“Broken” is the House M.D. season-six premiere set partly in a psychiatric hospital.
The two-part episode originally aired in September 2009 and follows House's voluntary admission to Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital. He enters treatment because of his Vicodin addiction and the destructive behavior connected with it. The story shifts the series away from the usual hospital diagnostic structure and concentrates on recovery, accountability, and psychological care.
Andre Braugher plays Dr. Darryl Nolan, the psychiatrist responsible for treating House at Mayfield. Nolan challenges House's assumptions and pushes him to participate in treatment rather than manipulate the process. The episode also explores House's interactions with other patients, making their experiences part of his recovery.
“Broken” is distinct from “Help Me,” the season-five finale, and “Everybody Dies,” the series finale. It is also notable for beginning season six with a sustained character-focused storyline rather than a conventional single-patient diagnostic mystery.