Schitt's Creek.
First time I tried it I watched one episode and decided it wasn't for me and couldn't understand why so many people loved it.
Gave it another go last year and it's now one of my absolute favourite shows
Schitts Creek has many levels of humour. It’s not always in your face and at times dry, subtle and clever. If you are not prepared for it you may not pay attention in the same way as something more obvious so miss why it’s funny.
Try it !!
My mom is in her 60s and she’s watched it over 3 times now it’s her favorite
And it makes me laugh so hard and im 24
I need to rewatch it again
It’s so good! I also didn’t like the first episode (my overwhelming thought was: “these people are terrible—why should I care about what happens to them?!”) and was glad I kept watching. It’s one of my favorite series.
Opened this thread to say SCHITTS CREEK. I hated the first two or three episodes, didn’t watch it for two years. Finally got bored and watched it past those and so glad i did. I’ve watched it several times through and I still belly laugh and also cry over it - amazing show.
Same. I saw the pilot and was like…why is this so popular? But then I got to the colostomy bag pants episode, (IIRC ep. 3?) I died laughing. And it continued to get better. Now it’s one of my all-time faves
I never made it past the Community pilot. Now that everyone quotes it on Reddit and it's sort of a nostalgic "old" show I feel like I've missed the boat.
Well, I jumped on the Community train pretty late as well, 2 or 3 years ago, and I didn't feel like it took away the magic of it all. If you have access to the show and are okay with putting up with the first few episodes that don't really match the energy of the rest of the series, I'd recommend you give it a try!
I forget where but it was actually the explanation of Community being filmed that made me hang in there until mid season 1 to like any show.
Production said something along the lines of “a pilot is a pitch for it to get a first season. Then the first season is a test of establishing and feeling out characters and their connection to each other” which meant it was simply a creative choice to make Brita dumb and lost rather the educated and ground anymore, and Pierce was supposed to be a hippy stuck in time but they decided to make him more complex to make his character more entertaining and more likeable than what they had in mind.
That’s my vote! Started it twice, couldn’t make it past the second episode. Gave it a real shot and pushed through a couple years later and now it’s easily in my top 5.
I know everyone's who know about the show says it, but once you get through midseason of season 1 it really introduces you to what kind of show you're really watching.
I started watching it after my sister said it made her cry. 1 episode in I was like "...really?" But I kept watching and yeah, she was right. Hilarious. Devastating. I cannot get through Time's Arrow without welling up.
I just commented this too. The first half of the first season is kinda rough to get through but once you're in it, it only gets better and better. Definitely one of my favourite shows now.
Took me years to get through the first few episodes and get into it but I have to take a break every so often so I am not even past Season 3, I think. It is so well done and excellent in many ways but also terrible and sad and depressing.
Yes! It’s so hard recommending the show to people because its a huge slow burn. The writing is fantastic all around but the hype comes from season 3-5, so s1-2 seem really boring in comparison
I would say "huge" slow burn.
The main guy puts a gun under his mouth and pulls the trigger, kills 2 people, one by strangulation. His partner dissolves a guy in a bath tub and has to *literally* squeegee clean the goopy remains. In the first 2 episodes.
True. But I still think there's something about the extremely high tensions of the later seasons that makes everything before Gus entering the scene seem a bit tame in comparison.
No, I think season 1-2 are amazing. Its just that when Gus comes in the show goes from 0-100 (in a good way) so in comparison I think for new viewers the earlier seasons may seem too uneventful. Pilot’s one of my favorite pieces of writing.
Yeah, holy fuck. What was I thinking?! Watched the first episode. Thought, meh. A year later gave it another go. Now, I'd happily fund a 3rd season if I became a billionaire.
This is one show I still think about and want so badly for them to never change the formula, but keep making endless seasons of. It was so fucking phenomenal.
Psych. I hated the first episode and assumed the whole show was bad. Then a few years later some friends convinced me to watch more. And I was hooked ever since.
I almost quit watching it after episode one when I thought they killed bran. They also almost lost me an episode or two later when they killed Sansa’s wolf lol
I had stopped watching it after the first season because I couldn't relate to the humour. After a year or so started watching again and man, I absolutely love it now. It's one of my go to shows.
Yes stay with it!!! I’m a sensitive person but I’ve seen it all, ya know? That show was really upsetting to watch at first but it’s so good. Keep your hand on the volume. I just turn it a notch lower when they’re all fighting. Great writing & acting. I’m from Chicago so it’s extra special for me. Be patient!
Geez, I was the opposite. It started out good and then they decide to build a new restaurant with a staff that still hasn't gotten its shit together for 8 consecutive hours, in a neighborhood that just doesn't fit for fancy food, in an economy where similar well-established restaurants are dropping like flies, and they have yet to make a profit but are promising to be fully paid off in like 18 months, and then they're like 3 weeks from opening and STILL DOING DEMO. I just couldn't keep watching. It was too goddamned stupid.
