Many would love to see Hugh Laurie reprise his iconic role as Dr. Gregory House in a House reboot, but there is a way to bring the show back without the actor that could still be intriguing. In an era where revivals, spinoffs, reboots, etc. are the norm, many hope that House will be added to the mix someday. The Fox medical drama’s finale is a bit divisive — creator David Shore even called the ending of House “bittersweet” while talking to Entertainment Weekly. Consequently, some would like to see House return and fix its ending, making it more satisfying than it originally was.
While rumors about a possible House reboot run rampant on the internet, the show’s cast and crew haven’t given a definite answer regarding whether it’s happening. Many have said they would be open to the idea, but some have reservations and want to protect the original series’ legacy.
During the House series finale, Laurie’s character fakes his death. He gets trapped inside a burning building, and although he escapes, House decides to let everyone else think he’s dead. In reality, House switches the dental records to match his to a corpse from the fire, making him legally dead. He and Dr. James Wilson, who is dying from stage II thymoma, then ride off into the sunset together (literally), spending the last few months of Wilson’s life together. Due to House‘s shocking and drastic ending, many want to learn what happened next, but perhaps it would be better to go back in time.
A House Prequel Would Be A Great Way To Revisit Gregory House
A Prequel Would Be Better Than Just Continuing House’s Story
Even though some found House‘s ending unsatisfactory, it might be better to leave it be and simply revisit Hugh Laurie’s character via a prequel. Continuing House’s story could do more harm than good. Revivals always run the risk of ruining a TV show’s legacy, and while the medical drama’s finale was upsetting for many viewers, the series as a whole is remembered fondly. A sequel could change that. Instead, David Shore and Co. could go back in time in a House reboot and explore the fan-favorite character before he became the curmudgeon who fans met during the pilot episode.
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Many popular TV shows that have entered the reboot/revival/spinoff stratosphere have taken the prequel route and experienced massive success. Series like Better Call Saul (a Breaking Bad spinoff), NCIS: Origins (an NCIS prequel), 1883 and 1923 (Yellowstone spinoffs), Young Sheldon (a Big Bang Theory prequel), etc. have all performed well. The list just goes on and on. So, a House reboot centered around a younger version of Laurie’s character could follow suit and satisfy original fans while introducing a new audience to the medical drama’s universe.
House Would Be A Radically Different Character In A Prequel
House’s Leg Surgery Changed Him
One of the best and most interesting appeals of a possible House prequel series would be that it could explore a different version of House. The cynic, narcissistic Head of Diagnostic Medicine at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital wasn’t always that way. However, following his leg surgery, House became a different person.
So, it would be quite intriguing to see exactly what House was like before his life-changing surgery in a possible House revival 12 years after the finale.
As some may remember, House suffered an infarction in his right leg, resulting in an aneurysm that had clotted and a necrotic quadriceps muscle. He was insistent on keeping his leg, undergoing extreme measures to do so. However, while Hugh Laurie’s character was in a chemically induced coma to endure the pain, his girlfriend at the time, Stacy Warner, and Dr. Lisa Cuddy went against House’s wishes and authorized a surgery that led to House losing partial use of his leg. Consequently, House had to use a cane and became addicted to Vicodin to deal with his chronic pain.
House Cast | Role |
|---|---|
Hugh Laurie | Dr. Gregory House |
Lisa Edelstein | Dr. Lisa Cuddy |
Omar Epps | Dr. Eric Foreman |
Robert Sean Leonard | Dr. James Wilson |
Jennifer Morrison | Dr. Allison Cameron |
Jesse Spencer | Dr. Robert Chase |
Olivia Wilde | Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley |
Kal Penn | Dr. Lawrence Kutner |
Peter Jacobson | Dr. Chris Taub |
Amber Tamblyn | Dr. Martha Masters |
Charlyne Yi | Dr. Chi Park |
Odette Annable | Dr. Jessica Adams |
The incident drastically changed House. He wouldn’t be the person he was in the original show if he hadn’t lost partial use of his leg, leading to his drug addiction and curmudgeon personality. So, it would be quite intriguing to see exactly what House was like before his life-changing surgery in a possible House revival 12 years after the finale.
A House Prequel Could Still Revisit Hugh Laurie’s Version Of The Character
Laurie Could Easily Return In A House Prequel Reboot (But Have A Limited Role)
Even if a House prequel series revolved around a younger version of Hugh Laurie’s character was greenlit, Laurie could still reprise his role in the new show. Similar to Better Call Saul or NCIS: Origins, a prequel of the medical drama could feature some snippets of House after he faked his death during the season 8 finale. Or Laurie could serve as a narrator, like Michael C. Hall’s role in Dexter: Original Sin or Jim Parsons’ in Young Sheldon. Whatever the case, a House reboot would be best if it were a prequel, whether Laurie is attached to the project or not.
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
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November 16, 2004
- Network
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FOX
- Cast
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Olivia Wilde
, Jesse Spencer
, Lisa Edelstein - Seasons
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8
- Showrunner
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David Shore
Source: Entertainment Weekly