Three Stories (House)

"Three Stories" is the twenty-first episode of the first season of House, which premiered on Fox on May 17, 2005. David Shore won an Emmy in 2005 for Outstanding Writing for A Drama Series for this episode. It won the Humanitas Prize in the '60 minute' category for the year 2006.

"Three Stories"
House episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 21
Directed byParis Barclay
Written byDavid Shore
Featured musicJon Erlich
Jason Derlatka
Cinematography byRoy H. Wagner
Original air dateMay 17, 2005 (2005-05-17)
Running time44 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

Plot

Dr. Gregory House agrees to lecture on diagnostics in place of Dr. Riley, in exchange for two hours free from clinic duty. On his way to the lecture hall, he encounters his ex-girlfriend, Stacy Warner, whom he has not seen in years. Stacy asks him to treat her husband, but House refuses. At the lecture, House presents three previous cases, all patients complaining of leg pain.

The first patient is a farmer, bitten by a timber rattlesnake, who suffers an allergic reaction to the anti-venom. The results of venom testing lead House to believe the farmer's symptoms cannot be from a snakebite. Out of options, House informs the patient of his impending death. The farmer wonders what will happen to his dog, and House deduces that the bite was caused by the pet. The farmer's leg is amputated, and his dog is euthanized.

The second patient is a female volleyball player. Dr. Cameron believes the patient suffers from tendinitis due to her thyroid gland causing a depressed mental state, resulting in inflammation of the tendons. The thyroxine given to level the patient’s mood does not work, and the team is stumped when the patient develops hypersensitivity to touch and raised calcium levels. An MRI reveals a cancerous tumor on the patient’s femur. Cameron warns the patient that depending on the size and spread of the tumor, amputation may be the only way to recovery. However, her leg is not amputated and she makes a full recovery.

House initially presents the last patient as Carmen Electra enjoying a round of miniature golf; this is merely a fantasy, and the patient is revealed to be a male golfer with extreme leg pain. As Foreman and Chase arrive, House states an MRI revealed an aneurysm that clotted, leading to an infarction. Cameron deduces the patient in the third scenario was House all along.

In a flashback, House struggles with pain in his leg and has Cuddy put him into a chemically induced coma, during which Stacy exercises her authority as House’s health care proxy and decides, against his wishes, to remove the dead tissue without amputating his leg. While the students debate the ethics of this choice, Cuddy arrives, and House discovers the lecture has run twenty minutes over. House returns to his office, and calls Stacy to tell her that he will treat her husband.

Production

The episode was written by series creator David Shore and directed by Paris Barclay.[1][2] As the episode differed from Shore's earlier work, Shore was unsure how the episode would be received,[3] as he stated in an interview with Canadian Jewish News, "it was either the worst thing I had ever written or the best. Honestly I wasn't sure."[4] Shore's narrative device of "false flashbacks" was largely influenced by the 1968 French science fiction film Je t'aime, je t'aime as well as Alfred Hitchcock's 1949 film Stage Fright.[2] Fans have compared the episode's storytelling to the thriller The Usual Suspects (1995), which was directed by House executive producer Bryan Singer.[2]

Reception

"Three Stories" was first broadcast in the United States on Fox on May 17, 2005. The episode was watched by 17.68 million viewers, making House the 14th most-watched program of the week.[5] Shore received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.[6] Shore was "shocked" when he heard he was nominated. He had been nominated for an Emmy Award twice before, as a producer on Law & Order, but felt this nomination was more personal and individual.[7] Shore won the Emmy Award,[8] and also received the 2006 Humanitas Prize in the 60 Minute Category.[9] "Three Stories" is also responsible for the show's Peabody Award win in 2005.[2] Barclay was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award, but lost to Michael Apted, who had directed the Rome episode "The Stolen Eagle".[10]

Critics reacted positively to the episode. Matt Zoller Seitz placed the episode second on his list of 2005's best individual television episodes, calling it a "high-point" for the show.[1] Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune praised the episode for its "twisty, smart and moving storytelling".[11]

In 2009, TV Guide ranked "Three Stories" #66 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.[12]

References
  1. Seitz, Matt Zoller (December 18, 2005). "The perfect 10 - The shows weren't all winners, but these episodes were keepers". The Star-Ledger.
  2. Challen, pp. 172-174
  3. Frum, Linda (March 14, 2006). "Q&A with 'House' creator David Shore". Maclean's. Rogers Communications. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2007.
  4. Challen, Paul (2007). The House that Hugh Laurie Built: An Unauthorized Biography and Episode Guide. ECW Press. pp. 98–99. ISBN 1-55022-803-X.
  5. "Weekly Program Rankings". American Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on May 16, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  6. "The 57th Primetime Emmy Awards and Creative Arts Emmys Nominations" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  7. Staff (July 15, 2005). "Hatcher won't hear trifecta talk". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 16, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  8. Associated Press (September 19, 2005). "Full list of Emmy winners". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
  9. "Winners of the Humanitas Prize 60 Minute Category". Humanitas Prize. Archived from the original on September 14, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  10. Hiestand, Jesse (Jan 30, 2006). "'Brokeback's' Lee wins DGA Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  11. Ryan, Maureen (May 29, 2005). "No fear in the 'House,' even though 'Idol' won't be there". Chicago Tribune. p. 15.
  12. "TV Guide's Top 100 Episodes". Rev/Views. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
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