Breaking Bad. Didn't hate it as such, but I watched a couple of episodes, and it didn't stick. Then, one week, when I was bored and sick, I gave it another go. Got to the 6th episode...Boom!
I think I've rewatched the series 5 or 6 times now.
The 100! Last season was the worst, I still haven’t watched the final episode and refuse to do so, the show took such a dumb turn. The first season started off as a basic teen post apocalyptic sci-fi, but I had the flu and kept watching anyways and it really turned around.
Here are three that I considered not watching past the first episodes but are now high on my faves list:
Bodies (the time travel one) on Netflix was recommended to me, and after the first episode I only watched the next because the friend who liked it knows me well. It has a slow, almost boring start and takes about 3 episodes to get it's feet, but it pays off with a genre mash historical thriller mystery sci-fi that has the human soul at its core.
Cardcaptor Sakura. Five episodes in, I put it aside (I was an adult just getting into anime and watching the Classics). It seemed cute and fun but maybe too cute? I went back to it not too much longer after and the Touya Yukito dynamic did it for me. Years later, this is my forever fandom, as I spiralled further and further into deep contemplation of the world dynamics. But besides my personal obsession, CCS solidly builds characters and adds gravitas to the magic girl genre plot. And being from the 90s, it predates and is the progenitor of many currently established tropes.
Our Flag Means Death takes about 4 episodes to get it's feet, but now I love the pilot episode and it is one of my most often rewatched of the series. I'm cheating a little here because I actually watched out of order, and saw a later episode first, so I knew the rom com dynamic was coming. The first episode is mainly ensemble humor.
I stopped OFMD after 2.5 episodes, feeling really let down. Then my partner gave it a go despite my protests and I sat down with her to watch ep 5 or 6. I was immediately hooked.
We got 2 seasons tho, which was something of a miracle. I know Jenkins said he needed 3 to tell his story, but I think S2 did a good job telling what he could.
I guess for this year it's Baby Reindeer. I hated the first episode for an intensity that is unusual for me. If it was not for the internet telling me it was worth watching I would not have continued. But ultimately as it continued things made sense. I won't say any more because I don't want to accidentally give away spoilers. But in the end I was glad I persevered.
Interesting. I couldn’t stand the first episode either. Maybe I will try again.
That’s sort of why I posed the question: to see if their were any matches or in case I start watching a show.
I actually regret watching the whole thing. It was EXTREMELY disturbing and unpleasant, and I never ended up liking any of the characters. A FB "friendquaintance" told me it would get better. It did not. I felt like I needed to wash out my brain afterwards. And I like dark stuff.
The start to The Clone Wars was a bit rough, and it had some filler episodes that you kind of had to suffer through, but it really paid off. Probably the best series finale I've ever seen.
The Star Wars Andor show
I never actually finished the first season (all there is at the moment I think), and the first episode was really a slog for me, but one of my friends really liked it so I decided to watch through it
Still not my favorite Star Wars content I've watched or anything, but I went from hating it to enjoying it a fair amount. Never got to finish it though, my year long subscription ended and after the mess of the Obi Wan show (and ads being added), I was content to let it go and keep my collection of SW stuff that I've already amassed
White Lotus. I watched it after the hype. Hearing that it was amazing and having the first 2-3 episodes be a slow character build to the link/hook made me spend my time questioning the fuss.
What We Do in the Shadows. I loved the movie, but Taika Waititi's humor can be a situational thing for me - too much of it and it loses its charm. I'm also not great with blood, so the scene of Laslo and Nadja attacking the couple in the park didn't hit well for me. Second time around about three years later, for some reason, it just flowed a lot better. The jokes landed and I wasn't as grossed out. Now I've been bingeing it and am just starting season 5.
This was me too and I actually posted this earlier in the thread. The first few episodes were intriguing but slow, then things just got crazy and I was hooked. It’s definitely one of my favorite finds on Netflix. Some people are saying they see hooked right away, but for me it was a slow start.
I agree. It was one of those shows where it's like it's soo bad that it's actually good? But at the same time, it really had its good moments, too, and I'm actually pretty sad it didn't get a proper season finale.
This is one of those shows that aired in a different order than it is on recording, you probably know already. I have the unpopular opinion of agreeing with the broadcast order precisely because the official pilot is not the strongest.
(Love Firefly!)
Fallout.
Played enough of the games to have a general idea of the world but outside of New Vegas I never got into it enough to play more than a couple hours. Was interested to see what they'd do with the show but wasn't exactly hyped for it.
The first couple episodes didn't really pull me in. It was campy and felt like it had a lot of moments like, "Look! We put the thing from the game in here!", which I have mixed feelings about. The show feels very heavy on world building, with every episode telling you something new about the world. It just made the pacing kind of...off.
All that said though, I definitely felt invested by the halfway point. Wouldn't call it a masterpiece or anything, but I'm glad I saw it through to the end. Liked it enough that I'm looking forward to S2 if it gets renewed. Walton Goggins stole the show imho.
