The medical dramaHousehas several episodes that break the formula with an unreliable narrator. This is often House himself, and this creative choice has led to some dark fan theories. The show centers on the antisocial Dr. Gregory House, who is generally pessimistic and unpleasant to be around. That said, it’s not always depressing, as House’s life has some bright points.
House’s relationships with the other characters are often deeper than they appear, especially when they understand him. Some ofthe doctors in House’s diagnostics teamand his best friend, Wilson, are often able to help him when he is unable to help himself. Despite their complex relationship, Wilson is one of the best parts of House’s life, which has inspired a disturbing theory.
The House Is Wilson Fan Theory Explained
House Represents Wilson’s Darker Psyche
Redditor SAINTnumberFIVEhas put forwardan extremely darkHousefan theory, saying, “I think House is part of Wilson’s psyche.“As theirs is one ofthe most important relationships inHouse, the theory takes this to the extreme. The idea that Dr. House does not really exist, and that he is really Dr. Wilson’s hallucination, makes you look at the characters differently.
According to the Reddit post, “The cases House works on are really Wilson’s fantasies about medicine being more exciting. House dating Cuddy is Wilson’s fantasy about dating Cuddy, which he can’t do in actuality.” The fact that House refuses to leave Wilson’s side when he is later diagnosed with cancer would reinforce the idea that House cannot exist without Wilson.
Wilson even acknowledges that he needs House.
The theory might sound far-fetched on the surface, but some features of the show make it a little more plausible than it might seem. In general, Wilson is presented as a character who is both law-abiding and obedient, reluctant to make waves or have tough discussions. On the other hand,House enjoys being difficult and is not afraid to break both rules and laws.
That said, Wilson’s past has not always been respectable. He has broken an antique mirror, been arrested in a bar fight, cheated on partners, and lied to senior medical staff. He even dates the “cutthroat"Amber, whose abrasive personality makes her seem like a more logical partner for House than Wilson. The theory suggests that this is Wilson’s real personality trying to break through.
The idea that House is Wilson could be reinforced by Wilson’s shocking cancer diagnosis, which House reacts to more strongly than Wilson. Wilson even acknowledges that he needs House, but doesn’t want his death to be about him too. This could imply thatthe controversial ending ofHouseis actually about Wilson deciding to live his last days as himself.
The “House And Wilson Are The Same Person” Theory Has A Lot Of Flaws
This Is Not The Only Dark House Fan Theory (Though One Has Been Debunked)
No matter how plausible the Reddit theory sounds at first, it has a lot of flaws.House is often extremely toxic to Wilson, and the two have fallen out before. While House clearly has a harder time without his best friend,it would not make sense if House and Wilson were the same person.
Another point that shows how implausible the House is Wilson theory really is, is the fact thatHouse and Wilson have successfully pranked each other before, which only works with the element of surprise. Wilson also shocked House by dating Amber, and when he revealed his cancer. If House only existed in Wilson’s head, he would know these details.
House’s dark nature has inspired several fan theories that are better than what actually happened on the show, like the idea thatthe entirety of season 8 was House’s fever dreamafter crashing his car into Cuddy’s house. This would explain the fact that he was extremely erratic and made several irrational decisions during the final season ofHouse.
A different fan theory that works in the opposite way also suggests that the ending ofHouseis a hallucination. However, it is not House’s imagination but Wilson’s. This theory lays out the idea thatHouse really did die in the fire, and that Wilson was unable to let go of his best friend, inventing the final scene in which they drive away together.
House And Wilson Are Basically The Same Person (But Metaphorically)
The Dark Theory Would Make A Heartbreaking House Spin-Off
House and Wilson balance each other out better than any other two characters in the show. House forces Wilson to let go of his inhibitions, embracing selfishness on occasion. On the other hand,Wilson is able to rein House in during stubborn moments, and brings out his better side. This is especially apparent when House cares for Wilson during his cancer treatment.
Some ofthe best episodes ofHouseshow him at his most vulnerable. These situations are generally when he feels as though he is losing control, or when he is concerned about somebody that he cares about. This is often Wilson, andit is a mark of House’s love for his friend that he gives him the pills he needsto manage his pain.
While House and Wilson are not the same person, the two men each have personality traits that the other lacks, and they seem to recognize this. Over the course ofHouse’s eight seasons, it is clear that the two best friends are two halves of a whole, which makes the ending more bittersweet as House prepares to live without Wilson.
While Hugh Laurie and otherHouseactors have been nominated for multiple awards for their performances, Robert Sean Leonard has only been nominated once, for a People’s Choice Award — Best TV Doctor.
TheHouseending might have been divisive, but it wrapped up the show, allowing the best friends to leave together on their own terms. While it looks increasinglyunlikely that aHousespin-off is going to happen, this has not stopped people from suggesting ways in which it could be done. The dark Reddit theory puts the ending in a different context.
AHousespin-off would usually mean seeing House without Wilson, but if House is the made-up character, then this changes things. A reboot could potentially involve Wilson on a new cocktail of cancer drugs, and without the influence of House in his head. This would be heartbreaking, with Wilson preparing to live on his own terms for just a few short months.
