7 most emotional deaths in House MD

House is a television medical drama that aired for eight seasons between 2004 and 2012, during which Dr. Gregory House and his diagnostic team encountered intricate medical cases. The team is recognized as among the top doctors in their respective specialties. However, they occasionally faced moments when, due to the intricacy of symptoms or time limitations, patient outcomes were not positive.

Throughout the show, episodes like Maternity, House Training, and Forever demonstrate instances where House and his team could not avoid patient deaths, no matter how diligent their investigation and intervention were. In others, the team was forced to make life-and-death decisions that resulted in the death of one patient to save others.

In some cases, unidentified or unusual symptoms resulted in delayed diagnoses. These choices highlight the harrowing realities of medical practice, as well as the unpredictability of certain medical cases.

Though the team's experience resulted in numerous successful resolutions, the program routinely confronted the reality that, in a hospital environment, not every patient recovers. Such moments are used to highlight the uncertainty and constraints of medical practice in the show.

Disclaimer: This list is not a ranking; it is based on the author's views and contains major SPOILERS for the show.

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These deaths in House were the biggest tear-jerkers for the audience

7) Maternity (season 1, episode 4)

Still from Maternity (Image via Fox)

Setting a serious tone early in the series, a mysterious illness covers the hospital's delivery unit. Newborns, ostensibly unrelated, start showing the same symptoms. House and his team race against time to find the cause and stabilize the babies.

As more cases emerge, the pressure subsides. The team narrows down a diagnosis to one of two possibilities, each requiring a different and opposed treatment. As they can't wait, House decides to treat two babies separately for each condition, fully aware that only one treatment would likely be right. This leads to the death of the first patient directly related to the case treated in the episode.

Further on, it is revealed that an elderly volunteer was carrying and spreading the illness to the babies unknowingly. This episode introduces the sort of hard medical choices seen throughout the show—decisions for which there is no room to ponder, and not every outcome has a tidy recovery.

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6) Histories (season 1, episode 10)

Still from Histories (Image via Fox)

In season 1, whatever remains of an uncored set of works on an unhoused woman with no medical records complicates the diagnosis. Foreman, in particular, is skeptical of her condition and suspects her of seeking shelter rather than treatment.

When the case develops and her background is revealed, Foreman begins to view her in a different light. They identified the woman's symptoms as rabies, possibly from the outside environment, while she was locked away on the streets, or believed to be terminal.

She bit Foreman in the meantime, infecting him. Fortunately, his exposure was considered in time, and he was treated before symptoms appeared. It is shown that Wilson is personally invested in the case, as he has a brother who is unhoused; this sheds light on why he has been so involved and concerned.

It also examines the challenges of treating patients for whom there is no prior history and the preconceptions that arise during diagnosis.

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5) House Training (season 3, episode 20)

Still from House Training (Image via Fox)

Foreman treats a patient in a way that results in unforeseen consequences. He gave a radiation therapy diagnosis and treatment. However, this led to the destruction of her immune system, leaving her very vulnerable, and the situation proceeded downhill at an accelerated pace.

This case serves to bring Foreman to the doorstep of deciding one way or the other about his own decision and contemplating its implications.

The episode also covers the backstory of Foreman, in particular, how he overcame his past to become a doctor. After the death of the patient, House requests an autopsy to determine the exact cause. With frustration being pretty evident, Foreman punches the wall, breaking his hand, which becomes a defining moment in his life and career.

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4) Unplanned Parenthood (season 7, episode 5)

Still from Unplanned Parenthood (Image via Fox)

During the episode Unplanned Parenthood, the team is presented with a complicated case involving Abbey, a mother, and her newborn baby, both of whom become severely ill soon after birth. The team discovers that both patients have the same symptoms of cancer, melanoma, which was transmitted between mother and child.

As Abbey's condition worsens, she elects to focus on treatments that could potentially save her child, even if this puts her care on the back burner. Despite all this, Abbey succumbs suddenly to a pulmonary embolism, but doctors use her blood to save her newborn.

In addition to the medical issues, the tale is also about the developing bond between Abbey and her older daughter, Justine. The tension develops as Justine sees her mother being more focused on the new baby than she was in raising her. Abbey openly discusses her hope of having another child as a way to compensate for past parenting faults.

Upon Abbey's passing, Justine assumes a new role, caring for her baby sibling. The episode raises issues of regret, family dynamics, and sudden responsibility, depicting how family members support one another during times of crisis.

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3) Forever (season 2, episode 22)

Still from Forever (Image via Fox)

In this House episode, a mother has seizures without explanation, one of which nearly drowns her infant son in the bathtub. As the team investigates to find out the cause of her symptoms and more and more erratic behavior, the child's condition worsens, and eventually, he dies. After the underlying disease has been diagnosed, the team tries to treat her, but distraught with grief and guilt, the mother refuses treatment.

Despite the efforts to clarify that her medical condition was to blame, she is not convinced. The episode ends on a melancholy note as her husband, helplessly unable to make her change her mind, asks her to apologize to their son. The loss of both wife and child by the father highlights the tragedy of the narrative.

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2) Simple Explanation (season 5, episode 20)

Still from Simple Explanations (Image via Fox)

Late in season 5, the staff experiences a devastating loss when Dr. Lawrence Kutner dies by suicide. Optimistic and committed to his work, Kutner's death is a devastating shock to his colleagues and viewers alike.

The episode revolves around the reaction to his death, with House first seeking an underlying reason or solution before discovering that there are times when there are no answers. This story highlights the point that suicidal tendencies may strike without warning, and even one's closest may not be able to anticipate it.

The plot reminds us that not all tragedy has a traceable cause, much like the sense of surprise among the fictional team and the audience. Kal Penn, the actor who played Kutner, left the show to serve in President Obama's administration and was surprised, along with everyone else, at how his character's story ended.

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1) Wilson's Heart (season 4, episode 16)

Still from Wilson's Heart (Image via Fox)

Amber, never technically a member of House's medical team, came into prominence after she joined the competitive recruitment pool for the department. She emerged as one of the brightest and most ambitious doctors, forming a bond with Dr. James Wilson, House's best friend.

In Wilson's Heart, both Amber and House are severely injured in a bus accident that happens after Amber gives House a ride home when Wilson cannot.

Throughout the episode, the team struggles to reassemble House's disjointed recollections of what happened the night before, with Amber's injuries proving to be so dire that her survival would leave her living with a chronic illness. In the end, Amber's condition worsens, and she passes away surrounded by Wilson.

This episode marks a turning point and an emotionally charged episode in the series, highlighting the profound impact of Amber's death on both Wilson and House. What happens around her death informs the show for the rest of its run, especially on Wilson, whose grief is shown in a critically poignant scene at Amber's bedside.

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All seasons of House M.D. are available to stream on Hulu, Peacock, and Prime Video.

Edited by Maithreyi S