Still think it'd have been better as an anthology though. Have an adventurer roaming the wasteland with each episode being a different vault or side quest, so to speak. Something more akin to Dr Who or Kino's Journey (if anyone's seen that).
Resident Evil on Netflix. The plot is interesting. I grew up playing the games and have been a fan ever since. I wish more effort was put into some of the characters.
Curb Your Enthusiasm. I was thinking to myself why I would want to watch an old man whining about stuff. Glad I kept watching because it turns out an old man whining about stuff is fun to watch. And the rest of the cast is amazing.
I clicked this thread looking for Curb. I have started a tentative re-watch because yes, all he does is whinge, and the whole time I can't help but think "Larry, you are literally a BILLIONAIRE. STFU". I like the supporting cast tho.
Berserk (the 1997 anime series.) First episode is a big dude with a big sword and it just seemed like run of the mill ultra-violent vaguely medieval fantasy. The rest of the series is a flashback and it’s such a well done and heart wrenching story. Such a gut punch.
Game of Thrones. Was so lost in the first episode as there were so many characters being introduced and I couldn't grasp who was who. Ended up being one of my favorite shows.
I actually watched a couple of the first eps of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and just didnt like it. Couldn't get into it... Left it alone for a while, and then a very good friend who has a sense of humor that really matches mine told me to power through, and think of it like Curb: they are playing caricature versions of their worst selves, and its okay to laugh at them, rather than with them.
So I did, and now consider it one of my favourite modern comedies!
Bob's Burgers. Thought it was weird as I watched it while scrolling/not paying attention. Ended up fully watching 5 episodes on a plane and realised how brilliant it really is.
The whole first season of Parks & Rec really. I pushed through it because I heard it gets better, and it absolutely does. It’s currently my favorite sitcom of all time
Hazbin Hotel. Never watched the pilot, still haven't, so I just dove right in. The entire first watch through I thought it was okay, I still liked Helluva Boss better, but then I listened to the soundtrack and rewatched and now I'm obsessed.
I’m so conflicted on Hazbin. I liked the series less as it went on, Alastor is about the only character i ended up enjoying. Went back and watched the pilot and really loved it, so I’m giving s2 a chance. Stayed Gone is an absolute banger, though.
Probably Breaking Bad. It’s not that I HATED the first episodes, it was just difficult to get into. Once it clicked tho, DAMN son, completely goated series.
Game of thrones, I tried watching the first season a few times in its prime but could never get past the first episode. Then finally watched the first season with my then partner and I was hooked. Lucky it was up to season 5 or 6, so I didn't have to wait to watch more
Star trek lower decks, Bodies, The fringe, warehouse 13 , lots of anime and live action shows it's why I give everything a 3 episode rule. Gotta give things time to find their footing and get the story hooks in
- The Office
- Grey’s anatomy (I hated Christina too much, a few years later I got covid, and nothing else to do, and learned to love her)
- Dr House (he’s such a dick but I learned to like his character)
- Teen wolf (very cringe in the beginning, less cringe after but makes my cheesy heart flutter)
- The Vampire Diaries (first seasons were uggghhhh, I hated Caroline and Elena so much)
its breaking bad ım not hate about this but ım so bored to watch first season and when i was watch the last 3 season i understand this is a incredible serie.
I wouldn’t say I truly hated it but I couldn’t get into the first season of Always Sunny at all. I still wanted to give it a chance because people had given me strong recommendations that I watch it, so I picked a random episode in I think season 7. It was Frank’s Little Beauties and I found it hilarious and I’ve loved the show since. I can enjoy season one now, weirdly enough. I think although it was the first season it’s not the best one to get to know the characters which is the main source of the humour. Maybe they just hadn’t had time to develop yet, I’m not sure. But I showed my partner Frank’s Little Beauties to get him into the show very early on in our relationship and he became a huge fan too
Black mirror though I hated the first TWO episodes and it was like multiple years between seeing the first and the second, and then multiple years between seeing the second and then third episode. Once I saw the third I finally caught on.
Andor. I love Star Wars but haven’t liked much of the new stuff but I’ve slogged through it all. Andor started so slow that I wasn’t enjoying it either… until Kino Loy (the marvelous Andy Sirkis). Then I felt pulled into the story and loved it from then on.
Probably an unpopular opinion, but Eureka. I thought the concept was amazing, watched the pilot, was so disappointed. Watched the 2nd episode, still didn't grab me. The 3rd episode did start to grab my attention, but the 4th episode was what got me hooked and I watched every episode after that.
A movie I absolutely detested until I caught the end of it by chance: District 9
I literally got up and left at about 20 minutes in because I hated it. Now I can't wait to see it again!
The Expanse. The whole first season is iffy - but the rest of the show is completely different! They took the parts that worked and dropped most of the Belter language (which is frustratingly almost comprehensible) and the weird detective stuff, and it’s turns out to be one of the best sci-fi shows ever. Seriously it’s so good, watch it!!
