Wilson's ties

[flywoman]

No, this isn't a request for tie porn. I've been rewatching "Both Sides Now" (research), and I'm just wondering whether there's a consensus about Wilson's tie changes over the course of the episode. See, I have this theory that House is hallucinating Wilson whenever he talks to him about having slept with Cuddy. Striped tie, mostly (always?) when others are around, means the real Wilson. That other one with the diamonds = hallucination Wilson. In support of this, diamond tie!Wilson's dating advice sounds eerily like that of the CTB hallucination, particularly when House is having trouble getting a rise out of Cuddy and he uses almost the exact words that CTB echoes later about the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, then tells House to "go terrorize her."

Although he is wearing the diamond tie when Cuddy takes House to his office and then on the trip to Mayfield. But still... it must mean something, right? Something other than carelessness in Wardrobe?

Comments

[fleurione.livejournal.com]

i hadn't noticed. clearly i need to rewatch this episode and look carefully at wilson's ties.

[stenveny.livejournal.com]

I had not noticed that either, but I like your interpretation. That "terrorize her" line always seemed a little off-character for Wilson.

[flywoman.livejournal.com]

It's a bit hard for me to tell for sure, especially given that Cudy also changes clothes, but I think the events of the episode all take place during the same day, beginning the morning after House wakes up from his supposed night with Cuddy. He goes to diamond tie!Wilson's office to tell him that he slept with her, and gets a very CTB-like response: "Great! How are you going to screw it up?" The next few scenes with the coffee cup involve striped tie!Wilson. Then diamond tie!Wilson reappears and tells House that if he really wanted to get Cuddy angry, he'd use more serious tactics than poop and pirate strippers.

Anyway, the general point is that we can't really trust any of the events seen from House's POV in this episode, and maybe part of the previous one as well... which would go a long way towards appeasing me re: Wilson's apparent decision to pick House up from the bar and watch him pack for rehab, then completely forget about the whole situation the following day. I mean, he was the only one who knew that House had been hallucinating - surely he would have suspected something after such a surprising announcement?