We're huge TV fans at Art Attack, but we hold a special place in our hearts for Dr. Gregory House. For seven years, the brilliant curmudgeon has lied, deduced, cracked wise, reasoned and sexually harassed his way into becoming one of the most compelling characters on television, a 21st-century echo of his literary predecessor, Sherlock Holmes.

Now, we've sat through some trying times on House. The awkward transition to season 4 (which introduced Kal Penn, Olivia Wilde and Peter Jacobson as series regulars) was downright laughable, while watching House drive his car through his ex-girlfriend's house last season was enough to make us break up with the show...temporarily.

But the show's also had its stunning moments, mostly due to Hugh Laurie's deft acting and perfect timing. The final two episodes of season 5 redeemed the entire year, while the season 6 opener (which tracked House's efforts to get clean and...dare we say it...happy in a mental hospital) has yet to be recreated in terms of power and drama.

But this show, like all good things (and most bad things, too), must come to an end. And we have a feeling the end is nigh.

It's not just that Lisa Edelstein unexpectedly quit over the summer; other cast members appear to be losing interest (or at least pursuing other work) in the show: In a conference call with reporters Monday, producer David Shore said Wilde is expected to be in few episodes this season, including a "goodbye" episode (Shore also hinted this might also be the final season). And Robert Sean Leonard's airtime was noticeably cut last season when he went to rehearse a show on Broadway.

One of our friends' criticisms of the show is that "each episode is exactly the same," right down to the look House gets on his face when he realizes he's found the correct diagnosis. But we would argue that it is a great show that tells the same story every week in an incredibly different way. And even though we're honestly kind of ready to see it go off the air once and for all, we won't stop watching until the final episode's credits roll.

Here are five signs the show is essentially over.