O House, how I have missed thee

[bironic]

Oh, God, I missed House and House fic. Cannot wait for the day where I'm awake and not at work so there can be three weeks' worth of catching-up at house_wilson.

But I did just read this fantastic new 14,500-word H/W story called "My Favorite Year" by silversolitaire that you must see for yourselves. Nineteen-year-old Wilson and 26-year-old House meet at med school. A summary won't do it justice, so I'll just repeat part of my comment to the author: Solid throughout, funny and poignant, sensual and vibrant, and full of brilliant quips, actions and reactions that fit House and Wilson so well, despite (or thanks to?) it being AU. It's right up there with the other delightful story I've read with a similar premise, "Just One Kiss," and given a little time it'll probably surpass it.

While we're at it, before I left I read a fic called "Strange Attractors" by xeno that needs to be added to that list of unusually-formatted fics I posted a couple of months ago. Based on a principle of chaos theory, it lays out side-by-side what-if's tracing House and Wilson's friendship/relationship (or lack thereof) over the years, suggesting that some things, however trivial, are inevitable in both timelines—like House/Stacy and certain clinic patients and three divorces for Wilson—while others that seem so critical are actually delicate and hinge on the tiniest of coincidences. A butterfly flaps its wings, and the two men never get closer than nods in the hallway.

Am working on the trip summary, honest. It's just that the stubborn jet lag and swift-returning misanthropy keep getting in the way. Forty-eight hours home and already itching to throttle people. On the bright side, I found out today that one of my clients did his undergrad, internship and residency at McGill.

cap by stelladives

*waves to new friends* Hi, you all met me at a Harry Potter conference but I talk about House a lot. If you're like ryokophoenix, my apparent Australian soul mate, and know both fandoms and happen to like Wilson and Lupin, you might enjoy this post, which I really ought to respond to soon. If not, stay tuned for my upcoming Sirius/Remus slashfest entry. And of course the Patronus write-up.

Comments

[bironic.livejournal.com]

They're really excellent in their different ways. Enjoy!

When are you coming out with your next fic, eh? Looking forward to it.

Of course, there are similiarties between Snape/Lupin and House/Wilson, but I won't go there in case you're not that way inclined

I'm not an exclusive shipper, so even though I haven't read much Snupin, I wouldn't dismiss it or be upset by it. Tell me more!

[captain-tulip.livejournal.com]

I was just about to reply to this when my friend came to the door, and I was whisked away. *sigh*

I was really hoping to have my prompt for the House/Wilson fic exchange by now, and every time I start writing something, I think, "What's the point? I'll probably just have to start something completely new in a day or two..." and I've been thinking that for weeks now. Apparently there's been a huge mixup, but it's a pain none the less...

There's bound to be someone out there who'd be better able to describe the many parallels between House/Wilson and Snape/Lupin. Mainly the "House/Snape is a damaged bastard who is disliked by everyone, sarcastic, bitter and all too good at pushing people away. Wilson/Lupin is a nice, liked-by-everyone, intelligent man, who understands House/Snape perfectly because he's known him so long, and won't give up or let himself be pushed away, and they soon work their way into eachothers' hearts" kind of thing. I know there are people of each fandom who view things a different way, but that's more or less how I see each. (I'm pretty sure a harcore Snupin fan could tell you more - I've only ever dabbled in that pairing.)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I was really hoping to have my prompt for the House/Wilson fic exchange by now, and every time I start writing something, I think, "What's the point?...."

Mm, yeah, that's frustrating. I saw the mod's post the other day about the delay. I hope you get your prompt soon, if you haven't already, so you can get writin' (and then we can get readin').

There's bound to be someone out there who'd be better able to describe the many parallels between House/Wilson and Snape/Lupin.

*waves hand dismissively* Whoever that person is, (s)he isn't here, and besides, half the fun is talking about it with you, so no matter. There's probably always someone out there who can "better" tackle whatever topic one is discussing, but what would be the fun in that?

