Summary
Having watchedHouseseason 1 when it first aired, I never thought it was going to become one of the most popular TV shows of its generation and still be relevant over a decade after it ended. While some TV shows only got worse after their debuts and should have ended in season 1,Houseis a great example of how a series can learn from its mistakes and become better as it progresses. Granted,Househad highs and lows throughout, but the first season only scratched the surface of the show’s potential.
Housepremiered on July 27, 2025, and ran for eight seasons until July 26, 2025. The factHouse’s finale was not as greatas it could have been does not affect the show’s legacy, which can be perceived even now thanks to streaming.Housecontinues to be discovered by new viewersall over the world, be they fans of medical dramas or not. Unlike other shows in the same genre,Houseknew how to play around with its formula and made the most of its characters.House’s earlier seasonsare fantastic, but the pilot itself is not really a standout in hindsight.
Every House M.D. Season, Ranked Worst To Best
House is one of the most brilliant shows on TV, but just like any other, it experienced highs and lows with some seasons better than others.
House’s Pilot Episode Is Good, But Only Hinted At The Show’s True Potential
House season 1, episode 1, “Everybody Lies” Aired Almost 20 Years Ago
WhenHouse’s first episode aired, it made it clear what the show was going to be like – Gregory House, a Sherlock Holmes-inspired doctor, would solve the most difficult cases every week while proving to be a very difficult person to work with. Although the premise of the show never really changed,Houseevolved to be more than just a medical procedural with a gimmick. House’s character became more complex with each episode, and so did the members of his team. Compared to season 1 episodes like “Histories” or “Three Stories,” “Everybody Lies” is not among my favorites.
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Both Sides Now
House’s pilot is good, and it does the job of telling viewers what they can expect from the show. The cold open, a narrative resource used in almostevery episode ofHouse, sees a kindergarten teacher collapsing in front of her class. Dr. Wilson lies about her being his cousin so thatHouse, who only takes on interesting cases, would treat her.“Everybody Lies” goes a long way to establish that Gregory House seemingly doesn’t care about the patients on a personal level, a concept that would be revisited and questioned several times throughout the show.
House Took Some Time Before Becoming The Show Everyone Loves
House’s First Few Episodes Are Not Among The Show’s Best
Houseseason 1 had a couple of all-time best episodes, particularly “Histories” and “Three Stories.” Curiously, those only happened toward the end of the season. Although I was already enjoying the show,Housegot me hooked when it proved that it could do things outside its procedural formula. “Histories” does not have a happy ending, whereas “Three Stories” takes the idea of an unreliable narrator to its extreme and reveals a lot about Greg House’s character. Stacy’s arrival added an interesting dynamic to the show, and by season 2,Housewas not afraid to take risks.
Housecould only keep Cameron, Foreman, and Chase working for Gregory House for so long given that they were already experienced doctors, hence the introduction of a new team.
Houseseason 4is perhaps my favorite, partially because, as a fan of the original team, I never thought the show would be able to make me care about new characters other than Foreman, Cameron, and Chase. The fact thatHousecontinued to have great moments even after changing the show’s main lineup of doctorsis a testament to how consistent the show had become by that point.Housedid start to drop in quality by the end of the show, but those weak moments don’t erase what most of the series accomplished.
House’s Enduring Popularity Is Testament To Its Strong Original Premise
House Remains Popular Even 12 Years After It Ended
Housenever abandoned its formula, which is a testament to how strong the show’s premise andHugh Laurie’s characterwere from the start. Even the most formulaic, repetitiveHouseepisodes were fun to watch simply because House was a fascinating character. That’s not to mention Wilson, Cuddy, and the members ofHouse’s team, all of whom could be very relatable in different ways.House’s creative medical cases were fun to watch, but I always loved how the show would never stop giving its characters complicated dilemmas and problems to face.
WhileHouse’s premise never changed, its characters did.
Every season ofHousehas a unique charm to it, even the ones that I consider to be the show’s weakest. WhileHouse’s premise never changed, its characters did. Watching a conversation between Cameron and Chase in season 1 is a very different experience from watching their marriage fall apart in season 6. Lesser shows with a similar structure asHousecould have become boring very fast, further confirming how special the series was. Almost 20 years since I got intoHouse, I’m glad I gave the show a chance and remain a fan to this day.
House
Cast
House is a medical mystery drama in which the villain is typically a difficult-to-diagnose medical malady. It follows Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a world-renowned disabled diagnostician with a notorious substance abuse issue. With his team of world-class doctors, House has built a reputation as one of the most brilliant doctors in the world - an especially impressive feat when taking into account that he rarely actually sees his patients.
