I'll tell ya' something odd, Scarlett: I felt the same way about seeing it from the beginning as you did, but could never catch the first two discs of season 1 in at Blockbuster. So, I went ahead and rented the last 2 discs of season 1 (beginning with "Boca"), and it was love at first sight. Like Don Corpuzzi, Tony S., and Don Palentino, I rushed right out to Best Buy, plopped down my $$$ and bought the first 2 seasons without ever seeing it on HBO. Worth every penny.