TV shows where "you just have to get past this point"

[Benji]

Spoilers ahead, naturally.

You know the shows I'm talking about, stuff like that still entertaining but somewhat awkward first couple of seasons of Parks & Rec with Mark "completely forgotten after he left" Brantanoquitz. Shows that didn't find their groove immediately, but which over time grew to become great telly.

There's plenty to mention that I'll leave to others, Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: The Next Generation were the ones that reminded me of this. Enterprise took until season 3 to find that serialisation really suited Star Trek's style with a full season arc. TNG took until season two to kick into gear, when Tasha Yar dies is in season one is probably the key moment though. There's the obvious development as it forced Worf into becoming a key cast member by taking her position and bringing the modern version of the Klingons properly into play, but her death also had a profound effect on fan favourite Data, and his exploration of what made people human, and was probably the first time in the series that Data seems to truly be processing human emotions. Before Yar's death it was almost too close to the original Star Trek, feeling more like a throwback than the "next" generation, but that one incident helped shape the universe of the show both from a wider universe perspective and a more intimate character driven perspective into what became arguably the best version of Star Trek along with DS9.

[DFF]

The first seasons of each of The Shield, The Wire and The West Wing, to varying amounts.

Legends of Tomorrow, about 2/3 of the way through Season 1.

[Colly]

Gotham's my recent one. I can't remember exactly where (other than it involving scrapping a few characters and a boring internal affairs storyline) but it went from a slog to genuinely interesting pretty rapidly after that. It's helped by some great acting from the villains and Bullock being a great character.

[C-MIL]

Most recent example I can think of is Wrecked. First few episodes had me thinking of bailing, but by the end I was really glad I stuck with it.

[Benji]

5 minutes ago, Colly said:

Gotham's my recent one. I can't remember exactly where (other than it involving scrapping a few characters and a boring internal affairs storyline) but it went from a slog to genuinely interesting pretty rapidly after that. It's helped by some great acting from the villains and Bullock being a great character.

Oh Gotham is a great example. That went from unwatchable to a decent show by end of season one to really fun show after the first season finale and the single worst character by a huge margin leaving the regular cast.

[R.W.]

Agents Of Shield for me. The first half of the first season is so bland. But when Bill Paxton shows up, and the links to Winter Soldier kick in, I think it becomes a far superior program.

[Benji]

7 minutes ago, R.W. said:

Agents Of Shield for me. The first half of the first season is so bland. But when Bill Paxton shows up, and the links to Winter Soldier kick in, I think it becomes a far superior program.

Absolutely this. The episode "End of the Beginning" (the one you mentioned). Stopped the show being freak of the week and threw it head long into something bigger.

[Jimmy]

47 minutes ago, DFF said:

The first seasons of each of The Shield, The Wire and The West Wing, to varying amounts.

Legends of Tomorrow, about 2/3 of the way through Season 1.

I was personally hooked on The Wire from the first episode. I've heard people say that it takes a while to get going, so I even warn people that when I tell them to watch it, but I never experienced it. 

I would say Buffy takes until the second season to start finding its groove - the first season is a lot of monster of the week and setting up the world, so I always encourage people to get through it and then I feel it's pretty consistently fantastic.

BoJack's another recent one that jumps from something kinda fun to essential viewing around the end of the first season / start of the second. 

[apsham]

For me, The Wire has always had more to do with season 2 for people that I talk with.

[DFF]

For me, season one of The Wire was pretty good, but season two blew it out of the water for me.

[apsham]

My aunt and uncle started on it and were loving where it was going, but when it switches over to the steveadore storyline - it takes a while for that to build up into a payoff and while I liked that myself, the entire change in cast and perceived tone can be something to get past. I told them to push on through and when they hit the end of the season and went into season 3 they were back fully on board.

[Benji]

I remember trying The Wire four times before the fifth and final time. I swore I'd finish the season and if I didn't like it then that was the final time I would try. This was the scene that finally convinced me to stick it out.

