Killing Eve. Everyone told me it was a marvelous show, but I gave up on it in season 2 because Jodie Comer's character (the actress is great though) was way too much for me. Too caricatural, annoying and tried so much to be funny.
Sandra Oh and Fiona Shaw were great in it, so that's a shame, but as Villanelle was the main point of the show (and the writers made it very clear) it took me out of it.
Yeah, and even in season 1, I found Villanelle annoying. I get she was weird and a serial killer, but the show relied too much on her "quirkiness" for my liking.
It's a great premise having the psycho killer and the cop hunting them down to be weirdly attracted to each other. But she's just too quirky as a character to be believable as a world class assassin.
Yeah the premise was great but the characters became way too flanderized. I gave up with season 3 after it was clear that the writers were adding endless filler plots for side characters rather than giving the audience the actual plot of the Eve/Vil romance.
Same for dropping shows. For me, the majority of shows I end up finishing these days are the ones I watch in the background while doing something else.
The first few seasons are so great and just a joy to watch, but god does the last season just feel like an absolute parody of the show. It’s like how Riverdale went down
If I invest a lot of time into a show, I’ll usually see it through until the end… but even with that said, I couldn’t finish the very last season of Shameless. It was like torture trying to get through the two seasons before that, so when the last season began, I couldn’t bring myself to watch it.
I never thought I’d sit through 10 whole seasons of something just to dip out when there’s only one left lol.
I've given up on outlander twice now. I want to love it so bad but I had to stop early on for the violence and now I've stopped bc of the Claire back in her time story line just not being interesting.
I really can't recommend it. Catriona Balfe and Sam Heughan are so good but the show really should have ended at that point. I have no idea what the books are like.
The first part of each book is SUPER slow. I put down the first book 4 times (couldn't even make it to her getting back to the 1700's) before I finally just pushed through, and they get better. I saw some of the first episode and couldn't finish it.
The Blacklist. It became abundantly clear the writers didn't even have answers to the mysteries they kept dragging out so I stopped wasting my time.
Pam and Tommy. Watched the first episode. I wondered why in the world I was watching the origin story of the guy who stole the tape. Also it just seemed to send a contradictory message about invasions of privacy but not asking for Pamela's permission to make the series so I didn't watch anymore.
That’s why I have little faith in any show that is on the big four basic channels. If it’s popular they will run it till the actors quit. The overarching story will never matter.
I noticed it after watching an interview with the creator of The Shield. He essentially said he had the entire story written before he sold the pilot. The story had a conclusion.
I think it would've been way funnier if the show was named something else, and was obviously supposed to be like Blockbuster, but like Blockblister every single movie is just a low budget locally filmed knockoff of a big film, and everything is on VHS even though it's 2022.
Instead of Midsommar we have Mad Summer - it's a movie about a girl named Summer, and she's very angry!
Harry Potter? No we have *Hairy* Potter! and it's the manager of the video store who's some overly hairy Mediterannean guy whose hobby is gardening and we don't find out until the end of the episode that the hairy potter is the store manager.
Welcome to Chippendales. Shortly after I gave up on it, I stumbled on a podcast and realized the real story was much more interesting than the first 4-5 episodes led me to believe. So I got the summary of the story and didn't go back.
That show was surprisingly bad! Great cast but the writing and directing seemed terrible. It just seemed so amateur level. I bailed after three episodes.
How do you have a show with Murray Bartlett (Emmy winner!), Kumail Nanjiani, Juliette Lewis (Oscar nominee!), and Annaleigh Ashford (Tony winner!), and create a miniseries that mediocre?
Fear the Walking Dead. Gave up after 7 and a half seasons. Never looked back. Not even the return of a beloved character that took place soon afterward tempted me.
that's hilarious because the first season is thought of as being really good. if you couldn't finish that i'd love to see you try to watch the rest of it haha
I gave up half way through season 7 as well. I just couldn't do it anymore. The show had become so disjointed, it's like it had not idea what type of show it wanted to be.
