A House Reboot Would Have To Answer One Tragic Question About This Fan-Favorite Character

Regardless of what a House reboot would look like, it would have to address the promise House made to Thirteen. By the end of House, it’s safe to say that the only two characters who knew House faked his death were Wilson and Foreman. Wilson was the reason House faked his death, as House wanted to be there for Wilson during his friend’s final months instead of going to jail. Foreman never got to see House after the fake death stunt but realized his old boss was still alive after finding House’s hospital ID under his table.

It’s difficult to theorize what happened to House after Wilson died. While some believe Greg House did not live much longer after losing Wilson, some argue House would have tried to keep going no matter what based on the near-death experience he had in the finale. Assuming House is still alive in the show’s canon, there is one thing he would still have to do eventually – fulfill his promise to Thirteen whenever the time came. However, it’s unclear how that would even work since House faked his death and left the country.

A House Revival Would Have To Address What Happened To Thirteen

Would Thirteen Still Be Alive In 2024?

Custom image by Simone Ashmoore

Thirteen was officially diagnosed with Huntington’s disease – a genetic, degenerative condition – at the end of House season 4. While the show teased that Thirteen’s life could be extended with the help of Foreman’s experimental drug, it did not work out. In House season 7, episode 18, “The Dig,” House tells Thirteen that, whenever her disease reaches a critical condition, he'll kill her if she wants. Thirteen was as lonely as House, which is why he assured her he would be there for her when the time came. However, Thirteen now believes House is dead as far as we know it.

If a House reboot ever happens, it would have to address what happened to Thirteen, and whether Greg ever returned to the US to fulfill his promise. House ended in 2012, meaning that Thirteen would be 43 years old in 2024. However, given her condition, it’s impossible to say whether Thirteen would even still be alive should a reboot happen. This is why any sort of House revival or sequel would have to address Thirteen’s fate – it’s the only unresolved storyline from the original show that would make sense to be tackled in a reboot.

The Payoff To House's Offer To Thirteen Would Make A Revival Worth It

House May Have Kept His Promise To Thirteen Despite Faking His Death

The dynamic between Hugh Laurie’s House and Olivia Wilde’s Thirteen was one of the best things about House, particularly after House learns more about Thirteen. Between going by "13" to never discussing her private life, Thirteen was initially a puzzle for House. However, their relationship evolved into a true friendship that was cemented in season 7 with her return. This was also when House offered to eventually euthanize Thirteen, which is something she did to her brother, who also had Hungtinton’s and eventually lost control of his body.

There are many ways a House reboot could work, although none of them would be easy to pull off. House’s finale was satisfying enough despite the bittersweet aspect of it, and there would be hardly any reason to revisit House’s character after Wilson’s death. However, should a reboot happen, having House and Thirteen meet again could make for a great moment – even if in a flashback set somewhere before 2024.

A House Reboot Would Have Bigger Problems Than Just Thirteen’s Fate

What Would A House Reboot Even Look Like?

Handling the Thirteen promise would be tricky, but that would be the least of the problems a House reboot would have to solve. As great of a show as House was, it had a very definitive ending that makes any kind of sequel very difficult to pull off. House giving up his career and life as he knew it in exchange for five more months with Wilson was the most selfless act the show could have even written for him. House and Wilson riding off into the sunset was as good as it gets for a series finale.

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It’s fun to imagine what happened to House after that and what his life may have turned out to be without his documents, license, and Wilson. However, that may not translate well into a new series. Gregory House would never be that doctor from the first eight seasons again, meaning that a House reboot would have to be something very different from the original show. House solving cases with a team simply doesn't work after “Everybody Dies,” although revising the character in any way or form would be exciting nonetheless.

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.

Cast Olivia Wilde , Jesse Spencer , Lisa Edelstein

Release Date November 16, 2004

Seasons 8

Network FOX

Showrunner David Shore