SPOILER WARNING: stop reading now if you have not yet watched last night's episode of House.

Aptly titled "Bombshells," the unique hour spoofed various genres and also delivered a pair of whopping developments: Cuddy dumped House, and the latter relapsed into Vicodin use.

What prompted creator David Shore to go through with the split?

"We knew it wasn’t going to last forever," he tells TV Line in a new interview. "It’s like anything else we do on the show. We go, “Let’s explore that. And once we’ve exhausted the exploration, let’s move on.” Now we move on to what it’s like for the two of them to be broken up, which is different than [anything] we’ve seen...

"I believe these characters are in love with each other. And I believe in a certain way they always will be. But I also believe House is not a good boyfriend. House is not a good spouse. He’s got deep issues, and the reasons Cuddy breaks up with him are very valid. Taking House down an ultimately happy road just seems unrealistic."

Shore adds that the break-up might not last forever, but "we don’t want to jerk the audience around."

As for the other shocker? Yes, House is "certainly back on Vicodin," Shore says, adding:

"Probably fair to say he’s back to square one... Staying clean is an ongoing challenge. And it doesn’t happen without slips. Sometimes extended and serious slips."

Where will House go next? Check out the official promo for "Out of the Chute."