Tritter's experiences with drug addicts color his view of House, and he becomes so obsessed with House that, according to executive producer Katie Jacobs, the story arc turns into "a battle of egos" between them. The character shows a manipulative streak when he forms a plan to coerce each member of House's team to testify separately in "Finding Judas". Robert Bianco of "USA Today" described Tritter as an initially "legitimately, if belligerently, aggrieved adversary" character who later morphs into "some kind of insane supercop, tearing his way through the hospital and the Constitution at will". The Tritter character was created as someone to go "toe-to-toe" with House. The producers envisioned a character with an inner strength, intelligence, and single-mindedness to match that of House. In 2006, "House" creator David Shore contacted actor David Morse, with whom he had previously worked on "Hack", for a guest-starring episode arc on the show. According to Ellen Gray of the "Philadelphia Daily News", Morse's earlier portrayals of "scary" cops (in "16 Blocks" and "Hack") helped him clinch the role. Morse was unfamiliar with the show. After watching several "House" episodes, he was surprised that the show had a strong audience with "[such] a total jerk" as the lead character. It was not until Morse told a few long-time friends about the job offer that their enthusiastic reaction convinced him to take the role. Katie Jacobs, executive producer of "House", was impressed by Morse's performance. In a 2006 "TV Guide" interview, Morse said that, although he discussed the possibility with "House" writers, it would be "practically impossible" to get the character to return in any later seasons. Initial responses to the character were mostly positive. Maureen Ryan of the "Chicago Tribune" declared Tritter the best male villain of the fall of 2006. Lisa Edelstein, who portrays Lisa Cuddy on "House", named David Morse as one of her favorite "House" guest stars, saying that he did a great job portraying the character. Barbara Barnett from "Blog Critics Magazine" and Charles McGrath of "The New York Times" compared Tritter to Inspector Javert of "Les Misérables", and Alynda Wheat from "Entertainment Weekly" stated that Tritter annoyed House more than any other character, surpassing other antagonists such as Amber Volakis (Anne Dudek), Stacy Warner (Sela Ward), and Lucas Douglas (Michael Weston).