Anyway, the aforementioned topic:

I can see where you're coming from on the House/Snape / Wilson/Lupin, and I like the comparisons. But -- and this could be the 'shipper in me talking -- I think the "damaged bastard all too good at pushing people away" and "understands [the other] perfectly and won't give up" are more or less canon for House/Wilson but fairly fanon for Snape/Lupin. Nothing wrong with that, but I think it would take more work to "prove" the characterizations for a non-Snupin 'shipper than for a non-House/Wilson 'shipper.

[captain-tulip.livejournal.com]

more or less canon for House/Wilson but fairly fanon for Snape/Lupin.

*snort* You're right, you're absolutely right. That's just how I like my Snupin, I guess, which explains why I like House/Wilson so much (because you don't need to do so much convincing that these are the characters, because they're already like that.)

We've got the House season finale tonight (yeah, just caught up with the rest of the world - bloody backwards country!) and I'm both thrilled and upset that it's the last one. What am I going to do on Tuesday nights? Guess I'll just have to write more fic. *g*

[bironic.livejournal.com]

*snort* You're right, you're absolutely right. That's just how I like my Snupin, I guess, which explains why I like House/Wilson so much (because you don't need to do so much convincing that these are the characters, because they're already like that.)

'Course, they still need a little nudging to get them where we want them to be. :)

[Have attempted a better response and failed, repeatedly. Am not insightful today. Am blaming it on the heat.]

This morning (shh) I went through all the house_wilson posts I missed while I was gone, and hey, lookit -- a Snupin reference (http://community.livejournal.com/house_wilson/449424.html)!

We've got the House season finale tonight (yeah, just caught up with the rest of the world - bloody backwards country!) and I'm both thrilled and upset that it's the last one.

Would love to hear what you think of it. People seem to have really liked it. I had some issues.

What am I going to do on Tuesday nights? Guess I'll just have to write more fic. *g*

That's the spirit! And there are always recorded episodes to re-watch.

[captain-tulip.livejournal.com]

People seem to have really liked it. I had some issues.

Yeah, I think I had some issues too. I mean, I know that they felt they had to do something significant/impressive/different for the season finale, because just following the usual formula might have been boring...but I like the formula. I like how it works, I like how it's the same, and I'm still not sure how I felt about this episode. I think I'll go and watch it a few more times, and then maybe I'll make a post about what I thought. I definitely need to have a look at what some other people thought.

Of course, not that I didn't enjoy Wilson and House in the bathroom, and Wilson zipping up his pants. *pervertgrins*

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I've seen it twice now, not counting multiple viewings of the teaser and Wilson scenes :), and I'm still not thrilled, although there is a lot to like about it. Breaking from the formula would have been fine except the is-he-or-isn't-he-hallucinating "trick" annoyed me. Someone, or a few others, have argued that it was a necessary device to get us into House's head without losing respect for his powers of deduction, but I just found it distracting.

Hm, well, I did kind of a strange review here (http://bironic.livejournal.com/35416.html) and linked to some other people's here (http://bironic.livejournal.com/35629.html).

ZOMG Wilson in the bathroom (seriously, what does it say about House that he dreamt him there?) with the zipper and the washing of hands. And in the hallway being all insightful and a terrible liar. And in Cuddy's office getting socked in the jaw. And on the treadmill in his shirtsleeves. *pant*

[captain-tulip.livejournal.com]

Well, I just watched it again, and I definitely liked it a lot more the second time around (though TV shows shouldn't really be aiming for that. I guess they know how many obsessive fangirls there are out there!)

