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Wounded Hearts #273: House & Cameron, because canon can bite us!
Welcome to the 273rd
Wounded Hearts - House & Cameron
Appreciation Thread
by SkateGirl88 (Andreia)
A damaged and complicated man; a damaged and intriguing woman; their story is a complicated one.
The greatest love stories are the ones that take a long time to unravel and tell their tale, as there are so many depths to it..
and House and Cameron’s is no exception.
Their story hasn’t even truly begun to get unraveled, but what we have seen so far has been wonderful.
It has been intriguing; there have been moments of anguish, emotion, passionate fights, eyesex, laughter,
and light heartedness, not to mention the ever-present tension and intimacy invading the space between them.
Their relation and dynamic has developed throughout the seasons, making us more drawn to them.
Thus far we’ve had four chapters (seasons) to this dynamic, each one providing us with numerous
aforementioned moments which we enjoy, laugh, agonize over, and embark on endlessly entertaining and analytic discussions.
So, let’s start from the beginning..
"Gorgeous women do not go to medical school. Unless they’re
as damaged as they are beautiful.. But you are damaged, aren’t you?"
"I’m not gonna crush you."
"Young ingénue doctor falling in love with gruff, older mentor; her sweet, gentle
nature bringing him to a closer, fuller understanding of his wounded heart."
"What I am is what you need. I’m damaged."
Since these two characters graced our screens, it was noticeable from the beginning that there was something about them that kept you wondering what was going on there; the way they interacted within a scene, their exchanges, their natural chemistry.
Season 1 is commonly referred to as THE season for House and Cameron. It was a time where we began to learn about and become acquainted with these characters. This first season was the time when their underlying emotional connection was forged. It was the beginning of their attraction, their intimacy, the angst, the tension, their fights, the understanding, and the unsaid communication.
One of the most significant moments in the first season with regard to establishing their relation, is the lab scene in Fidelity. It's one of the times he isn't that snarky. Cameron voluntarily gives him some very personal information about herself, and he does in his own way try to be comforting. However, he is still trying to figure her out and says how "you can't be that good a person and still be that well adjusted". Her comeback when she says "..or hating people" demonstrates that she seems to get him more than he does her.
Most importantly, this scene shows that their relation works on a deeper level. Even though it's early on in the first season, you get a sense there is an underlying connection between them. This was established even before they showed there was some attraction between them as well. The underlying emotional connection is the foundation of their relation.
Cameron’s feelings for House were explored in season 1, we saw her admiration and respect for him as a doctor, such as in Detox, and DNR, and in subsequent episodes like Control, Mob Rules, Heavy, Role Model, and Love Hurts, her feelings for him beyond that were brought to the forefront.
Those latter emotions it seems began from their non-date in Sports Medicine. To begin with, the scene when House asks her on the non-date, he is unsure and not confident, something, which till that point, we had not seen before. Such awkwardness is enough evidence of House’s feeling towards her (but more of that later).
On the non-date they were so comfortable around each other, and it was one of the first times we as an audience got to see a different side of House. He seemed to have let down his walls for that moment with Cameron, he looked happy, and there was less of the snark we usually see from him. What was even more interesting was that he even shared some personal information with her, about previously living with someone. This was a point where Cameron got to see the man behind the snark, where her attraction to House started, building on her existing respect and admiration for him as a doctor.
Mention of House’s “feelings” for Cameron, are indicated by subtle references in scenes, largely from Wilson, though other secondary characters have done so too.
But we see from the Pilot, how he was intrigued by her, his curiosity about her began, for him, the puzzle that is Cameron started.
A greater indication of his feelings with regard to Cameron are conveyed in House’s facial expressions, which tell us so much more than words ever could. The end scene in Role Model is a good illustration of that. One can gauge what his emotions are, through his facial expressions; when Cameron begins to explain why she likes him, House becomes uneasy, and is unable to shake her held out hand. He puts his head down and cannot look at her, he is frozen to the spot, as are his emotions, incapable of communicating what he feels. After she leaves, you can see in his expressions that he is upset, and not really knowing what to do. If he wasn’t affected by her resignation, and didn’t feel anything for her, we undoubtedly would have seen some snarky comments from him.
