House M.D.’s two-hour season-six premiere was titled “Broken.”
The episode follows Gregory House as he enters Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital to address his dependence on Vicodin and the personal problems affecting his judgment. The story begins immediately after the season-five finale, “Both Sides Now,” and shifts much of the action away from Princeton-Plainsboro.
“Broken” originally aired on September 21, 2009, as a special two-hour broadcast. It was written by Russel Friend, Garrett Lerner, Peter Blake, and Thomas L. Moran, and directed by Katie Jacobs. The episode’s extended format allowed the show to explore House’s treatment and relationships in greater depth than a standard case-of-the-week episode.
The title is sometimes confused with “Broken Hearts,” an earlier season-two episode. They are separate episodes, and only “Broken” serves as the season-six premiere.