What was the title of House M.D.’s 2005 episode built around three patient cases?

The House M.D. episode built around three patient cases is titled “Three Stories.” It is the 21st episode of the show’s first season and originally aired on May 17, 2005.

The episode uses a lecture framework in which House discusses three cases with medical students. The structure moves between the classroom, flashbacks, and House’s own medical history, gradually revealing why he walks with a cane and experiences chronic leg pain. Rather than presenting one diagnosis in the usual sequence, the episode asks viewers to compare symptoms and reasoning across separate stories.

“Three Stories” was written by David Shore and directed by Paris Barclay. It received major critical recognition and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Hugh Laurie’s performance also drew significant praise, helping establish House as more than a conventional medical-drama protagonist.

The episode is sometimes remembered simply as the “lecture episode,” but its official title is “Three Stories.” It is also distinct from “House’s Head,” another major episode that uses unusual narrative structure.