Home > House > Season 5 « TV Series Page House: Season 5 (2008 - 2009) SEASON: Season 5 Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6 Season 7 Season 8 Want to see Episode List Season 5 House Critics Consensus Five seasons in, Hugh Laurie continues to find new emotional wrinkles to the complicated character that is Doctor House. 100% TOMATOMETER Critic Ratings: 12 97% Audience Score User Ratings: 240 See score details Rate And Review Submit review Want to see Edit Submit review Super Reviewer Verified Super Reviewer Verified Edit Super Reviewer Rate this season Oof, that was Rotten. Meh, it passed the time. It’s good – I’d recommend it. Awesome! So Fresh: Absolute Must See! What did you think of this tv season? (optional) Submit Continue Super Reviewer Step 2 of 2 How did you buy your ticket? Let's get your review verified. Submit By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket. Super Reviewer Rate this season Oof, that was Rotten. Meh, it passed the time. It’s good – I’d recommend it. Awesome! So Fresh: Absolute Must See! What did you think of this tv season? (optional) Submit How did you buy your ticket? Submit By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Episodes 1. Dying Changes Everything Air date: Sep 16, 2008 As the fifth season opens, Wilson returns from an extended leave following Amber's death and announces he's leaving Princeton-Plainsboro. House thinks it's a terrible idea, and he isn't shy about saying so. Wilson's announcement also distracts him from the case at hand, that of the workaholic 37-year-old assistant to the leader of a major feminist organization who collapses during a business meeting. Thirteen takes a special interest in the case, and House questions her reasons for doing so. View Details 2. Not Cancer Air date: Sep 23, 2008 When people who received organs from a donor who was killed in an industrial accident five years earlier die suddenly, House must figure out why to save a recipient who's still alive. To track down information about the donor and the dead recipients, House hires a P.I. named Lucas (Michael Weston). But House also uses Lucas to snoop on Wilson as well as a colleague House is considering to replace Wilson as his friend. View Details 3. Adverse Events Air date: Sep 30, 2008 A struggling artist (Breckin Meyer) taking part in three drug trials to pay his bills is also suffering from something that's altering his perception and threatening not only his livelihood but his life as well. Meanwhile, House has Lucas (Michael Weston) look into the private lives of his team, including Taub, whose marriage is in trouble. View Details 4. Birthmarks Air date: Oct 14, 2008 House learns that his father (R. Lee Ermey) has died but must be coaxed into attending the funeral. Back at the hospital, the team struggles to treat a young Chinese-American adoptee who collapsed in China while searching for her birth parents, and House has to diagnose her over the phone. Meanwhile, flashbacks recall House's first meeting with Wilson. View Details 5. Lucky Thirteen Air date: Oct 21, 2008 A woman with whom Thirteen had a one-night stand has a seizure at Thirteen's apartment, prompting intense curiosity (both professional and otherwise) about the women's personal lives from House and Foreman. Adding to the intrigue: Thirteen discovers why the woman wanted to sleep with her. Meanwhile, Lucas (Michael Weston) continues to snoop on Wilson. View Details 6. Joy Air date: Oct 28, 2008 A middle-aged single father who tests consumer products for a living and has been suffering unexplained blackouts turns out to be a sleepwalker. And soon his daughter falls ill as well. Meanwhile, Cuddy plans to adopt a child, but her birth mother falls gravely ill two weeks before her due date. View Details 7. The Itch Air date: Nov 11, 2008 House and the team make a house call when an agoraphobe won't leave his home, but the patient's deteriorating condition makes it imperative to get him to a hospital. Meanwhile, House copes with a troublesome itch, and Cameron and Chase continue to refine their relationship. View Details 8. Emancipation Air date: Nov 18, 2008 During an examination of a teen's heart problems, the team begins to doubt her claims of being an emancipated minor. Meanwhile, Foreman defies House's rejection of a proposal to conduct a clinical trial. View Details 9. Last Resort Air date: Nov 25, 2008 A gun-wielding clinic patient (Zeljko Ivanek) takes House, Thirteen and several other patients hostage in Cuddy's waiting room and demands that House diagnose and treat him. The hostage taker also demands that House use other patients as guinea pigs for any medication he is going to receive. Thirteen volunteers for the treatment. View Details 10. Let Them Eat Cake Air date: Dec 2, 2008 A fitness guru known for her "natural" lifestyle collapses while shooting an infomercial. Meanwhile, Thirteen participates in a clinical drug trial for Huntington's disease led by