I'm a little late to the party, but I loved the episode and am relieved that Wilson's back. He is my favorite character. As far as John and Blythe... well, I think House probably had a good reason not to want to speak the eulogy and it was wrong of Blythe to force him. I can understand why Wilson forced House to go to the funeral, clearly he had grown fond of Blythe and wanted House to be there for her sake. And if House had any affection whatsover for his mother, then it was the right thing to do. But she should not have insisted he deliver a eulogy, because that ought to be done by someone who loved the deceased, for the sake of the mourners. Not by someone who hated him. I sensed that she wanted House to speak simply because he's John's son and so that would look appropriate to the gathered or maybe they would think it strange if House didn't speak, not knowing the history between father and son. Sort of a 'keeping up appearances' ploy. Surely Blythe didn't think House was going to muster up some deeply buried affection for a man he'd despised for nearly 30 years? I was glad when House started out being brutally honest and he did manage to transform it into something that was ultimately inoffensive. As far as the parents, well, John strikes me as an abusive dad, even if back then his abuse wasn't enough to for child protective services to come and intervene, but still, ice baths, denying meals, the silent treatment, sleeping outside... that is abuse in my definition of the term. Even if you're a stickler about punctuality, you could make the kid eat dinner in his room, or make him wait until everyone else is done before eating, or not let him have dessert, but not letting a kid eat at all is pretty harsh. I recall having to eat dinner in my room when I misbehaved and I thought it was punishment enough, hearing the rest of the family laughing and talking downstairs while I was confined to quarters. I'm sure House misbehaved as a kid but there are ways to punish without going so extreme as denying food. I don't know why Blythe tolerated this but she might not have had much choice... I know someone about House's age who was abused by his father and his mother hated that it was happening but she had four kids and no way to earn a living so she stayed with him. I don't know how easy it was for housewives to get public assistance in the 1950s... I always figured I'd rather be just about anywhere than stuck with a man who's beating my kid but I've never been a parent, so I don't know. I can't imagine why she stuck with him even after the kids were grown. Thankfully women now have more career options. I am glad that House didn't make nice just because his father bought the farm and pretend that he liked him even though he didn't. Not that I can ever imagine House doing that. But a some people (*cough*Blythe*cough*) believe stuff like that can be swept under the rug with the simple statement, "He was your father. He loved you." I do think there are some acts that don't deserve forgiveness. Whether John House acted in such a way, that's a matter of opinion. I hope we'll find out more about House's JamesBondDad.

Just one thing about the timing. House was a kid in the 70's not the 50's, very different times. Even in the early 70's the women's movement was underway and what John did to his son would have been seen as child abuse by most people, though the public awareness wasn't what it is now, it was nowhere near as blind as it was in the 50's.

Some really good discussion in here about Blythe, John and House's relationship. I love reading various points of view and seeing how people read different meanings while having watched the same scenes of a show. My take on Blythe forcing House to do the eulogy had nothing to do with her keeping up appearances. I mean she WAITED for her son to arrive, two hours late. What was so bittersweet about that was House's reaction. He was surprised that she had waited, and seemed upset - at least briefly - that she had waited because punctuality was so important to his father. House knew that and saw the lateness of the funeral as being dis-respectful to John. Blythe's answer to that was clear: He's dead. He's not going care. IMHO, getting House to the funeral and getting him to do the eulogy was about closure for House and had nothing to do with keeping up appearances. If Blythe wanted to keep up appearances she wouldn't have waited for House, she would have found an acceptable excuse for his absence, and she would have respected John's life-long need for punctuality and discipline by starting the funeral right on time. She didn't. She held it up regardless of what anyone at the funeral who were waiting with her thought about it and how it may have shown dis-respect to John. As long as House ignored the fact his father was dead, the war with him could live on. Funerals are not always about showing respect for the dead, it is at times also a place where people can find closure, especially when a particular relationship as been extremely difficult, like House and his father. No doubt Blythe was emotionally manipulating House to do the eulogy, but I also think her statement: "The war is over" was a driving force behind it. She wanted House to confront the fact that his father was dead and everything that he had with his father - whether good or bad - was over. House was spending so much time trying not to go to the funeral that he never accepted the fact of his father's death until much later - in this case the end of the episode. He was still fighting the war with his dad. I think Blythe was hoping through the eulogy that House would find a way to remember his father in a way that was not entirely negative. I think House, eventually did that. I'm sure the bitterness and anger in which he started the eulogy probably upset her, but I don't know if she was upset because he did it that way, or if she was upset FOR House. What I remember about Blythe from Daddy's Boy is her putting her hand on House's arm and encouraging him after his dad's abruptness with him, so I believe that she was upset for House and wants him stop fighting the war and live life.

