The ancient Greeks believed that swans
only sang once at the point of their death.
One beautiful last lament.
Well, this is my last swan-like lament.
I got the cake! I got the cake!
- This is what we do. - What?
You feed anything between 200 and 500 people out of this truck.
Yes. We all work together. We take care of each other.
People already believe that everyone in show business
lives on lobster and champagne.
Oh, really'? Yeah.
And in actual fact... It's not glamorous.
It isn't glamorous, is it?
This is a celebration
and you can't have a celebration without a cake.
I'm not saying that House M.D. is the king of TV shows...
Wait a minute. No, actually, I am saying that.
But more importantly if House is the king,
the people who make House are princes.
There's a man with a camera up there. That's...
Ah! I scared him off.
Outstanding moments in your memory of working on the show.
Do you have any? Any challenging artists you've had in your chair'?
Who you wanted to strangle, but didn't?
Fond memories?
Hugh Laurie. Stop.
For the last eight years, an incredible journey for me
and for a lot of other people, too.
So, Miss Morrison. Yes, Mr. Laurie.
Allow me to show you around because I don't know if you...
Well, so far it looks very familiar.
It does, doesn't it?
Yes, very.
I think we waxed the floor since you were last here.
Oh, wow. You have couches?
I leave and you get couches.
Just that moment.
There are some minuses, too.
Your lovely arrow cut white coat
does not hang over the back of those chairs.
Gadolinium. Oh, yeah.
Do you remember that? The pilot?
Walking down underneath this thing.
I knew she was allergic to gadolinium.
Figured it was an easy way to get someone to cut a hole in her throat.
I do remember saying "gadolinium." Gadolinium.
I'm sure I looked it up.
I found all my... You did.
I had note cards for all the diseases. You shamed us all.
Lupus, gout, bacoma, osteo-arthritis,
hypertension, diabetes, stop me any time...
The heart could point to sarcoidosis.
I'll start the ribavirin.
It's great to have the old team back together again' huh'?
Well, I know Omar got very panicky at one time about it.
He was convinced that he had everything.
"This is a thing you can get? People get this?"
It's not SSPE.
I checked your past vaccinations against Joe's.
No batch matches.
I might not come back.
I've never done a will.
I'll call a lawyer for you.
I want you to be my medical proxy.
I need to know that we're okay.
We're all missing each other.
I did at one point sort of calculate,
around season three, that we'd done 284 scenes in the outer office.
That's a hell of a thing. It is a hell of a thing.
You are very missed.
What is the white bucket you're carrying? What does it signify?
White bucket. It's our $5 Friday bucket.
And what we do is all the crew members who want to indulge
put their names on a $5 bill, tuck it into the bucket here
and we have a winner for$5 Friday.
House is a guy who has emotions, has feelings, cares what...
Amazingly good at reading people.
Right.
We had this role of House,
which sort of every role sort of revolved around,
and had so much interaction with this character
that we had to really hi! That character perfectly
or the series would not have worked.
We read so many people for this part.
When auditioning, I can remember thinking,
"I feel as if I know who this guy is, the character of House,
"but I also feel like I know who this guy David Shore is."
The mind behind the mind, as it were.
I have tenure.
Aren't you going to grab my cane
and stop me from leaving?
Hugh Laurie went on tape, and I watched it.
He had the right kind of voice
and he had a good razor stubble going,
and I thought this guy feels like House,
and, thank goodness, he's an American
so he can pronounce all this tough medical jargon.
Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis?
I have no idea what that is.
Leukoencephalopathy. Will you stop!
If I knew what was wrong, I would tell you.
Rolling!
Lying to a patient to save their life, would you do it?
No. That's a lie.
Everyone lies. But there's an exception to even' rule.
Actually, there isn't. That's kind of what makes it a rule.
"Interior ICU, day. He's revived, alive but very weak.
"Stacy's beside herself with worry."
If this were any other patient,
what would you tell them to do?
I'd say it's their choice.
Not a chance.
You'd browbeat them until they made the choice
you knew was right.
We've gotta let them cut the leg off.
It's my leg.
It's my life.
How many canes have we lost, do you think?