Such an amazing journey after that.

[Jimmy]

18 minutes ago, apsham said:

My aunt and uncle started on it and were loving where it was going, but when it switches over to the steveadore storyline - it takes a while for that to build up into a payoff and while I liked that myself, the entire change in cast and perceived tone can be something to get past. I told them to push on through and when they hit the end of the season and went into season 3 they were back fully on board.

I loved that change for Season 2, especially because the original cast are still ever-present but you get some absolutely great new stories. I can see how it'd be jarring, and I was prepared for a change because people had warned me about it, but again, I was basically on board after the first episode or two. Season 2 is one of my favourites of the show, narrowly behind the one about the school system. 

[Monkey D. Lars]

I came here to say recent stuff: BoJack but Jimmy beat me to it. Certainly BoJack. If I'm going to convince friends to watch, who are already skeptical of cartoons because they are childish, I'm gonna tell them to watch episode 6 a try. Preacher had the same effect on me, I was like mmmm but after 5 episode I was like fuch this gonna finish this and I really dug it

[RPS]

I don't even consider Parks and Recreation as a season where you just need to stick it out until X, I just flat out tell people "don't watch the first season!" It isn't like the Office where there is some emotional investment in the first season (JIm and Pam, mainly). Everything that the show people care about only comes around in season 2. 

The Office is definitely a "hold on, it gets better". The first season is god awful, but you really do need to watch it for the emotional arc. 

I've mentioned the show a million times on here (both in text and in gif), but RuPaul's Drag Race. Season 1 and 2 are good, but not great. Once you hit season 3 and 4, it is pretty much the best reality TV show on the air. But those first seasons are rough. 

[Maxx]

2 hours ago, Benji said:

Absolutely this. The episode "End of the Beginning" (the one you mentioned). Stopped the show being freak of the week and threw it head long into something bigger.

Yeah, that's the problem with so many of these 24+ episode, split season series.  First half of their first season is just a 12 episode proof of concept, and it doesn't kick into high gear until they've been picked up for the back half.

[GA!]

Arrested Development takes about 7 or 8 episodes until you get into the groove of it. It's a binge-watching show whose first series came well before that sort of thing existed.

I liked Bojack Horseman from the get-go, but I totally understand why people are listing it. The first half of season 1 is a bit whacky and throwaway. Speaking of, I didn't enjoy Rick and Morty that much for a while... It took maybe half a season and little bits of mythology building before I liked it.

[Benji]

The first episode of Rick and Morty is so damned abrasive. They really hadn't worked out the burp ratio (which I'm still not keen on but is significantly less noticeable now) and the general volume of the show. It quickly gets better, but damn that really put me off it in the first place and it was only the rave reviews that brought me back.

[Ruki]

18 minutes ago, Benji said:

The first episode of Rick and Morty is so damned abrasive. They really hadn't worked out the burp ratio (which I'm still not keen on but is significantly less noticeable now) and the general volume of the show. It quickly gets better, but damn that really put me off it in the first place and it was only the rave reviews that brought me back.

That was my issue with the first episode. After watching it, I turned to the wife and I was like "I know our friends love this, but I'm just not sure." Then we watched the second or third and I bought into it.

 

I'll say one that hasn't been mentioned yet: Steven Universe. The early episodes are a little weird. but if you can stick it out to 8-10 episodes (only 10 minutes each), then you will be hooked either by Tiger Millionaire (a wrestling episode) or Giant Woman (where they finally start getting into the super interesting lore of the world)

[DavidMarrio]

The programme I'm going to say isn't exactly an issue with the first season IMO but.....

The Walking Dead Season 2. That for me stopped me getting into it as I was hooked during season 1 and then season 2 just felt like it dragged for ages. It felt tedious and boring a lot of the time up until the final few episodes but the majority of it was just crap. 

I've only just managed to get past season 2 and that's after several attempts over the years in which I just gave in and never got round to watching it again.