Summary

• Some aspects of House have not aged well more than a decade later.
• For example, the House and Cuddy romance ruined the series, failing to replace the tension and humor that came from their romantic tension.
• House's problematic behavior and other elements from the show don't hold up well.

House was one of the most successful television shows ever, but revisiting the series 11 after it concluded reveals some less favorable traits. House first aired from 2005 to 2012 and remained in the US Top 10 rated television series during seasons 2 to 4. Watching the series 11 years hence, however, does pose some harsh realities.

House starred Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, an unkind but brilliant doctor who dislikes patients and is addicted to pain medication. The House cast of characters was perfect for the titular doctor to berate and belittle, with some of his behavior seeming problematic through modern eyes. Nevertheless, House remains one of the most enigmatic and celebrated characters in televisual history. While House remains one of the greatest television shows ever, certain aspects have aged poorly.

10 House Wasn't Actually That Lovable

Throughout House, the titular physician was often presented as a lovable misanthrope. The unfriendly demeanor is forgiven, often attributed to House's leg injury or his preoccupation with a patient. Watching House in retrospect, however, this excuse feels rather weak. House is unnecessarily cruel on numerous occasions and exhibits very little care to even his closest companions - Cuddy and Wilson. House goes to great efforts to test the limits of Wilson's friendship, despite the numerous examples of Wilson's devotion. This is particularly evident in the first season when Wilson is fired from the hospital's Board of Directors for standing up for House, and House barely acknowledges it.

9 House and Cuddy's Relationship Ruined The Series

Despite being anticipated for several seasons, the eventual romance between House and Cuddy destroyed much of the show's tension. House derived great humor and narrative potential teasing and exploring the romantic tension between House and Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein). Its actual development, however, failed to supplement the loss of these satisfactorily. Indeed, this change permeates the series and eventually culminates when Cuddy leaves House after season 7, which for many viewers marked the beginning of the end for House.

8 House Episodes Were Very Repetitive

Throughout House, there are several periods that are incredibly repetitive. There is, of course, House's running joke about Lupus not being the culprit, but it's not the only malady that is discussed repetitively in the differential diagnosis sequences. The medical procedures, however, become somewhat tedious. Lumbar punctures, MRI scans, CT scans, and biopsies each appear in most episodes, and soon become ubiquitous. Moreover, the episodic structure also becomes monotonous, with many consecutive storylines following the same structure - making the depicted treatment's success and the episode's narrative structure predictable.

7 House Peaked By Season 5

Arguably, House's pinnacle was season 5. While some subsequent episodes were incredibly successful and popular among viewers, no season is as reliably constructed after season 5. House's addiction storyline is woven effectively throughout, culminating in the show's best season finale, episode 24, "Both Side Now." Season 5 also boasts the largest character roster, enjoying both eras of House's medical team. Season 6, however, was the last to feature Jennifer Morrison as Cameron, and Lisa Edelstein would soon depart as Cuddy after season 7. Moreover, storylines became unrealistically melodramatic by season 6, building until the absurd finale, when House drives his car through Cuddy's window.

6 House Season 1 Looked Terrible

Early episodes from House season 1 deployed several very striking color schemes, which in hindsight seem comically surreal. Several scenes from episode 1, "Pilot/Everybody Lies," are tinted with a colored filter. It gives House a distractingly vivid orange hue during key moments, which, thankfully, was toned down in subsequent episodes. Season 1 is, however, very brightly lit, which does lend the season a cheap soap opera inflection. The CGI in House season 1 is particularly poor, this is a fairly forgivable budget constraint, but this, combined with the lighting and color scheme, is a stark contrast to the later seasons, which opted for a more cinematic tone.

5 House Was Frequently Wrong

An essential facet of House's character is his infallibility. Indeed, Dr. Gregory House is modeled after the genius literary detective, Sherlock Holmes, featuring several references to Sherlock Holmes throughout House. This frequently is not the case, however, and House is typically wrong several times before discovering a correct diagnosis. The episodic formula does, of course, demand this - if House was correct immediately the episode would be over. It also provides an over-arching tension throughout House, which prompts several debates over House's genius and what allowances this grants him. Regardless, the series repeatedly concludes that House was always correct, despite the plethora of contrasting examples.

4 House Ignored It's Perfect Ending in Season 5

House missed the perfect finale at the end of season 5. An impressive and devastating twist punctuated an episode that concluded several storylines in an effective and satisfying manner. House making the mature decision to confront his addiction was delivered timed succinctly within the narrative, grappling with one of House's central themes. Moreover, the episode featured the wedding of Chase and Cameron, providing a tidy finishing point for the series. Season 6 was very well received, but no subsequent season finale held as much emotive power as season 5's episode 24, "Both Side Now" and its hallucination storyline.

3 The House Finale Makes No Sense

Indeed, the actual House finale, season 8, episode 22, "Everybody Dies," poses more questions than answers. It never fully explains exactly how House faked his death, and the conceit behind it is rather tenuous. House fakes his death to avoid prison, and thus be available to spend time with Wilson following his terminal cancer prognosis. It is an absurdly grand gesture designed to counter all of House's previous behavior and heroize him by the show's end. This is successful to a degree, but the amount of necessary practicalities completely unaddressed in the episode (such as Wilson's treatment, the pair's finances, and House's life after Wilson dies) fosters an unsatisfying conclusion.

2 House's Treatment Of Women Is Problematic

Throughout the series, House often makes bigoted comments and jokes, seemingly presented as ironic. His treatment of women, however, is perhaps the most problematic. He repeatedly makes sexist comments, sexualizes his female colleagues, and even engages in actions that should've been considered sexual harassment. This behavior is typically dismissed with a "boys will be boys" ethos the show often tried to portray regarding House. Most female characters in House are in some way romantically d with him, and only a few episodes the Bechdel Test - a means of measuring female representation, part of which asks how many conversations occur between female characters that are not about a man.

1 House Glorified Terrible Behavior

House's terrible behavior is a primary theme throughout, but the series repeatedly represents this as a necessary evil. House is rewarded for it on several occasions, orchestrating Machiavellian schemes to achieve his own desires and being celebrated for it. Moreover, while House does a sterling job at depicting the devastation of drug addiction, it also derives humor from it and, to a degree, suggests that in House's case, overusing prescription medicine is a positive trait. This, along with House's repeated sexist behavior, bigoted humor, and general cruelty, is repeatedly forgiven, and even presented as acceptable.