House: The Dark Hero

(Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers.)

Tonight's episode of "House" ("Help Me" - Season 6, Episode 21- the season finale) was easily the most epic one yet. It had everything. It had passion, drama, emotion- everything. House and Cuddy are at the scene of a horrendous accident; a crane operator accidentally let go of the controls and smashed a building which contained 100 residents. House's humanity, dark side and the sweetness concealed within him all come to the fore within one hour of television.

Probably one of the best scenes on television- and the saddest speech given by any person:

Cuddy: [to the Fire Rescue Chief] Give us a minute. I know you’re angry but please, don’t put her life at risk just to get back at me.

House: Really? [sarcastic] Wow. This is all about you now.

Cuddy: You took her side against me right after you heard about my engagement.

House: Yeah, that must be it. It’s not that you’re a pathetic narcissist.

Cuddy: [angry but lying, taking a breath between each word as she spits out the statement] I. Don’t. Love. You. So just accept it and move on with your life instead of making everyone miserable!

House: That’s great. A life-lesson from a middle-aged single mom dating a man-child.

Cuddy: Screw you. I’m sick of making excuses for you. I’m sick of other people having to tiptoe around you and make their own lives worse while they try to keep you from collapsing. I’m done.

House: (pretending to be unhurt, rejoinds) Fantastic. Stay away from my patient.

Cuddy: What are you clinging to, House? You’re gonnna risk her life just to save her leg? That really worked out well for you, didn’t it. What do you have in your life, honestly? Tell me! I’m moving on. Wilson is moving on. And you? You’ve got nothing, House, nothing. I’m going down there and I’m going to convince her to let me cut her leg off. If you have any decency left, you’ll just stay out of it.

[After Cuddy fails to convince the patient to cut off her leg, House speaks instead]

House: Hannah [takes a breath], we have to amputate your leg. [Cuddy’s eyes widen; she looks at House throughout this entire conversation. She is overhearing his confession.]

Hannah: No. You said that there was time.

House: There was. And it’s run out.

Hannah: [shakes head vehemently] No.

House: You asked me how I’d hurt my leg. I had a blood clot and the muscle was dying and I had all these doctors telling me I should amputate and I said no and they did this very risky operation. I almost died.

Hannah: But you saved your leg.

House: [quietly, meaningfully] I wish I hadn’t. They cut out a chunk of muscle about the size of my fist. And they left me this mutilated, useless thing. And I’m in pain every day. It changed me. Made me a harder person. A worse person. And now, now I’m alone. You don’t want to be like me. You’ve got a husband who loves you, you’ve got friends, you’ll start a family. You’ve got a whole life. And this? This is just a leg.

Hannah: [crying] Okay.

The reason I love "House," as opposed to most people, has to do with the fact that I see it as a Beauty and the Beast story, a Phantom of the Opera kind of tale. I appreciate his wit and sarcasm, but not as much as other people do. The episodes I love are the ones where you see House revealed, the true House, the one who is full of compassion even though he hides it so well. I believe in that House, the one that Cuddy saw tonight, the one that Cuddy loves. House felt like he had failed and he wanted to punish himself; he has no one and nothing so he shattered the mirror and reached for the Vicodin and then Cuddy was there and Cuddy saved him because he loves Cuddy and she gave him something to live for. And she was touched by what he had said, even when she claimed she was done; she saw something in him worth saving and House knows that and he appreciates that and the fact that she's offering him a second chance and that's why he throws the pills on the floor and kisses her.