Season 1 General Discussion
Your general thoughts on Season 1 belong here.

I am rewatching the entire series, and yesterday I watched the first 11 episodes of Season 1, here are some of my thoughts: I was again incredibly glad that the first House Episode I watched was "Maternity" because if it had been the "Pilot" I wouldn´t have comeback for another one. I hate the orange tint, hate the contrast in House's office, with the background bleached of color and the actors in redish tint. Guess I am not cutting-edgy or something. I've gotten so used to House playing an instrument in almost every episode, that I kept waiting for the piano/guitar to make an appearance, it took 5 eps!! Glad to see Marco, I miss him. Have we seen him in S4? RSL was way too skinny, I kind of prefer the way he looks in S2 and the last few episodes of S4. But I remember being surprised by RSL way back then, during my teenage years I thought that Ethan Hawke and RSL were too pretty, too cold, too detached was never able to really enjoy their performances, even today can't really name a performance by Hawke in the last decade I'd truly enjoyed but I can name at least one I truly loathed (Snow Falling on Cedars). Any way in my mind the two EH&RSL were one and the same, so imagine my surprise when halfway through "Maternity" I found myself liking Wilson, and by the time "Histories" came around I was completly enchanted and charmed by the character. This has not waver, even the added layers to Wilson, even the not so nice ones have not diminish my love of the character nor my surprised enjoyment of RSL performance. Must confess that I tried House because of Hugh Laurie, it's actually the opposite of RSL, because I so have enjoyed HL performances through the years and the company he's kept (Emma, Stephen, Rowan, etc). Even so, I was not prepared for this performance, he hit the ground running in a way. From the first moment, you could tell his was a character like no other, someone unique. He was funny, irreverent, clever and rude. You root for him, in spite of the character. I think this House, S1, was probably the most easy to get, the one where the lines were most clear. Which to cross, which not to cross. Specially, here at the half way mark of S1, without Vogler nor Stacy, and all those added layers and contrasts they added.

thought that Ethan Hawke and RSL were too pretty, too cold, too detached was never able to really enjoy their performances, even today can't really name a performance by Hawke in the last decade I'd truly enjoyed but I can name at least one I truly loathed (Snow Falling on Cedars). *Sighs* I really must resign myself to the fact that I am the only one on the planet who likes Ethan Hawke. Although, Snow Falling on Cedars put me to sleep. I can understand not enjoying him and I could even understand not liking RSL but too cold? That's interesting, that's one thing I don't think I could ever accuse either of them of. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just curious what made you think that. Now too pretty, I won't argue with that.

Here's where I differ from so many others out there. My unpopular opinion? I think the first season was the weakest. Not that it was weak per se -- and not that it didn't have standout episodes, but to me it took several episodes to get into a real stride. It wasn't until after "DNR" that I moved "House" onto the TiVo -- with a cable connection -- and off the crappy VCR with the rabbit ears that only recorded a very staticky version. Then post-DNR, just as I thought it was hitting strongly, came the Vogler arc, which I feel has been their weakest arc, personally. Sure it had a couple of good episodes, but ... what was the point of it, exactly, other than giving us a outside villain. (And yes, I know that Tritter was an outside villain, but that arc to me was more about using Tritter as an instrument to explore House's addictions and explore just how far his friendship with Wilson would go until it broke.) Plus the Vogler arc brought us the Cameron crush which really drove her characterization straight downhill for me, and it took another two seasons until I felt she'd finally regained the ground she lost there. Not that I hated the first season, mind you, I just feel that it is the weakest overall -- so far.

I liked "Before Sunrise". That was Ethan Hawke. I preferred that the medicine drove the stories more in S1, and was more realistic. Not only did the diseases match the symptoms more but a doctor's specialty mattered. Come S4 and the writers haven't even bothered to tell us what Thirteen and Kutner's specialties are, and everyone's a surgeon. I also liked House better when he wasn't trying to kill himself in every other episode for no apparent reason than to give the Fox voiceover guy a reason to intone "next episode, on House's most outrageous episode yet, will House go too far?". The Volger arc was very weak. As I recall, the network was pushing for a villian and actually wanted to make the show about House vs Volger. The horror! I hated the Cameron crush too. Just when I thought she'd gotten over it - that's OT. I will say that S1 Cuddy is my favourite Cuddy.

