House S06E04

A very brief observation on this week's episode. House and Wilson appear to have a relationship based on good-natured arguing and sarcasm. This seems to work out a little better for House, since Wilson gets frustrated much more quickly. Anyway, I've seen a few relationships like this, and they tend to get into trouble. Although there's nothing wrong with a rousing argument between two consenting adults, that can't be the only kind of exchange. The difficulty is that sarcasm is a barrier to effective communication. Nobody wants to share their feelings only to be teased about them, so the expectation of a sarcastic response will limit what someone is willing to say.

This expectation is making it difficult for the rehabilitated House to reconnect with the people in his life. They're all expecting the worst from him, so they can't reach out.