9.0/102 votes#1 - The Departure
Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 5/21/2001
Max, Isabel, Michael and Tess struggle with goodbyes on what they believe to be their last night on Earth before they travel back to their home planet. In the final hours, Max frantically searches for the killer that is still out there and threatens the lives of everyone they love.
Director: Patrick R. Norris
Writer: Russel Friend
9.0/102 votes#2 - Behind the Music
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 11/27/2001
When an old love visits Maria her passion for music resurfaces, which jeopardizes her relationship with Michael. Meanwhile, while Max's father is still trying to put together all the pieces of his investigation, Isabel joins Max in the quest to stop him.
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Writer: Russel Friend
9.0/102 votes#3 - Panacea
Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 2/12/2002
Michael uncovers a conspiracy at Metachem, when a guard is killed on duty. Michael enlists the aid of Max and Isabel when the investigation takes an alien turn. Meanwhile, Liz has entered boarding school in Vermont and tries to start a new life, and Maria disillusioned by New York goes to visit Liz in Vermont.
Director: Rodney Charters
Writer: Russel Friend
9.0/102 votes#4 - Four Aliens and a Baby
Season 3 Episode 17 - Aired 5/7/2002
Max's quest to find his son ends with the return of Tess and the baby, and the gang find themselves in danger again while trying to protect the child. Meanwhile, Jesse encourages Isabel to reveal her true origins to her parents, and the elder Evanses provide a way to ensure their grandchild's safety.
Director: William Sadler
Writer: Russel Friend
9.0/101 votes#5 - Blinded By the Light
Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 1/26/2023
Cordell is tipped off that Grey Flag may still have him as their prime target. Meanwhile, Captain James has discovered that Cordell and Cassie weren't truthful about some top-secret information and Trey's involvement in the prior week's case lands him in hot water. Abeline and Bonham disagree on how ready Cordell is to handle his responsibilities, while Liam continues to pursue his new business venture, despite his dad's displeasure over his son's new partner.
Director: Kevin Berlandi
Writer: Russel Friend
9.0/1042 votes#6 - Wilson's Heart (2)
Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 5/19/2008
In the aftermath of the bus accident, House struggles with his head injuries and short-term memory loss, and must deal with a concerned Wilson who believes his friend's health may be in danger.
Director: Katie Jacobs
Writer: Russel Friend
8.9/1033 votes#7 - Help Me
Season 6 Episode 21 - Aired 5/17/2010
Cuddy, House and members of the team join forces with a search-and-rescue team to provide much-needed medical attention at the scene of an emergency.
Director: Greg Yaitanes
Writer: Russel Friend
8.8/1037 votes#8 - Broken
Season 6 Episode 1 - Aired 9/21/2009
House is detoxing at a mental hospital and being held against his will by his attending physician, so he concocts an escape plan, aided by his roommate and a visitor named Lydia.
Director: Katie Jacobs
Writer: Russel Friend
8.8/1049 votes#9 - House's Head (1)
Season 4 Episode 15 - Aired 5/12/2008
A bus accident leaves House with serious head trauma and partial amnesia. He comes to believe that a patient on the bus had a life-threatening disease and struggles to recall who it was, and what they had.
Director: Greg Yaitanes
Writer: Russel Friend
8.5/102 votes#10 - Off the Menu
Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 5/14/2001
Brody Davis, his mind frazzled from an electric shock,holds several members of the gang hostage, when he begins to remember what happened when he was abducted, such as the New York City interstellar summit and the fact that Max is an alien. Max must use his healing abilities to fix Brody's mind so that he doesn't remember the alien mind that inhabits him. Tess must mindwarp Amy DeLuca into not remembering that Brody held them hostage.
Director: Patrick R. Norris
Writer: Russel Friend
8.5/102 votes#11 - Secrets and Lies
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 10/30/2001
Max travels to Hollywood while investigating a murder he believes was committed by an alien. He discovers a link to a Paramount science fiction show called "They Are Among Us" and when he goes to the Paramount lot to investigate he ends up auditioning for the part of an alien on an episode of "Enterprise" directed by Star Trek alum, Jonathan Frakes. Meanwhile, back in Roswell, Isabel and Jesse struggle over how to reveal their engagement to their families.
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Writer: Russel Friend
8.4/1030 votes#12 - Nobody's Fault
Season 8 Episode 11 - Aired 2/6/2012
House and his team are placed under review after a staff member gets hurt.
Director: Greg Yaitanes
Writer: Russel Friend
8.3/1030 votes#13 - After Hours
Season 7 Episode 22 - Aired 5/16/2011
When House discovers that the experimental drug he's been using causes fatal tumors, he decides to attempt to excise them himself. However, he can't complete the surgery and ends up needing Cuddy's help. Meanwhile, Thirteen's friend from prison (Amy Landecker), a relapsed drug user, arrives at her apartment needing medical care after being stabbed. With her friend unwilling to go to the hospital, Thirteen enlists Chase's assistance when the friend loses sensation and movement in her arm. Also, Taub receives some unexpected news that could change his life.
Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Writer: Russel Friend
8.3/1036 votes#14 - Locked In
Season 5 Episode 19 - Aired 3/30/2009
A man awakens in New York after a bicycle accident unable to move or communicate in any way. House, himself injured in a motorcycle mishap, occupies the hospital bed next to Lee and quickly annoys the doctors treating them both by insisting that Lee has “locked-in” syndrome.
