Stacy Warner

Although not much is revealed about Stacy's early life, it is said in "Acceptance" that she is a Duke University graduate.{{cite episode |title=Acceptance|episode-link=Acceptance (House)|series=House, M.D. |series-link=House (TV series) |credits=Lerner, Garrett; Friend, Russel |network=Fox |airdate=2005-09-13 |season=2 |number=1}} Presumably ten years before the events of House, at a "Doctors vs. Lawyers" paintball game, she met Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) with whom she started a romantic relationship.{{cite episode |title=Son of Coma Guy|episode-link=Son of Coma Guy|series=House, M.D. |series-link=House (TV series) |credits=Shore, David; Egan, Doris |network=Fox |airdate=2006-11-14 |season=3 |number=7}} Five years later, during a game of golf, House suffered an infarction in his right leg. He was admitted at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, but went misdiagnosed for three days due to doctors' concerns that he was exhibiting drug-seeking behavior (House eventually diagnosed the infarction himself). An aneurysm in his thigh had clotted, leading to an infarction and causing his quadriceps muscle to become necrotic. House had the dead muscle bypassed in order to restore circulation to the remainder of his leg, risking organ failure and cardiac arrest. He was willing to endure excruciating post-operative pain to retain the use of his leg. After he was put into a chemically induced coma to sleep through the worst of the pain, Stacy, his medical proxy at the time, acted against his wishes and authorized a safer surgical middle-ground procedure between amputation and a bypass by removing just the dead muscle. This resulted in the partial loss of use in his leg, and left House with a lesser, but still serious, level of pain for the rest of his life. House could not forgive Stacy for making the decision, which caused their relationship to end.

Stacy goes to visit House again in "Three Stories", five years after their break up. She has married Mark Warner (Currie Graham), a high school guidance counselor. Stacy believes Mark is ill, and wants House to treat him. However, Mark does not believe anything is wrong with him. Similarly, the members of House's diagnostic team are not able to find any medical problems.{{cite episode | title = Honeymoon| episode-link = Honeymoon (House episode) | credits = Kaplow, Lawrence; Mankiewicz, John | series = House, M.D. | series-link = House (TV series) | airdate = 2005-05-24| season = 1| number = 22}} After various failed attempts to diagnose Mark, House tests Mark's urine for porphobilinogen. The test is positive, and Mark is diagnosed with acute intermittent porphyria (AIP). He is therefore required to undergo "close monitoring" at the hospital for a while. Stacy makes a deal with Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) to become the hospital's lawyer during Mark's stay. While there, she and House grow closer.{{cite episode | title = Failure to Communicate| episode-link = Failure to Communicate| series = House, M.D. |credits=Egan, Doris | series-link = House (TV series) | airdate = 2006-01-10| season = 2| number = 10}}{{cite episode | title = Hunting| episode-link = Hunting (House)| series = House, M.D. |credits=Egan, Doris | series-link = House (TV series) | airdate = 2005-11-22| season = 2| number = 7}} In "Need to Know", they end up spending the night together.{{cite episode | title = Need to Know| episode-link = Need to Know (House)| series = House, M.D. |credits=Davis, Pamela| series-link = House (TV series) | airdate = 2006-02-07| season = 2| number = 11}} However, when Stacy admits that she is willing to leave Mark for House, House rejects her, stating that he cannot make her happy, because he cannot change. Stacy quits her job and returns to Short Hills, New Jersey, with Mark. She later appears in the series finale, "Everybody Dies", first as one of House's hallucinations and then again at House's funeral.

House creator David Shore says that Stacy is the "true love that got away."{{cite magazine| last = Jensen| first = Jeff| date = 2007-04-06| title = Full 'House'| magazine = Entertainment Weekly| pages=44–47| url =https://ew.com/article/2007/04/03/house-your-complete-z-guide/| access-date = 2009-04-10}} She is "quick" and "witty",{{cite news|url=http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/house/three_stories.php |title=Something For Everyone |publisher=Television Without Pity |date=2005-08-31 |author=Morrison, Sara |access-date=2008-12-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926070617/http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/house/three_stories.php |archive-date=2008-09-26 }} "the one character who is able to spar with House on a level playing field." Actress Sela Ward has described her character as a window into both House's vulnerability and his heart.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/07/AR2005110701123.html|title=Sela Ward Brings Heart to 'House'|newspaper=The Washington Post|author=Byrne, Bridget|date=2005-11-07|access-date=2009-04-10}} House himself describes Stacy as "very convincing." He is willing to believe Stacy's word that Mark is ill despite Mark's own denial. Many critics noted that Stacy's presence affected House's behavior.{{cite news|title=Has House Lost Stacy for Good?|work=TV Guide|author=Rubin, Peter|date=2006-02-14|url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/House-Lost-Stacy-39927.aspx.com|page=33|access-date=2009-04-11}} Diane Kristine of Blog Critics stated that, with Stacy, House was "almost nice."{{cite news|url=http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/01/11/0445132.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630062334/http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/01/11/0445132.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-06-30 |title=TV Review: House - "Failure to Communicate" |author=Kristine, Diane |date=2006-01-11 |publisher=Blog Critics |access-date=2008-12-06 }} Although Stacy tells House on several occasions that she loves Mark, she is still in love with House and was willing to have an affair with him. However, she admits that she finds House selfish whereas Mark leaves "room for [her]".

