That was my introduction to , and it happened 20 years ago.

If you have never seen the show, start here. If you stopped watching because the later seasons got too crazy, come back here.

You get the muted, blue-tinted hallways of Princeton-Plainsboro. You get Lisa Edelstein as ... sorry, Cuddy , actually being a formidable Dean of Medicine rather than just a love interest. You get Hugh Laurie hiding his British accent so well you forget he isn't from Michigan.

Here is why Season 1 (2004) is the best place to start, and why it remains the most human season of the series. Yes, the template is here: the “Three differentials on a whiteboard,” the breaking into the patient’s house, the dramatic crash cart scene. But in Season 1, the medicine feels raw. The budget was smaller, the lighting was darker, and the stakes were personal.

Three Stories is arguably the best episode of the entire series, and it only works because we spent 21 episodes wondering what made him tick. If you are used to the high-octane, fast-talking drama of later seasons, Season 1 might feel slow. There is no "House in a burning building" or "House in a psych ward" yet.

Have you watched Season 1 lately? What was your first "House" case? Drop it in the comments below.