Lost or broken' I would say probably just slightly less than 100.
Well, first of all, he was not always walking around with a cane.
In fact, we pictured him in a wheelchair.
But a wheelchair is not the best idea
because of the obvious limitations.
So then we briefly considered a scar.
And then a cane.
Knowing that it was a cane and knowing that I wanted someone
who could walk down those halls and hold the center,
height became important and physicality became important.
The truth is he's hiding because he's handicapped.
That was where it all sort of started from.
What's the point of putting together a team if you're not gonna use them?
You've got three over qualified doctors working for you,
getting bored.
I don't need a team.
You were bouncing ideas off a janitor.
Come on! Gotta earn that fiver.
The thing that I find interesting about House, as a character,
is his distance and his apathy
and his removal from any kind of connection.
House, you play a guitar you got in ninth grade.
Eighth.
You're living in the same apartment for 15 years,
you drive a 10-year old car' you are not good with change.
That used to be true, but I changed.
You're fired.
What, because I yelled at you?
It's time for a change.
As an audience member, we know these characters
and to see them placed in their individual situations
and their quirks and their personalities come through.
Have you even interviewed anybody?
You test-drive a car before you buy it.
You have sex before you get married.
I can't hire a team based on a 10-minute interview.
What if I don't like having sex with them?
I love it. I enjoy the humor of our writers.
I mean, they are so clever.
What we get away with sometimes, it's hilarious.
Every ship has its engine room,
every restaurant has its kitchen
and every TV show has people. I don't know what they do.
What do you do in here?
I make the trains run on time.
Every rule is followed.
You have to be inventive to make it work.
Like when we did the Coast Guard rescue at sea...
Unbelievable. One of our people
thought that we had to bring in
a real helicopter over the tank in Pacoima.
But that was a process, is getting him...
You're spoiling the magic, Marcy.
Hello.
That's more invoices than I've even seen in my life.
Never mind gone through for a single show.
It says "production designer," what it means is "genius."
Behind sets hike these are people like them.
What do you think was your biggest challenge?
Mayfield was probably the most fun, I think.
You sort of built a wing of a hospital, more than a wing, actually.
Right. We did a whole world view
to the exterior, we did the interior.
- That was fun. - "'Broken.'
"Scene 53. Interior ER waiting room, night.
"Start on House as he sits in a chair alone staring into space,
“holding Freedom Master's blood speckled jacket.
“Off screen... "
He's lucky to be alive.
You don't care about anything, House.
I'm transferring you to Winslow Psychiatric.
You'll have better luck pulling the wool over their eyes. I'm done.
Don't.
I need help.
We're all worried my hero House is in trouble.
And he's going to a psychiatric hospital.
And you should also welcome Greg to the floor.
Don't worry about the name. Just passing through.
I loved "Broken. “ I think it gave the whole,
not just the season, but the whole six years,
it gave that a sort of shape
and a meaning and a kind of truth.
Yes, yeah, a kind of truth.
I don't want to break any hearts.
Can we go outside?
We built an entire mental facility.
Okay.
He's the claustrophobic one, right?
We constructed a slave ship.
As the show got more successful,
it seemed like we built a lot more.
We provided work for really thousands of people
in the seven years that I've been here.
It's made a lot of people very happy.
And Io, the scents were good.
This is Jesse's last time he ever wears this.
It is the last time I ever wear it, really.
PETER JACOBSON Yeah, Jesse was 12 and now he's 19.
You look great, Peter.
Don't let the fans tell you you don't.
The difference is that I actually look like a doctor.
Now whose blood is it really?
- Food coloring and corn syrup. A-negative or positive.
How long do you think you'll work for House?
As long as he lets me.
All are instruments are basically real,
but you can see we have tons and tons...
Aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye. Aye, aye, aye, aye
of organs that come out.
Look at it. It's like... God, it's endless.
And cut. Great, Peter.
- You're happy? - Yeah.
I'm good. All right, cutting!
I'm going to miss surgery and Jeffrey Colon.
This is your last surgery.
This is my last surgery.
Slow the heart down so it doesn't... Damn!
FOREMAN It's too fast.
No, it's not, we can fix this.
It worked.