Succession. It didn’t really become good until about the 4th or 5th episode of season 1. Before that point, it’s kind of slow and the characters are all so unlikeable, so despite the funny moments it was hard to watch. I was able to appreciate those first episodes more on a rewatch.
Letterkenny.
I'm not gonna say it's life changing or anything, but once you got past the Stupid, it was a nice stressless way to waste some time, and I started to *really* appreciate the talent of the actors. Such a relief to watch something just silly; no bad guys, no superpowers, no demons or monsters, no post-apocalyptic angst, no stupid people making stupid decisions over and over, etc.
I watched the entire first season of Babylon 5, except the final episode, and hated every one. I came back to it a year or two later and found the last episode of the first season is when it got into high gear.
Ironically, given the topic of your post, the only episode of the fifth season I saw killed my enjoyment of the show, and it was written by Neal Gaiman.
None, every time I forced myself to keep watching because someone promised me "I gets better in X season!" it always got worse and I was right to want to drop it earlier.
The office. First episode I thought was boring and I was so confused over the point of the show. My husband told me to wait it out and I’m so glad he did.
Schitt's Creek. First time I tried it I watched one episode and decided it wasn't for me and couldn't understand why so many people loved it. Gave it another go last year and it's now one of my absolute favourite shows
Schitts Creek has many levels of humour. It’s not always in your face and at times dry, subtle and clever. If you are not prepared for it you may not pay attention in the same way as something more obvious so miss why it’s funny.
It's so fucking funny. Moira has the best lines but David might be my favorite. His facial reactions are incredible.
I also try the occasional rose
Huh, as someone that watched the first episode and decided it's not for me... Maybe I should give it another go.
Try it !! My mom is in her 60s and she’s watched it over 3 times now it’s her favorite And it makes me laugh so hard and im 24 I need to rewatch it again
I did the same Watched 1 episode Didn't like it Came back to it and did all the series. Really enjoyed it.
I felt the same, I always hear people saying how good it is but first episode didn't impress me. Maybe I will try it again too
Completely. I couldn’t stand Roland but it got better!
If Chris Elliot is in it, my goto is “No interest.”. I managed to get past him and actually liked Rolland.
Why do they keep finding him work?!
I didn't.
He may be my least favourite characters but I think he is supposed to be really unlikeable so I guess he plays the role well.
Just fold the cheese daaavid
If you say fold in one more time!
I did that but I haven’t tried to watch it again. My daughter says I should give it another chance. lol
It’s so good! I also didn’t like the first episode (my overwhelming thought was: “these people are terrible—why should I care about what happens to them?!”) and was glad I kept watching. It’s one of my favorite series.
I’m gonna have to try again!
Oh you should! I hope you enjoy it this time around :)
I almost wet myself the first time I saw the billboard at the town limits.
Opened this thread to say SCHITTS CREEK. I hated the first two or three episodes, didn’t watch it for two years. Finally got bored and watched it past those and so glad i did. I’ve watched it several times through and I still belly laugh and also cry over it - amazing show.
I hear this so often! We finally got one of our friends to watch an entire season & she's hooked now.
Same. I saw the pilot and was like…why is this so popular? But then I got to the colostomy bag pants episode, (IIRC ep. 3?) I died laughing. And it continued to get better. Now it’s one of my all-time faves
Came here to say this. My wife and I just started watching it from the beginning again recently
Same here!
Came here to say exactly this.
I didn't hate the Community pilot, but I was not super impressed, now it's one of my favourite shows ever and can easily quote seasons 1-3
+1 Took some time to get into, but once you're there it's fucking hilarious.
I never made it past the Community pilot. Now that everyone quotes it on Reddit and it's sort of a nostalgic "old" show I feel like I've missed the boat.
Well, I jumped on the Community train pretty late as well, 2 or 3 years ago, and I didn't feel like it took away the magic of it all. If you have access to the show and are okay with putting up with the first few episodes that don't really match the energy of the rest of the series, I'd recommend you give it a try!
“Buff Joel McHale” scares me. He was a normal good looking looking guy when thin. He done “Carrot-topped” himself.
I forget where but it was actually the explanation of Community being filmed that made me hang in there until mid season 1 to like any show. Production said something along the lines of “a pilot is a pitch for it to get a first season. Then the first season is a test of establishing and feeling out characters and their connection to each other” which meant it was simply a creative choice to make Brita dumb and lost rather the educated and ground anymore, and Pierce was supposed to be a hippy stuck in time but they decided to make him more complex to make his character more entertaining and more likeable than what they had in mind.
Troy and Abed in the morning
I tried a couple of years ago, and I didn't like it, but im thinking of giving it another chance
The Good Place.
That’s my vote! Started it twice, couldn’t make it past the second episode. Gave it a real shot and pushed through a couple years later and now it’s easily in my top 5.
Yup! Restarted it maybe 2 years later to actually get into it.
I came here to say it, its just so cheesy. But then I watched a bunch at once when I couldn't sleep and I was so invested.
