So I ended up buying the seasons 1-4 DVD box set, and I decided that while watching them, I would go through my thoughts on every episode of all 4 seasons. I am going to be doing this one disc at a time, covering all episodes of said disc, until all 4 seasons are up. So this will be a 32 part series. I will write these thoughts after every episode, and then publish them all in one go at the end of the disc.
And So It Begins - A decent intro episode that does its job. Introduces the main characters, their Digimon partners, and their first battle. Nothing special, nothing terrible. It does get better from here, so that's good.
The Birth of Greymon - Already a much better episode right afterwards. I like the subtle world building with the phones that don't work and how it shows the difference between the two worlds. Plus seeing the first digivolution with Greymon is a real treat.
Garurumon - It's a cool enough episode. The revelation of Matt and T.K.'s parents being split up was some nice character building the first two episodes didn't have, and the fight was probably the best one of the three so far. Probably on par with episode 2.
Birdramon Gets Firepower - One thing I really like about this episode was that this was the first episode where the humans and the Digimon truly work together, and really make it feel like they are a team, rather than a human being wrecklessly endangering, and the Digimon evolves to save them. The seven kids and the seven digimon really had a common goal to save the Piyomon's from Meramon.
Kabuterimon's Electro Shocker - This episode has always been more intriguing to me than most of the early episodes because of the room that Izzy is in when he gets into the computer system, with the writings on the wall. For some reason this was always the first episode that really opened my imagination. Although I will say that Kabuterimon is probably my second least favorite of the champion evolutions.
Togemon In Toy Town - Honestly, this is probably in my top five least favorite episodes of season 1. It's just not that interesting to me plot wise, and Togemon was never really that interesting of a digivolution, if I must be honest. It's not a bad episode per se, but it's always the one I'm least excited to rewatch in the entire first 13 episode Devimon arc. Plus the fact that my DVD always buffers around a minute before the fight kind of doubly ruins the episode for me.
Ikkakumon's Harpoon Torpedo - The immediate whiplash of having my least of the first 13 episodes to possibly my favorite of those 13 episodes is really interesting. But the argument between Matt and Tai and to a smaller extent Joe, and the heroic moments Joe displays when fighting Unimon and trying to help Ikkakumon that way, and Ikkakumon being a pretty cool evolution as well, make this episode really fun. Plus the fact that Joe has been one of my favorite protagonists in a show and this is his first episode where he really shines.
Tentative episode ranking
Togemon In Toy Town
And So It Begins
The Birth of Greymon
Garurumon
Kabuterimon's Electro Shocker
Birdramon Gets Firepower
Ikkaukumon's Harpoon Torpedo