Season 4 introduced House's competition to build a new diagnostic team in House M.D. After the original team members moved on or changed roles, House evaluated a large group of applicants through an unconventional elimination process.
The season begins with House working with a reduced staff and gradually turning the selection into a contest. Applicants receive numbers, complete difficult cases, and face House's deliberate provocations. This structure allowed the series to introduce several new physicians while making recruitment itself a season-long storyline.
The competition produced the team that included Chris Taub, Lawrence Kutner, and Remy Hadley, commonly known by House's nickname “Thirteen.” Amber Volakis was also among the prominent applicants, although she was not ultimately part of the regular final team in the same way. Season 4 aired during the 2007–08 television season and was shortened by the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike.