8x21 "Holding On" [US] **Spoilers**

ScrubsfanChris

Skipping straight to the end... I can see House and Wilson running away together, House in a millions years will not just accept going to prison. I'm assuming he did it thinking he would at worst get fired (not expecting to destroy an MRI machine) so he could spend the next few months with Wilson.

The "patient of the week" story I thought was a bit boring and just destrated from the main plot, but it did show that House just doesn't care about his job anymore. Also leading to Tuab now wanting to leave as well, as he said before House "Implodes!"

Looking forward to next week, looks like Wilson won't die before the end, but thats the only certainty I can think of

The Black Oil

I thought it was good. Yes, it did start to lay on the saccharine a bit too thickly, but I think they generally know when to pull back from that stuff. The writers and the actors can hit the their marks well, but the writers haven't done it often enough over the past while.

POTW was a bit on the dull side, yeah. Even one or two of the walk and talks were dull. Emotionally wrecked Wilson isn't something we see too often - last time was probably when Amber died. I think they could have showed more of that between that and this...of course there's only so many times you can do it in a character arc. Unless I'm completely forgetting something in between seasons 5 and this...they didn't do much with Wilson.

Tbh, I had forgotten about House's parole situation.

Thirteen lit up the screen with her brief appearance...more so than Adams did, but that's not hard.

You can't die with dignity was a nod to the pilot.

Sudden Valley

Enjoyed most of this episode but I think the ending was just so contrived. Adding a pointless piece of drama to a finale that would already have the uncertainty over Wilson dying or not was not needed. Couldn't House have just claimed it was accident or foreman covered for him in some way (like he did for chases murder!)> I just hope the stupid prison plot from early in the season won't now ruin the finale.

Posy

The Black Oil wrote: »

You can't die with dignity was a nod to the pilot.

I love that! God, the pilot and season one seem like a million years ago!
Can't wait for the final episode now- hope it doesn't disappoint, I'm scared that it's going to be a tearjerker and I don't want that to be the case!

gavmcg92

Not going to lie, that last quarter had me in tears. I loved how they developed the story line between House and Wilson and just like two episodes ago, they have left us on a cliff hanger waiting and wanting tomorrow to be Monday (Tuesday for most of us I assume... thanks to the time difference)
It will be interesting to see how it will all end. Like the previous poster, I think it is certain that House is going to make a run for it. Where? My guess is they go ahead with their planned hike. Get followed by the police, his team and quite frankly anyone who is important. (On a side note -

I believe Chase is making an appearance in the final episode

)
I think we might have an ending on our hands where House dies. I can imagine it now. House doing something stupid and getting himself shot by law enforcement.

So could I be right in saying that there will be no patient for the final episode? I think it will only take away from what should be an amazing finale.

ScrubsfanChris

Sudden Valley wrote: »

Couldn't House have just claimed it was accident or foreman covered for him in some way

I think thats what he was going to do, but someone went over his head and reported it to the police, who investigated it.

*Comment removed - Repeating what I said in OP*

gavmcg92

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

I think thats what he was going to do, but someone went over his head and reported it to the police, who investigated it.
I'm still not sure what the whole point of the prank was?

He wanted Foreman to fire him so that he could spend the rest of Wilson's life with him. However in doing so he has breached his parole.

Somnus

I enjoyed the episode. I love when we see House snap or express some emotion. It was great when he snapped at Taub about how you don't just give up because you're in pain. And how he was trying to deal with accepting Wilson's choice was well done. Hugh Laurie is so good at conveying emotion like that on screen.

Patient had it's holes but was all right. Just filler really. And the ending was quite unexpected though. Seems like kind of a crappy way to have him go back to prison.
Nice to see Thirteen again!!

Still, looking forward to the finale, and I really don't know what's going to happen now.

squonk

What a great episode. Nearly had the waterworks myself. I think it's a testament to the writers in general and moreso the actors that we care about them so much at this stage.

The POTW was fairly uninteresting for sure. The fact that House solved it single handedly while being in pain says so much. The team is breaking down. I never had much time for Taub but at least now I feel my disdain was justified. A rat leaving a sinking ship. I was never a big fan of 13 but Olivia Wilde was fantastic in this episode.

TBH I didn't really pick up on the subtext that House was looking to get fired. Why couldn't he have just quit? Would that have violated his parole? It's out of Foreman's hands now. If he'd just gone to Foreman and talked with him then he'd have achieved getting the time off I'm sure. I really didn't see the end coming. I thought the guy showing up with Foreman was going to be Wilson's replacement.

Right now I don't know what to expect next week. Apparently the finalé is going to involve flashbacks where House examines his life, which is how they can bring back Kutner and Masters. I think by House saying that he can't survive without Wilson, things have gone well past House simply going on the run. Right now he's got another few days with Wilson and he sure as hell won't be let out before his prison term is up again. I think the writing is on the wall. However, the writers always do what you least expect so they might go on that camping trip. Who knows!

Somnus

squonk wrote: »

TBH I didn't really pick up on the subtext that House was looking to get fired. Why couldn't he have just quit? Would that have violated his parole?

I don't think he was looking to get fired myself. I think he was just pissing Foreman off as a way of expressing his frustration, and for Foreman trying to "Replace Wilson" as he saw it.

