Warning: This article covers potentially disturbing themes including incest and suicide.
Disturbing episodes are common in most medical dramas, butHousehad several that are darker than you remember. The show followed the arrogant diagnostics genius Dr. Gregory House as he fought to diagnose patients while spending as little time with them as possible.House could be a complete jerk, but this often hid his own despair about his leg injury.
Some ofthe best episodes ofHouseare dark and deal with House’s internal pain and Vicodin addiction, but many of these installments are already well-known and acclaimed. For example, the award-winning episode “House’s Head” containsthe darkest scene inHouse. On the other hand, there are many episodes ofHousethat feature some very disturbing situations but are underrated.
10"The Tyrant"
Season 6, Episode 3
Of allthe doctors in House’s diagnostics teamover the years, Foreman and Chase are two of the more morally upstanding. That is why their actions in the season 6 episode “Tyrant” came as such a shock.The episode features James Earl Jones in a fantastic performance as the genocidal warlord, Dibala, who arrives at Princeton Plainsboro for treatment after falling ill.
Dibala is being sued for crimes against humanity in his country, and it becomes clear that if he is allowed to heal and recover, he will continue the genocide. Realizing this,Chase fakes a test, leading to Dibala being misdiagnosed, which leads to his death. Foreman then covers for Chase, and the two doctors struggle to come to terms with their actions, despite preventing the genocide.
9"Skin Deep"
Season 2, Episode 13
When a teenage model collapses after behaving strangely during a fashion show, House discovers several very concerning factsabout her life. She is managed by her father, who describes her body in a worryingly sexual manner, and by the end of the episode, House has forced him to admit that he has slept with her. However, that’s not the only disturbing thing about “Skin Deep”.
The cause of the young woman’s medical issues is traced back to the fact that she has testicular cancer, and she was unaware that she was intersex. What’s ultimately so disturbing about “Skin Deep” is that the patient’s father is more disgusted by his daughter’s condition than the fact that he has committed incest with her.
8"Son Of Coma Guy”
Season 3, Episode 7
A dark theory about theHousefinale concerns House helping Wilson end his life based on his actions throughout the show.House has a long history of helping people end their lives, and one of the most heartbreaking examples is in the episode “Son of Coma Guy,” in which a patient chooses to die so that he can give his heart to his dying son.
The episode concerns the son of a man in a persistent vegetative state, who starts to have worrying symptoms of his own.House takes the risky action of bringing the coma patient back to lifeto find out the family’s medical history. Unfortunately, he is only guaranteed a day before falling back into his coma, so he sacrifices himself for his son, with House’s help.
7"Help Me”
Season 6, Episode 21
Many of thesaddest episodes ofHouseare when patients die.“Help Me” is doubly tragic as it takes House to an extremely dark place mentally, before revealing that there was likely no hope for the patient to begin with. This episode involves the team trying to save the life of a woman who is trapped under a collapsed building.
Any action would have failed, with House’s decisions being meaningless in the end.
The woman’s leg is being crushed, and House has to confront his own trauma surrounding his injury. He fights to save her leg rather than having it amputated at the site to free her, butshe still dies as the result of an injury that would have killed her anyway. Any action would have failed, with House’s decisions being meaningless in the end.
6"Family Practice"
Season 7, Episode 11
In the episode “Family Practice,“House takes over diagnosing Cuddy’s mother, Arlene, against Cuddy’s wishes. The risky decisions he makes to solve the case show he is more interested in the puzzle than the patient. This jeopardizes Arlene’s life and forces Cuddy to choose between the hospital and her mother. This episode foreshadows the fact thatHouse and Cuddy’s relationship was destined to fail.
House manipulates his entire team during this episode, blackmailing Taub into assisting him and putting Masters in an impossible situation.
She does a blood draw from a coma patient who had a “do not treat” order in place, and when House threatens to destroy her career, she runs to the bathroom to vomit.House does many morally questionable things during the series, but this episode shows him at his worst.
5"Humpty Dumpty”
Season 2, Episode 3
In theHouseepisode “Humpty Dumpty,” when Cuddy’s handyman, Alfredo, falls off her roof while repairing it, it reveals that he is suffering from a mysterious illness affecting his hands. There are many medical drama tropes that would not happen in real life, andHouseis not always accurate, but the episode highlights a serious and realistic injustice.
Alfredo doesn’t have much money, and most of his family members are working multiple jobs just to survive. This includes Alfredo’s younger brother, who sometimes helps with work in addition to going to school.
Alfredo eventually needs his hand amputated, and while this saves his life, it ends his career.This leaves his family with an uncertain future ahead and very little help.
4"Euphoria”
Season 2, Episodes 20 - 21
Of all the underrated characters inHouse, Foreman is almost certainly top of the list.Foreman is often the voice of reason and the reliable center of House’s diagnostics team, so when he is taken ill in the two-part episode “Euphoria,” it shakes House and his team to the core. His euphoria and hallucinations leave him frightened and suffering the after-effects of his condition.
While the “Euphoria” storyline had the potential to be a turning point for the character, asForeman’s best House storyline was quickly forgotten. This does Foreman a disservice, as he is rarely given a major role in the show’s heavier storylines.
Seeing him in a more vulnerable position was a great change for the character, andthe more disturbing moments highlighted Omar Epps' acting range.
3"Forever”
Season 2, Episode 22
Season 2 is almost certainly the darkest of inHouse. While the show’s second season establishes Dr. Gregory House as a character, it also gives him and his team some extremely disturbing cases to solve.“Forever” is about a woman who comes close to drowning her infant in the bathwhile suffering from post-partum depression.
Many ofHouse’s darkest moments are dramatic and sometimes gory,but “Forever” is tragic in a quieter way. Postpartum depression is extremely common, yet the patient shows the shame and confusion that many suffer from when trying to understand the condition. The episode grows more upsetting when the baby dies and the devastated mother refuses life-saving treatment.
2"Selfish"
Season 7, Episode 2
One of the most emotional and powerful storylines inHousehappens during the episode “Selfish,” which forces a family into a terrible dilemma with no happy solution. A 14-year-old girl collapses while skateboarding, and House realizes that the only way to save her would be by giving her a partial lung transplant. The best donor is her brother, who is already terminally ill.
What makes thisHouseepisode so dark is the fact that the brother hears the argument.
Giving the sister part of her brother’s lung would shorten his life expectancy, and the choice between which sibling to prioritize is one ofthe most difficult decisions House and his team make.
However, what makes thisHouseepisode so dark is the fact that the brother hears the argument and offers his sister the lung, knowing that he will die sooner as a result.
1"Both Sides Now"
Season 5, Episode 24
“Both Sides Now” is one of theHouseepisodes that are considered masterpieces, as it marks a turning point for the show, with House at his lowest moment.House begins the season 5 finale in a rare good mood, having finally slept with Cuddy, begun his relationship with her, and finally stopped using Vicodin. However, there is a terrible twist coming.
It is revealed that House is an unreliable narrator here, as he is experiencing hallucinationsand having a full psychotic break. This shows the usually arrogant and self-assured character at rock bottom, finally admitting that he needs help. While this is a step in the right direction for the protagonist, it is a very hard-hitting moment inHouse.
