“Three Stories” is the House M.D. episode in which House’s leg injury is first explained.
The episode is the season-one finale and originally aired on May 17, 2005. Its structure follows House teaching a medical class by presenting three patient cases. As the lesson develops, the cases reveal information about House’s own past and the event that caused his chronic leg pain.
“Three Stories” is notable for using an unusual narrative design rather than a straightforward present-day investigation. The case vignettes shift perspective and invite viewers to reconsider what they have been told. The episode also shows how House’s medical reasoning is connected to his personal experience and distrust of conventional answers.
David Shore wrote the episode, which won major recognition, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. It is distinct from “Pilot,” which introduces the characters, and “Help Me,” a later season-six finale.