No TV show has ever delivered a will they, won't they romance quite like House
did between Gregory House and Lisa Cuddy. House stands out among medical procedural drama shows for a wide variety of reasons, but one of the most compelling and enduring aspects of the show was the tension between House and Cuddy. Huddy, as some fans have lovingly nicknamed the pair, have an electric connection.
However, due to their positions as a practicing doctor and the head of the hospital, House and Cuddy avoid taking their relationship further. There is also the fact that the pair appear to have a level of animosity, as they constantly throw jabs and terse remarks at one another. But, there is no denying that there is an intense connection which they eventually give room to explore.
10
“I Always Want To Kiss You”
Late in season 5, House and Cuddy have gone through an entire season that has seen them struggle with whether they should progress in their personal romantic relationship. In episode 23, "Under My Skin," they find themselves in proximity, due to House asking Cuddy to be a support as he detoxes from vicodin. The time they spend together is intimate, but not necessarily romantic, as they show care and affection for each other.
Doctor House may have been a tough boss, but he had a soft spot for one doctor on his staff that became more obvious as the show went on.
However, in the episode's final moments, as House is preparing to leave Cuddy's home after the intense process, Cuddy recognizes something about the way House is looking at her. She says "you want to kiss me, don't you?" to which he responds beautifully and honestly. The fact is that House and Cuddy have an intense connection, and while they have been hesitant to explore it, it remains potent.
9
“You’re An Idiot, Your Heart Stopped”
One of the best episodes of the entire series comes in season 4. "House's Head" is a masterclass in TV, with the entire episode revolving around House in the aftermath of a bus crash. As he recovers from a concussion, and begins to come to his senses, House finds himself being resuscitated by Cuddy. At the moment when he comes back from unconsciousness, Cuddy exclaims the above, which may not seem all that loving or meaningful, but it's the way that it's said.
This is prior to any sort of real romantic advance, but it's a real moment of connection between them. It comes in a time of extreme turmoil, but it comes just ahead of the pair beginning to take steps forward. And in many ways, this is a transitory moment that helps the relationship advance from coworkers, to two people who express their feelings with each other, after Cuddy realizes that she deeply cares about House.
8
House's Public Declaration Of Affection
Nothing in the relationship between House and Cuddy has been conventional, but when they do advance in their relationship, things escalate quickly. In the season 5 finale, "Both Sides Now," House and Cuddy have already consummated their relationship. The pair took their relationship to the next level, and House was not interested in walking on eggshells in any way.
There is one clear frontrunner who could be brought in to direct a House reunion movie, and their previous connection would make it so much better.
So, in typical House fashion, he stands on the top floor, and shouts to everyone in the reception "Attention! I slept with Lisa Cuddy." Moments later, Cuddy walks into the area, unaware of what House just said, but it's kind of cute to see House shouting his feelings from the rooftops in a metaphorical sense. It's also just a fun and bright moment that elevated their relationship from a potential one-night stand to something that was out in the open.
7
Remembering How They First Met
In "Known Unknowns," House and Cuddy attend a 1980s themed party together. House, always defiant, chooses to dress up in much more regal attire, but clearly, at this point in the relationship with Cuddy, she doesn't get knocked back by it. Instead, she laughs, and enjoys his quirky nature. And beyond that, the pair dance together, and they discuss how they first met.
This moment is wonderful, as House mentions one moment, and then Cuddy cuts in about a brief interaction a few days earlier. The reality is that, despite the early connection, and what would seem like a missed opportunity for the pair to start dating in college, House tells Cuddy that he planned to reach out, but on the same night where they would have connected, he was expelled from school.
6
House Gets A Little Too Comfortable
Later on in House, as the pair try to legitimately make a relationship work, House shows off his bad behavior in some creative ways. In season 7, episode 9, "Larger than Life," House and Cuddy sit down to dinner with both Cuddy's mother, and House's best friend, James Wilson. Over dinner, Cuddy's mother immediately begins a difficult line of questioning, which nearly causes House to get into a full-blown argument, before Cuddy senior suddenly passes out.
Even though House creator David Shore's comments about a possible spin-off make it seem unlikely, it's not impossible either. I personally think that Chase would be the best to head up a House spin-off, especially considering how his story ended in the finale. He had some harsh experiences throughout the show, like the whole Cameron fiasco, so if anyone deserves their own show, it's him.
As luck would have it, House, anticipating a difficult conversation, drugged Cuddy's mother to avoid any arguments. Wilson is initially in favor of the unorthodox idea, until he begins to get drowzy and realizes House also drugged him. While most normal couples may not recover from this, House is trying to serve his girlfriend in his own way. It's odd, it's certainly messed up, but it's classic Huddy.
