“Broken” is the two-part season-six premiere of House M.D., partly set in a psychiatric hospital.
The story follows House after he voluntarily enters Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital to address his dependence on Vicodin and the emotional problems affecting his life and medical practice. The two-hour premiere begins a major reset for the character and explores treatment, accountability, and his difficulty accepting help.
“Broken” originally aired on September 21, 2009. Its structure differs from the show’s usual case-of-the-week format because House’s recovery and relationships receive most of the attention. The storyline continues the consequences of events from the fifth-season finale, “Both Sides Now.”
The title is easy to confuse with “Help Me,” the season-five finale, or “Baggage,” another season-six episode dealing with therapy and personal disclosure. “Broken” is specifically the two-part season-six opening event.