How Cuddy Left House MD & Why She Didn't Return For The Finale
Cuddy was a major character on House MD until the final season; here's why Lisa Edelstein's character departed and didn't return for the finale.
Lisa Edelstein's character Cuddy left House MD before the final season aired, and didn't even return for the finale episode; here's why. Debuting in 2004, House MD followed the titular character, Dr. Gregory House, played by Hugh Laurie, who was a genius and Head of Diagnostic Medicine at a hospital in New Jersey. He's able to diagnose some of the most obscure and rare diseases and ailments, but House also has many problems, including his addiction to painkillers and a strong sense of misanthropy, so he only works on cases that either interest or challenge him.
Truly a Sherlock Holmes of medicine, House MD is disrespectful to patients and staff alike, but thanks to Hugh Laurie's charismatic performance and the detective work involved in treating the week's new patient, the show became a hit. It also featured a great supporting cast, including Lisa Edelstein, Olivia Wilde, and Omar Epps. The series came to an end in 2012 after House MD season 8, and while revival is always possible, given that the character ended the show having faked his death to start a new life, a reboot might be tricky.
Cuddy, the character played by Lisa Edelstein, was the Dean of Medicine at the hospital and Gregory House's boss throughout the show. She acknowledged the genius of her underling but was regularly exasperated by House's frequent rule-breaking, lack of stricter, and disregard for even basic manners. In spite of this, the pair formed a strong attraction, and fans shipped the couple as "Huddy," though it would be a long path to their inevitable romance. Obstacles included Cuddy being engaged to someone else and House moving on from his addiction to painkillers. After the events of House MD season 7, Cuddy and Lisa Edelstein left the show for good – and the narrative included a brutal breakup with House.
Why Cuddy Left House MD After Season 7
During House MD season 7 episode "Bombshells," Cuddy undergoes tests to find if she has cancer. It's revealed she has a benign tumor, but when she realizes House resorted to taking pain medication in order to support her, she breaks up with him. Naturally, he takes this poorly and in the finale, he drives his car through her dining room. House MD season 8's opening episode reveals House went to jail for this act, and Cuddy resigned from her position and moved on.
In a way, it was entirely predictable a "Huddy" romance was doomed to failure, but Cuddy's abrupt departure from House MD season 8 felt like a glaring omission. The character didn't return for the finale either, despite pretty much every other major cast member making a cameo. This was partly down to Lisa Edelstein being busy on other projects, but the actress departed the show under less than ideal circumstances.
Most of the actors' contracts ended with House MD season 7, and the network wanted to cut down on costs by bringing them back with pay cuts. Lisa Edelstein refused and decided to leave the show instead. This is likely another reason why Cuddy didn't return for the final episode (unlike fellow House MD departee Jennifer Morrison). Edelstein has since revealed to Digital Spy she has no regrets about not appearing, feeling that House ramming his car into Cuddy's dining room would be a very logical endpoint for their relationship.
Will House Ever Return To TV?
As with many popular medical series, House MD had (and continues to have) a loyal following. While many would be pleased to see the show rebooted, however, it seems very unlikely to happen, primarily because of star Hugh Laurie. For starters, Laurie is now the lead on Armando Iannucci's series Avenue 5., season 1 of which premiered in early 2020. While season 2 has been extensively delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still happening and is expected to arrive sometime in 2022. It's uncertain whether the HBO sci-fi show Avenue 5 will get a third season, but with a new project under his belt since starring on House MD, Laurie is probably looking to move forward rather than backward. This is especially true given that House MD apparently took a heavy toll on him. Laurie has said that "the repetition of any routine, day after month after year, can turn into a bit of a nightmare. I had some pretty bleak times." (via Hello! Magazine). With comments like these, it's hard to see Hugh Laurie returning to his role on House MD for a revival.
ncG1vNJzZmirk6eyprrRmqWtZpOkunC0zq6qnmWjnby4edahmK1lmJa9sbHNnptmm6WZsbp5xaKlmqSVYq6jv8Snmp5n