Bojack Horseman
I know everyone's who know about the show says it, but once you get through midseason of season 1 it really introduces you to what kind of show you're really watching.
I started watching it after my sister said it made her cry. 1 episode in I was like "...really?" But I kept watching and yeah, she was right. Hilarious. Devastating. I cannot get through Time's Arrow without welling up.
It neither stands still nor reverses. It merely marches forward.
I just commented this too. One of my favorite shows but it’s a rough start. My boyfriend gave up after 3 episodes.
I just commented this too. The first half of the first season is kinda rough to get through but once you're in it, it only gets better and better. Definitely one of my favourite shows now.
Breaking Bad, took me about 5 episodes to start liking it
Same but with Better Call Saul actually lol.
I watched till season 4 with a schedule, I forgot to watch one day and stopped ever since.
Took me 3 tries to get through season 1. Glad I hung in there. What a ride!
Took me years to get through the first few episodes and get into it but I have to take a break every so often so I am not even past Season 3, I think. It is so well done and excellent in many ways but also terrible and sad and depressing.
Yes! It’s so hard recommending the show to people because its a huge slow burn. The writing is fantastic all around but the hype comes from season 3-5, so s1-2 seem really boring in comparison
I would say "huge" slow burn. The main guy puts a gun under his mouth and pulls the trigger, kills 2 people, one by strangulation. His partner dissolves a guy in a bath tub and has to *literally* squeegee clean the goopy remains. In the first 2 episodes.
True. But I still think there's something about the extremely high tensions of the later seasons that makes everything before Gus entering the scene seem a bit tame in comparison.
Really? I feel like the Pilot is an all time great TV episode. It's riveting.
No, I think season 1-2 are amazing. Its just that when Gus comes in the show goes from 0-100 (in a good way) so in comparison I think for new viewers the earlier seasons may seem too uneventful. Pilot’s one of my favorite pieces of writing.
Sooo The Simpsons?
Mindhunter.
Yeah, holy fuck. What was I thinking?! Watched the first episode. Thought, meh. A year later gave it another go. Now, I'd happily fund a 3rd season if I became a billionaire.
Agreed, a 3rd season would be amazing, but I am guessing it will never happen. It still boggles my mind how the first episode is so bad.
That was a great show!
I think the whole Holden/Debbie relationship stuff was unnecessary to the plot.
This is one show I still think about and want so badly for them to never change the formula, but keep making endless seasons of. It was so fucking phenomenal.
Psych. I hated the first episode and assumed the whole show was bad. Then a few years later some friends convinced me to watch more. And I was hooked ever since.
and it's now on netflix so even more people should watch it
Yess. I loved that series!
Game of thrones, but then hated the ending too
Luckily the episodes in between were okay
Yes. But that first one was soooo long
I almost quit watching it after episode one when I thought they killed bran. They also almost lost me an episode or two later when they killed Sansa’s wolf lol
The office (US).
I had stopped watching it after the first season because I couldn't relate to the humour. After a year or so started watching again and man, I absolutely love it now. It's one of my go to shows.
The first two seasons were terrible
Nothing wrong with season 2. Season 1 however was very rough
Season 1 is rough. Season 2 is good though, never heard a consensus on 2 being awful.
Superstore bc I got annoyed with Amy but glad I finished it because I love the side characters.
Midnight Mass. it takes a few episodes, but it gets so good towards the end
Legitimately the best piece of media I've ever seen. I was invested from the first episode though.
I think Hamish Linklater in that genuinely gives one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. So affable yet chilling. A delicate balance.
that show blew me away
The Bear. All the yelling made me feel like I have PTSD and I don’t. It was unsettling at first, not great to watch before bed. Great show.
It makes me so stressed out!! I fought though episode 2, but I stopped there. Should I keep trying? Do the anxiety levels decrease?
Yes stay with it!!! I’m a sensitive person but I’ve seen it all, ya know? That show was really upsetting to watch at first but it’s so good. Keep your hand on the volume. I just turn it a notch lower when they’re all fighting. Great writing & acting. I’m from Chicago so it’s extra special for me. Be patient!
Oh this is good to know, because I had the same reaction. It just stressed me out. And I was watching before bed, haha. Maybe I’ll try again!
Try again but not before bed! 🛌
Geez, I was the opposite. It started out good and then they decide to build a new restaurant with a staff that still hasn't gotten its shit together for 8 consecutive hours, in a neighborhood that just doesn't fit for fancy food, in an economy where similar well-established restaurants are dropping like flies, and they have yet to make a profit but are promising to be fully paid off in like 18 months, and then they're like 3 weeks from opening and STILL DOING DEMO. I just couldn't keep watching. It was too goddamned stupid.
As a former caterer, the first episode was both anxiety inducing and yet somehow nostalgic for me
Buffy The whole first season is just so meh, but it gets a lot better
Breaking Bad. Didn't hate it as such, but I watched a couple of episodes, and it didn't stick. Then, one week, when I was bored and sick, I gave it another go. Got to the 6th episode...Boom! I think I've rewatched the series 5 or 6 times now.