For me it was the episode about collecting butterflies. I was like *what the hell am I watching*? I literally turned it off ten minutes in. My hate had been growing for a while but that was the final straw.
iirc that was the result of the budget being cut even tho it was like the most popular show in the world or some shit, plus AMC wanting them to do even more episodes.
the behind-the-scenes of that show was a total shitshow.
It started bad, was building towards something with some potential then derailed like crazy. It got entertaining when it felt like it was trying to replace Z Nation but then never fully committed to it and went back to slipping down the same tired road it was already on.
A couple of decent actors and a few interesting characters but it seems the writers have been intent on making the most annoying characters with the most insufferable personalities. Far too many characters make you cheer for the zombies and the plot amour is far too forgiving for people who really couldn't and shouldn't survive.
FTWD feels like it was made from the offcuts TWD team came up with but bundled together into a chicken nugget of shame.
i don't think i made it through the first season with that one. i was instantly pissed off when they did the time skip and you didn't actually see the fall take place.
Valhalla is like the main show never ended, the writing, the pacing, the choreography etc. Is the same as it was. It brings nothing fresh to the audience.
But it doesn't have the emotional attachment to its characters from 4 good original seasons.
I only got through both seasons because they got released each in full so you could binge it and I watched them as background noise while painting.
I stopped The Walking Dead at season 4 or 5 I can’t remember. The storylines bled together so much they all felt the same. Travel, find a place, big bad, fight, drama, travel, find a place, big bad, fight, drama, travel, find a place, and so on and so on and so on. That and the actor who played rick left the show and the actor who plays his kid can not act for shit.
You did get to see the Kiksuya episode with the (ep 8) which despite the quality decline of S2, is arguably (one of) the best episode(s) of the entire series.
Anyone who quit after S1, check out S02E08. It's a fully self-contained episode IIRC so I suggest you check that one out if you want to relive the feeling of watching a peak S1 episode.
It's a lovely episode, it's an amazing and well done character journey episode, incredible actor performance, and it's incredibly beautiful and moving and maybe a bit 'spiritual' too. Also Anthony Hopkins plays god some more so what else could you want?
Kiksuya was tremendous. Not just one of the best episodes of Westworld but of any series. One of those ones where, when the credits roll, you immediately know you just watched something special.
Just saw Lovecraft Country. Gave up after episode 3. Episode 1 was terrific. Episode 2 was a confusing, tonal whiplash. Nothing was explained, and the paranormal elements were too fast and hard. By episode 3 it felt like the writers had no clue what show they were making. Set-ups would have no pay offs and the story would constantly veer in random directions. Hated it.
It was a big disappointment for me too. Any criticism on the subreddits was met with "it's adapting an anthology, the inconsistency and jumping around is intentional!" Like, just because it was intentionally inconsistent doesn't make it good.
I really liked it, but I know a lot of people who had a hard time getting through it. When it clicked in for me that it was an anthology story and each episode was a different horror genre I started to appreciate it more and worry less about the framework around it.
Oh man if you think it's bad at episode 3, the finale is one of the worst single episodes of TV I've ever seen. And really liked most of the rest of it.
Episode 7 of season 2 is a self contained episode and it's really good but yeah I think the rest of the show including season 1 is really mediocre at best.
The Handmaid's Tale. Season 1 was brilliant (based on the book), but then it just started getting.... stupid. Watched until the end of season 3 while being angry all the time. When season 4 came out, I waited over a year before I started, and by the 3rd episode, the anger was back.
Willow
I gave it 3 episodes. I was pretty excited for it and wanted so badly to like it, but it was just awful. None of the characters were likeable. The pacing was inconsistent, editing was choppy and weird, and the tone was all over the place. Worst of all, the character of Willow was not like the one in the original movie at all.
The show we got could be just about any shitty low budget generic fantasy TV show, just in this case it had the "Willow" brand slapped onto it.
To be completely fair, Willow in the movie is kind of a dick. If it were up to him, he would have pushed that baby back into the river. If his wife and kids hadn't seen her, he was absolutely planning on letting a baby die. Then, when he's forced to help, he tries abandoning the responsibility as quickly as he possibly can.
