Shows you gave up on before they got good

[JirinPanthosa]

I've been watching Futurama on Netflix. Season 5 is amazing, all high concept scifi comedy. When it first aired I gave up around season 3, only coming back in the last Comedy Central season. When I was rewatching on Netflix I quit again around the same place. The early seasons were mired a little bit more in pop culture and celebrity references and cliches.

Currently I'm in the four TV movies season and almost all of the Comedy Central episodes are completely new to me, so have that to look forward to.

(Try to describe everything that happened in the cryogenic lab between Dec 31 1999 11:30 and Jan 1 2000 12:30. In chronological order. No help from the internet. You have one minute.)

I also gave up on Enterprise after the first few episodes of season 3, then it immediately got good after that. Also I originally quit Breaking Bad after episode 3 and didn't come back until between seasons 4 and 5.

What shows did you quit on right before they got good?

 

[tomalak301]

If I gave up on a show before it got good, how do I know if I would enjoy it or not?

I guess my best answer was Game of Thrones, which I stopped after Season 2. People love it, but I just didn't want to get into it for Season 3 with all the storylines and characters which I found hard to follow (Also having not read the books). I also didn't watch Enterprise Season 4 in it's original run even though now I find Season 3 to be the best season with Season 4 right behind.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

If I gave up on a show before it got good, how do I know if I would enjoy it or not?

I guess my best answer was Game of Thrones, which I stopped after Season 2. People love it, but I just didn't want to get into it for Season 3 with all the storylines and characters which I found hard to follow (Also having not read the books). I also didn't watch Enterprise Season 4 in it's original run even though now I find Season 3 to be the best season with Season 4 right behind.

Because you gave it another chance much later. I guess there might be other shows I gave up on before they got good and I haven't realized it yet.

Whenever I watch Game of Thrones I am slow going through seasons 1 and 2 then can't pull myself away after that.

 

[1001001]

Just for the record: Futurama was good from Season 1, Episode 1.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Just for the record: Futurama was good from Season 1, Episode 1.

Clearly you have amnesia, Calculon!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

The only show I ever gave a second chance was Agents of SHIELD. I bailed during the first season, probably no more than a month before the HYDRA story began. I was bummed out because it had a lot of potential but the writing was subpar at best, particularly the dialogue (an issue that the still have from time to time). However, after the first season finished, I kept hearing how much better the show got after that story arc started, so I decided to give it a second go and I've been watching ever since.

Just for the record: Futurama was good from Season 1, Episode 1.

Damn straight!

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

Angel - I watched the first season but I just couldn't get into it. It was a much darker show than Buffy. Not that that's a bad thing. It just wasn't for me.

DS9 - I watched up until episode 9 of season 2. I didn't like any of the characters, and because of that, it bored me. I've heard it gets really interesting because of the Dominion War but I still have no interest in continuing.

Game Of Thrones - I gave in and watched the first season. I liked it. But when I started on season 2 the confusion about storylines and characters really set in. I'd rather not be confused.

 

[Greg Cox]

I gave up on Babylon-5 early on, but was convinced to give it a second chance by friends whose judgment I trusted.

Ditto for The X-Files.

 

[Tosk]

There are three shows where the first eps were real turn-offs for me. Parks and Rec, Arrested Development, and Rick & Morty. I don't even know why, maybe I was in the wrong head-space. I pressed on with AD and R&M, and soon fell in love with both. P&R I gave up on 'til a few years later. Which turned out well, as I was able to watch the whole run all in one go.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Parks and Rec I did stop watching after the first ep but I gave another chance before the end of season 2. The first season is the only weak one.

Rick & Morty, X Files and Arrested Development are all shows I've currently only seen the first few episodes. Maybe all worth more chances. Just never got X files and Arrested Development.

 

[Captain Shaw]

I gave up om Enterprise on season 2 first time around, but just watched it all on netflix.
Season 3 was a big improvement and apart from these are the voyagers I really enjoyed season 4.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

First time I watched nu-BSG, I was expecting, no hoping for something akin to old-BSG. I got five episodes in then ditched it. Countless rave reviews, and fan love later, I went and picked up the Blu-ray boxset for a bargain price, and watched the whole thing through without preconceptions, and absolutely loved it.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

The early episodes of Futurama were heavily about modern celebrities and futurized pop culture references. And I always found its nihilism offputting, depicting a future where people are jaded to casual murder if it's someone they don't know. But later in the series it became more character and concept driven.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I was going to say that I gave up on nuBSG for reasons that were completely unrelated to the fact that it wasn't like TOS. But that would be a lie. I freely admit that I loved the original BSG and I just couldn't stomach a version of it that wasn't like that.

I mean, I understand why the new BSG wasn't like the old, I just wasn't prepared for HOW different it would be, or how grim and depressing it would turn out.

Although I do like the miniseries.

 

[shivkala]

I watched the pilot episode of The Office (U.S.) when it first aired and was bored. Then I caught "Casino Night," the 2nd season finale and was hooked.

 

[Forbin]

Space: Above and Beyond. I didn't like the first few episodes. I don't remember why I checked it out again later, but I was surprised to discover it had turned into one of the best military sci fi shows ever.

The Americans - I hear it's really good, but I bailed in the first season. I've got to like the characters, and I had no reason to like a woman who would murder an innocent mailman who happened upon her spying.

 

[MacLeod]

I rarely give up on a show, but then again I'm selective in what shows I will actually watch. And if I have given up on a show it's usually because of a drop off in quality.

 

[J.T.B.]

Seinfeld, sort of. I never thought Jerry Seinfeld was that funny as a comic, and when "The Seinfeld Chronicles" came out it seemed heavy on the standup, and the stuff in Jerry's off-stage life wasn't that funny. Then I was out of the country for a couple of years, and when I got back I saw a promo for Seinfeld and thought, "That piece of crap is still on?" But I figured something must be going on, so I watched one, "The Subway." And then I thought, this is one of the greatest sitcoms I have ever seen.

The Americans - I hear it's really good, but I bailed in the first season. I've got to like the characters, and I had no reason to like a woman who would murder an innocent mailman who happened upon her spying.

The Americans is good (I don't have cable so I am a year behind) but I have to say they don't try very hard to capture the early '80s. The hair and interior decor, especially. I almost bailed on it just because of that.

 

[DigificWriter]

This doesn't completely fit the topic, but is the only example I have that is even remotely relevant:

I bowed out of the seventh season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer due to strong disagreements with some of the narrative decisions made by Joss Whedon and writer's room, but later came back to the season and found it to be better than I'd given it credit for, even if I still disagree(d) with parts of its narrative.

 

[Forbin]

Seinfeld, sort of. I never thought Jerry Seinfeld was that funny as a comic, and when "The Seinfeld Chronicles" came out it seemed heavy on the standup, and the stuff in Jerry's off-stage life wasn't that funny. Then I was out of the country for a couple of years, and when I got back I saw a promo for Seinfeld and thought, "That piece of crap is still on?" But I figured something must be going on, so I watched one, "The Subway." And then I thought, this is one of the greatest sitcoms I have ever seen.

And one of the funniest episodes too!

I just remembered Roseanne - we watched it faithfully for many years, but we bailed - I think it was around the time the Connors won the lottery. So we never saw the final seasons. We've got the whole show on DVD now, and we're slowly doing a full rewatch. So eventually we'll see what we missed.