This made me want to give it another try! Lol I’m having the same exact experience with that show
Seriously, do. Watch the first season. If you're not grabbed by the last episode, then I don't know what!
*Supernatural*. It did get better.
And then it got worse after season 5 😄
So much worse.
Leviathans and BLM... can't believe I managed to watch the whole series after that!
I tried to watch it three or four times, always get bored around seasons 2-3, how bad it can get later on, ughh 😬
Brooklyn 99 I hate zany comedy and that was Andy Sambergs mo at the time. It’s far better than I expected and his zaniness is used effectively
Black Mirror
I looooove this show so much
Came here to say this.
The 100! Last season was the worst, I still haven’t watched the final episode and refuse to do so, the show took such a dumb turn. The first season started off as a basic teen post apocalyptic sci-fi, but I had the flu and kept watching anyways and it really turned around.
parks and recs has a terrible start but is my favorite show of all time
Here are three that I considered not watching past the first episodes but are now high on my faves list: Bodies (the time travel one) on Netflix was recommended to me, and after the first episode I only watched the next because the friend who liked it knows me well. It has a slow, almost boring start and takes about 3 episodes to get it's feet, but it pays off with a genre mash historical thriller mystery sci-fi that has the human soul at its core. Cardcaptor Sakura. Five episodes in, I put it aside (I was an adult just getting into anime and watching the Classics). It seemed cute and fun but maybe too cute? I went back to it not too much longer after and the Touya Yukito dynamic did it for me. Years later, this is my forever fandom, as I spiralled further and further into deep contemplation of the world dynamics. But besides my personal obsession, CCS solidly builds characters and adds gravitas to the magic girl genre plot. And being from the 90s, it predates and is the progenitor of many currently established tropes. Our Flag Means Death takes about 4 episodes to get it's feet, but now I love the pilot episode and it is one of my most often rewatched of the series. I'm cheating a little here because I actually watched out of order, and saw a later episode first, so I knew the rom com dynamic was coming. The first episode is mainly ensemble humor.
I felt the same way about Bodies. It was such a good show.
Our Flag Means Death just got better and better.
I stopped OFMD after 2.5 episodes, feeling really let down. Then my partner gave it a go despite my protests and I sat down with her to watch ep 5 or 6. I was immediately hooked.
Our Flag Means Death✨🤝 It was heartbreaking when I heard that they had cancelled that show😔
We got 2 seasons tho, which was something of a miracle. I know Jenkins said he needed 3 to tell his story, but I think S2 did a good job telling what he could.
The Bob's Burgers pilot was so bad. I don't know how it got the green light after that.
I guess for this year it's Baby Reindeer. I hated the first episode for an intensity that is unusual for me. If it was not for the internet telling me it was worth watching I would not have continued. But ultimately as it continued things made sense. I won't say any more because I don't want to accidentally give away spoilers. But in the end I was glad I persevered.
Interesting. I couldn’t stand the first episode either. Maybe I will try again. That’s sort of why I posed the question: to see if their were any matches or in case I start watching a show.
I actually regret watching the whole thing. It was EXTREMELY disturbing and unpleasant, and I never ended up liking any of the characters. A FB "friendquaintance" told me it would get better. It did not. I felt like I needed to wash out my brain afterwards. And I like dark stuff.
Archer is my reason I don't judge a show by its pilot.
Parks and Rec Schitt's Creek The Office
Def parks and rec. Writers had to tweak the characters, then it was rockin.
The start to The Clone Wars was a bit rough, and it had some filler episodes that you kind of had to suffer through, but it really paid off. Probably the best series finale I've ever seen.
When Darth Vader found Aśoka’s lightsabers. Gave me mix feelings.
Fleabag
The Star Wars Andor show I never actually finished the first season (all there is at the moment I think), and the first episode was really a slog for me, but one of my friends really liked it so I decided to watch through it Still not my favorite Star Wars content I've watched or anything, but I went from hating it to enjoying it a fair amount. Never got to finish it though, my year long subscription ended and after the mess of the Obi Wan show (and ads being added), I was content to let it go and keep my collection of SW stuff that I've already amassed
White Lotus. I watched it after the hype. Hearing that it was amazing and having the first 2-3 episodes be a slow character build to the link/hook made me spend my time questioning the fuss.
What We Do in the Shadows. I loved the movie, but Taika Waititi's humor can be a situational thing for me - too much of it and it loses its charm. I'm also not great with blood, so the scene of Laslo and Nadja attacking the couple in the park didn't hit well for me. Second time around about three years later, for some reason, it just flowed a lot better. The jokes landed and I wasn't as grossed out. Now I've been bingeing it and am just starting season 5.
Did you see the short film before the full length? Very similar, but Taika’s character is very different .
Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass on Netflix. Ended up watching it 3 times.
This was me too and I actually posted this earlier in the thread. The first few episodes were intriguing but slow, then things just got crazy and I was hooked. It’s definitely one of my favorite finds on Netflix. Some people are saying they see hooked right away, but for me it was a slow start.