Omar, in my opinion on the show, he has taken the worst hits.
Having the exploding colon.
Why is that?
It's because he's such a tense character.
Maybe a little more pressure?
Not too much. If it is the end and we...
Yeah, let's see the high five.
Or you're wrong and... Sorry.
Either you're right and your friend is a...
We record it on the day, we know right away it's going to ADR.
He sees it. He sees it. He sees it.
We hope that Peter gets it.
He sees it.
He sees it! Did you get anything that'll work?
I think one take. One to work.
Maybe the lone wolf on set gets left out,
so we invite him in here as much as possible so he feels at home.
I've always been surprised at just how smoothly and respectfully
you guys all work together.
It's pretty unbelievable. It really is amazing.
Because the actors hate each other.
Say the line. Say the line.
To be honest, it's kind of nice
walking into hair and makeup trailer
and knowing that you're going to get made up
and you don't have to do a thing.
You just sit in that chair, relax
and let Marianna do her work.
They're so good.
Talk about Charlyne.
Charlyne's the trouble maker of the trailer.
The girls are in here, it's very calm,
it's a calm environment until the guys get in here,
and then all of them come in at once and then it's sort of nuts.
I'd like to be able to just sit back and do Sudoku
and be as quiet as Omar, but ifs just not in my nature.
And I'm gonna miss...
Jesse was always really willing to kibitz along with me.
Do you know what kibitzing means? Yeah. Yes.
I like to kibitz in the makeup trailer.
Everybody gets along very well.
It's very much like a family. I mean, after all we are spending
more time with our crew and our cast and everybody in production
more than our family, so it's a good thing we get along.
You hang out much longer than you need to be in here for.
It's because I'm lonely. It means you actually like us.
It's because I'm sad and lonely.
Yeah, there's that.
First thing we're going to shoot is with our real actors.
At least Charlyne for sure.
Then the stunt people will take over.
Three, two, one, and action.
MAN; Action! Place is hot Here we go.
It was like not a big deal, right?
Yeah, it was totally not a big deal.
It was totally fine. Like, whatever.
I have five days left. Five days, dude.
Well, enough with the pampering.
Making me look good takes real work.
And what you've had to do to me
is a trifle compared to all these guys.
Whoa!
Stabbed. Shot.
Electrocuted.
Dr. House!
Poisoned. Overdosed.
Cardiac arrest. Leg surgery, self-administered, I died for a while.
Oh, my God, his blood pressure's dropping.
Sometimes they just don't make it.
It may look relaxed.
But these fellows have been working
since about 4:00 in the morning.
And they have power tools.
All set.
"Come fly House," wasn't it?
Tell me what that sign means. This means it's acting time.
And action!
The only cage I see is right there.
Thoughts, Gary, with three days to go.
A look back, poignant memories?
I look forward to three really busy days and a quality final episode.
And a handshake, and a hug, and a goodbye, and a good luck.
This is how we control the crowds.
They can either read the words or you can hit them with it.
$5 Friday, folks. Step on up and tuck a buck.
Could be your lucky day, brother!
I think that's the plan. Do this for section five.
Even before the director starts placing the shots or whatever,
the crew's already out.
What do your friends think you do during the day?
Do you tell them you work on something else?
We spend a lot of time here. We like to have fun.
Yeah, we have a lot of fun on the set.
All right, so ladies and gentlemen,
our final $5 Friday on House.
$2,865.
I want to thank everybody for participating.
The pressure.
Here it is.
Ron... Ron, Drew, and Christine!
Ron, Drew, and Christine! Heck yeah!
Thank you very much, everybody.
I love you all.
House as a character is a strong cup of coffee.
And every now and then he comes under attack.
You are Hugh Laurie? I am.
Your portray the character, Dr. Gregory House?
I do/did.
You're English.
I am English. Yes.
I'm a citizen of the United Kingdom,
subject of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
He?'
We were wondering if you could clarify a few things about this character,
about his personality, about his methods.
I'll do my best. I could give you some examples.
I'd like to hear them from your mouth, yes.
Frankly, sometimes he just seems like he's being mean.
What are you looking at?
Apparently a moron.