Yeah, but he was a military brat. Don't think the women's movement quite had reached military families at that point, who felt beseiged by progressives and pro-*test*-('")ors. My dad used pretty brutal stuff against my brother, (that would be considered abusive by any modern definition) which my very progressive mother allowed. I'm only slightly older than House, lived in a very liberal community. My dad was a hard hat construction worker with a military background. Middle aged mom's even of the 70s were, themselves women of a different era. Just one thing about the timing. House was a kid in the 70's not the 50's, very different times. Even in the early 70's the women's movement was underway and what John did to his son would have been seen as child abuse by most people, though the public awareness wasn't what it is now, it was nowhere near as blind as it was in the 50's.

Just one thing about the timing. House was a kid in the 70's not the 50's, very different times. Even in the early 70's the women's movement was underway and what John did to his son would have been seen as child abuse by most people, though the public awareness wasn't what it is now, it was nowhere near as blind as it was in the 50's. Oh, that's odd. I guess I am closer to House's age than I like to figure. My friend who was abused is actually mid-40s so I guess he grew up in the late 60s, early 70s. I always consider that I grew up in the late 70s, early 80s, and when I look at grizzled House (I mean, grizzled but sexy), I just assume he could not have grown up in the same decade I did, as he's way older, but actually we are only 15 years apart. My mom returned to school to complete her degree in 1979 and despite women's lib, the other mothers took a dim view of this 'abandonment,' particularly when my mom starting working full-time. I supposed feminism came late to my town. Because my mother worked, none of the other kids were allowed to play with me. Well, I was an eccentric child so perhaps that was not the only reason. But I didn't actually have any friends until I started junior high school at 13, by which time, working outside the home was a more forgiveable transgression for a mother of two. It's hard for me to imagine anyone placing much importance on this, as I don't care what happens to me once I'm dead, but I figured Blythe weighed the options of starting the funeral late vs. not having John's son speak, and opted to force House to speak because she thought it would 'look bad' if he didn't. House could have gotten closure, if he needed it, without being forced into a position of hypocrisy by his mother. No doubt Blythe was hoping that House would magically remember one day when his dad wasn't horrible to him and, in the rosy afterglow of forgiveness that often appears when people we despise meet their ends, suddenly feel affection for him. But House, even though he was quite bratty about going to the funeral (I wanted to smack him when he knocked Wilson's keys down the storm drain), was at least honest. But I guess we'll never know why Blythe was so gung-ho to have him speak the eulogy. I do think House was right to resist, though. If I can draw a less serious parallel from my own life ... I have a lot of coworkers, at least a hundred, and I don't know them all, just the few in my immediate department. People are constantly asking me to cough up money for various events in their lives, funerals, weddings, new babies, etc. I mean, I get e-mails several times a week saying that so-and-so's grandmother has died and can I donate some money. It's like the Seinfeld episode where Elaine's being driven crazy by all the cake parties. That's our office, because we have so many employees, someone is always getting married, retiring, quitting, having a baby, etc. The receptionist walks around the office with one of those huge cards that we are all supposed to sign. And I usually refuse, because I don't know the person, and I don't understand why anyone would want a card signed by a bunch of strangers. People view this as rude. After all, it wouldn't hurt me to just write "Good luck!" or something generic on the card. But I'd rather not pretend to care about someone I don't even know. And if someone I hated died, I wouldn't pretend to like them just because they were dead. Of course, I'd try to be polite. But when my friend's abusive father died, he went the funeral, for his mother's sake, but afterwards, he was clearly happy the guy was dead, and I daresay his life improved after that. And even though I barely knew his father, I was also glad he was dead. He was much worse than John House and simply being dead doesn't mean the slate is wiped clean. I don't like Blythe so much after this episode. I do think they all did the right thing in forcing House to go to the funeral, as he might have regretted hurting his mother if he hadn't gone. But I can't imagine why she forced him into speaking when she could have gotten one of the military guys to speak or even delivered the eulogy herself. If she was so intent on getting closure for House, a long heart-to-heart talk in privacy would have been better than forcing House into that awkward position where he was supposed to lie or else hurt his mother. He did find a middle ground and manage not to give offense without pretending that he liked his father, which I thought was pretty clever of him. I can see why some would view Blythe's actions as wanting to give House closure but to me, it came off as bullying. I don't know why she insisted on it, though.