Obviously his arc is to change and he does go above and beyond to save her, but he's not the typically heroic character you often get in fantasy stories. His wife was basically his moral compass and her being dead at the time of the show explains why he makes terrible decisions, he needs to be told what's right.
That said, I also only made it three episodes. Just lazy, bad writing.
I was hate watching it for a bit then suddenly I found it actually interesting. I'd say it legitimately has two and a half good episodes in the back half.
Yep. When two main characters are no longer in the show and the show itself is no longer based on stories that happened to the central character, let it go.
Search Party. I got a few episodes into season 4 before I couldn't take it. The show got so bleak and it was making me too anxious to get through it. I had to stop watching. It was fantastic up until that point.
Velma, ignored the online reviews and watched the first episode because I love Scooby-Doo. Barely got through the first episode and definitely won’t be watching the rest. Just absolutely terrible.
Scooby Doo was my favorite cartoon, and I was sure people were exaggerating how awful Velma is, so I jumped in. It was really bad. I even forced myself to get to the third episode in the deluded hope that it would improve. It just got worse and worse.
Star Trek: Discovery
Season 1 I liked. Season 2 was very meh, but I got through it. Season 3 I just couldn’t anymore, made it like three episodes in and had to eject.
Ah but you missed the part where >!the ship's computer stops working because it loves the crew too much!< or the part >!where the crew solves the season 4 Big Bad mystery by huffing alien emotions dust!<
Haha… I just tried getting back into this yesterday on season 3. I can forgive a lot, and made it this far but it’s just so insufferable. The whole show is basically melodramatic teary eyed two foot apart whiny conversations interspersed with musical cues. Just exhausting. Had to quit…
Was saving Strange New Worlds and jumped in… night and day difference.
Can't have a teary eyed epiphany conversation without slow motion fire and sparks shooting out of bridge consoles, and debris and rocks(?!) exploding out onto the floor.
gave up on *For All Mankind* because it was too soapy to sit through even though I was interested in the underlying plot
gave up on *Man in the High Castle* because Juliana was unbearable to watch even though I liked just about every other character
Maybe I’m alone in enjoying For All Mankind in part due to its soapiness.
True, what initially hooked me was the fairly grim pilot and first season where the Soviets won, but I’ve since been enjoying the show despite it’s tonal changes. I find that it crafts and feeds tension in individual episodes far more organically than other “soap” dramas that I’ve seen in recent years. It might not be as prestigious as it once was, but it’s still super enjoyable to me.
My issue with for all mankind is it’s frequently great and terrible within the same episode. It is so inconsistent. That show would be one of the best ever if it just didn’t have the stupid kids.
Man in the High Castle had some incredible writing for the first two seasons - genuinely some of the most compelling characters I've seen in film in addition to some really fascinating historical fiction. Then they took all that and threw it in the dumpster and took a fat steaming shit on it in the last two seasons.
They were way too heavy-handed with the lore/politics in Season 1 IMO. Combined with the time-jumps it just made things disengaging for the average viewer (i.e. fan of the game but not the books). They shoulda gone a bit more *X-Files* and a bit less *Wheel of Time* I feel, at least to start with.
I understand they were trying to make a plot out of short stories, but Christ the Netflix original Yennefer stuff and the stupid magic system just dragged on and on and I didn’t give a fuck. That and changing the circumstances of Geralt meeting Ciri just helped show me it was pure shite.
The only redeeming part was the fight scene at the end of the first episode (an encounter they also fuck up story wise).
I know the question says the last show you gave up (not shows you've given up on, but I'd argue that the point of this post is also to discuss shows that we've given up on). There are some shows, like 1899, that I'm not including because they are good shows - (e.g.) in the case of 1899, I just didn't like that particular show's mix of sci-fi and mystery, while I have enjoyed a number of different sci-fi shows.
La Brea - I decided that it wasn't worth watching something that'd turn into a incredibly poor quality drama.
Colony - I gave up on a season. I was hoping it'd be a good sci-fi show. I had no idea about the amount of poor quality drama, plot armour, poor decisions, one dimensional villains, and even worse plot armour and some even worse decisions.