More evidence of how Cameron is important to him in some way, is shown in the episode Kids. Throughout the episode, one can see how he wants her back, again his facial expressions in certain moments present that. Of course, the two times he visits her apartment to ask her back is blatant enough to elicit that too. In the end, he agrees to go on a date with her as terms for her return to the team, which is shown in Love Hurts. There are subtle references that he is making an effort on the date, for example, the corsage. Initially, he is awkward on the date, and looks uncomfortable making small talk. Not really able to look at her. But as soon as Cameron asks him what he feels about her, he makes a speech about why she likes him (what he believes she thinks), ‘because he is damaged’. This can also be interpreted as him projecting the reasons he doesn’t like about himself, or why anyone as nice as her could ever be interested in him.
By the end of season 1, we also begin to see that House was/is capable of loving someone, and why he has built up walls around himself, for no one to get close to him. This was when his ex-partner Stacey arrived with her husband Mark. Cameron realises and begins to understand him more, when she says, “I thought you couldn’t love anyone, but I was wrong, you couldn’t love me”. This was the moment, when Cameron’s “crush” ended, but not her feelings for House. From then on, she no longer wears her heart on her sleeve, she is in denial of what she feels, but importantly becomes a stronger person. All these traits will be a feature in subsequent seasons.
What we can take from this season is the subtleness of this dynamic, it speaks volumes, and however little or much we see in later seasons it will always be there.
by Pandora (S1/4)
"I’m over you. I’ve jumped on the bandwagon. I hate you, ok?"
"Stop me.. physically, stop me... You can’t, because that would involve touching me and then things would get so sexually charged."
After the end of season 1, the next chapter in these two character’s story saw them being preoccupied with; an old love, new admirers, new interesting cases, facing health scares, and life-threatening situations. Though the focus of their feelings were not at the forefront in many episodes, it was the subtle moments within their scenes, the air of intimacy between them, which held strong and grew.
We see a changed Cameron, her character has developed and grown. In this season, we are presented with a more confident woman, as a doctor and an individual, compared with her persona in the first season. Even though she is still learning, she is a better doctor, and is more sneaky (although that side was evident in season 1, but not as much), and more assured to stand up for what she believes in, which on the whole sees her challenging and standing up to House, saying no to him, but also standing up to Cuddy.
She also has moved on from her crush on House. It doesn’t define her anymore, she wants and is determined to be judged on her actions as a doctor and individual. It doesn’t necessarily mean she has no feelings for House, though we now see her being in denial regarding that.
This new side of Cameron is shown in the opening episode Acceptance, though she is still learning and becoming a better doctor , she is more willing to challenge House (of course, we saw signs of that in season 1, Heavy, being an example), and this is played out in the many passionate and intense fights they have in this season, as well as succeeding ones.
From House’s point of view, when he is engaging in fights with her, he is not necessarily imposing his opinion on her and that she should think that way, on the contrary, it shows he wants her to be the best she can be, and to become stronger. This is illustrated most of the time when he is challenging her. Even though they have their fights, when they are pulling for what they both believe in, Cameron comes out stronger. She doesn't have to agree with him in the end, which I don’t think he wants, but she is growing into a better doctor and individual. The latter is the raison d’être for him pushing her, one of the key reasons for their fights.
The scene in Sleeping Dogs Lie, where he says to Wilson that Cameron needs to learn not to be screwed over (vis-a-vis the article conflict with Foreman), is illustrative of that point. Other passionate and intense fights occur in Clueless (a great scene in Cuddy’s office), Acceptance, Euphoria, and TB or not TB.
One also cannot forget the exquisite, electrifying and intense eyesex moments between them, which seemed to have reached new heights in this season. A few notable eyesex moments were the balcony scene in Daddy’s Boy, the hallway scene in Euphoria, the corridor scene in No Reason, and one of the office scenes in Acceptance. At times the tension between them during those moments is so much, that as a viewer you forget that others are also in the room. It’s like they are bearing into each other’s soul, so much so, that there is unspoken communication taking place when this occurs.
An excellent example of the unsaid communication between them is from their end scene in Clueless. It is a beautiful and subtle moment, a moment of calmness in his office, and in the manner in which they speak. However, there are two conversations going on, the audible one, and the one which is silent, conversed through their body language, their touches and their eye contact. The intensity in the room is at fever point, while the surroundings are calm.