Not that I hated the first season, mind you, I just feel that it is the weakest overall -- so far. I agree. I don't rewatch season 1 episodes nearly as much as the other seasons, and that's including season 4. It's difficult for me to pinpoint why I prefer the other seasons, because there was nothing I outright hated about season 1 (although Cameron's crush came close). I think it's because season 1 episodes just seem much slower in pace compared to most of the other episodes, and I can forgive character inconsistencies and unreal scenarios if the plot is moving along at an entertaining speed. *Sighs* I really must resign myself to the fact that I am the only one on the planet who likes Ethan Hawke. I wouldn't call myself a huge fan, but I have liked many of his performances, and I consider him to be a much stronger screen performer than RSL. He was great in Reality Bites, Gattaca, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Training Day, and I've yet to see it, but I've heard that Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is quite good.

My unpopular opinion? I think the first season was the weakest. I completely agree. I liked S1 but over all, it just felt very...sleepy. If I had started with the first season, I doubt I would have kept watching. I don't need outrageous wackiness or House nearly dying every ep. (that is seriously getting so old) but everyone just seemed so subdued and solem. House, Wilson, and Cuddy were still the most enjoyable characters, JMO, and they still had the best lines but it really only mildly amused me compared to S2 and beyond. And yes, there was the Cameron crush. She reached a level of superiority and b*tchiness, only surpassed by S3. Oddly, I think S2 was when I found her the most tolerable, even with Hunting, Spin, Daddy's Boy, and SDL. Tape is what totally convinced me that both RSL and EH (and Uma Thurman but that's beside the point) are fantastic actors. I literally cannot stop watching that movie once I've started it. Three actors with no special effects or huge, elaborate sets to rely on, just each other and the dialogue, to me that's when you know real talent. Although, I must say, I do think Uma gave the best performance, although that could be because I just felt for her character the most. Wow, that was OT, sorry.

What's impressed me about S1 is how pulled together it was for a S1. On so many other shows, it is so blatantly obvious that the writers have no idea where they're going with the series as a whole that it's just not really worth it to watch them try to work it out (perhaps that's why S4 is so iffy at the moment. I still have hope.) I can see where the Vogler arc had its purpose, aside from the network demanding it. In some ways, one has to wonder why a hospital would put up with House. Whereas Tritter explored House's relationship to Wilson and Cuddy, Vogler explored House's relationship to PPTH. No matter how brilliant he is, he obviously loses them money, which, unfortunately is a major issue in health care today. In that sense, we were given a broader sense of House's purpose, though admittedly it was done in an imperfect manner. However, it did give us the "Baba O'Reily" and "stupid, screwed-up friendship" scenes, so we give them that. I also love the patients. If only we could bring Georgia back!

I liked season one, but don't feel it was perfect by any means. I do agree with chipmunk love who said it felt pulled together right from the get go. I remember finding out Hugh Laurie was starring and feeling vaguely nervous that he was doing it in an American accent but hoping all would be well. The opening shot pulled me in completely--I loved Gregory House from his opening words. However, I agree that it took a few episodes before the personalities started to come together for me, and just as Chase took off, Cameron took a dive into the unrequited love pool in a fashion that turned me off. The crush storyline was one of the show's worst, I think. Coming back for a date and bragging about it to her co-workers--aaagh. And Vogler to boot. Plotwise, there were a lot of issues. But the clinic patients were wonderful, House and Cuddy were wonderful and House and Wilson always had something special, even in season one. The cases were new enough that they all seemed very special and exciting--I don't think we'd be so forgiving of rabies nowadays as an unexpected diagnosis. Overall--good season, but I don't feel it was head and shoulders above the rest.

bailey brought up two points I missed: 1) the ethical dilemmas, what happened to them? Has there been one in all of S4? and 2) the interesting clinic patients.

I can't stand the complete and utter pretentiousness that is "Before Sunrise". I hear that all the time, I'm curious, what exactly is so pretentious about that movie? I have to say that I'm usually not a fan of first seasons in general because what I love about shows is dynamics between characters and they're typically not developed deeply enough in first seasons. I probably wouldn't be so into the House/Wilson relationship if I had started watching first season however, they felt more like buddies (with a few exceptions of DIYD, Histories, Babies and Bathwater, and Detox) as opposed to true best friends who loved and needed each other, JMO.

1) the ethical dilemmas, what happened to them? Has there been one in all of S4? Whether House had the right to browbeat Stark to get him to submit to treatment because using a belief in the afterlife to base a decision upon is irrational springs to mind :D . As does whether allowing a case to be filmed actually alters what happens.

Probably need to go to season four to discuss this, but I would say the question about the place and value of faith was a common thread throughout the first half of season four and very much treated as an ethical dilemma. This exploration of ethics was a framing device and found in one way or another in every episode. I loved the continuity and the multi-faceted arguments. No one "won"--lots of viewpoints were shown.