Foreman; Kutner operates an online medical-advice clinic under House's name; and Cuddy moves into House's office while hers is being repaired, much to House's dismay. View Details Show More Episodes House: Season 5 Photos View All Photos (66) Tv Season Info Season 5 finds medical misanthrope Greg House more irascible than ever. As the season opens, House's best (well, only) friend James Wilson returns after three months of grief leave following his fiancée's death, only to announce he's leaving again. Relationships develop between Cameron and Chase (Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer) and Thirteen and Foreman (Olivia Wilde, Omar Epps). The season takes a darker turn toward its conclusion, as the good doctors face a tragedy that affects them all, but House in particular, who also turns to stronger medication to control his pain. Genre: Drama Network: FOX Premiere Date: Sep 16, 2008 Creator: David Shore Exec. Producers: Paul Attanasio, Katie Jacobs, David Shore, Bryan Singer, Daniel Sackheim, Hugh Laurie, Greg Yaitanes Cast & Crew Hugh Laurie Kal Penn Jennifer Morrison Jesse Spencer Dr. Robert Chase Omar Epps Lisa Edelstein Robert Sean Leonard Dr. James Wilson Peter Jacobson Olivia Wilde Bobbin Bergstrom Nurse Jennifer Crystal Foley Rachel Taub Anne Dudek Lori Petty Janice Burke Michael Weston Scott Dawson Ballet Master Charles Gavoian Maury Pamela Shafer Company Manager Nicole Cannon Nurse Helen Maria Thayer Jamie Tisdale David Straiton Katie Jacobs David Shore Paul Attanasio Bryan Singer Greg Yaitanes Deran Sarafian David Straiton Eli Attie Doris Egan Lawrence Kaplow Peter Blake Liz Friedman David Foster Pamela Davis Andrew Bernstein Leonard Dick Russel Friend Matthew V. Lewis Sara Hess David Hoselton Show all Cast & Crew Episodes 1. Dying Changes Everything Air date: Sep 16, 2008 As the fifth season opens, Wilson returns from an extended leave following Amber's death and announces he's leaving Princeton-Plainsboro. House thinks it's a terrible idea, and he isn't shy about saying so. Wilson's announcement also distracts him from the case at hand, that of the workaholic 37-year-old assistant to the leader of a major feminist organization who collapses during a business meeting. Thirteen takes a special interest in the case, and House questions her reasons for doing so. View Details 2. Not Cancer Air date: Sep 23, 2008 When people who received organs from a donor who was killed in an industrial accident five years earlier die suddenly, House must figure out why to save a recipient who's still alive. To track down information about the donor and the dead recipients, House hires a P.I. named Lucas (Michael Weston). But House also uses Lucas to snoop on Wilson as well as a colleague House is considering to replace Wilson as his friend. View Details 3. Adverse Events Air date: Sep 30, 2008 A struggling artist (Breckin Meyer) taking part in three drug trials to pay his bills is also suffering from something that's altering his perception and threatening not only his livelihood but his life as well. Meanwhile, House has Lucas (Michael Weston) look into the private lives of his team, including Taub, whose marriage is in trouble. View Details 4. Birthmarks Air date: Oct 14, 2008 House learns that his father (R. Lee Ermey) has died but must be coaxed into attending the funeral. Back at the hospital, the team struggles to treat a young Chinese-American adoptee who collapsed in China while searching for her birth parents, and House has to diagnose her over the phone. Meanwhile, flashbacks recall House's first meeting with Wilson. View Details 5. Lucky Thirteen Air date: Oct 21, 2008 A woman with whom Thirteen had a one-night stand has a seizure at Thirteen's apartment, prompting intense curiosity (both professional and otherwise) about the women's personal lives from House and Foreman. Adding to the intrigue: Thirteen discovers why the woman wanted to sleep with her. Meanwhile, Lucas (Michael Weston) continues to snoop on Wilson. View Details 6. Joy Air date: Oct 28, 2008 A middle-aged single father who tests consumer products for a living and has been suffering unexplained blackouts turns out to be a sleepwalker. And soon his daughter falls ill as well. Meanwhile, Cuddy plans to adopt a child, but her birth mother falls gravely ill two weeks before her due date. View Details 7. The Itch Air date: Nov 11, 2008 House and the team make a house call when an agoraphobe won't leave his home, but the patient's deteriorating condition makes it imperative to get him to a hospital. Meanwhile, House copes with a troublesome itch, and Cameron and Chase continue to refine their relationship. View Details 8. Emancipation Air date: Nov 18, 2008 During an examination of a teen's heart problems, the team begins to doubt her claims of being an emancipated minor. Meanwhile, Foreman defies House's rejection of a proposal to conduct a clinical trial. View Details 9. Last Resort Air date: Nov 25, 2008 A