Just realized I was wrong about skipping the first season of 'The Wire'

I was on my couch in Portland, trying to get into the show everyone raves about. I watched the first two episodes and found it slow, so I jumped ahead to season two based on a friend's advice. Big mistake. I was totally lost with the new dockworker characters and had no clue who anyone was or why I should care. After about 20 minutes of confusion, I shut it off and went back to the start. Forcing myself through those initial slow episodes made all the difference. By the time I got back to season two, I understood the foundation of the whole city and the police work. Now I'm halfway through season three and completely hooked. Has anyone else almost quit a show early and been glad they stuck with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinp8910d ago

Honestly, it's a TV show, not a homework assignment. If you need to force yourself through episodes, maybe it's just not for you. Plenty of other stuff to watch that grabs you right away.

ruby65910d ago

Ugh, I read this article about how some of the best shows take time to build their world. Like, the first few episodes are just laying the ground work. If everyone only watched stuff that hooked them in five minutes, we'd miss some really great stories that pay off later. It's okay if a show is a slow burn. Not everything needs to be instant action. Sometimes putting in a little time is worth it for the bigger picture.

jenny_lane1210d ago

Oh man, this hits home. I totally get what ruby659 is saying, because I have the worst habit of giving up on shows way too fast. My watchlist is just a graveyard of first episodes I got bored with. But then my friend made me stick with this one slow mystery show, and by season two I was completely hooked. I guess I need to learn some patience, because the payoff can be pretty great.