According to the producers of House, Stacy was brought into the show to give viewers some insight into House's character.{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2005/11/11/2005-11-11_ward_enjoys_fun__house____me.html |title=Ward Enjoys Fun House. Medical show a 'challenge' |author=Duff, Richard |date=2005-11-11 |newspaper=The New York Daily News |access-date=2008-12-05 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The writers chose to start off Stacy's story arc "very subtly," but to end it with a "big blowout."{{cite news|title=Doc vs Doc|work=TV Guide|author=Murphy, Mary|date=2005-10-31|pages=40–41}} Shore explained that he wanted Ward for the part because she was the first person the writing staff suggested,{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1100349,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080125012302/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1100349,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 25, 2008|title=The Scoop on House|author=Schilling, Mary|date=2005-09-09|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=2008-12-07}}{{cite news|title=A New 'House' Guest; Sela Ward: Just What the Doctor Ordered|newspaper=The Washington Post|author=Blumenstock, Kathy|date=2005-03-15}} adding that she acts in a "simple" and "convincing way." Initially, Ward was not interested in taking the role because, after the cancellation of Once and Again, she wanted to spend more time with her kids,{{cite magazine|url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/sela-ward-house-39851.aspx|title=House's Sela Ward: 48 and Fabulous!|author=Murphy, Mary|date=2005-05-17|magazine=TV Guide|access-date=2008-12-05}} which is why she had also turned down earlier roles on CSI: Miami and Desperate Housewives.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2004/10/08/why-sela-ward-wont-return-television/|title=A Ward To The Wise|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=2004-10-08|author=Armstrong, Jennifer|access-date=2008-12-07}} However, she changed her mind after watching tapes of the show, because she realized that House "would be fun to be a part of".

In a 2005 Entertainment Weekly interview, Ward, who had never appeared in a medical show before, stated that when she was young, her mother was sick for over nine years and she spent a lot of time in hospitals. Because of this, she felt "at home" on the set of House.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2005/05/16/we-chat-house-star-sela-ward/|title=We Chat With House Star Sela Ward|date=2005-05-16|author=Kung, Michelle|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=2008-12-06|archive-date=2012-10-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009144959/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1060814,00.html|url-status=live}} Although Ward was initially only hired to appear in "Three Stories" and "Honeymoon," the chemistry between Ward and House lead actor Hugh Laurie was strong enough for her to return for a multiple-episode arc in the second season.{{cite news|url=http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2005/08/30/tv_tonight_hous/ |title=TV Tonight: House with Sela Ward |author=McCollum, Charlie |date=2005-08-30 |newspaper=San Jose Mercury News |access-date=2008-12-06 }}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} On working with Ward, Laurie commented: "we're professionals who were lucky enough to be extremely well-equipped with a very sound, true script, the fact that Sela is immensely attractive and we got on well certainly is not an impediment."{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-07-31-fox-wrap_x.htm|title=Hot 'House' stars relish roles|author1=Bianco, Robert |author2=Levin, Gary |name-list-style=amp |date=2005-07-31|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=2008-12-06}} Though Ward expressed interest in returning to the show, Shore told USA Today in 2006 that, although he was eager to write her back in, there were "no specific plans" to bring Stacy back.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-03-27-hugh-laurie_x.htm|title=Laurie's polite — with a bite|work=USA Today|date=2006-03-28|author=Della Cava, Marco}}

Initial responses to Stacy were mostly positive. TV Guide{{'}}s Matt Roush stated that he was pleased with the character showing of House's soft side, calling the character's story arc a "juicy subplot".{{cite magazine|url=http://www.tvguide.com/roush/initially-fell-love-24666.aspx |title=I initially fell in love with ... |magazine=TV Guide |author=Roush, Matt |date=2006-02-13 |access-date=2008-12-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302144815/http://www.tvguide.com/roush/initially-fell-love-24666.aspx |archive-date=2009-03-02 }} David Bianculli of The New York Daily News stated that with the addition of Stacy, House shifted "to the top echelon of today's TV dramas".{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2005/11/01/2005-11-01__house__makes_itself_at_home.html |title=House Makes Itself at Home |newspaper=The New York Daily News |author=Bianculli, Robert |date=2005-11-01 |access-date=2008-12-06 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Critics from USA Today stated Ward "brought a sense of joy, if fleeting, to the show".{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-12-28-wish-list-get-together_x.htm|title=We wish they'd ... get together|work=USA Today|author1=Oldenburg, Ann |author2=Breznican, Anthony |author3=Mansfield, Brian |author4=Thomas, Karen |author5=Gardner, Elysa |author6=Snider, Mike |author7=Keveney, Bill |author8=Barnes, Ken |author9=Maxwell, Alison |date=2006-12-28|access-date=2009-04-11}} In an article about who annoyed House the most, Entertainment Weekly{{'}}s Alynda Wheat stated that Stacy annoyed House third most, ranking behind Amber Volakis (Anne Dudek) and Michael Tritter (David Morse).{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2008/09/12/who-annoyed-dr-house-most/|title=Who Annoyed Dr. House Most?|author=Wheat, Alynda|date=2008-09-12|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=2008-10-04}} However, Alan Sepinwall, of the Star-Ledger, commented that although he finds Ward a "talented" actress, her character, along with prior, and later, recurring characters, was "humorless" and "determined to ruin the audience's fun right along with House's".{{cite news|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2008/09/sepinwall_on_tv_house_season_f.html|title=Sepinwall on TV: 'House' season five review|author=Sepinwall, Alan|date=2008-09-16|newspaper=The Star-Ledger|access-date=2008-11-22}}

{{Reflist}}

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Category:House (TV series) characters

Category:Fictional American lawyers

Category:Fictional characters from New Jersey

Category:Television characters introduced in 2005

Category:Fictional female lawyers