And I was watching all of the Wilson scenes very carefully, and if that's House's mind...zomg, dey r lyk, so in luv!1!!! Working up a sweat, and then in a toilet together? Feelings manifesting themselves in physical actions? (Pfft, punch/sex - thin line!) Unfortunately, I was watching it with my brother (he missed it, so he watched my tape) so I couldn't rewind and repeat the parts I liked best. (Yeah, that episode where House gets a leg rub, and Wilson stumbles in? "Oh! Ah - sorry!" I watched that scene so many times! *g*)

I've generally liked most people's analysis of the show - sometimes I think people delve too deep, but this time it seemed pretty good. Also liked your "stange review" muchly. Definitely going to be upset when the new season starts in the US and we're left twiddling our thumbs while other people go OMG SPOILERS BEHIND CUT!!!. *grumbles, mutters, curses, and slinks away to watch more RSL on video*

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Well, I just watched it again, and I definitely liked it a lot more the second time around (though TV shows shouldn't really be aiming for that. I guess they know how many obsessive fangirls there are out there!)

Creators of a popular show with a devoted following pretty much have to write for two audiences: the ones who half-watch just the once, and the ones who watch closely and record the episodes and comb through them again and again. So they have to work out some kind of balance between the two -- keep the one-time semi-viewers entertained and not confused, and satisfy the fans with continuity, depth and progression. "No Reason," along with "Euphoria," didn't work so well on the first viewing for me as a fan, but they were probably entertaining/engaging/etc. for the casual audience. Like you said, it took a second go-round to see what worked in it.

And I was watching all of the Wilson scenes very carefully, and if that's House's mind... Working up a sweat, and then in a toilet together? Feelings manifesting themselves in physical actions? (Pfft, punch/sex - thin line!)

Seriously. The only time in the series that viewers' attention has been directed to Wilson's groin, and it's from House's perspective.

I'm trying to think of other occasions when House has "gotten physical" with someone. He shoved Boyd back in his hospital bed in "House vs. God." He pushed at Kalvin and Kalvin's father with his cane in "Hunting," keeping his distance from them. He semi-attacked Katrina girl in "Who's Your Daddy," but that was so he could trigger her pain response. He gripped the woman's hand in "Clueless," but again, that was so the chemical solution could take effect. ...Okay, so there are a bunch, but (a) he's never taken a swing at anyone before, and (b) he's never lashed out at a person from anger, only for diagnostic purposes (not counting the times he slams his cane down on an unfortunate piece of furniture). Wilson can get to him like no one else because he knows him so well, can strike a nerve so acutely that he breaches House's defensive shield of words/intellect and House can only retaliate with physical violence.

*singsong* House looooves Wilson...

Unfortunately, I was watching it with my brother (he missed it, so he watched my tape) so I couldn't rewind and repeat the parts I liked best. (Yeah, that episode where House gets a leg rub, and Wilson stumbles in? "Oh! Ah - sorry!" I watched that scene so many times! *g*)

Love that scene, especially when Wilson doesn't leave or even seem particularly embarrassed. It struck me on a recent viewing of "Detox" too that he's staring at House and then Ingrid with some seeming mixture of envy and longing. I so need to write House/Ingrid with voyeur!Wilson.

I hope you're able to find time to watch your favorite scenes again without people looking over your shoulder! Some of them need to be watched over and over.

I've generally liked most people's analysis of the show - sometimes I think people delve too deep, but this time it seemed pretty good. Also liked your "stange review" muchly. Definitely going to be upset when the new season starts in the US and we're left twiddling our thumbs while other people go OMG SPOILERS BEHIND CUT!!!.

This episode did beg for (over)analysis. Glad you liked my review! And I'm sorry NZ runs so far behind on episode airings; I can only imagine how frustrating that must be. I do know that OMG SPOILERS!!! posts are maddening when you haven't seen the ep yet -- though not as maddening as the posters who FORGET that other people might not have seen it and neglect to cut. >:|

[captain-tulip.livejournal.com]

Seriously. The only time in the series that viewers' attention has been directed to Wilson's groin, and it's from House's perspective.

And that's a fact, ladies and gentlemen. *g* I know there's a lot of people who want House to just suddenly come out and start sticking his tongue down Wilson's throat, but the sort of subtle, almost subconscious thing that they have going on is honestly enough to keep me entertained. I mean, it's not likely that House is going to jump up and say, "What ho! I rather think I'd enjoy a nice round of buttsex with my best friend, Wilson!", and if they finished the whole series, and all House and Wilson had done was flirt (andflirtandflirtandflirt) then I honestly wouldn't mind, because it's so laced with innuendo and subtext and smouldering, unspoken desires...gah.

I so need to write House/Ingrid with voyeur!Wilson.

Oh, do! That would be...hot. And twistedly wonderful. Can't wait!

though not as maddening as the posters who FORGET that other people might not have seen it and neglect to cut.

Argh, tell me about it. There have been times where I've seriously considered un-joining every single House community and un-bookmarking every single House link. You're flicking through you friends' page and you see, "omg do you think that wilson will move back in with house after he gets shot?"

It's like...*headdesk*.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I would certainly not complain if House and Wilson suddenly started making out on the show. *drifts off momentarily* Okay, I would probably complain, because I don't see them doing that except in some sort of infuriating, contrived circumstance that was actually constructed to negate any slashiness, like a practical joke. But anyway. While I wouldn't mind if the slash turned texty, I absolutely agree that it's quite satisfactory to remain subtle. I prefer sexual tension to be an undercurrent too.

Um, and also, "What ho! I rather think I'd enjoy a nice round of buttsex with my best friend, Wilson!"? Made me snort at my desk at work today (where I shouldn't have been on LJ to begin with). That was evil, and hilarious.

Can't wait!

Heh, well, you're going to gonna have to, because my to-do list currently takes up a whole sheet of looseleaf. :( Plot bunnies are the dangling carrots of my life at the moment. Now there's an odd mixed metaphor.

[captain-tulip.livejournal.com]

I would certainly not complain if House and Wilson suddenly started making out on the show.

Mmmm. *gets distracted*

What I think they should do is carry on the show in their usual, heterosexual, subtextual way for all the families and the homophobes, and then release a "House - Uncut" where they delve deeper into the (obviously existent) House/Wilson relationship. They'd make a ton of money, RSL and Hugh would get more deserved screen time (even if it was just on tape) and from the comments they've made, it doesn't seem like RSL or Hugh would have any objections. The prudes wouldn't have to watch it, the fangirls would buy it a million times over just because it existed, and RSL and Hugh would finally get to hook up (which they so clearly want to do. I mean, they're good at acting, but no one is that good. *g*)

...

Yeah, ok, so I live in a fantasy world. So shoot me. Then I can have cool hallucinations about Wilson in bathroom stalls. *g*

Heh, only a little sorry about making you snort. I'd just been reading a Jeeves/Wooster (you know, Stephen Fry/Hugh Laurie) so I think there was a tad of Bertie!Hugh popping in. As a matter of fact, there have been mentions about Stephen Fry appearing as a guest star on House - yeah, yeah, completely and utterly unlikely but totally sent my mind into a spin. Hugh is so damn cool on House, and it'd be pretty funny to watch Stephen watch him in action when he's only ever acted alongside Hugh Laurie, The Complete And Utter English Prat. Gotta love it.

Plot bunnies are the dangling carrots of my life at the moment.

I'll need to find somewhere to quote you. *snort* An odd mixed metaphor indeed.

Argh, and by the way, I emailed our television station and asked if they had any idea when the next season of House was starting (I not-so-casually mentioned the US's starting date, to make them feel bad). And here's what I got in reply:

Hi (captain_tulip), thanks for your message. SEASON 3 of HOUSE is likely to begin screening here early next year.

While we may have finished 7 weeks behind the US, it was only due to the amount of repeats they screen during [the] season over there. Therefore we need to delay launching here to help ensure an uninterrupted run of new episodes.

Regards,

VAUGHAN MATTHEWS | WEBSITE PRODUCER | TV3 |

*tears out hair* ARGH!! EARLY NEXT YEAR?! I THINK I'M GOING TO DIE.

Of course, it's likely they have no idea, and it's not really going to be that long itbetterbloodynotbe but if it is...