Even though for a large part of season 2 House is consumed with the presence of his ex-partner Stacey in the hospital, House and Cameron still had their moments, and there were some signs of what House thinks of Cameron. In TB or not TB for example, alongside the fights him and Cameron have, a lot of why he is engaging in these fights is that he is a tad jealous of the patient, Sebastian. There are many instances in this episode that show House’s jealously there. But their end scene is quite telling. With the threat of Sebastian waning, House is less confrontational. There is some playful banter between them, but he begins with an inquisitive question to Cameron, about whether Cameron is going to go out with Sebastian. When she answers “No”, he seems quite relieved.
We also see House being concerned about Cameron (in his own way) in Need to Know regarding her HIV test. She again constantly surprises him in a number of episodes, and renders him speechless at one point in All In.
A part of the House Cameron dynamic is how we see a different side of House through his interaction with her, even if it is momentarily. We get insights into House, regarding his personal information, feelings and thoughts, contrasting the snarky comments he usually hides behind to avoid any human contact.
This is particularly the case in their end scene in Daddy’s Boy, when he voluntarily tells her something very personal, mirroring the scene in Fidelity (season 1) when she does likewise. That’s the emotional underlying connection, which has been forged between them since then. At times we see him share information about himself to her, because that time a few years ago she trusted him to tell him something personal about herself. So he feels he can do the same with her. They have a shared intimacy that is more meaningful than physical attraction alone.
In that moment, you can see House is vulnerable, he trusts her with this information, he breaks down those walls surrounding his wounded heart, even if it is for just a few seconds. This is a big revelation for House. He doesn't make any snarky comments, he is completely void of that in that scene. The arrogant, confident House is not displayed here, it is a man who is vulnerable, scared, and damaged.
This summary ends with mentioning the most crucial episode of the season, in relation to insights into House, and what he thinks and feels about Cameron. This is No Reason, where we find out that the majority of the episode has been a hallucination of House’s following him being shot, therefore, the scenes with Cameron have added meaning. First, we see him wake up with Cameron by his side, implying that he wants her to be by his side, to care for him. He expects that. Additionally, his hallucination indicates that he respects and admires her too. Their banter in discussing the patient exemplifies that, as well as his expressions.
The comment about “physically touching him” again shows what he thinks about them, that there is intensity, tension and physical attraction between them. He is scared to physical touch her because of that, because of what he might feel, he doesn’t want to open himself up to anyone, to human contact.
In the robotsex scene, you see he is delicately touching her with the robot arm, caressing her cheek, blowing on her skin and gently opening her shirt. This can imply a few things, that he feels scared about touching her, thus the use of the robot arm in his hallucination, and that the delicate touching also describes his feelings towards her, he is unsure, or maybe not deserving of being that intimate with her. The latter draws back to his conversation with the patient’s wife regarding “sevens marry sevens, nines marry nines, fours marry fours”, to him it would be a mathematical error to be in a relationship with her.
When he wakes from his hallucination she is there too. Leaving us to wonder what would happen in season 3.
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"You miss me."
"You miss ME."
The most recent season was somewhat erratic, but we will not dwell on that now. Though their scenes were few and far between compared to previous seasons, what we had was good. Good, not just in the sense of the interaction between the two, but in relation to the development of their dynamic.
With Cameron no longer working for House, and running her own department, they are now equals. So, that is one reason for the change, but a larger reason is the development of Cameron’s character. In season 4, we see her more strong and confident, and most significantly she has a sassy edge to her.
A majority of their scenes comprised playful banter, with them engaging in verbal exchanges, Cameron often matching House to his comments. On a number of occasions she beat House at his own game, which only left him being more puzzled and intrigued by her. There was of course, the Freudian slip by Cameron in the episode Ugly, where she said she loved Dr House.
It was always House seeking Cameron out in this season, an indication maybe of him needing to be around her, or likes being near her.
The two most important scenes were their first and last one of the season in The Right Stuff, and Living the Dream respectively. The former can be argued to exemplify their dynamic and how it has evolved, and the latter appears to be an end of one chapter, and beginning of another.
The end scene in The Right Stuff illustrates many levels of their dynamic, from what we've seen in past seasons, to the new layers of their relation. It had everything in there, her understanding him, his curiousity about her, the playful banter, the unsaid communication, his uneasiness about being around her. It shows Cameron's growth and confidence, her sassiness, and how they are now equals. She still shows she understands him, he is still trying to figure her out; and the looks they give each other are still there, especially House when he is watching her, and halfway through their conversation when he looks at her, and when she walks away.
All the details there illustrate new elements of their dynamic, as well as the existing elements that have forged the basis of their relation throughout the seasons.