gun-wielding clinic patient (Zeljko Ivanek) takes House, Thirteen and several other patients hostage in Cuddy's waiting room and demands that House diagnose and treat him. The hostage taker also demands that House use other patients as guinea pigs for any medication he is going to receive. Thirteen volunteers for the treatment. View Details 10. Let Them Eat Cake Air date: Dec 2, 2008 A fitness guru known for her "natural" lifestyle collapses while shooting an infomercial. Meanwhile, Thirteen participates in a clinical drug trial for Huntington's disease led by Foreman; Kutner operates an online medical-advice clinic under House's name; and Cuddy moves into House's office while hers is being repaired, much to House's dismay. View Details Show More Episodes Critic Reviews for House Season 5 All Critics (12) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (12) | Rotten (0) "House" is Hugh Laurie. So long as he's around, the show will be eminently watchable. Sep 16, 2008 | Full Review… Alan Sepinwall Newark Star-Ledger Top Critic Laurie makes you care about Dr. Gregory House, that nasty, condescending genius -- no easy acting feat. Sep 16, 2008 | Full Review… Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Top Critic Maybe it's premature to say the best antihero doctor on TV has regained his equilibrium after last season, Sep 16, 2008 | Full Review… David Hinckley New York Daily News Top Critic It's wonderful stuff, and we all seem to be on a voyage of discovery. Sep 16, 2008 | Rating: A- | Full Review… Verne Gay Newsday Top Critic Most welcome it is. Feb 27, 2018 | Full Review… Robin Oliver Sydney Morning Herald Top Critic The show has set almost impossibly high standards. It's never not watchable, but I couldn't escape the feeling that there were scenes missing from Tuesday's season opener. Sep 16, 2008 | Full Review… Maureen Ryan Chicago Tribune Top Critic Lucas the PI (Michael Weston) is such a good addition, I really hope he stays. He's an investigator like House - and as acerbic, if not as jaded. Sep 16, 2008 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review… Linda Stasi New York Post Top Critic Each time you think you know how House will react, Laurie and the writers take you to a deeper level - just as each time House thinks he's prepared for the worst, the even worse arrives. Sep 16, 2008 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review… Robert Bianco USA Today Top Critic Despite my issues with certain aspects of this season, House remains one of the ten best shows on television. Feb 5, 2019 | Rating: 8.1/10 | Full Review… James Chamberlin IGN Movies House's writers have hit on a formula-tweak to freshen up their grumpy doctor's schtick. Mar 6, 2018 | Full Review… Jane Clifton Stuff.co.nz My favorite sort of cliff-hanger is the emotional crisis, and House delivered a whopper in the shattered bromance of doctors House and Wilson. Sep 16, 2008 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review… Matt Roush TV Guide It remains a terrific showcase for a terrific performer. Sep 16, 2008 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review… Cynthia Fuchs PopMatters View All Critic Reviews (12) Audience Reviews for House: Season 5 Aug 14, 2020 Some predictable story elements drag it down a bit, but the show is still a lot of fun and well acted. Steve D Apr 30, 2016 House: Season 5 get's 5 stars, because it has the best season finale I have ever seen. I'm not kidding. Season 5 is the best House series. Tom D Aug 20, 2014 Season 5 of House is largely a disappointment due to its writers unwillingness to change the shows worn formula. However, the performances are all top notch and it ends on another high note. Even it's the writers are as stubborn as the shows protagonist! Shane S May 08, 2014 Continuing on from season four's improvement over two and three, season five of House fosters overarching themes and story-lines in a way that makes the show less episodic and more serial. This season follows Thirteen's struggle to cope with her disease and her relationship with Foreman, Cuddy's awkward relationship with House, and Wilson coping with the loss of Amber. Up through episode nineteen, this season was average, but the last five episodes were so incredibly well written, that it forced me to up the rating half a star. The narrative of Kutner's death and House's vicodine addiction finally reaching critical mass is incredibly powerful and possibly the best story of the series. Dov D Jan 26, 2014 Hugh Laurie is riveting as House. It is an addictive, very well done medical drama Arjun N Dec 16, 2013 House and his team take some serious turns in this season, you shouldn´t miss out on it. Adam A Dec 14, 2013 That Was The Best Season In My Opinion .... Amazing Story Telling ... This Season Comes as a Result For Establishing The Whole Drama in The Other 4 Previous Seasons . David Shore Is a Masterclass Writer . 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