About House and Wilson
I've watched a lot of series in my time, both anime and live-action TV shows. And in all that time waste, there are only a handful of characters I've hated from the first episode right through to the very last. It's even rarer for that character to be the main protagonist. But one character fits that description perfectly: Dr. Gregory House from the show House M.D.
Now, here's the contradiction—I absolutely loved the show itself. It was brilliant, gripping. But I could never stand House. Eight full seasons couldn't make me like him one bit; in fact, my dislike for him only grew as the series went on. He was intentionally annoying, overbearing, and manipulative. He constantly forced his will on others, never truly listened to anyone, and seemed to take pleasure in causing problems for the people around him. The list of his flaws is practically endless. He was a genius diagnostician, sure, but he was a terrible person, and being a doctor never seemed to change that core fact.
Throughout the entire run of House M.D., he was a consistent source of disturbance for every other character. He displayed all the traits of a sociopath—cynical, devoid of empathy, with a deep-seated hatred for humanity and an unshakable belief that he was always the smartest person in the room. And what frustrated me most was the complete lack of meaningful character progression. He didn't learn a single lesson. He ended the show the same broken, destructive man he was when it began with less people in his life...
This dynamic extends to the supporting characters, especially his best friend, Dr. James Wilson. My feelings for Wilson were the exact opposite—I loved him from episode one. He was the textbook definition of a loyal, good friend. No matter how badly House treated him, no matter how much he was hurt, Wilson always found a way to forgive him. Their relationship was so intense and co-dependent that I, like many fans, sometimes wondered if there was something more than friendship between them...
However, there was one thing about Wilson's character that I came to hate almost as much as House's behavior: his inability to stand up for himself. He just accepted House's abuse as the price of their friendship. He rarely fought back in a lasting way. Sometimes I wondered if he was a masochist who subconsciously enjoyed the emotional chaos. After his girlfriend, Amber, died—a tragedy indirectly linked to House—I was sure he would finally cut ties for good. And he did... but it was only temporary. He always went back.
As I saw it, both characters went through a rollercoaster of life-changing events, yet neither of them truly grew. House even went to a therapist, but it felt more like a game to him than a genuine attempt to change. It was as if the whole series was designed by House himself to justify his behaviour and wrong doing, as if to whitewash his image. I understand 'point of view' but still. Even if you ignore House, most of the other characters are also like him. They don't grow as well. It was only after I finished the series that I had a sudden, personal epiphany about why i hated him.
Epiphany
I realized I was like him.
Not the sociopathic genius part, but I saw in myself some of his exact negative traits. I didn't have much patience for most people. I lacked clear ambitions. And while I'm not as intellectually brilliant as he is, I rarely accepted my mistakes and stubbornly believed I was right. I saw my own enjoyment in doing what I wanted without much regard for others' opinions. That realization hit me like a punch to the gut. And it also explained why I felt such frustration with Wilson—because on a deeper level, I hated the idea of being the person who just does what they're told. I've always listened to my own inner voice, for better or worse. Thankfully, I like to think I'm not as stubborn or self-destructive as they were; I did, albeit rarely, learn from my mistakes.
About the artworks
On this page, you will find two artworks I created of them. The House artwork is made of thousands of tiny, repeating drawings of houses... get it? Meanwhile, the Wilson artwork is built from thousands of necktie emojis (👔), a nod to his more conventional and professional demeanor. I think both turned out well. House's portrait is in stark black and white, with only his piercing blue eyes in color, to highlight his coldness. Wilson's is fully colorful.
Thanks for reading my rant!
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