Their final scene together from this season (in Living the Dream) was very poignant. It showed that House does miss her being around. The “you miss me” exchange portrayed that, as well as the earlier scenes in the episode, where one can see how House is happy, in his own way, that she is around him.
At the end of the scene with Cameron telling him that “I don’t miss you”, illustrates that he still doesn’t understand her in many ways. He appears to be somewhat upset, and surprised at what she has said. He has underestimated her, and probably assumed that she always will be there, but she has moved on. That doesn’t necessarily mean she has has no feelings for him, to the contrary, she is confident enough to wait for him. Now the ball is in his court.
So, what will happen next in the story of these two characters? One can only speculate, but we hope we will be pleasantly surprised of what’s in store for them in the forthcoming chapter.
"Just have a little patience
I'm still hurting from a love I lost
I'm feeling your frustration
Any minute all the pain will stop.
'Cause I need time
My heart is numb, has no feeling
So while I'm still healing
Just try and have a little patience."
(Patience)
These two have natural chemistry, no denying it. It just flows so naturally between them. I don't care about the age difference, i don't give a damn about that, because it doesn't play a role here. These two just click. They just work, They don't need a set up for the scene to scream: "Look at these two! They belong together! They are two pieces of a puzzle that belong together!". They don't need any of that hoopla to get the message through. They just have it. - Katja
Why i ship HC is pretty simple; it combines the two things of the show, that entertain me the most . First House's sarcasm and his unique humour, second the inner and outer beauty of Cameron. Whenever these two are in the same room it gets exciting, deliberately or not, and one can feel the subtle tension that's being build up when they start having eyecontact. The best proof though, for how great House and Cameron are, is this amazing group of lovely fans here in the Wounded Hearts Thread. - Massa
From the moment I saw these two characters interacting, I could not help but be captivated by them. To me, it is an intriguing and amazing dynamic, and one that operates on many levels. These depths to their relation, such as; the subtle moments, the angst, the eyesex, the subtle touches, the tension, the fights, the playful banter, the unsaid understanding, the underlying emotional connection, House's curiosity of Cameron.. how he is intrigued by her and can't quite figure her out, even when he thinks he has, and the subtext, are what keeps you drawn to them and wanting more. It is a relation that has evolved throughout the seasons with new elements being built upon the existing layers, thus changing their dynamic. I feel that this is refreshing, and one that makes me more curious to see how their relation will develop in future seasons. – Georgina
Finding the right words to express my feelings has always been hard, and in this specific case it’s even harder than usual. I cannot really say I could be able to give order to my thoughts and put down a list of the reasons why I love this ship so much, but the first and most important of them surely is the extraordinarily peculiar unspoken communication I sense every time they look at each other. Blue speaks to green in a way words could never do, and that’s the greatest connection two souls could ever experience. – Silvia
I love the many levels of the House and Cameron relationship. It’s never static and always evolving. There’s the professional aspect, where they have respect for each other’s abilities as doctors, but at the same time will strongly stand by their opinions. At the same time they have the ability to make the audience hold their breath as they forget themselves momentarily when they look into each other’s eyes, showing each other and us some great insights into their characters’ minds and feelings. Also we have seen a trust that has been growing since season one, where they have felt intimate enough with each other to voluntarily share personal things about themselves. Then there is the understanding that has developed between them to the point where they are able to know each others true intentions behind their words and behind their eyes. Finally, there is that easy familiarity and banter that both thoroughly enjoy. Hopefully writers will continue to build layers to this complicated and intriguing relationship. – Alhy
The reason I ship House/Cameron is because they can both see each other like no one else sees them. They understand each other. And even though they fight and disagree, they always value the others opinon. There's also always something there beneath the surface, something subtle. Like in the Clueless scene for example. They are talking about medicine, but there are the body language and the eye contact that let us know that something else is there. - Sanna
To slightly paraphrase a quote from Shrek, "House and Cameron have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? They both have layers!"
These layers have been seen throughout the four seasons. House and Cameron have had playful and light hearted scenes, scenes in which they challenge each other, emotional scenes, moments which were so hot the screen was in danger of melting and moments which showed us a side of House that we would never usually see. All of these layers make this ship so wonderfully complex that in a few years from now when House has ended, whether or not H/C becomes canon, I'll still be here having crazy discussions, squeeing over caps and making up different !sex's because their emotional attachment is simply irresistible. – Betty
Last edited by pandora13; 05-18-2009 at 02:07 PM
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