Let’s be honest. Replacing Olivia Wilde’s "Thirteen" was a suicide mission. Thirteen was the cool, bisexual, enigmatic doctor with a tragic Huntington’s diagnosis. Fans loved her. Then, halfway through Season 7, in walks this socially awkward, hyper-intelligent med student with a thrift-store wardrobe and a moral compass that would make a Boy Scout look like a criminal.
Amber Tamblyn in House didn't just play a character; she played the ultimate vibe shift.
Martha Masters was a shock to the system. You probably remember her as the girl who refused to lie. In a show where the literal catchphrase is "Everybody Lies," that’s like bringing a vegan to a steakhouse. It shouldn't have worked. But it did.
The Chaos of Martha Masters
Most of House’s underlings eventually crumble. They start out idealistic, and by Season 3, they’re breaking into houses and lying to patients just to get a "nice work" from the boss. Masters was different. She was a genius—like, "PhD in Art History and Applied Math at age 15" genius—but she was also a brick wall of ethics.
She wasn't just a "goody two-shoes." She was an irritant.
House (Hugh Laurie) didn't know what to do with her. He tried to bully her, blackmail her, and even trick her into committing assault on a coma patient just to see if she’d break. She didn't. Well, not at first.
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The chemistry between Amber Tamblyn and Hugh Laurie was weirdly electric because they weren't flirting. They were in a philosophical war. Tamblyn brought this "nervous, anxious energy" (as House called it) that felt incredibly real. If you’ve ever been the youngest person in a room full of experts, you felt that performance in your bones.
Why Amber Tamblyn Only Stayed for 15 Episodes
A lot of people think she was fired or that the fans hated her. Neither is true.
Tamblyn actually signed on for a very specific multi-episode arc. She was there to fill the void while Olivia Wilde was off filming Cowboys & Aliens. It was always meant to be a temporary gig. In fact, Tamblyn has said in interviews that she only signed up for 13 episodes initially. She ended up doing 15, including the series finale.
There’s a great story about her exit. Hugh Laurie actually threw her a surprise party when she finished her run. She was in tears. She didn't want to leave, but she had a development deal with Fox to work on a new project with House executive producer Katie Jacobs.
The Real-Life Inspiration
Here’s a fun bit of trivia: Martha Masters is a real person.
The character was named after and partially based on Amber Tamblyn’s real-life best friend, who was a medical student at the time. The real Martha Masters even consulted on the show to make sure the "socially awkward med student" tropes didn't get too ridiculous.
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The Moment Everything Broke
We have to talk about her exit episode, "Last Temptation." This is where Amber Tamblyn in House goes from "annoying moralist" to "tragic figure."
She’s faced with a teenage girl whose arm needs to be amputated to save her life. The parents refuse. House, being House, tells Masters to just lie and manipulate them. Masters, for the first time, "breaks bad." She fakes a cardiac arrest to scare the parents into signing the consent form.
She saves the girl’s life.
She does exactly what House wanted.
And she hates herself for it.
The final scene of her leaving the hospital—after House offers her a permanent internship—is one of the most honest moments in the whole series. She realizes that being around House doesn't make you a better doctor; it just makes you a worse person. She chose her soul over her career.
Was she actually Autistic?
If you look at Reddit threads or old forums, you’ll see a massive debate about whether Martha Masters was written as neurodivergent. The show never explicitly says it. However, her rigid adherence to rules, her difficulty with social cues, and her intense special interests (like art history) made her a "coded" character for many viewers.
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Amber Tamblyn played those nuances perfectly. She didn't make Masters a caricature. She made her someone who was simply wired differently than the cynical, jaded doctors around her.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often group Masters with the "boring" later-season characters like Adams or Park. That’s a mistake. Masters served a narrative purpose. She was the only person who ever truly "won" against House because she left on her own terms without being corrupted by his cult of personality.
Even in the series finale, "Everybody Dies," she comes back for a cameo. Her eulogy for House? She basically thanks him for giving her the courage to quit. That’s cold. And it’s perfectly Martha.
What to do if you’re a fan of her performance:
If you loved Tamblyn’s work in the show, you should definitely check out her poetry or her directorial debut Hillary's Clinton. She’s much more than just a "medical student" character; she’s a powerhouse in the indie film and literary world.
If you're rewatching Season 7, pay attention to the background of Masters’ scenes. The writers packed her apartment with "easter eggs" about her art history background, including those paper airplanes she makes to stay calm.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch Episode 7x19: "Last Temptation" is the definitive Masters episode.
- Check out Tamblyn’s book Dark Sparkler: It shows a completely different, darker side of the actress.
- Compare her to Cameron: Watch a Season 1 episode and then a Season 7 episode. You’ll see that while Cameron talked about ethics, Masters actually lived them.
Masters wasn't there to be liked. She was there to be right. And in the world of Princeton Plainsboro, being right is the most dangerous thing you can be.