I have to agree with a bunch of you: right now, this is my favorite episode. I found the PotW story interesting, especially how it did or didn't relate to the main characters. I'm an adopted child, so it spoke volumes to me in ways you'd have to be adopted to really understand. If House's father really was deployed when Blythe got pregnant, John knew already. Maybe it just upset him that his son figured it out. Either way, this helps explain why House had such a difficult relationship with his father from such a young age: it wasn't just a personality conflict (which is bad enough). I have a very even temper, much like Wilson's. It takes a lot to get me to even raise my voice, but if I get frustrated enough... let's just say I might throw a bottle twice in @ 14 years. ;) It pleased me to no end to see CCF running a differential -- obviously, Foreman decided to rally the troops. It's a side of Foreman I would like to see more of. And it was so made of win that Kutner reached the same conclusion (as most everyone else said). I think Kutner is the keeper of the three new fellows; he'd blend well with the original team. Re: Lucas missing, I noticed it right away. But I could be hypersensitive because I'm playing the "dropped plotlines" game here in the Cafeteria. ;) Who knows, perhaps he'll return soon to say he spied on them the whole way. LOL And I haven't rewatched, but didn't we hear "You love me, admit it" come out of House at some point? Or was that just my overactive imagination? Wow, this was probably the best H/W episode of all time. I love you, Show. Thanks for coming back. ETA: One more thing: the term "illegitimate child" is really offensive, and I hope it falls out of use. Every child is legitimate.

I think Blythe was hoping through the eulogy that House would find a way to remember his father in a way that was not entirely negative. I think House, eventually did that. I'm sure the bitterness and anger in which he started the eulogy probably upset her, but I don't know if she was upset because he did it that way, or if she was upset FOR House. What I remember about Blythe from Daddy's Boy is her putting her hand on House's arm and encouraging him after his dad's abruptness with him, so I believe that she was upset for House and wants him stop fighting the war and live life. What Hugh_lover said. That is the only motivation I can see for Blythe insisting that House deliver his father's eulogy -- even delaying the funeral so he could. It wasn't for John's sake (he's dead and doesn't care) or for hers; she wanted House to step out of his "I-hate-my-dad" comfort (discomfort?) zone and find some closure. As for who was/wasn't there, it's a teevee funeral. They tend to be populated by the key players (in this case, House, Wilson and Blythe) and random extras. I didn't spend any time wondering if that little old lady we saw in the background was Blythe's BFF or John's sister, if the younger folks were relatives or neighbors, or how many of those Marines were there because they knew John or and how many were there to perform a ceremonial duty. (I've been to a couple of funerals attended by people who were there for "ceremonial" purposes -- police, firemen, Knights of Columbus -- who didn't have a relationship with the deceased.) House's reaction to his father's death is more complex than a TV show could address. For those I know who were abused by their parents, death brings a mixed bag of "thank God the S.O.B. is gone" and mourning for the loss of hope that they could ever have a good relationship. I think there's a lot of the latter going around in House's head, but we'll never get to watch him deal with it.

Haven't finished watching the episode as my computer has been acting up. But I have been following the discussion about the House family dynamic. I understand the points about the 60's/early 70's in the USA being a different era with different views on physical punishments, but I come from a culture were physical punishment is still seeing as "normal child rearing", where we are only beginning to discuss the limits to what a parent can do in the name of discipline. A wife leaving an abusive husband is quite difficult to do in the society I live in, so I probably have a greater sympathy for Blythe. Another thing that is incredibly weird for me (culturally) is the idea of Eulogies. The thought of expecting a grieving family member to stand up and talk about the deceased, is outside of my experience, it's just not done here in my little corner of the world. On the other hand, I totally plan to spend the night of Nov 1/Nov 2 at a cementary eating and singing next to my grandparent's graves while mariachis play and children run among the tombstones.....