5
House Administering An Injection To Cuddy's Rear
Much earlier in the show, the tensions are brewing. House and Cuddy always have a connection, but early on, they only flirt with the idea. However, there are some moments that break through early on where the pair show how comfortable they are with eachother, and how close they are willing to get. In House season 2, episode 23, "Who's Your Daddy?," Cuddy asks House to administer an injection into her buttocks to prep for IVF.
House spends quite a lot of time lingering, looking at her legs and buttock, and wiping down the area. When Cuddy comments on this, the two share a smile, admiring and clearly hinting at a mutual attraction. This may have been early days, but even at this point, the connection was electric, and unlike anything either one displayed when they were with other characters.
4
"You'd Have Made A Great Mother"
House ran for a total of eight seasons, and from the very beginning, House and Cuddy had a cordial flirtation that spoke to something deeper. Despite this, the pair held back on indulging their emotions for most of the series run, with the first kiss coming in season 5, episode 6, "Joy." This tender moment comes when Cuddy has just narrowly missed an opportunity to adopt due to other circumstances, and while Cuddy is feeling tender and distressed, House arrives to comfort her.
It's been 12 years since House ended, and there has yet to be a show that hit the same notes as the eight-season medical drama starring Hugh Laurie.
Obviously, his brand of comfort may appear confrontational, and the pair appear to almost have an argument after House delivers the above line, but the pair allow themselves to be vulnerable, and embrace in their first kiss of the show. The moment reveals a lot about two characters who are constantly struggling for control, and pushing people back to protect themselves. At this moment, they are just two vulnerable people, and that's all they need to be.
3
Cuddy Comforts House After The Accident
Following on from "House's Head," "Wilson's Heart" is the second part of this extended story line. Before any relationship, or a shared kiss, Cuddy makes it clear how much she adores House. Season 4 was noticeably shorter than the other seasons of House, which meant this episode was actually the season finale. House is still recovering from the accident, but Cuddy is with him, holding his hands and sitting by his side.
In most situations, this is the actions of a wife, or close loved one, not a boss. While the two have been friends for a long time, the actions of Cuddy, and her worries about House and his well-being, clearly highlight much deeper and more intense emotions. Of course, they are close, they have known each other for years, and they work together, but even without a formal romantic relationship in place, Cuddy genuinely loves House, and he loves her back.
2
Settling Into A Romantic Relationship
By the time season 7 came around, House and Cuddy finally put everything on the line to be together, and forget about the things that could get in the way. In the season 7 premiere, "Now What?," House and Cuddy have decided to step away from the hospital for the day, and just focus on their relationship. However, when major problems begin to pop up, House tries to block the information from reaching Cuddy so as to avoid ruining their day.
House has worked through a few teams during his tenure at the hospital, with several doctors making quite the match for the genius diagnostician.
While this is evidently problematic, there were sweet moments in the episode. For instance, House is deeply afraid that the relationship will just break down again, and that is why he is hellbent on not letting this moment slip away. However, Cuddy knows who House is, all of his shortcomings, and the problems that are likely to come their way, and while acknowledging these, she says “you’re the most incredible man I’ve ever known, you are always gonna be the most incredible man I’ve ever known.” With her reassurance, House finally tells her he loves her for the first time, and it looks like their relationship is finally ready to go the distance.
1
House's Moment Of Clarity
While the end of season 7 sees the Cuddy actress leave House for good, just 10 episodes earlier, in "Two Stories," House experiences a real moment of growth and clarity as he develops a deeper understanding of his relationship. House is a man who has been broken by life in many ways. His choices in turn have only served to make him more reclusive, more frustrated, and often more repressed. Rather than showing the truth of who he is to the people that matter most, he pushes them away, and the same is true in his relationship with Cuddy.
However, in this episode, House has a breakthrough into his connection to Cuddy, when he says this; “I need her in my life... do you know what it’s like to actually need someone.” House has grown a dependency, and a connection that literally causes him pain to be separate from Cuddy. As romantic an idea as that may be, it's a challenging one, and with the way things turned out, it clearly wasn't entirely healthy, but it was pivotal in their relationship in House.
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House is a medical mystery drama in which the villain is typically a difficult-to-diagnose medical malady. It follows Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a world-renowned disabled diagnostician with a notorious substance abuse issue. With his team of world-class doctors, House has built a reputation as one of the most brilliant doctors in the world - an especially impressive feat when taking into account that he rarely actually sees his patients.
Release Date
November 16, 2004
Finale Year
November 30, 2011
Network
FOX
Cast
Olivia Wilde
, Jesse Spencer
, Lisa Edelstein
Custom image by Milica Djordjevic
English (US) ·