Summary
Due to some shows having a rough start or a slow middle,it is not impossible to all but give up on a show before coming back to it with renewed vigor and ultimately being glad to see it to the end.I’m embarrassed to say that I was initially uninterested in what are considered to be some of thebest TV shows of all timeand almost didn’t watch them. All pop culture is partially affected by personal experience, and certain themes and formats might not land with any given viewer.
That being said,most of these shows are highly acclaimed or immensely popular for a reason,and continuing to watch them despite some initial boredom will usually reveal the best parts of the story.Great TV shows will have bad first seasons; thebest TV shows still have a worst episode. Luckily, I was able to get past my initial or mid-series misgivings about several shows, so I could enjoy them in their entirety.
Gravity Falls
Cast
When Dipper and Mabel Pines are dropped off to spend the summer with their uncle in Gravity Falls, they discover that all is not as it seems in this small town. When Dipper discovers a strange journal in the forest, the twins team up to solve the town’s mysteries.
I was inspired by a recommendation to watchGravity Fallsand started from episode one. I especially enjoyed the first episode and the next few that aired after it. However, for one reason or another, I lost interest for a while after that.The second season ofGravity Fallsis definitely stronger,when the overall plot kicks in; appreciating the humor in some of the episodic adventures of the first season comes later.
Later on, I watched a random episode that happened to be on TV — I believe it was “The Last Mabelcorn,” which is still my favorite episode. That comedy of Mabel’s attack against the unicorns got me invested again. However,if you know anything aboutGravity Falls, you will spot the problem here:A lot of the show’s biggest twists have happened at this point and were spoiled for me. I don’t remember exactly when I found out about some of the reveals, but I did go back and watch the entire show in order (several times).
Gravity Falls revels in its enigmatic tone and tells a heartrending story about family and growing up.
My biggest regret concerningGravity Fallsis that I didn’t watch it properlyand lost the entire experience of seeing how the mysteries progress and are unraveled, which is the entire point. However, the mystery-savvy fandom figured out some of the plot twists for itself, but the delivery is still on point, especially concerning the whereabouts of Journal No. 1 and the identity of the author.Gravity Fallsrevels in its enigmatic tone and tells a heartrending story about family and growing up. I am also a fan of its particular brand of humor based on randomness.
10 Darkest Episodes Of Gravity Falls, Ranked By How Terrifying They Are
Despite being marketed for a younger audience, Gravity Falls has some episodes depicting Dipper and Mabel finding themselves in terrifying situations.
Our Flag Means Death
Created by David Jenkins and starring Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi, Our Flag Means Death blends romantic comedy with period drama on the high seas. Loosely based on real historical figures, the series chronicles the adventures of Stede Bonnet and the crew of the pirate ship Revenge, detailing their often hilarious exploits and encounters, including crossing paths with the infamous Blackbeard. The series received praise for its extensive and positive LGBTQ+ representation upon the first season’s release.
The selling point ofOur Flag Means Deathis the relationship between Captain Stede Bonnet and Captain“Ed”Blackbeard, which is whyit’s strange that Blackbeard isn’t even in the first few episodes, as he is such a pivotal part of the show.I found the humor in those first few episodes to be a little off-beat and may have considered in the back of my mind just giving up. However, sometime around episodes 3 and 4, the jokes started to land better, and I was laughing out loud at almost everything.
Additionally, this is around when Ed finally appears on screen — after that,I couldn’t get enough ofOur Flag Means Death.The show has such a great balance of wacky comedy and heartfelt storylines that demand audience investment. Things only get better in the second season with the advancement of Izzy’s character arc and some new regulars and guest stars. I watched it all around the time season 2 ended, so I thought I was right on time for season 3. I was as devastated as anyone whenOur Flag Means Deathwas canceled.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
I was too young whenBreaking Badstarted, so I didn’t watch it for a long time. Even so, I was busy watching other TV shows and put it off for an additional few years before I finally acknowledged that I needed to watch this particular groundbreaking show.It is a strange experience to watch a show likeBreaking Badknowing you are supposed to be in awe of it,because it’s one of the most praised TV shows ever. I certainly was awestruck by all the iconic moments in the later seasons, while I generally appreciated the early episodes.
However, I did slow down midway through; I figured I would probably finish the show eventually, it was just a matter of watching the next few episodes and getting back into the story. However, I had no idea when that would happen — for all I knew, never. When I was motivated enough to watch a few more episodes, I suddenly became hooked again.I made it through all ofBreaking Bad’s horrifying and satisfying moments;I also started binge-watching it towards the end because it was getting too stressful, and I wanted to be done with it.
Attack On Titan
Based on the manga, Attack on Titan is a dark-action fantasy series set in a world where humanity has been corralled into walled cities from fear of monstrous human-eating Titans that exist outside of them. When protagonist Eren Yeager’s mother is killed in front of his eyes at a young age, his thirst for vengeance leads him to join an elite group of soldiers created to fight back against the Titan menace.
The first few arcs ofAttack on Titanare really weird,as all the explanations for what is happening take years to be uncovered by the main characters. I knew that Eren couldn’t have died only a few episodes into the show, but him emerging from a Titan’s body due to his ability to turn into a Titan was a bizarre turn of events. The show hits you with a few more plot twists where more sentient Titans are revealed. This is combined with an astounding amount of violence and despair, all of which is hard to swallow.
