Detective Michael Tritter

Infobox character
color = #d6d6ff
name = Michael Tritter


caption = Promotional shoot of Morse as Tritter.
born =
specialty =
occupation = Police detective
first = "Fools for Love"
last = "Words and Deeds"
age =
episode = 6
family =
portrayer = David Morse
imdb_id = 0015933

Detective Michael Tritter is a recurring character in the medical drama series "House, M.D.", portrayed by David Morse. He is the main antagonist of the third season. The character was described as somebody who could go toe-to-toe with House. At first Morse did not know if he wanted to portray the character, because he had never seen the show. When he saw the show he still was not very impressed. But when he told some friends of his, he was convinced because, as Morse puts it, "they just went nuts".

The character received mixed reviews by critics, although most critics agreed that after the first few episodes of the "Tritter Arc", the story seemed to drag on a bit. However, David Morse did gain an Emmy Award nomination in the category "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series" for his appearance in "Finding Judas".

toryline

Tritter first appears in "Fools for Love" he comes in to the walk-in clinic fearing he has an STD as he showed severe irritation in the area of his groin. House is assigned to see him, and sees him chewing nicotine gum. House easily diagnoses him with dry skin, a common side effect of the gum. However, Tritter is not convinced and demands that House takes a sample for testing. House does so, but then insists he has to take Tritter's temperature, rectally. House inserts the thermometer, then walks out of the room, and throws the sample in the trash. Tritter complains about this to Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), the Dean of Medicine at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, who forces House to talk to Tritter. Tritter says he would rather "beat the crap out of" House than sue him, but an apology will do. House refuses to apologize and says that he only wishes he had left a bigger thermometer in Tritter's ass.cite episode |title=Fools for Love |episodelink=Fools for Love |series=House, M.D. |serieslink=House (TV series) |credits=Shore, David; Blake, Peter |network=FOX |airdate=2006-10-31 |season=3 |number=5] When House goes home on his motorcycle, he is pulled over by an unmarked police car, Tritter steps out of the car, revealing that he's a police detective. House was going 40 in a 25 mph zone and has no ID on him. Due to seeing House taking some pills earlier Tritter does a strip search and finds some Vicodin pills, for which House has no prescription. Tritter arrests House.

The following day, House is bailed out by his friend James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), and assumes that Tritter has had his revenge.cite episode |title=Que Sera Sera|episodelink=Que Sera Sera (House) |series=House, M.D. |serieslink=House (TV series) |credits=Shore, David; Moran, Thomas L. |network=FOX |airdate=2006-11-07 |season=3 |number=6] However, Tritter gets a search warrant for House's apartment and finds six hundred-plus Vicodins. Tritter tells House that the amount of Vicodin could prove an intent to traffic, and if he finds one bottle with the wrong name on it, House is in trouble. House then talks to Wilson, who tells House that he told Tritter that he prescribes House's vicodin. When House tells Wilson about the stack of pills Tritter found, which House was "saving for a rainy day", Wilson gives House the number of his lawyer.

That evening, Tritter goes to Wilson's hotel and shows him two prescriptions he found, written in different handwriting. Wilson lies, and says he sometimes writes his name differently. Tritter asks Wilson to think deeply about his answer, and threatens him with police action if he finds out he's lying. Wilson replies that he's absolutely sure. At the end of "Son of a Coma Guy" Wilson finds out that Tritter has frozen his bank account, because he didn't believe him.cite episode |title=Son of a Coma Guy|episodelink=Son of a Coma Guy|series=House, M.D. |serieslink=House (TV series) |credits=Shore, David; Egan, Doris |network=FOX |airdate=2006-11-14 |season=3 |number=7] Tritter continues with his investigation and asks Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), one of House's diagnostic team members, how many vicodin pills House takes a day. "Six", she says. This is confirmed by Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer) and Dr. Eric Foreman (Omar Epps), the other two members of House's diagnostic team. Tritter has Wilson's car towed and has his prescription-writing powers removed, forcing him to shut down his practice.cite episode |title=Whac-A-Mole|episodelink=Whac-A-Mole|series=House, M.D. |serieslink=House (TV series) |credits=Shore, David; Davis, Pam |network=FOX |airdate=2006-11-21 |season=3 |number=8] Since House can't get his Vicodin prescriptions from Wilson, he decides to go to Cuddy, who prescribes him "reasonable doses at reasonable times".cite episode |title=Finding Judas|episodelink=Finding Judas|series=House, M.D. |serieslink=House (TV series) |credits=Shore, David; Hass, Sara |network=FOX |airdate=2006-11-28 |season=3 |number=9]