Director: Daniel Attias
Writer: Russel Friend
8.2/1033 votes#15 - Euphoria (2)
Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 5/3/2006
Foreman continues to experience the same progression of symptoms as the police officer. When he realizes he may be facing imminent death, he calls his father who comes to his son's side. As it comes down to a race against time, House believes the solution to the illness is in the police officer's apartment.
Director: Deran Sarafian
Writer: Russel Friend
8.1/1029 votes#16 - Holding On
Season 8 Episode 21 - Aired 5/14/2012
The team takes on the case of Derrick, a 19-year-old college student who had a mysterious nose bleed during cheerleading practice, and discovers that his health issues are likely both physiological and psychological. Possibly suffering from schizophrenia, Derrick claims to hear his deceased brother’s voice in his head. Meanwhile, Foreman tries a different approach with House.
Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Writer: Russel Friend
8.0/101 votes#17 - How Sammo Got His Groove Back
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/21/1998
Terrell Parker, an LAPD press officer, sees his cousin, a rap artist shot by an assassin. His life saved only by the appearance of Sammo and Louis. Terrell tries to get himself involved in the investigation by partnering up with Sammo. Between them they uncover a CD bootlegging operation.
Director: Larry Shaw
Writer: Russel Friend
8.0/101 votes#18 - Wild Life
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 2/6/1999
Sammo and Tyrell try to nail an illegal animal trading and hunting ring.
Director: Whitney Ransick
Writer: Russel Friend
8.0/101 votes#19 - Mind Games
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/8/2002
When a young boy Wesley and his mother approach John Doe claiming that sperm bank records indicate he is the boy's father, John is pulled into a mystery as he tries to track down the list of donors and finds two of them dead, their brains removed.
Director: N/A
Writer: Russel Friend
8.0/101 votes#20 - Illegal Alien
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 3/14/2003
High school kids are surprised by a bright light in the forest and an astronaut who walks toward them that they shoot. The police and John investigate and determine the astronaut actually died of a lack of oxygen resulting in cyanosis but a Colonel Dunagan moves in and take the body — John taps into satellite photography and sees a blast pattern that matches the one on Horseshoe Island that accompanied his arrival. John, Digger, and Frank sneak into the woods to examine the site and find a large pod. The pod is a Mars environmental test system and inside the trashed interior are a bunch of astronauts dead just like the first astronaut — then they get sealed in. Meanwhile Avery pursues her own investigation despite the military government and after interviewing Dunagan's staff sergeant, believes Dunagan is involved. The men start sniping at each other due to cyanosis symptoms while Stella and Avery track them down. John uses its navigation beacon to send out a SOS. The Staff Sergeant is...
Director: Henry J. Bronchtein
Writer: Russel Friend
8.0/101 votes#21 - Doe or Die
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/21/2003
Ken Rothman, an ex-police officer that Avery got fired for beating a suspect, gets into the police HQ by faking his death and he and his men quickly take the station and most of the staff (except Frank) hostage. Rothman demands his reputation be cleared, but John manages to get free and escape into the building, and soon discovers Rothman has a supply of Russian-made smallpox. John manages to take out a few terrorists before being recaptured and Rothman leaves John and Avery behind with a shattered vial of smallpox. It's fake, but the whole thing is a ploy to get hold of smallpox vaccine to sell as a bio-weapon. Doe figures it out and they capture Rothman just in time.
Director: David Straiton
Writer: Russel Friend
8.0/101 votes#22 - Shock to the System
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 4/4/2003
John is hit by lightning on his chest-brand and can see in color — going to see a fresh body, John realizes he's also lost access to his vast supply of knowledge and all the physical talents it provided. It's not a good time as a killer strikes, leaving a kidney from his victim with the promise of more to come. The killer strikes again with two killings as John tries to come to terms with his newfound ignorance and the loss of his money when he can't call the shots for his broker. John is bitter and reluctant to admit his newfound loss to anyone, and a disappointed killer threatens to come after him. It turns out that two women, sisters, are working as the killers and lure John into a trap — fortunately John figured the killer(s) were women and he'd be targeted and the police have him wired and are watching. While pursuing one of the killers John is hit with electricity again and is back to being color-blind and super-smart.
Director: Bobby Roth
Writer: Russel Friend
8.0/101 votes#23 - It's a Nice Day for a Ranger Wedding
Season 3 Episode 18 - Aired 5/11/2023
It’s a big day for the Texas Rangers and the Walker clan as friends and family gather to celebrate a very special event.
Director: Steve Robin
Writer: Russel Friend
7.9/1034 votes#24 - Meaning
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 9/5/2006
After recovering from his gunshot wounds, House works feverishly on two cases at the same time: a paralyzed man who drove his wheelchair into a swimming pool and a woman who became paralyzed after a yoga session.
Director: Deran Sarafian
Writer: Russel Friend
7.9/1030 votes#25 - 97 Seconds
Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/2007
The candidates are now two teams of five women and five men, competing on diagnosing and treating a wheelchair-bound man. Meanwhile House does experiments on himself to test what happens after death, and Foreman, at another hospital, is treating his team in a House-like manner.
Director: David Platt
Writer: Russel Friend
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The Best Episodes Written By Russel Friend
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Russel Friend Ratings Summary
"The Departure" is the best rated episode written by Russel Friend. It scored 9/10 based on 2 votes. It was directed by Patrick R. Norris. It aired on 5/21/2001 and is rated 0.0 points higher than their second-best episode, "Behind the Music".