The whole show picks up once Levi and the rest of the Survey Corps are a part of the main storyline.Attack on Titandemands the same endurance from its audience as the characters,who all must stick with it long enough to get the answers they crave. I’m very glad I made it through the entire show when one needs to watch all of it to have a complete debate about its themes, and what it is trying to say about hatred, warfare, and the cycle of revenge.
10 Best Attack on Titan Quotes That Prove Why the Series was a True Masterpiece
Thanks to Hajime Isayama’s masterful writing, Attack on Titan contains many profound quotes, and these are ten of the best the series has to offer.
Succession
Succession is a Black Comedy and Satire television show created by Jesse Armstrong. It stars Hiam Abbass, Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, and Kieran Culkin and follows the story of an aging conglomerate owner as he deals with his declining health and the sudden realization that one of his children will soon inherit his position and run his company.
I watched some ofSuccessionseason 2 and was thoroughly uninterested in it,and figured I would never watch it again. I remember Roman blowing off a condemning story breaking because it was nothing compared to all the previous drama and recognizing Holly Hunter’s voice immediately. Nothing about it was particularly striking to me when taken out of context; I was also of the opinion at the time that the documentary-style filming was overdone.
Succession’s final sweep at the Golden Globes following its final season forced me to reckon with the fact that it was a cultural milestone that I had neglected to pay attention to.
Succession’sfinal sweep at the Golden Globes following its final season forced me to reckon with the fact that it was a cultural milestone that I had neglected to pay attention to. However, I did have the benefit of the entire series being readily available to watch in one go. The sneak peek I’d received years earlier clued me thatSuccessionis the ultimate example of aTV show where the characters are all terrible people, and my investment in the characters’ personal lives was always low — butI enjoyed that stellar satire and acting as much as anyone.
Friends
Friends is a television sitcom that debuted in 1994, revolving around six young New Yorkers navigating the complexities of adulthood. The series highlights their friendship as they support each other through personal and professional challenges, encapsulating the ups and downs of life in a comedic and relatable manner.
The first time I watchedFriends, it felt very dated to me (for context, I’m Gen Z). For some reason,I didn’t grow up withFriendsre-runs in the backgroundand wasn’t always at least vaguely aware that it existed — seeing it listed on Netflix, hearing how important it is to TV history, and choosing to watch it of my own volition are all tangible memories for me. When I watched it for the first time, I didn’t have any kind of preformed attachments to the characters.
The 1990s quality was a little off-putting, and the actors don’t have the same chemistry in the first season. I watched the first few episodes and forgot about it for a while, but made myself keep watching it later. Needless to say, I’m glad I did it, for all the wonderfully funny moments throughout the show and just being able to understand people’s references. For many people, including myself,it is strange to think of a cultural zeitgeist withoutFriends— it is even stranger for me to think there was a time when I wasn’t really aware of it.
Andor
Andor is a Star Wars prequel series set before the events of Rogue One, following Cassian Andor as he navigates a world of danger and deception. The series delves into his transformation into a pivotal figure in the struggle against the Galactic Empire.
I watched part ofThe Mandalorianseason 1 and one episode ofThe Book of Boba Fett— after that, I had pretty much written off all of Disney+’sStar WarsTV shows. Leading up to the release ofObi-Wan Kenobi, I thought that Ewan McGregor’s return might be worth it, but I never found the time to watch.These are the circumstances which led me to preemptively give up onAndor,which I had no intention of ever seeing. However, eventually, the near-universal praise forAndoras one of thebestStar WarsTV showsmade it to my ears.
That, combined with it being only a one-season commitment (at the time of writing), got me to watch it along with revisitingRogue One: A Star Wars Story.Andoris definitely a must-see for even the most disillusionedStar Warsfans,almost completely devoid of fan service. It tells a harrowing political and personal story about the formation of the Rebellion and the events that pushed Cassian Andor to join them, leading to his death inRogue One.
Diego Luna nails every scene in this show, whileA-listers new and old to theStar Warsuniverse elevate it further.Andy Serkis returns toStar Warsas a new character, Kino Loy, whom Cassian convinces to help lead a prison break from an Imperial facility. Meanwhile, Stellan Skarsgård is the thing no one knewStar Warsneeded, playing Luthen Rael, the jaded chess master leading the early Rebellion.Andoris worth watching for these performances alone, but also claims a strong overall cast and a far-reaching, complex story.
Andor: 10 TV Shows That Make Bureaucracy Exciting
Political procedures and hierarchies of power might sound dull, but TV hits like Andor and House of the Dragon told riveting tales of bureaucracy.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender, released in 2005, follows a young boy in a war-torn world of elemental magic as he reawakens to embark on a challenging mystical quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar and restore peace to the world.
I also did not grow up withAvatar: The Last Airbenderbut joined the fandom with the renaissance that came from it hitting Netflix — or just before that. Interestingly,seeing the notoriousLast Airbendermovie first temporarily ruined the show for me.It instilled a false idea in my head that the story’s tone is supposed to be completely serious, even if the quality is terrible.
Therefore,the first time I watched the first episode of the originalAvatar: The Last Airbender, I found it oddand didn’t really like it. Once again, I later committed to watching more just because of its place in pop culture and got used to its style and humor. This was well worth it, mainly due to the amazing humor of Toph’s character andZuko’s masterpiece character arc, which you only see in season 2 and 3. Sometimes, it just takes a little effort to get past a slump and experience some of the best TV moments of all time.
