'House' writers' room: Lucky Thirteen and the big house

"House" supervising producers Sara Hess and David Hoselton talk to Show Tracker about "The Dig," Monday's episode.

Olivia Wilde (Thirteen) took a hiatus to make some movies. Thirteen’s cover story was that she was entering Huntington’s testing in Rome. In writing her back into the show, why choose a prison stint?

SH: Thirteen’s cover story was very quickly discovered to be a lie. The prison stint was an idea that came out of the writers’ room … as soon as it was pitched, we could all see the teaser and how the story could start. Then it was David’s and my job to figure out how we could use that beginning to tell the most interesting story and reveal something about who Thirteen really is. 

I’ve seen about 80% of the episodes since Season 1, but I don’t ever recall Thirteen mentioning a sibling. Was he invented for purposes of the plot?

SH: Not exactly. She’s never mentioned a sibling before, but internally we had actually been pitching around the idea of a brother for a while now, in conjunction with various possible stories. Thirteen doesn’t voluntarily reveal much about herself, so it was perfectly plausible to us that she’d have kept this hidden. 

Talk a little about hoarding as a plot device. What made that bubble to the surface for this ep? I know the team has busted into some really filthy houses (there was an ep with a cop who kept pigeons, and his apartment looked like a landfill), but I don’t think we’ve encountered a hoarder before. Did you have to do any homework before you write about it?

DH: This episode is about secrets -- Thirteen’s incarceration, House’s hidden emotional scars, Taub’s affair –- and the patients’ story is a reflection of that -– their lifestyle, their house, their miscarriages.   

My wife is a psychiatric social worker and she recently attended a seminar on the treatment of hoarding and sparked the idea for the POTW. Hoarding disorder was just recognized by the DSM as a unique disorder, distinguishing it from OCD. Like many behaviors there is a spectrum of dysfunctionality -- everyone knows someone who hoards things and most of us harbor some hoarding-like habit – but true hoarding disorder can be devastating: isolating and paralyzing.  End of PSA.

As with any episode we had to do a lot of research –- books, documentaries, medical consultants, and of course, our beloved internet.

Who came up with the idea of the Spud Gun contest, and why? It’s all over the Internet, yet I’d never heard of it until “The Dig.”

DH: It was either that or punkin’ chunkin’ (Google it!) and Thirteen looks way cooler brandishing a potato cannon.

SH: In our research we also came across something called chess boxing, and I'm still kind of sad we didn't end up doing that. Maybe one day.

Why did House shoot Harold? (Other than he was just doing what we all wanted to do.)

SH: Well, he's just been called on the carpet by Thirteen, who tells him he's a heartless jerk who deserved to be dumped by the love of his life. And then along comes Harold, who's been taunting him for five years now, with the final straw. I don't know about you, but I'd be tempted.

Talk a bit about how you came up with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome as the springboard for the entire plot.

DH: Sometimes there’s a very practical story reason for choosing one illness over another. In this case the wife lost something emotionally profound that precipitated her hoarding: a series of miscarriages.  EDS is a relatively rare syndrome that is often misdiagnosed but one of its many symptoms can be a tendency to miscarry.    

Taub and Rachel, together again? Seems that when they’re together, he cheats on her, but when they’re separated, he can’t get enough of her. What would a couples therapist say about this?

DH:That they’re pretty messed up. The bottom line is that Taub truly loves his wife and he always has –- it’s just that he happens to be an inveterate cheater.

SH: That was always what made Taub interesting for us as a character … not that he cheats or has cheated on his wife, but that he genuinely loves her, has never really loved anyone else. And she loves him, they have a deep and longstanding relationship. They’re perfect for each other.  But he’s got this Achilles heel. OK, it’s actually an Achilles something-else, but children could be reading this.

Who knew?! Thanks Sara and Dave.

-- Linda Whitmore

Photo: House (Hugh Laurie) offers Thirteen (Olivia Wilde) a martini upon her release from prison. Just what the doctor ordered. Credit: Jordin Althaus / Fox

Comments

[Chris]

I love house... but as a person with the eventual diagnosis of the patient in this episode, ehlers danlos syndrome, I was hurt by the way the writers tied up the episode. Ehlers Danlos is rare, and often misdiagnosed... but there is LOTS more too it than just miscarriages. The writes should have explained more about the diagnosis and given a little more time and respect to EDS. They jumped to from hoarding, to miscarriages, to EDS in seconds. People with EDS are often accused of psychological problems due to the misdiagnosis and the medical system often dismissing our symptoms as coincidence. We look are often made to think our symptoms are in our head... despite genetic evidence it is real. The last thing EDS patients needed was the further stigma of hoarding attached to them. The transition from crazy hoarder to ehlers danlos was too quick. And then to add further insult to us real EDS patients, the writers said that the symptoms could be manged... and well that is just not true. People with EDS have a lifetime of pain and potential problems. There are many types of EDS and a variety of ways it can effect people. Also, no good doctor would use JUST the symptom of miscarriages to jump to EDS. There would have been a few key questions used by all doctors called the Brighton criteria used to establish a case of EDS. None of those factors were tested or mentioned in House. Finally, for a doctor to affirmatively say Ehlers Danlos Syndrome as a diagnosis, there is a genetic test. Its not an easy fix as almost implied at the end. I have been an avid fan since season one... yet somehow, my favorite show has now left me hurt, and embarrassed.