When Cuddy finds Tritter spending his week off looking through the hospital files at the hospital, she accuses Tritter of not having a life, and therefore spending his week off "personalizing every slight". She then yells at him for shutting down an innocent man's practice. Tritter replies, that "Nobody here is innocent" because everybody knows about House's Vicodin addiction, and yet they still allow him to hold patients' lives in his hands. Cuddy says that if this is true that it should be handled by doctors, and not police officers. Tritter replies that the doctors at Plainsboro aren't dealing with it, they're covering it up. Tritter ends the conversation by saying "You've failed", leaving Cuddy in the file-room with a chastened, wide-eyed stare on her face. Tritter tries to convince House's team members into testifying against him, but they all refuse. At the end of "Finding Judas", Tritter is sitting in his office when Wilson comes in and says: "I'm gonna need thirty pieces of silver".

The next day, Wilson informs House that he and Tritter worked out a deal, and he told the truth about the prescriptions. Tritter says that the D.A. will let House keep practicing medicine and avoid a jail sentence in exchange for a guilty plea and two months in rehab. House refuses, and Tritter tells House that he has three days to take the deal. Wilson talks to Cuddy and tries to convince her to stop giving House his Vicodin in order for him to settle. At first Cuddy disagrees, but she eventually gives in and takes House off his Vicodin until he settles.cite episode |title=Merry Little Christmas|episodelink=Merry Little Christmas |series=House, M.D. |serieslink=House (TV series) |credits=Shore, David; Friedman, Liz |network=FOX |airdate=2006-12-12 |season=3 |number=10] Noticing what's happening to House during his detox process, Wilson tells Tritter that he doesn't want to testify anymore. Tritter says that if Wilson does this, he will use his previous statements and charge Wilson with interfering with a police investigation. Meanwhile House tells Marco the pharmacist that Wilson sent him to pick up medicine for Mr. Zebalusky (who died a few hours earlier), Marco gives him the oxycodone pills. Early the next morning, House visits Tritter and tells him he'll take the deal, Tritter says the deal is off, because he found the pharmacy's log and found out that House signed for a dead man's drugs.

The final episode of the "Tritter Arc" shows the events around the court trial. House realizes that this might be his last chance, and apologizes to Tritter. Tritter, however, finds the apology too late and wants to get House clean. House goes in to rehab, putting on a show for Tritter and the judge.cite episode |title=Words and Deeds|episodelink=Words and Deeds |series=House, M.D. |serieslink=House (TV series) |credits=Shore, David; Dick, Leonard |network=FOX |airdate=2007-01-01 |season=3 |number=10] When Tritter sees that House went to rehab he applauds him, but still refuses to drop the charges, he says he's learned not to trust addicts due to his past experiences.

During the court case Cuddy reveals House never received Mr. Zebalusky's medicine, because she had swapped the oxycodone pills with placebos (Cuddy later explained to House that this was a lie). When the judge (Judge Helen) asks why she waited until this moment to tell this, Cuddy replies "I guess I never expected it to go this far". Judge Helen then excuses Cuddy and tells House that he has better friends than he thinks he has. Judge Helen tells Tritter that she thinks House is not the big bad drug addict he tried to make him. She makes House spend the night in jail and after that he can go back to rehab. Just before the bailiff escorts House out Tritter tells him, "Good luck. I hope I'm wrong about you".

