Exclusive: House EP Greg Yaitanes Talks Shocking Stabbing, Will Chase Ever Recover, And What it Means For the Rest of Season 8 (SPOILER)

By: Adam Wright

Warning: The Following contains spoilers from “Nobody’s Fault” If you haven’t watched it, stop reading now.

As I said in my Advance Review, “Nobody’s Fault” was an iconic episode that House fans will never forget. Not only did it deliver some brilliant acting performances, but we also got some big shockers.

There was no bigger moment when one of the team-members was victim of a stabbing. It was then when it hit us: House wasn’t on trial because of a patient, he was on trial because of the stabbing of Chase. By the end of the episode, we saw something we’ve never seen before, a remorseful House apologizes to Chase, who may never be the same again.

House Executive Producer Greg Yaitanes was the Director of this episode. I had the opportunity to talk to Greg about this episode. What was it like to be the man behind the camera? And what does it mean for House going forward?

Here’s what Greg Yaitanes had to say about the episode, and the rest of Season 8:

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Adam:  First off congratulations on your 30th episode of House you directed. How does it feel?

Greg:  It’s an honor.  I’m fortunate to have a creative home that has celebrated my contribution and allowed me to grow as an artist.  It’s not a common thing to find in tv.

Adam: The 30th just so happens to be one hell of an episode. (Laughs). Where does “Nobody’s Fault” rank, for you, with other episodes you’ve directed?

Greg: I feel this is the finest hour of everyone involved.  From cast to crew.  For me it’s the best thing I’ve ever made.

Adam: Let’s get right into with what I thought was the biggest shocker of the night: Chase getting stabbed. With the stabbing, House and his team were put under the microscope. Jeffrey Wright (no relation to me…I think) guest-starred as Dr. Walter Cofield. Tell me about the interrogation scenes, especially with Hugh Laurie.

Greg: Watching two powerhouses sit across the table doing their most internal work was a privilege to watch.  I’ve wanted to work with Jeffrey since seeing him “Angels in America.”  Seeing Jeffrey and Hugh work is how I imagine the Gerhig/Ruth Yankees must have been to watch play.  You’re seeing two people at the top of their game giving it their all.

Adam: I think the thing that hit me the most was how Dr. Cofield questioned everything us as viewers chalked up as “House being House”. I actually made a list! (Laughs).

• Vicodin Use
• How he presents the case
• Inappropriate comments
• Antics/pranks/games with team
• No patient contact
• Pain is “interesting”
• “Diagnosis Trial”
• Lack of Empathy

Greg: Yes.  This episode needed every episode before it to be relevant.  To step out of ourselves as viewers and examine our role in cheering on House’s behavior all these years.  As viewers we’ve contributed to environment as we’ve done nothing to stop it.  The characters on the show have done the same.  And now someone has been hurt.   This episode asks all the right questions.

Adam: By the end of the episode, we realize that House does feel responsible for what happen to Chase, and even apologizes to him. How will this effect House moving forward?

Greg: Everything about this episode will effect things moving forward.

Adam: Tell me about Chase’s road to recovery. Will he ever be back to 100% , physically AND mentally?

Greg:  The episode to follow “Nobodys Fault” will examine this very thing.  It’s a story told entirely from Chase’s point of view.  It’s again rare in tv to follow through on what happened the week before.  So many shows have weekly amnesia so I’m also excited to see how people react to an episode titled “Chase”.  Jesse is amazing in that btw.

Adam: Now let’s talk about the rest of the season, can you tell us if we can expect some sort of “arc” ?

Greg: You can expect that.  But also expect that any arc will also be turned upside down in our House way.

Adam: I’m not going to ask you on a possible “Cuddy” appearance, because I know you’ve been bombarded by that already. (Laughs). But my question is how do you feel the series has reacted with so many changes, especially within the last few seasons.

Greg: I love that we change things up and I get to work on a show that takes those risks.  I feel we’ve done well.

Adam: Finally I ask this to all my interviewees. What have you been watching on TV lately?

Greg:  Downton Abby, American Horror Story, Walking Dead and Homeland.

A special thanks to Greg for taking time to have a chat with me. What did you think of “Nobody’s Fault”? Did it live up to the hype? Are you more looking forward to the rest of Season 8? Weigh in with your thoughts. 

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Posted by Adam Wright on February 7, 2012. Filed under Features, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry