House has been over for more than 12 years, but I will never be able to get over how the writers expertly handled the show’s best season, especially given that it marked a time of major change for the story and its characters. The Fox medical drama series, created by David Shore, premiered in November 2004 and revolved around Hugh Laurie’s Dr. Gregory House, the narcissistic and cynical Head of the Department of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. House ran for eight seasons and 177 episodes, some better than others, but its best is inarguable.

Over the course of House‘s eight seasons, Dr. House and his team of specialists and diagnosticians (who often clashed with one another and House) worked on hundreds of cases featuring patients with mysterious illnesses difficult to diagnose. Aside from Laurie, the cast of House included Lisa Edelstein as Dr. Lisa Cuddy, Omar Epps as Dr. Eric Foreman, Robert Sean Leonard as Dr. James Wilson, Jennifer Morrison as Dr. Allison Cameron, and Jesse Spencer as Dr. Robert Chase. However, a surprising casting change in House season 4 resulted in some of the show’s best episodes.

House Season 4 Introduced A Brand-New Team (& It Worked)

House Had To Find A New Team After The Original Members Left

After Hugh Laurie’s character fired Chase and Foreman and Cameron quit during the House season 3 finale, season 4 began with House searching for a new team of doctors. House organized a competition between 40 doctors. After a few episodes, House narrowed down the candidates to four people (with nicknames that he gave them) — Dr. Amber “Cutthroat Bitch” Volakis, Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley, Dr. Lawrence Kutner, and Dr. Chris Taub. Eventually, House eliminated Amber, and Thirteen, Kutner, and Taub joined his team. Even though they were a new group introduced in the middle of House‘s run, the casting change worked.

Usually, when TV shows revamp their cast, the audience doesn’t click with the new characters as they were accustomed to (and feel loyalty to) the old ones. However, Thirteen, Kutner, and Taub blended exceptionally well into the House cast and were a breath of fresh air for the show. Against all odds, their addition contributed to what would become the best season of House.

House Season 4’s New Characters Breathe New Life Into The Show

Olivia Wilde, Kal Penn, & Peter Jacobson Joined The House Cast

Olivia Wilde’s Thirteen, Kal Penn’s Kutner, and Peter Jacobson’s Taub were a welcome addition to House, who all brought different personalities to the show, resulting in new intriguing dynamics. Nevertheless, I believe that part of the reason why the new cast worked was because Jennifer Morrison, Omar Epps, and Jesse Spencer were still a part of the Fox series. The cast never felt overstuffed, though, and the new players greatly increased the show’s quality. As a result, House season 4 is the most rewatchable and best season.