You're a moron.
Uh...
Chicago has a great program.
And you're a dumb-ass.
Was there a point to that do you think?
Well...
Yes. Sorry.
Stuck a thermometer up Detective Tritter's rear end.
Anus.
Oh.
And his hiring practices
are not much more than an opportunity to mock.
Good. Then, can we do a Secret Santa?
I liked you better 15 seconds ago when you were afraid for your job.
If people find his working conditions intolerable, they're free to leave.
They can submit their notice
and occasionally some of them do.
I didn't fail. You fired me, repeatedly.
But if you walk away now, after I just re-hired you, that's quitting.
I love the world of House.
It can go from the broadly comic to the angry satire
to the sort of gut-wrenching tragedy
to a horror movie in the space of seconds.
Anybody hear me?
"Interior, the hole. Night."
"Cuddy, field amputation kit at her side,
"is talking to an intransigent Hanna.
“Her angiocath has been removed.
“Hanna, 'No. Dr. House promised.'
"Cuddy, 'If there were any other way...
If there was any other way...
It doesn't hurt right now. I can wait.
It was an enormously tight space.
It was about 18 inches of actual set.
So if you're in there, you have to crawl around on your belly,
you have to act the actual space.
It's not made any bigger for camera.
We really wanted to be inside Hugh's head.
The shallow depth of field is quite stunning.
Focus was unbelievably difficult for our assistant cameramen.
Sometimes we're dealing with, literally, focus of half an inch.
Literally, if you just breathe with the camera,
you're soft and you're sharp and you're soft.
We took that camera and put it where it had never been before...
It wasn't designed to be. Right.
In a whole show forced us to really think out of the box.
I was uncharacteristically emotional
when we were shooting because the scene itself was heartbreaking
and the characters devastated me in that scene.
I always thought
if I did the right thing,
if I treated people right,
then good things would happen to me.
Do you think that's how it works?
I didn't use to.
Now I don't know.
I love the week to week of this show,
but I really want to know what this guy is about.
I want to know Lisa Caddy better.
I want to know who these people are
and I want to know what they're like in situations
when they're taken outside their everyday environment.
What? It's not a clot.
It's a fat embolism from the amputation.
Okay. So what can we do?
Do something. Please. Please, do something.
Please, come on, do something.
This wasn't your fault.
That's the point!
I did everything right. She died anyway.
Why the hell did you think that would make me feel any better?
You think I can fix myself?
I don't know.
I'm the most screwed up person in the world.
I know.
I love you.
I think this is the unending challenge
of trying to love someone like House.
You may not think him worth loving.
I personally do. I do love him and think him worth loving.
That's a grown-up way to resolve our differences.
There already is a mechanism for that. You're laughing. Stop.
The House-Cuddy relationship,
I've always thought had layers to it.
I think in the pilot it's clear that it has a history.
It's 5:00. I'm going home.
To what?
Nice.
Trying to convince an insane person
not to do insane things is, in itself, insane.
You can't stop our love!
The fun is in watching them struggle.
And the fun is watching them struggle, not getting together,
or maybe getting together, or thinking about getting together,
or actually being together might not be much fun.
People who get close to you get hurt. That's a fact.
I slept with Cuddy.
This is fantastic. How are you gonna screw it up'?
I feel hurt.
It didn't necessarily get explored for a long time,
but to me it was always there.
You drove your car into your ex-girlfriend's house
and then fled the country for three months.
Are you sorry about what you did?
Yes.
We need you to show us remorse.
Is that how our system works?
Release the best actors?
Everyone has a very specific and personal experience with House.
Pull my ribbon. If you know what I mean.
That's not what I meant. House.
"'House's Head.' Scene 54.
"Interior bus, driving, night inside House's mind.
"Woman in black, 'House?'
"The woman in black is there once again.
"But this time her black pants are now blue,
"her black shirt and jacket are now tan.
"And her black scarf is now red. ”
Why are you here?
There must be a reason.
You have something to tell me.
Yes. Who am I?
Why the guessing game?
Because you don't know the answer.
What's my necklace made of?
But you know the clues.
Who am I?
Amber.
