It looks like House M.D. might've diagnosed its last case of lupus, with FOX declining to pick the show up for a ninth season. There's been enough turmoil on the show over the past couple of seasons to make any network wary, with significant cast members being asked to take payroll cuts and one (the actress who plays Cuddy) refusing, opting to leave the show instead. When you get into the seventh or eighth season of a show, salaries become so high that you need to maintain awfully high ratings to continue to make a show a good financial bet, and House hit its peak in seasons three and four, having slid quite a bit in the ratings since then. Eventually there comes a point where syndication will make you more money than actually making new episodes of a series, especially with Hugh Laurie's contract up at the end of the season; he'd likely want a fair amount of cash to come back for another two or three years.
Deadline indicates that it's possible that Universal, which actually produces the show (they license it to FOX) may bring it back on another network, but it'd be a likewise expensive show for any other network to pick up. Regardless, the decision has apparently been made early enough for House to actually get a real finale, rather than simply ending on a cliffhanger. [Edit: According to an open letter from David Shore, producer Katie Jacobs, and Hugh Laurie, they are not going to attempt to move the show to another network, and this will definitely be its last.]
If you've been following House all these years, how do you think it has to end? Obviously House and Cuddy aren't going to get together (barring an amazingly gracious cameo on the part of Lisa Edelstein), so maybe he'll lose his leg? Or kill someone while high on vicodin and get sent back to jail for real, forever? It'll be curious to see how it all resolves, even if I'm not too likely to tune in until the last episode, this season being less than remarkable.
I came for the inevitable Lupus joke.
I leave satisfied.
I still enjoy the show a lot, but it's clearly past its prime.
I'm really sad cause I've been watching since the middle of season 1 and enjoyed all the episodes, it was kind of sad to see people leaving but the writing was still decent enough, I think it will end with House losing his leg, the hospital exploding or maybe house dying with everybody he knew watching over him or him walking into the sunlight with some hookers idk.
I've enjoyed House over the years, as I thought he may be evolving with character growth, but then he just kinda got stuck in idle. The case of the week is played out in that we mostly know the beats of trial and error, divine inspiration and if you don't kill the patient you cure the patient . . . or at least solve the puzzle so House can go onto torturing someone else with his "friendship" or employment. With the lost of his love interest, I'm not sure what I find redeeming in the character, or necessary in watching a cane stuck in the mire. Like Chuck, let's end this at least trying to tie up loose issues . . . either he goes complete genius psycho or he becomes more human, like the rest . . . or the head of international financial fund.
I was just hoping that Chase would be assassinated by someone from the country that was run by James Earl Jones' character.
Season 8 has probably been the worst so far. Getting rid of Masters in favor of 13 only to have her leave six episodes later was a dumb decision. Adams is a terrible actress and boring character and the writing has gotten really bad and melodramatic. It's a shame. I've been a House apologist for years. Season five and six were of lessar quality for sure but the entire show was still great. Season 7 was a great return to form... but I guess it just didn't last past the cast changes.
As for the end of the show? Calling it now: House diagnoses an illness that he gets related to his leg which either ends up with him dying. It'd be inconsistent to give this character a happy ending. I almost guarantee he'll die.
I love House, and I am a great fan of the show. That being said, this is the time to end it. Perhaps last season was better to end, but I'm glad the writers can build to a real conclusion. I like the idea of House dying, they are not afraid to do terrible things to this anti-hero.
House and all his team get lupus by accident. He then flies a plane into Wilson's apartment.
Wilson: "HOUSE!!!!"
I hope this is the end, the show was great for the first five seasons..but like many shows, there's only so much you can do with such a limited plot line, it's getting stale now, and all of the female Cameron "replacements'' are just boring.
Thank the lord, don't get me wrong I love house but episode after episode of the same thing come on.
Hooray! No more terrible acting from Charlene Yi!