Can you imagine how much fandom I'm going to miss out on? I think I'll start downloading the episodes cry.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Seriously, you would think network producers would get with the times and realize that they're going to lose viewers to downloads if they insist on airing episodes months behind the rest of the world (if by 'the rest of the world' we can mean 'America and everyone who downloads to keep up with America'). Fandom isn't so closeted a phenomenon these days that TV stations don't know people want to keep in touch in real-time with viewers who are on a different schedule.

But since that's clearly not the case with TV3, it seems ownloadingday episodeshay may be in order. Four months (and maybe more) is really an intolerable amount of time to have to wait to talk about episodes. :(


I love your "House - Uncut" idea. The stuff of daydreams. Or "If House were on Showtime or HBO..." (The cable channels that get to do whatever they like with nudity and language, e.g. Queer as Folk & Six Feet Under & The Sopranos.)

Definitely got the Jeeves!Hugh voice there with the "What ho!" which really made it funny. Well, my imagined Jeeves!Hugh voice, since I haven't seen his & Stephen Fry's version, just read some of the books, but I have seen many Blackadders, so he sounded a bit like the Prince Regent. It works too.

[captain-tulip.livejournal.com]

Four months (and maybe more) is really an intolerable amount of time to have to wait to talk about episodes.

Yeah. I was complaining about it to my (non-fandom) friend today, and she said, "Why does it matter? I mean, it's not like you ever talk to people in America anyway."

I was like...*whistles innocently*

It's interesting that it's different with the channels like that. I mean, of course here you have the different cable channels for different types of programs (cartoons, sports, porn etc) but with our basic free channels (1, 2 and 3) they have all the programs interspersed between the three. Six Feet Under on 1, QAF on 2, The Sopranos on 3 etc. The only kind of monitoring is how late it's on - House gets an 8:30 whereas QAF used to get about an 11:30, or something like that. (Sopranos and Six Feet were at 9:30, I think). So, if House and Wilson started doing the dirty, technically here it'd be A-Ok...*g* Sigh, if only it was like that in the US.

Wooster!Hugh, by the way. Stephen Fry plays Jeeves. I really should get round to reading the books one day (Hugh Laurie apparently finds them quite entertaining). And yes, I'm a great fan of Blackadder (seen every one, I think!). Loved it when that person got that screencap of House's TiVo-ing (sp?) schedule and it had Blackadder on it. I was giggling like someone let in on a private joke for ages. *g*

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Your (and Britain's) TV system is very cool like that. The trade-off is the limited number of channels, I suppose. And the horrifying delay in airing very important episodes of American TV shows.

I've read a few Jeeves & Woosters, and they're definitely light and fun. They're very good as audio books too. From what I can tell, Wodehouse fans think he's one of the funniest English-language writers ever.

Wooster!Hugh, by the way. Oops, right. Slip of the brain.

What man's accountant can say how many TV fics that TiVo shot spawned? Monster trucks, Blackadder nudges, New Yankee Workshop jokes... That screen shot I think is the closest House has come to the other show I watch, Boston Legal, which frequently references itself as a show -- like making Star Trek jokes because William Shatner plays one of the lawyers. At first I wanted to cry because it doesn't make any sense, breaking the barrier between the character and the actor within the show, but then I gave up and just enjoyed it. :)

[captain-tulip.livejournal.com]

*grins* I'm a very big fan of Boston Legal also (and I'm pretty sure we're behind on that one as well). Like you, at first, I thought, "You can't do that!" but then it just started to get more and more funny and I just got used to it.

Like that episode where Denny and Alan go fishing, and the guy mentions "cling ons" with the fish, and the camera zooms up on William Shatner's face and he starts and says "Klingons!" significantly. I've never been a Trekkie, but I knew enough about it to find that kind of hilarious.

There are also some naughty post-modern things they do, like having Alan say to Denny, "I haven't seen you much this episode." You gotta laugh, but you also feel like waggling your finger.