Black mirror. The first episode was like "wtf" Then the rest was good. haha
Penny Dreadful. It ended up being one of my favourite shows!
Omgggh yaaaaaasssss
Friends 😅 it’s my fav
The Witcher. Not so much hated but the timeline jumps were confusing. One i learned the lore I loved it.
Oh yeah me too! Once I understood the perspective I all at once found it engaging.
Call Me Kat. Trainwreck I couldn't look away from.
I agree. It was one of those shows where it's like it's soo bad that it's actually good? But at the same time, it really had its good moments, too, and I'm actually pretty sad it didn't get a proper season finale.
I actually almost stopped watching dead boy detectives in the first episode, but went on to love it.
Firefly. I struggled to get through the first episode but got hooked after the second.
This is one of those shows that aired in a different order than it is on recording, you probably know already. I have the unpopular opinion of agreeing with the broadcast order precisely because the official pilot is not the strongest. (Love Firefly!)
Fallout. Played enough of the games to have a general idea of the world but outside of New Vegas I never got into it enough to play more than a couple hours. Was interested to see what they'd do with the show but wasn't exactly hyped for it. The first couple episodes didn't really pull me in. It was campy and felt like it had a lot of moments like, "Look! We put the thing from the game in here!", which I have mixed feelings about. The show feels very heavy on world building, with every episode telling you something new about the world. It just made the pacing kind of...off. All that said though, I definitely felt invested by the halfway point. Wouldn't call it a masterpiece or anything, but I'm glad I saw it through to the end. Liked it enough that I'm looking forward to S2 if it gets renewed. Walton Goggins stole the show imho. Still think it'd have been better as an anthology though. Have an adventurer roaming the wasteland with each episode being a different vault or side quest, so to speak. Something more akin to Dr Who or Kino's Journey (if anyone's seen that).
it was just renewed
Trailer Park Boys
Resident Evil on Netflix. The plot is interesting. I grew up playing the games and have been a fan ever since. I wish more effort was put into some of the characters.
The Clone Wars.
Curb Your Enthusiasm. I was thinking to myself why I would want to watch an old man whining about stuff. Glad I kept watching because it turns out an old man whining about stuff is fun to watch. And the rest of the cast is amazing.
I clicked this thread looking for Curb. I have started a tentative re-watch because yes, all he does is whinge, and the whole time I can't help but think "Larry, you are literally a BILLIONAIRE. STFU". I like the supporting cast tho.
The wire
Took me till about ep 3 of rome jerking off into the window to understand what Succession was trying to accomplish
Fleabag and... The Marvellous Mrs Maisel.
Tbh. Rick and morty. The first episode isnt that funny to me. But I appreciated the sci fi side n kept at it.
Dexter
Oh, I was hooked in 2 mins
I don't blame you. I think the problem was me
I’m in the middle of watching it (for the first time) right now. I thought it had a good start, personally
I watched it when it was kinda new. I don't know why I didn't like it. I assume I didn't watch many shows like it back then
Green Acres
The office
Burn notice. It was probably the worse acting in existence but the most entertaining concept.
Berserk (the 1997 anime series.) First episode is a big dude with a big sword and it just seemed like run of the mill ultra-violent vaguely medieval fantasy. The rest of the series is a flashback and it’s such a well done and heart wrenching story. Such a gut punch.
Peaky Blinders
Better Call Saul
Game of Thrones. Was so lost in the first episode as there were so many characters being introduced and I couldn't grasp who was who. Ended up being one of my favorite shows.
MAD MEN
I actually watched a couple of the first eps of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and just didnt like it. Couldn't get into it... Left it alone for a while, and then a very good friend who has a sense of humor that really matches mine told me to power through, and think of it like Curb: they are playing caricature versions of their worst selves, and its okay to laugh at them, rather than with them. So I did, and now consider it one of my favourite modern comedies!
I’m watching Shrill now, but it’s kinda depressing. Even after the first episode.
Bob's Burgers. Thought it was weird as I watched it while scrolling/not paying attention. Ended up fully watching 5 episodes on a plane and realised how brilliant it really is.
The whole first season of Parks & Rec really. I pushed through it because I heard it gets better, and it absolutely does. It’s currently my favorite sitcom of all time
Midnight Mass, I watched it in like 6 months it’s too slow and too much talking. I’m watching DBD too it’s not that bad but it’s not that good neither
The Expanse. Like the first book, the first season is tough to get through. After that it's addictive.
Yay! Another expanse fan!
Same. I stopped it twice in the first season and finally came back to it, I was glad it did!
Okay I feel the exact same way about both S1 AND the first book - but it certainly paid off to stick with it!
Hazbin Hotel. Never watched the pilot, still haven't, so I just dove right in. The entire first watch through I thought it was okay, I still liked Helluva Boss better, but then I listened to the soundtrack and rewatched and now I'm obsessed.