I didn't know all that stuff about a flashback episode and bringing back those characters!! Maybe you should spoiler that?

jordainius

I think I read somewhere that next weeks episode

takes place six months from where this episode ended

. I reckon he will go into hiding for a while but will ultimately end up being captured or giving himself up and he'll serve the 6 months, and the first scene of the episode will be something like House walking out of the prison upon his release, with nothing left, Wilson gone. And we'll have one of these episodes which switches between the present and House's months in prison.

I reckon Cameron's role in the episode might be to visit House in prison after Wilson has died. And there are only two reasons Kutner is being brought back; either House is going to go on a massive vicodin/drug/drink binge which will induce a hallucination with Kutner like we saw at the end of season 5 or, the more likely option being in a scene like at the end of season 4 where House is sitting on the bus with Amber, he'll be involved in some kind of afterlife death scene. At the end of S4, House chose to walk off the bus and live, and at the end of this season I believe he'll choose to die after having a discussion with Kutner.

I hope I'm wrong as my theory above doesn't really allow for many House-Wilson scenes which would really disappoint me.

squonk

That's an interesting take on things Jordanius. I'd forgotten about that episode with Amber on the bus. I had envisaged the episode as him staring at a needle or something that he knew would guarantee certain death and contemplating the decision based on his life to date. Who knows!

The cameos are pretty much well out there so I didn't consider them as spoilers. TBH David Shore himself mentioned the flashbacks or House examining his relationships so it's not really a spoiler.

Somnus

I hadn't heard anything about that. And I wouldn't have expected it either, so it ruins the surpise a bit. It's one thing if it was old clips, but new scenes with those characters is a spoiler in my opinion.

Each to their own of course

The Black Oil

Dr.Poca wrote: »

I enjoyed the episode. I love when we see how snap or express some emotion. It was greta when he snapped at Taub about how you don't just give up because you're in pain. And how he was trying to deal with accepting Wilson's choice was well done. Hugh Laurie is so good at conveying emotion like that on screen.

He is. And later when 13 told him about fired...how he conveys those looks. We've seen it over the years, usually when a patient tells him something difficult/personal.

I also didn't really catch that his stunts in this episode were to get fired, but tbh that was never going to happen, pushing Foreman to the limit or not, relatively few chances of him being dismissed.

I don't really have a clue what to expect re the finale. Tears, probably!

Posy

jordainius wrote: »

...with nothing left, Wilson gone.

No. Wilson won't die!!! He can't!! :(
*cries*

HazDanz

Posy wrote: »

No. Wilson won't die!!! He can't!! :(
*cries*

I hope to god they don't do the "1 year later" ****e at the end of the episode which some series/films do to tie up lose ends.

GoldFour4

The final episode is called "everyone dies". Read into that what you will!

Wouldn't be surprised if we got a six feet under type ending. Thats my favourite ending to a series of all time.

The Black Oil

I've seen SFU, but probably not best to speculate any more on that sort of theme! ^^

Haven't seen any other promos or much buzz for the finale yet. Don't know if there will be, but no harm to go in without knowing a lot. There are a few clips of the cast talking about the end online, not really spoilery.

It'll be awful if Wilson dies.

witnessmenow

Guys please use spoiler tags when talking about who will be appearing in next week's episode!

gavmcg92

The Black Oil wrote: »

I don't really have a clue what to expect re the finale. Tears, probably!

Well if I cried for the second last episode then I am sure I will be needing a box of tissues when I do my weekly shop tomorrow :P

ScrubsfanChris

First preview of final episode, gives away nothing so no real need for spoiler tag.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UXXt1axtHk

2 hour (1:24 really) final episode, lots can happen.

Somnus

I'm glad it's going to be a 2 hour episode. I was a little concerned about them trying to cram it all into the normal time slot. That would feel like a very rushed ending

The Black Oil

Is it definitely an extended episode? Or is it the retrospective documentary, plus a normal length episode?

Posy

I didn't think it was a 2 hour episode- you guys sure?

InchicoreDude

Is there only 1 episode left?

Somnus

InchicoreDude wrote: »

Is there only 1 episode left?

Yup. I know, it totally snook up on me. I was assuming there would be 24. But it's a double episode.

Posy

According to the TV listings, the final episode is on from 10-11pm on Thursday, so it must be just an hour long episode?

gavmcg92

Posy wrote: »

According to the TV listings, the final episode is on from 10-11pm on Thursday, so it must be just an hour long episode?

According to this trailer it is on Monday
no?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFG79agEkyw

smellslikeshoes

gavmcg92 wrote: »

According to this trailer it is on Monday
no?

I presume he's talking about it being shown on tv outside of America.

squonk

It's an hour long episode. Before the episode airs, Fox are also showing a House retrospective, presumably for an hour.

ScrubsfanChris

8pm to 10pm

One documentary type and then one episode...

The Black Oil

Nostalgia time.

Looking back over this makes me remember how it used to be quite a show. Particularly House and Wilson. Dammit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru4FtqeLf9Y

Somnus

That really just reminded me of how seasons 4 and 5 were some of the best tv I'd seen. The revelation at the end of season 5 blew my mind. Sad to think it peaked back then (IMO anyway).
It's the end of a great show all right! Shame this last season has been flat bar the last few episodes.