Here Boston Legal is played straight after House, which is great because I don't even have to get up off the couch. Oh...*pouts* I guess that's not the case anymore, now that House is over. Damn. I think they should make a House channel, where it's all House, all the time. When it's not episodes, it's interviews and awards and special features. Mind you, then I'd probably never leave the house. Ha, leave the house, leave the House...er. *cough*

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Ha -- I had that Alan-comment in my reply but deleted it because it wasn't immediately relevant, along with the one Denny made about how Alan couldn't have slept with someone because she was "a guest" in the ep. Yay Boston Legal! It's on right after House here too, though on a different channel; and it'll be an hour after all through September as they're bumping up House so as not to be disrupted by the baseball season.

Mm, all-House channel. That's pretty much what my TV is these days, what with all the DVDs (S1) and tapes (S2). But oh, what heaven it would be to have enough extra materials to fill a whole network....

[captain-tulip.livejournal.com]

Gah, wish I had the seasons on DVD. I have the last two episodes taped, but no more than that, and I always feel a little guilty when I buy shows on DVD (don't know why). I've been trying to convince my mother that she wants it, so that I can nick it and have it for myself, but it isn't working. She's been buying Deadwood - have you ever seen it? Apparently it's good, but I missed it when it was on.

There's also the problem about having a Zone 4 DVD player, because it means shows like Boston Legal (which has only come out on Zone 1 and 2) I can't buy/watch. I really should get an all zone one. I'm pretty shitty at the guy at the shop, actually - you'd think they'd see it as part of their job to say, "Now, you know you can't watch a whole lot of really cool foreign DVDs on this player, right?" But no, they just let you buy it, completely unaware, only to find out when you excitedly rent Swing Kids and it says, "Error - wrong zone."

*ponders* I complain a lot, don't I? Sorry - I don't mean to. :)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

At least you rented Swing Kids and didn't buy it. That is pretty sucky about the store guy. You would think they'd have some customer service sense, but then again, I went to Radio Shack (specialty electronics place) a few weeks ago to get a US/UK plug adaptor and they sold me a UK/Europe adaptor instead, despite my vocalized doubts that it was the correct shape. Brought it all the way to England on their assurances, and sure enough, it didn't fit my friend's outlet, so it came all the way back here and I have to return it tomorrow.

There: now we are even on the complaining. ;)

Haven't seen Deadwood, but I've heard some pretty great things about it. I don't get HBO (the cable network it airs on) and haven't gotten around to renting the season(s) that have come out from our library yet. So many things to watch and read, and so very little time... But I do have every episode of House from this season on tapes scattered around the house, along with maybe half of the season of Boston Legal (since I tape them back-to-back). I like House too much not to keep them around for re-viewings while waiting for the DVDs to come out -- and while I also have to like a show or movie a lot to buy it on DVD (I only have some Buffy, Firefly and Odyssey 5), with House it's an easy choice.

[captain-tulip.livejournal.com]

I guess with shops you always experience some "I don't care, I just work here" people. The other day I went into a music shop to buy some new strings and a capo for my guitar. I got nylon strings, which should have been a HUGE clue to the lady behind the counter, who then proceeded to explain to me all the amazing benefits of the new capo they'd just got in. I only realised when I got home (it was early morning, and I am not a morning person) that this magnificent, amazing thing was for STEEL string guitars and I was like *fumes*. Yeah, sure, sell a capo for steel strings to someone who just bought nylon ones...*headdesk*

So many things to watch and read, and so very little time...

Yeah, I definitely feel like that sometimes! I've never even seen the programs you mentioned - I've heard of Buffy (of course) but not the other ones. I have seasons 1 to 6 of ER (because it didn't used to be as crap as it is now) but that's all - for a while I was Johnny Depp obsessed, so my DVD money was all going towards Chocolat, Sleepy Hollow, Pirates of the Caribbean and the like.

Incidently, one of Johnny's movies is called Dead Man, and it features cowboys and settings much the same as Deadwood. I wonder if there's a connection? Maybe one of the writers is a Johnny fan...*g*