Welcome to Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Grab a cane, pop a Vicodin (kidding... mostly), and prepare for a diagnostic rollercoaster.
Seventeen years after it first aired, House M.D. remains the gold standard for the “curmudgeon-with-a-heart-of-gold” genre. But before Dr. Gregory House became a cultural icon, he was just a brilliant jerk in Season 1—and honestly, that’s the best version.
Whether you are a first-time viewer trying to follow the clues or a veteran rewatcher looking for that specific scene where Wilson loses his patience, this episode index for Season 1 is your map.
Here is the complete guide to the 22 episodes that started it all. index of house m.d. season 1
| # | Episode Title | Original Airdate | Key Medical Mystery | Iconic House Moment | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Pilot | Nov 16, 2004 | A kindergarten teacher becomes aphasic and seizures. | House uses a cane; first "It’s not lupus." | | 2 | Paternity | Nov 23, 2004 | A teen with night terrors and double vision. | House treats a minor without parental consent. | | 3 | Occam’s Razor | Nov 30, 2004 | A man has a cold that won’t go away + organ failure. | "The simplest explanation is usually correct." | | 4 | Maternity | Dec 7, 2004 | Newborns in the hospital nursery get a mysterious illness. | House vs. Cuddy over quarantine. | | 5 | Damned If You Do | Dec 14, 2004 | A nun suffering from an allergic reaction to a Santa Claus statue. | First appearance of the portable MRI concept. | | 6 | The Socratic Method | Dec 21, 2004 | A schizophrenic homeless woman with blood clots. | House steals a patient from the ER. | | 7 | Fidelity | Dec 28, 2004 | A woman in a coma despite sleeping sickness treatment. | The controversial "wake-up" treatment (African sleeping sickness). | | 8 | Poison | Jan 25, 2005 | A high school student collapses with acute poisoning. | House investigates the victim’s home. | | 9 | DNR | Feb 1, 2005 | A famous jazz trumpeter with paralysis who wants a Do Not Resuscitate order. | House defies a DNR order. | | 10 | Histories | Feb 8, 2005 | A homeless woman with rabies-like symptoms. | Surprisingly emotional ending; Wilson’s backstory shines. | | 11 | Detox | Feb 15, 2005 | A teen in a car crash refuses to detox from drugs. | House bets Cuddy he can go one week without Vicodin. | | 12 | Sports Medicine | Feb 22, 2005 | A steroid-using athlete’s bone suddenly dissolves. | House uses a cadaver arm to break into a locker. | | 13 | Cursed | Mar 1, 2005 | A boy who played with a Ouija board develops lesions. | First episode focusing on House’s own leg pain origin. | | 14 | Control | Mar 15, 2005 | A high-powered CEO has a heart attack with no risk factors. | House fires a patient for lying about bulimia. | | 15 | Mob Rules | Mar 22, 2005 | A mobster with hepatitis fails to wake up from a coma. | Chase’s Catholic guilt is explored. | | 16 | Heavy | Mar 29, 2005 | An obese 8-year-old girl with heart problems. | House accuses the mother of Munchausen by proxy. | | 17 | Role Model | Apr 12, 2005 | A senator running for president collapses with seizures. | First major "House is wrong" twist. | | 18 | Babies & Bathwater | Apr 19, 2005 | A pregnant woman with terminal cancer must choose: save herself or the baby. | Cuddy considers adopting the baby. | | 19 | Kids | May 3, 2005 | A 12-year-old competitive swimmer collapses with meningitis. | Vogler (Chi McBride) begins his war on House. | | 20 | Love Hurts | May 10, 2005 | A football player collapses after scoring a touchdown. | House struggles with attraction to a new clinic worker. | | 21 | Three Stories | May 17, 2005 | Masterpiece. House lectures students on three leg-pain cases. | Emmy-winning episode. Explains House’s cane and ex-girlfriend Stacy. | | 22 | Honeymoon | May 24, 2005 | Stacy’s husband has sudden muscle weakness. | House offers to kill Stacy’s husband to get her back. |
Episode 1: "Pilot" (S01E01)
Episode 2: "Paternity" (S01E02)
Episode 3: "Occam's Razor" (S01E03)
Episode 4: "Maternity" (S01E04)
Episode 5: "Damned If You Do" (S01E05)
Premiering on Fox on November 16, 2004, House M.D. introduced the world to Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a misanthropic genius with a Vicodin addiction and a bum leg. Season 1 is crucial because it establishes the "formula" that would run for eight seasons:
If you find an index of house m.d. season 1, you are about to witness one of the most confident debut seasons in TV history. Here is why it still holds up: