The final House, M.D. episode before the series finale is “Holding On.”
“Holding On” is the 21st episode of Season 8 and aired on May 14, 2012. It directly sets up the concluding episode, “Everybody Dies,” by focusing on James Wilson’s diagnosis and on the increasingly serious consequences surrounding Gregory House. The episode is therefore the penultimate installment of the series.
Viewers sometimes identify “The C-Word” as the penultimate episode because it is also a late Season 8 story and deals with a major medical crisis. However, “Holding On” aired afterward and immediately preceded the finale. “The C-Word” is Season 8, Episode 19, while “Holding On” is Episode 21.
The title reflects the characters’ attempts to cope with illness, fear, and changing relationships. It is part of the tightly connected final run of episodes rather than a standalone case-of-the-week story.