Broken (21 Sep. 2009)

House fights his doctors, the staff and his fellow patients when he's forced to stay in the psychiatric hospital under threat of permanently losing his medical license.

Director:

Katie Jacobs

Writers:

David Shore (creator), Russel Friend,

Stars:

Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard, Franka Potente

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Hugh Laurie	...	Dr. Gregory House
Robert Sean Leonard	...	Dr. James Wilson
Franka Potente	...	Lydia
Lin-Manuel Miranda	...	Juan 'Alvie' Alvarez
Megan Dodds	...	Dr. Beasley
Derek Richardson	...	Freedom Master / Steve
Curtis Armstrong	...	Richter
Andrew Leeds	...	Dr. Medina (as Andrew Harrison Leeds)
Angela Bettis	...	Susan
Jack Plotnick	...	Hal Connor
Artemis Pebdani	...	Diane
Alex Désert	...	Jay-Bird
Kim Rhodes	...	Woman at Fundraiser
Andre Braugher	...	Dr. Darryl Nolan
Dale E. Turner	...	Duane 'Stomp' Milbrett

Storyline

House begins a detox program at Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital to get the Vicodin out of his system in an attempt to control his hallucinations. House plans to leave the treatment facility once he is clean, but he is strong-armed into staying by his attending physician, Dr. Darryl Nolan. Dr. Nolan agrees to write a recommendation to reinstate House's medical license only if House agrees to further treatment. When House is moved to a new ward in the hospital, he develops a close relationship with his new roommate, Alvie, and Lydia, a frequent visitor who helps House bend the rules. House asks Alvie to help him uncover incriminating information about Dr. Nolan that would allow him to blackmail his way out of the treatment center and convinces Lydia to loan him her car to sneak out a delusional patient in an attempt by House to undermine Dr. Nolan's course of treatment. But when devastating events ensue, House is humbled into reluctantly accepting help.

---

Plot Keywords:

reference to vincent van gogh | jumping off a building | playing cello | cake | discharge | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery

---

Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 September 2009 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Mansfield Reformatory - 100 Reformatory Road, Mansfield, Ohio, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Heel & Toe Films, Shore Z Productions, Bad Hat Harry Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Main titles are not used in this episode. House (Hugh Laurie) and Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), are the only regulars to appear in the episode.

---

Goofs

House and Alvie stage a fight in order to get a pill of Haldol to trade with Hal for a phone call. In an emergency situation (such as a fight) Haldol would be administered by injection, as a pill would take minutes to absorb.

---

Quotes

Dr. Gregory House: Things change. Doesn't mean they get better. You gotta make things better. You can't just keep talking and hoping for the best.

---

Connections

Spoofs The Sting (1973)

---

Soundtracks

"Poison Pushy"
(uncredited)
Performed by Stanton Moore

User Reviews

Fine start!

Mrs Jacobs have already directed the episode with the hostages in the Princeton Plainsborough. I had been waiting for it eagerly but it was disappointing story with fake emotions and intrigue. I suppose that was a worst episode of House. Therefore I was worried about this opening but it overcome my expectations. True nerve, true recovering. Complicated solutions to House's issues. And it doesn't look like a fake. Script is just fine. I found the relief and a happiness when it was over. Come on people, House was so low on his way of degenerating to a narco- jerk. We need to see him rising because his sense of humor and his ability to save people remain with him and the vicodin is (temporarily???) gone. I'm satisfied.