Character development

According to David Morse, who portrayed Tritter, the producers were not looking for a bad guy: "What they were after was someone as focused and as smart as House, so it's a real force he comes up against".cite news|title=David Morse a 'House' Cop With a Problem|url=http://www.austin360.com/tv/content/tv/stories/2006/11/9davidmorse.html|first=Bridget|last=Byrne|publisher=Associated Press|date=2006-11-08|accessdate=2008-08-15] Morse was called by David Shore in 2006, Morse and Shore had previously worked together on "Hack". At first, Morse didn't know how to reply, since he didn't know the show. After watching a few episodes Morse stated that he thought "This House guy is a total jerk. Why do people watch this show?" When Morse was on vacation with his family and a few friends he had known for a very long time, he told them about the phone call, his friends were very enthusiastic, so Morse called Shore and agreed to appear.cite news|url=http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/random_roles_david_morse?utm_source=imdb_rss_1|title=Random Roles: David Morse|date=2008-06-24|publisher=The A.V. Club|first=Noel|last=Murray|accessdate=2008-09-22] Morse stated that he had very minor responsibilities on the show other than giving House a hard time. According to executive producer Katie Jacobs, what happened to House was "House pissed off the wrong guy, and that guy just happened to be a cop". [cite news|url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/House-Exclusive-David/800004486|title=House Exclusive: David Morse Joins Cast!|first=Michael|last=Ausiello|authorlink=Michael Ausiello|date=2006-08-07|publisher="TV Guide"|accessdate=2008-10-04] Jacobs also stated "We wanted someone with the strength and presence to really stand up to House ... David's presence is felt when he's not even speaking". Morse himself also stated that when House didn't apologize to Tritter, Tritter's alarm went off. According to Ellen Gray, of "Philadelphia Daily News", Morse's earlier portrayals of "scary" cops (in "16 Blocks" and "Hack") also helped in the casting process. [cite news|url=http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/PhiladelphiaDailyNews/2006/10/26/1925842?extID=10037&oliID=229|title=David Morse makes a "House" call|first=Ellen|last=Gray|date=October 2006|publisher="Philadelphia Daily News"|accessdate=2008-10-04] In an interview with "TV Guide" Morse said that although they had talked about it, it is practically impossible to get the character to return in any later seasons.cite news|url=http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Interviews-Features/Article/default.aspx?posting=%7B8C3DBC25-11DF-4306-BE66-3128F0861F34%7D|title=David Morse Prescribes Big Trouble for Dr. House|first=Angel|last=Cohn|date=2006-10-31|publisher="TV Guide"|accessdate=2008-10-04] In an answer to the question "What is it about Detective Tritter that enables him to stand up to House?", Morse said that, that what House did to Tritter in "Fools for Love" was so offensive to Tritter that it isn't hard for him to stand up to House. Still Tritter and House are very much alike, since they both use the phrase "Everybody Lies" and both have an addiction, House is addicted to Vicodin,cite news|url=http://holmes.spontaneousderivation.com/2008/05/31/a-house-md-and-sherlock-holmes-special-predicting-house-season-five-based-on-the-sherlock-holmes-canon/|title=A House, MD and Sherlock Holmes Special: Predicting House Season Five Based On the Sherlock Holmes Canon|first=Arachne|last=Jericho|date=2008-05-31|publisher=Holmesian Derivations, "A 21st century look at Sherlock Holmes."|accessdate=2008-09-27] while Tritter has an unconfirmed addiction to nicotine gum.

