After kicking the addiction, House is a very difficult patient who desperately tries “to get asked to leave”. He could leave on his own will but he needs a recommendation from the facility’s director, Dr. Darryl Nolan, if he wants to practice medicine again. Dr. Nolan seems to be a bad person who is treating House like a slave (which House wittingly comments about how ironic that the black director would be insensitive to slavery).  However House is unfazed and banter with the hospital’s doctors at  allow for the series’ signature tongue-in-cheek dialogue to reemerge after a darker opening sequence.

Being locked up in a mental hospital brings up horrible nightmarish scenarios like those of One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest. Yet House doesn’t alter his behavior. He continues to have scintillating dialogue with doctors who could really make his life a living hell.  Somewhat surprisingly, House begins to follow directions (somewhat) while he also confronts some of the perceived injustices inside the hospital. For a person who has held little concern for others over the past five seasons, House becomes worried with the rehabilitation techniques used for certain patients.

One such patient is a man who acts normally most of the time yet is also convinced he is a superhero. House breaks some of the rules to take the man to a fair and foster his misconceptions. It seems as though House had made the right decision until the man attempts to fly off of the parking garage and is seriously injured. House has made a huge error in judgment. I personally felt that he was making the correct decision, but because of the horrendous outcome the hospital’s philosophy proves to be right.

This event serves as a catalyst to change House’s life philosophy. Through his one-on-one talks with Dr. Nolan, he begins to reevaluate his dealings with other people. As we have learned throughout the series, House is almost incapable of having close relationships because he cannot fully trust anyone. Dr. Nolan addresses this issue almost immediately while rejecting House’s attempts to shift focus on other non-important issues.

House forms a relationship with a regular visitor of another patient.  Lydia and House spend much time together and develop a strong attraction and attachment. Through this romantic relationship, House makes himself completely vulnerable, yet the pessimist in him inhibits some of his early thoughts. Although destined to fail because Lydia is married, House continues to be with her—rejecting his former philosophy that failures overshadow any success and that pain trumps joy.

House’s character change in the season premiere can only be described as remarkable. The episode was more of a cinematic experience and one that included emotional weight and a variety of other reactions.  House underwent major philosophical change in the episode that could suggest shift in the dynamics of the show. Needless to say the season premiere was everything a television admirer could wish for and is something definitely worth watching.