The 70's was the Kramer vs Kramer era. But women were leaving abusive husbands-long before that. In fact many women will stay with husbands who abuse them but leave when he starts abusing the children. Wow...seriously? I would call him extremely sensitive!! My take on House is that he feels everything so much and that things affect him so much that he's gotta always come up with all kinds of ways to protect himself...like by pushing people away by being rude to them so he won't get too close to them and end up getting burned. I don't think you can be as sensitive in picking up interpersonal nuances as House is without having been sensitive yourself at some point. He's not any more, he's rude and often insensitive to how people around him feel (like telling Wilson to buy a plant) but he wasn't always that way. House loved and trusted his father (every child does) and he was hurt and treated harshly by him. He loved and trusted his mother but was hurt by her because she didn't protect him from abuse and didn't acknowledge that his father was doing to him was wrong. Her line "the war is over" implies it was on both sides, not that John abused his power and Greg defended himself. House loved Stacy but when he slipped into the coma, she did exactly what he had trusted her not to do. When she came back and he made himself vulnerable to her again, she hurt him again when he found out she wasn't intending to tell Mark. The most significant people in his life, the ones he loved and trusted the most, have all betrayed him. (Not to get into a debate whether what Stacy did was right or wrong, but to House, she did exactly what he trusted her not to do.) I think House is sensitive, but it's very much in an "it's all about me" way. Is it a self-protection? The important people he's trusted and let himself be vulnerable to have all abused that trust so he's not going to let that happen again. As Wilson told Cameron in Love Hurts, if he opens up to her and gets hurt, he may never open up to anyone again. As it was, he couldn't open up to Cameron at all. Maybe that's why he forgives relatively easily when people hurt him such as Chase did in season 1 or when the ducklings go behind his back to Cuddy, it's what he's learned to expect. His father's toughening up regime created someone so tough, he makes everything about himself and ignores when he hurts other people. I thought his speech to Alex at the end of Skin Deep was one of the most cruel speeches I've heard but it fits with the boy who learned from John House. Or maybe he's just an ass. In terms of relationships, it wouldn't be a surprise if he tries one with Cuddy because while he likes her and finds her sexually attractive, he's the one who controls that relationship and he protects himself in it The only time he's made himself vulnerable to her was in Distractions when he was jonesing for a high and in Meaning when he wanted to do a procedure. The best way to make a shy child less shy is not to push them into situations they fear but to give them all the time and all the support they need. With that, they become brave and more outgoing. Maybe Chase wouldn't have spent so long trying to get House's approval and then learned not care whether he got it or not if he could have got some approval along the way. Even House, who thinks he doesn't want any approval or approbation, still craves his father's approval deep down. And Cameron was always nasty when crossed or judging someone. Not till season 2 after she'd toughened up in Acceptance courtesy of House. Wilson was the one who helped her deal with telling Cindy Lou the diagnosis and Wilson was the one who kept her from telling the newspapers about Jeff. In Maternity, when he thought she might do better in research, he barely knew her.

And Cameron was always nasty when crossed or judging someone. Not till season 2 after she'd toughened up in Acceptance courtesy of House. Wilson was the one who helped her deal with telling Cindy Lou the diagnosis and Wilson was the one who kept her from telling the newspapers about Jeff. In Maternity, when he thought she might do better in research, he barely knew her. What excuse does she have for her treatment of the husband in "Fidelity?" Or the whole "sex kills" speech just to rile up Chase in "Occam's Razor?" The 70's was the Kramer vs Kramer era. Not really. Kramer vs. Kramer came out in 1979. 1971, when Greg would have turned 12, was "Klute," "Shaft" "Straw Dogs" "Escape From Planet of the Apes" and "A Clockwork Orange." Not exactly the same sensibilities, and American society and culture made some radical shifts between those two bookends to the decade.

I grew up half an hour outside NYC and, if we were coming into the city, we not only had to wear a party dress, we had to wear white gloves. In 1969 my sister came down from college to meet my parents and me in the city to see Goodbye, Columbus and she was wearing *gasp* blue jeans. In 1970 students from nearby colleges were having peaceful marches on West Point and putting flowers in the guns. In 1971 The Pentagon Papers were first printed in the New York Times. Just as House was entering puberty and questioning his father's authority, so was the rest of the world. It was probably a very strange time to be a military brat. As far as Blythe was concerned, there has never been any indication that she was abused by John. And, while the last 60s and early 70s were the time when women were beginning to question their roles in society in greater numbers than ever before, military wives in times of war had to be able to run a household on their own, including raising their children by themselves, for long periods while their husbands were deployed. I'm not saying that Blythe was a proto-feminist, but the woman we've seen and the era she raised her son in make it unlikely that she was a shrinking violet either.

There's nothing to indicate that Blythe was a shrinking violet. There's a big difference, though, between being able to adapt to changes in living and having to do a lot of the parenting because the dad is away a lot (which I agree does take strength) and being able to go against the mores of the day. They take different kinds of strength and draw on different underlying attitudes. Blythe could well be a very strong military wife and yet not be able to stand against the expectations for what makes a successful wife--and by extension in that era--woman. He asked, she didn't offer her opinion out of the blue and she answered in the one word. I don't think she needs any excuse for not lying to a direct question. Nor does she need any more excuse for her speech in Occam's Razor than Chase does for his conversation with Foreman about Cameron in it. Whether Cameron needs to be excused is not the point, though I have a different feeling about the first case than you do. The point is that she always had harder edges to her personality as well as the softer. What she learned with House was how to process her grief and not project onto patients and that not all situations have a black and white morality. I think Cameron has benefitted greatly from her time with House. I don't think her extreme naivete in season one when she insisted on a date was attractive. And I think she'd be front and centre at House's funeral, because she knows she grew up a lot during her time with him. And Chase faced a lot of his demons as well, because House both supported him when he screwed up and poked him so he dropped the slacker attitude. Of course, House also poked in ways that hurt--I'm not saying House was a cuddly puppy. But overall, the effect was growth and I don't think any duckling doubts that House is and was in their corner if they take a risk, whether they turn out to be right or not, and that seems to have been very different than John House's attitude.