On the one hand, we had a practical bus,
but when it was a flashback or a hallucination, then it was surreal,
and then suddenly it becomes real at the very end.
Removing the safety clamps!
Everything in the production needed to be coordinated.
We rehearsed this stunt in its entirety
from flipping this gimbal rig all the way over.
And then once we've eliminated all the variables
and know where people are going to land basically
and what they're going to need as far as safety goes,
I put all the elements together
and then we turned it over with everybody.
And the very ultimate thing with Amber,
we had background that was shot practically.
We added a CG dump truck to the background.
We also had our special effects people
throwing rubber glass through the window opening.
Through use of physical models,
and things that are created entirely in the computer,
he's able to create that world.
We had fans going, lots and lots of bits and pieces.
There's that moment where Amber...
It's the point of impact when the bus was hit and her body going forward,
I thought that was extraordinary.
Good thing I brought my ax cane.
I'm David Shore and I've done 177 episodes.
Robert Sean Leonard. I play Wilson. It's been 177 episodes.
Hugh Laurie, House, 177.
Omar Epps, Foreman, pilot.
265 episodes.
I think I'm like 98.
Twenty-one episodes.
"We start the final episode on House's face,
"completely passed out on the floor."
"As they move out of frame, we end the series."
I know I look grumpy there, but I'm just trying to hold it together
because that was a very, very emotional moment.
We've come right to the end.
Downtown somewhere in LA.
I have no clue where I'm at.
These are the last days.
There are so many different layers to the show.
There's the sound, there's the acting, there's the directing,
there's the writing, there's the casting, there's the wardrobe,
there's the makeup, there's the special effects.
So many different components
working towards a common theme in every frame of the show.
I am wearing pants with dogs on them.
And the reason for that is I am sick, I have the flu.
I arrived here at 6:30 p.m., which is my call.
I think we're shooting until 4:30 a.m.
I've got to work with Omar, which always makes me slightly sleepy,
just his acting style.
We go to war, baby.
Our departments interface with the public.
We do so much prep work and so much ground work.
Everything's on a deadline.
It's a lot of fun, 12 different departments on time, ready to go
with every single piece of equipment.
They're like the Marines. They're the first ones in.
So you guys like when we wrap early?
Oh, yeah.
That's what it's all about.
If you want to know people well,
you should see them at 5:00 in the morning.
You'll either like them more or less.
With these people, it's definitely more.
Cut.
I only want to say as we go into
the last show that we will ever make,
none of us really get a chance to look each other in the eye and say,
"That was an incredible thing that you did."
That there was a set that was
drawn on a Monday, built on a Tuesday,
and acted on on a Wednesday is just mind-bending.
This show belongs to all of us
and it's something I'm extraordinarily proud of.
Three, two, one, zero!
So this is it. Here's to the last day.
Eight years, and 177 shows.
That's almost five million man hours.
Or if you prefer, 566.6 years,
4,074 miles of film.
And just one more mile to go.
MAN; Rolling!
And action.
I think it's because all of me believes that
Foreman is a sucker for an emotional plea.
Cut!
- Sir'? - What do you think?
Good. Yeah?
All right' that's a wrap, guys!
Mr. Hugh Laurie!
Well, they're all being very polite to me
because I've laid on a plane for a very last trip.
It was either that or nine hours in a van and I thought,
"Well, if anybody's deserved it, they have. ”
That's the international sign of someone going up in a helicopter.
Proud of myself I forgot the next thing. WOMAN: B-mark.
You tell them that you're not losing
your boyish good looks and becoming worn out.
I... Okay, well... Sorry.
If your husband continues to decline.
Sorry.
Did you just give me the nod to do that?
I cannot abide that.
Can I do that again? I'm so sorry.
Yeah, I like it.
We started in this room.
July 13th.
2004.
Our very first fitting on the TV show House.
Wow.
Looks like my son.
I know, right?
Well, you're not supposed to go for that so quickly, Cathy.
Our very first fitting
and this is our very last fitting for House.
That says it all. I remembered to call him out many times.
I've actually seen him sleep. I've caught him falling asleep.
I'm just going to draw out three at random.
And everyone else can just lump it.