Reception

Quote box
quote = "...However, after about the fourth episode and the many troubles he [Tritter] was causing the people in House's life, we were bored. This story seemed to drag on forever and, in the meantime, there weren't that many great medical cases to fill in the gap".
source = — Staci Krause, IGN.
width = 25em
align = rightBarbara Barnett from "Blog Critics Magazine", said that Tritter deserved to have the thermometer in his butt a little longer.cite news|first=Barbara|last=Barnett|date=2008-04-10|url=http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/04/10/1158232.php|title=House, MD: Revisiting the "Tritter Arc"|publisher=BC, Blog Critics Magazine|accessdate=2008-09-22] She also compared him to Inspector Javert (Jean Valjean's pursuer in "Les Misérables"). A.J. Carson from "TV and DVD reviews" commented that "it's always a pleasure to watch Morse, and he makes a perfect foil for Laurie". [cite news|url=http://www.tvdvdreviews.com/house3.html|title=House: Season Three DVD Review|author=Carson, A.J.|date=2007-08-15|publisher=TV and DVD reviews|accessdate=2008-10-04] Staci Krause of IGN said that she got bored after the first four episodes of the "Tritter storyline", and that she found the first few episodes of Season 3, with House recovering from being shot more interesting.cite news|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/796/796279p1.html|first=Staci|last=Krause|date=2007-06-13|publisher=IGN|work=Some great medical cases, one disappointing story arc and a shocker of a finale.|title=House: Season 3 Review|accessdate=2008-10-04] Alynda Wheat from "Entertainment Weekly" stated that Tritter annoyed Dr. House the most, ranking above other "House" characters Amber Volakis (Anne Dudek), Stacey Warner (Sela Ward) and Lucas Douglas (Michael Weston). [cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20225048,00.html|title=Who Annoyed Dr. House Most?|author=Wheat, Alynda|date=2008-09-12|publisher="Entertainment Weekly"|accessdate=2008-10-04] In a review of "Que Sera Sera" Michelle Kung, also from "Entertainment Weekly" commented "I agree, David Morse is a fine actor, but his cop is so ridiculously one-note and revenge-bent that his scenes are often just excruciating to sit through".cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1556339,00.html|title=Heavy Hands|work=On "House", oppressive cop Tritter draws Wilson into his case against the doc, and the team struggles to diagnose 600 pounds of patient|author=Kung, Michelle|date=2006-11-08|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=2008-10-04]

Daniel Fienberg of "Zap2it", feared that what happened to Chi McBride (Edward Vogler) in the first season (the audience being glad of the character's departure), would happen to Tritter. "Because", Fienberg goes on, "Dr. House is a force of nature, while anybody sent to oppose him is just a nuisance, particularly any actor signed to a six or eight episode guest-starring arc".cite news|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2006/10/the_tease_house.html|title=The Tease: 'House' Returns with David Morse|author=Fienberg, David|date=2006-10-30|publisher="Zap2it"|accessdate=2008-10-04] In a review of "Fools for Love", Sara Morrison, of Television Without Pity, commented "Oh, give it a freaking rest, Michael Tritter! So he made you sit around for a while with a thermometer in your ass. Who cares? Is it really worth all this time and aggravation?".cite web|url=http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/house/fools_for_love.php?page=11|author=Morrison, Sara|title=Awkward|date=2006-10-31|publisher=Television Without Pity|accessdate=2008-10-04] She also called the "Tritter Arc" an "insane quest for ass thermometer justice",cite web|url=http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/house/que_ser_ser.php|author=Morrison, Sara|title=Vogler II: Electric Vog-a-loo|date=2006-11-07|publisher=Television Without Pity|accessdate=2008-10-04] and gave Tritter the nickname "Detective Shitter". David Morse, who portrays the character, submitted the episode "Finding Judas", for consideration on his behalf in the category of "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series" for the 2007 Emmy Awards.cite web|title = 2007 Emmys CONFIRMED Episode Submissions|url = http://goldderbyforums.latimes.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1106078764/m/53610293|publisher = The Envelope Forum, Los Angeles Times|accessdate = 2008-10-04] Morse went on to be nominated,cite web |url=http://www.emmys.org/awards/2007pt/59thnominations.php |title=The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards and Creative Arts Emmy Awards Nominees are... |accessdate=2008-10-04 |publisher="Academy of Television Arts & Sciences"] but eventually lost to John Goodman for "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip".cite press release |title=Academy of Television Arts and Sciences 59th Primetime Emmy Awards |publisher="Academy of Television Arts & Sciences" |date=2007-09-16 |url=http://www.emmys.org/downloads/2007/pte59emmywinners.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-10-04]

References

External Links

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