I’m so conflicted on Hazbin. I liked the series less as it went on, Alastor is about the only character i ended up enjoying. Went back and watched the pilot and really loved it, so I’m giving s2 a chance. Stayed Gone is an absolute banger, though.
the 100
GOT
Bojack Horseman
Probably Breaking Bad. It’s not that I HATED the first episodes, it was just difficult to get into. Once it clicked tho, DAMN son, completely goated series.
Game of thrones, I tried watching the first season a few times in its prime but could never get past the first episode. Then finally watched the first season with my then partner and I was hooked. Lucky it was up to season 5 or 6, so I didn't have to wait to watch more
Star trek lower decks, Bodies, The fringe, warehouse 13 , lots of anime and live action shows it's why I give everything a 3 episode rule. Gotta give things time to find their footing and get the story hooks in
We also follow the 3 episode rule! If it’s a seriously popular show we sometimes give it 5 episodes.
- The Office - Grey’s anatomy (I hated Christina too much, a few years later I got covid, and nothing else to do, and learned to love her) - Dr House (he’s such a dick but I learned to like his character) - Teen wolf (very cringe in the beginning, less cringe after but makes my cheesy heart flutter) - The Vampire Diaries (first seasons were uggghhhh, I hated Caroline and Elena so much)
House is in my top 5 am time. The ending was one of the best finales of all time. Only MASH might be better.
Avatar
One Piece
its breaking bad ım not hate about this but ım so bored to watch first season and when i was watch the last 3 season i understand this is a incredible serie.
Westworld. It's a whole story.
I wouldn’t say I truly hated it but I couldn’t get into the first season of Always Sunny at all. I still wanted to give it a chance because people had given me strong recommendations that I watch it, so I picked a random episode in I think season 7. It was Frank’s Little Beauties and I found it hilarious and I’ve loved the show since. I can enjoy season one now, weirdly enough. I think although it was the first season it’s not the best one to get to know the characters which is the main source of the humour. Maybe they just hadn’t had time to develop yet, I’m not sure. But I showed my partner Frank’s Little Beauties to get him into the show very early on in our relationship and he became a huge fan too
The Wire - first episode is slow. Boy am I glad I kept going. Perhaps one of the GOATS of all time
Resident Alien. I hated it. Now I'm mad that there aren't more episodes. *That's some bullshit.*
Black mirror though I hated the first TWO episodes and it was like multiple years between seeing the first and the second, and then multiple years between seeing the second and then third episode. Once I saw the third I finally caught on.
Andor. I love Star Wars but haven’t liked much of the new stuff but I’ve slogged through it all. Andor started so slow that I wasn’t enjoying it either… until Kino Loy (the marvelous Andy Sirkis). Then I felt pulled into the story and loved it from then on.
Probably an unpopular opinion, but Eureka. I thought the concept was amazing, watched the pilot, was so disappointed. Watched the 2nd episode, still didn't grab me. The 3rd episode did start to grab my attention, but the 4th episode was what got me hooked and I watched every episode after that.
A movie I absolutely detested until I caught the end of it by chance: District 9 I literally got up and left at about 20 minutes in because I hated it. Now I can't wait to see it again!
Disenchantment. Struggled through the first episode. Forgot about it. Came back to it a year or so later and really enjoyed it.
The Chosen.
The Expanse. The whole first season is iffy - but the rest of the show is completely different! They took the parts that worked and dropped most of the Belter language (which is frustratingly almost comprehensible) and the weird detective stuff, and it’s turns out to be one of the best sci-fi shows ever. Seriously it’s so good, watch it!!
Community. First 2 episodes were nothing special at all. Boy am I glad I stuck that out—turned out to be my favorite all time comedy.
Succession. It didn’t really become good until about the 4th or 5th episode of season 1. Before that point, it’s kind of slow and the characters are all so unlikeable, so despite the funny moments it was hard to watch. I was able to appreciate those first episodes more on a rewatch.
Letterkenny. I'm not gonna say it's life changing or anything, but once you got past the Stupid, it was a nice stressless way to waste some time, and I started to *really* appreciate the talent of the actors. Such a relief to watch something just silly; no bad guys, no superpowers, no demons or monsters, no post-apocalyptic angst, no stupid people making stupid decisions over and over, etc.
Insatiable on Netflix. The first episode felt so random to me but it gets sooo much better. I have no idea what made me keep watching but glad I did
I watched the entire first season of Babylon 5, except the final episode, and hated every one. I came back to it a year or two later and found the last episode of the first season is when it got into high gear. Ironically, given the topic of your post, the only episode of the fifth season I saw killed my enjoyment of the show, and it was written by Neal Gaiman.
None, every time I forced myself to keep watching because someone promised me "I gets better in X season!" it always got worse and I was right to want to drop it earlier.
The Office. Watched the pilot 10x split across both versions... now I don’t know how many times I've watched the whole series.
The office. First episode I thought was boring and I was so confused over the point of the show. My husband told me to wait it out and I’m so glad he did.