into the sunset together on motorcycles. Where they’re going is unknown, and that is the point. House and Wilson knew how to have fun and understood each other better than anyone else. Unfortunately, it’s sad to think what may have happened to House after Wilson’s death.

While some believe that House was able to honor Wilson’s memory and keep going, others think House would not be able to live without Wilson. Either way, it is good that House doesn’t give a definitive answer. Whether House was able to continue healing even after Wilson’s death is impossible to say, but even if he didn’t, choosing to end the show with the two ready to have fun one last time was the right choice.

Why And How House Faked His Death

One Last Clever Trick From Gregory House

The reason why House fakes his death comes about in House’s penultimate episode, “Holding On.” After House pulls a rather trivial prank by flushing the hockey tickets given to him by Foreman down various toilets, there’s significant damage to the hospital, including broken equipment and a building-wide power outage. To avoid jail time, Gregory House is a jerk and fakes his own death.

In “Everybody Dies,” several flashbacks establish that House switches his dental records with his most recent patient, Oliver, and gets caught in a fire at the last known location of his. Despite also being intoxicated himself, House’s hallucinations in “Everybody Dies” help him create a plan.

He escapes out the back of the building, and because Oliver dies, House takes the opportunity to clear himself of his crimes. However, this ploy isn’t just about avoiding taking responsibility for the hockey ticket prank, it’s also so that he can spend Wilson’s last five months with him, rather than being stuck in a jail cell waiting to hear the news that his best friend has died.

The Fates Of Cameron, Chase, & Foreman Explained

What About Those Who House Leaves Behind?

House’s very last episode doesn’t forget to provide endings for the other main characters. One of Chase’s best moments in House is in the finale, although it is bittersweet. Chase quits in season 8, but naturally, he makes a quick return after learning about House’s death. In the final scenes of “Everybody Dies,” it’s established that Chase is now running the Diagnostic Medicine department and has set himself up in House’s old office.

Chase gets a rather fitting ending that demonstrates how powerful his character development is throughout. While Chase is still finding his feet in the earlier installments, the character’s ending brilliantly reflects just how much he changes and grows during the show’s run. Essentially, Chase became the new House.

Despite Jennifer Morrison’s Cameron leaving in House season 6, she returns in “Everybody Dies.” She appears as one of the many people House hallucinates before faking his death, and she also attends his funeral. While most of the hallucinations encourage House to keep going, Cameron is one of the few who suggests that fighting back against death may not be the right thing for him. This deep conversation plays a big part in House’s decision to save himself, and even though it’s a part of his subconscious, it’s still fascinating to watch.

The ending of “Everybody Dies” shows that Cameron is happily married for a third time, and deservedly so, considering her painful divorce from Chase in season 6. Cameron also has a beautiful daughter and is the chief of an emergency room in Chicago.

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Foreman’s life isn’t hugely different after House’s final episode. He continues working as the Dean of Medicine at Princeton-Plainsboro, replacing Cuddy after her departure in season 7, and at the end of “Everybody Dies,” chuckles to himself when he finds House’s hospital ID. This initially seems like Foreman is simply reminiscing about House’s chaos in general. One question that always comes up about House’s finale is whether Foreman knows House is alive.

Many consider this brief moment as confirmation that Foreman has figured out House’s plan. It’s unlikely he knew about this at the time of the fire, or even at the funeral, but Foreman is smart, and the fact that House left his ID there for Foreman to see speaks volumes about their relationship.

Why Not Every Character Attends House’s Funeral

House’s Former Flame Is Noticeably Absent

While there are many in attendance at House’s funeral, including Cameron (despite the character technically leaving in season 6), there is one notable figure who is missing. Cuddy is missing from the House finale, and the character’s absence both makes sense and doesn’t. Considering the pair’s last on-screen interaction, which involves House driving a car through Cuddy’s dining room, I understand why Cuddy wouldn’t want to revisit these memories.

At the same time, even though the titular doctor’s behavior proves that perhaps he and Cuddy aren’t one of the best couples in House, it’s strange that she doesn’t come to pay her respects. Even before their official romance, the two have had a strong bond, especially as they have known one another since their college days. In reality, Lisa Edelstein’s departure from House was due to pursuing other roles, and the actress has stated in interviews that, considering Cuddy and House’s last scenes, there was no point in her coming back for an eulogy. (via TVLine)

Why House’s Ending Is So Divisive

House’s Finale Is Still Widely Argued

House’s divisive ending is still a hot topic of conversation between viewers, despite the show ending almost 13 years ago now. The finale is so closed-ended, despite the ambiguity, that many feel there isn’t room for any potential return. Others, however, feel that it’s a satisfying ending for the characters and an intriguing way to wrap up House generally. Another issue that is frequently mentioned is that “Everybody Dies” has a bit of a tonal shift and is considered too tragic compared to the rest of the show.

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The fact that Wilson’s fate is set in stone is hard to accept, too. Before he and House travel off to spend their last five months together, Wilson asks what to do if his cancer gets worse. House offers an unhelpful response of “Cancer’s boring,” but it raises questions about what happens next. Wilson may succumb to his disease, or House could convince him to give the treatment another go. Considering their relationship, the former is more likely. House would rather help Wilson live the best possible final months.

The Real Meaning Of House’s Ending

House’s Most Important Relationship Is At The Heart Of The Finale

Admittedly, the titular character’s actions in the finale are rather dark, but they also highlight one of the most important qualities of House’s best episodes. “Everybody Dies” shows that House’s intelligence will always take precedence, and that his methods will never not be unorthodox. Ultimately, House may make the wrong decisions, but it will still help someone. In the case of “Everybody Dies,” it’s Wilson.

Even though there are times House is extremely toxic to Wilson in House, their friendship is the driving force of the finale. “Everybody Dies” pushes House and Wilson’s relationship to the forefront of the story, and it allows for some of the titular figure’s most powerful character development throughout the show. Wilson’s cancer diagnosis impacts House like nothing before, and he realizes that his long-time colleague is, deep down, his only real friend.

While there is some selfishness in House’s decision to live out Wilson’s last few months by his side, this is possibly the most considerate action from the character ever. Yes, the main story is about House avoiding jail, but his decision to give up his life and career to support Wilson is the true meaning of House’s finale. After years of being a terrible coworker and an even worse friend, House finally does something somewhat selfless, even if he presents it in a way that remains consistent with his aloof personality and attitude.

Will There Ever Be A House Revival?

While It Seems Very Unlikely, You Shouldn’t Give Up Hope

A House revival is something some have been wanting for a long time, but it looks unlikely. Creator David Shore is hesitant to bring House back because he doesn’t want to impact the show’s legacy and ending, which makes a lot of sense. However, it isn’t impossible. House still has plenty of unanswered questions, but for a reboot to work, it would likely have to steer away from the original lead character and focus on someone else. I’d happily see House return to screens, but if it doesn’t, I’m still content with what we already have as audiences.

House

8/10

Release Date

2004 – 2012-00-00

Network

FOX

Showrunner

David Shore

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