[terrylynn]

I think it is great that u brought 13 back......your writers are spot-on.
I believe a agreement needs to be between House and Cuttey...u have brought Rachael into the story....dont dismiss her and leave this cute little adopted child out of the grand scheme of things. House is a good father

[Estelle P. Shrum]

When the show displays humor, accountablility, love, and some honor, along with a good medical story, then I love it. When it gets smutty and down in the dirt, I hate it. There were a few shows where you showed no good taste at all. Please... it's a good show and I want to keep following it, but smut, immoral behavior and cursing belong in the gutter. I am sure you can keep good story content, with humor, tenderness, and some class. Thank you.

P.S. I love all the actors

[Doakes]

Great episode. I'm kind of hoping when Wilson leaves, Thirteen, without her license, sort of steps in for him as House's pal. Here's hoping.

And Estelle... Doesn't know what she's talking about. At all.

[Danielle Davis]

Please visit the blog to read my letter to Fox execs and the writers of House. I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and was extremely disappointed with this episode. Click on my name for the link to the post. Thank you.

[lauren]

I liked this episode quite a lot. I certainly miss Wilson though and hope he will be around more this season; I feel as though he is the audience's window into House's mind. And where would a Holmes be without his Watson?

[kolton oberle]

This is one of the best show's left on T.V. I will proably cry if it is ever removed. The humor is all adult, and you must have some knowlege to watch this show, I like it alot. Guys do what ya can keep it on the air. It works, that's all that matters to the regular joe outhere in lala land.

[espejoses]

Thanks for the interview. The chapter was very interesting and emotional.
I have only one question: As you can make a difference and Rachel Taub and House and Cuddy? Your words and I quote "but That He genuinely loves her, you never really loved Anyone Else. And she loves him, They Have a deep and longstanding relationship. They're perfect for each other" you could talk either one or the other. How the relationship may be valid for some and not the other?
From my point of view far surpasses House Taub, warts and all he has never been an inveterate cheater, but everything else a faithful monogamous. And yet you dare to tell you simply that House is not husband material, yet insinuais that it is. "It's more that way Taub to state more to his wife that House to Cuddy?
If we talk about selfishness Taub Award wins the first prize.
Sorry dear writers explicis the more your line of argument, have less sense.

[David Alexander]

I have liked almost all of House, except for ones where he had problems with the police officer; too dark. But they did get him into rehab, which was necessary, since unbridled drug addiction should not be advocated. The thing I like most is that each story is unpredictable, other than the one given, that the patient will be cured, and very occasionally, the patient dies. The back-stories are always interesting/amusing and provide a great tie from one episode to the next; almost like a soap-opera.

[dude]

I didnt even realize that the diagnosis was eds. I thought it was simply that she was having miscarriges so she was hoarding to fill the void and got sick from the garbage in her house. Guess I should pay more attention. I have also heard that they misrepresented EDS before and I am sorry to hear that. Is it possible though that this was just a rare presentation of a rare condition? I would hate to think that House has stopped being medically accurate.

[Melissa]

I love the show!! Please keep both girls on together for as long as you can!!!!

[J]

To those upset about how EDS was portrayed in this episode - I both agree and disagree with you. I have lupus, which is something of a House joke. However, I'm not bothered by how the show portrays it. I think the vagueness interests people. I saw this episode of House and, not knowing anything about EDS, went to the web to look it up. I don't expect completely accurate information from a TV show, but I've learned something new because I heard about it.
My take on the diagnosis was that I thought she already knew that she had the disease, knew why she had miscarriages but was keeping it a secret from her husband (not completely believable to hide something like that for so long but it's TV) - they did say the episode was about hiding secrets, so she must have already known or there would be no secret.
Anyway - I think shows like this help with all diseases they mention because it's bound to make a few people curious enough to look for more information and that helps everyone.

[Danielle Davis]

To those interested in the EDS aspect of this episode, I write a blog and contacted the execs at Fox, very upset by this. One of the execs called me back and wrote me and I would be happy for you to read the blog post here, along with the copy of the letter that was sent from exec-producer David Foster.

http://danielledaviseds.blogspot.com/2011/04/house-mds-exec-producer-gave-me-jingle.html