I'd like to thank the script supervisor, Ira Hurvitz.
There are so many good people working on this show.
I have to watch the continuity to make sure
since we're shooting out of order,
we don'! forget any detail.
I can so heavily rely on the makeup and hair people.
Thank you, Dalia.
You're welcome.
Where were you this morning when I woke up?
We are getting ready for the House big wrap party.
Yes, indeed. This is a big wrap party.
Of course we have a wrap party at the end of every season,
but this is the end of everything, eight years.
Almost a thousand people who worked on the show,
a lot of stories to be told,
a lot of tears to be shed,
a lot of songs to be sung.
That, by the way, is not a prop martini.
Did you just take a pill? No.
I have been watching it from the beginning.
I've heard from a lot of people
and I've had this experience myself,
where we'll wear a House hat or a House T-shirt,
and people really do come up to us and say, "Do you work on House?"
And Jamie takes advantage of that.
I'm not saying I take advantage of that.
Please don't air that on national TV.
I just want to thank House for helping me out and Inspiring me
in making one of the biggest decisions in my life.
That I want to continue med school and be a doctor.
Rita, from Battle Creek, Michigan
wants to know why millions of people around the world...
Around the world.
Are invested in the character of Gregory House.
I think it's because of your blue eyes.
Right. I think that's n.
That's pretty much what I was saying. But more condensed.
Dr. House!
If you're going to save this patient, you'll need this.
Get this thing out of my sight!
Can you help me?
Let's see now.
The genitals seem healthy.
You are a woman, right?
I'm hosting the Emmy's.
Ooh...
What a feather in your cap.
Mr. Laurie, I'm proud to present you with the Golden Camera Award.
All artists must travel alone.
It's made me think, it's made me laugh a lot. It's made me cry.
Thank you, House.
Thank you for eight great seasons.
Thank you. Thank you.
I know I am never, ever going to forget it.
“I left Holmes seated in front of the smoldering fire.
"And long into the watches of the night,
"I heard the low melancholy wailings of his violin.
“I knew that he was still pondering over the strange problem
“which he had set himself to unravel. ”
Call radiology. I want to see the music.
Am I right in saying Conan Doyle
based Sherlock Holmes on a doctor?
Not to say you based House on a doctor, but there are similarities.
Yeah, inspired.
There are parallels and because of those parallels,
there was a wink of the eye,
but it was never intended to be a modern-day Holmes.
A doctor who fundamentally isn't interested in saving lives,
but is interested in the puzzle.
There's also the implication though, in the art of the puzzle,
that the person who thrives at puzzle-solving
must be less empathetic, less emotional.
What were you doing up in Middletown?
You know what's more interesting than what I was doing'?
The reason you are so obsessed with what I was doing.
House and Wilson. Holmes and Watson. The names are a clear homage.
Robert does carry a sort of Watsonian, solid citizen aura about him.
I love House and Wilson's relationship
because there's a sense of mutual respect and honesty.
I always feel like Hugh has a twinkle in his eye
that you only see when he's talking to Wilson.
Well, what would you do?
You know the show's finished, never going to use these sets again.
And 9:00 tomorrow morning, large men with chainsaws are coming in.
Well, obviously there's only one thing to do.
It was a fun night, though.
It's strange to think isn't it?
Eight years that we have been walking..- Now that's very satisfying.
Yeah.
What the...
I did not know you had that capability.
I dare you to shoot your own foot.
No, I'm not going to because I actually did this once and it hurts.
I'm going to shoot my own foot. Go ahead.
Oddly enough that does sting a little bit.
Yeah. That'll... You feel that.
Yeah. I didn't want to warn you
because I knew I would enjoy you in pain.
I didn't want to warn you too strongly, but it does hurt.
But the things I'm prepared to do to entertain
the general public, it is really pathetic.
Should we end this? Yeah, let's end it.
We just end it now.
There obviously is no show without the fans.
And more fundamentally, there's no point in the show without the fans.
This is the exact spot where I stood, sat,
paced nervously for my very first audition
for the role of House back in 2004.
Since then it's been an incredible journey, an unforgettable part of my life.
Unforgettable part of many people's lives.
These people.