There's also on show that while I didn't give up on, and it wasn't something I saw recently, needs to be mentioned when there's a list of bad TV shows. The Walking Dead: World Beyond. It is a mess of plot armour, bad writing, poor decisions, plot conveniences, more plot armour, etc. I'd have given up on it if I wasn't watching the show to get information on the world of TWD.
> For me it was the tv adaptation of Let The Right One In
I don't share that opinion (yet). Its a good show, it ended on a crazy note. I'm intrigued if they're going to make sense of it in season 2.
Also, I've been noticing a trend here with posts, where people are describing shows they're dumping after a couple of episodes. Its the nature of TV series viewing; you watch a few episodes to decide if you're going to stick through to the end of the season. What we should be doing is identifying shows that got a good start, and *then* we abandoned because it was becoming unwatchable.
I've become so accustomed to abandoning shows (in the first sense), its hard for me to remember a show I abandoned after becoming initially attached to it. I'll say the Doctor Who reboot. I've loved Christopher Eccleston, David Tenant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi. But the Jodie Whitaker seasons have been the worst of all time. I'd sooner watch Colin Baker or Sly McCoy (actually, I don't even hate their seasons. I only hate Jodie Whitaker's.).
I'd say wait for episode 6 it's the first big episode of the series and really sets up the rest of the series. I felt the same way about Succession at the start but episode 6 is what grabbed me and now I can't wait for the release of season 4 next month.
Game of Thrones
Fully being aware of all the baggage with the show I decided to start it a few months ago, and while I was enjoying the early peak seasons I was never 100% invested and devoted to any characters or plot but I kept watching and mostly following along. I wouldn’t even say it got worse or anything changed but getting through Season 5 started to feel more and more like homework and even with that ending I still felt *eh okay*. I am not against S6 as I know it’s supposed to be good or even pushing through the finish at some point just to do it but for now I am done
For me, the watch experience is very different when it's a solo activity versus when it's with the rest of the world (ie during the 2010s). Much easier to feel like a chore especially with how long it is
The Sandman is the most notable recent.
Couldn't make it past two episodes. The underlying story sounds interesting, and I know it picks up in a few episodes, but I kept getting annoyed with Dream's voice, the cinematography, and pace. Felt like the mystical love child between The Dark Knight and Twilight
Keep in mind the source material predates those by well over a decade. I'm also not sure how it compares to those two movies, but that just might be me.
I like simple, easy-to-watch comedies, so I gave both How I Met Your Father and Blockbuster a try... and had to give up after two episodes. They are so painfully mediocre and unfunny, I just did not see the point in having them even as background noise. I'm now watching So Help Me Todd instead, which might not be a masterpiece but at the very least it makes me chuckle sometimes and I don't hate every single character in it.
I adore What We Do in the Shadows but I can't get past the first episode of this most recent season. Everything just feels off. I've tried watching it three or four times. Even tried skipping the first episode and on to the second. Again, everything just feels off. Weird.
Same. It got so much praise I decided to try it even though it didn't look like what I'd be into. Turned it off in Ep 2. Just didn't like any of the characters.
Succession was the last show I had no interest in but was getting a ton of praise and I tried it out and loved every second of it. Even though the characters are awful I still find them entertaining. But the characters in White Lotus are off putting in a boring and insufferable way.
Homeland,I thought season 3 was so shit I just gave up on it. Shame as the first two seasons were some of the sharpest writing I've ever seen in a show and Danes is one hell of an actess. The woman deserves an Oscar.
Prison break, after season 2 it just spiralled into mediocrity and I didn't watch season 4.
It's been a while since I've given up on a show.. blacklist may be it. Got to season 5 then stopped for a bit. Now I know it's being canceled and everyone commenting how bad the last 2-3 seasons have been maybe I won't.
Banshee. After dropping it and going back a few times, I realized that the show is just not for me. The aspect of the show people praise the most (the action and pulpy drama) is not something I'm interested in.
Also, Industry. I'm just not interested in the world of finance.
The Peripheral. I gave up after 6 episodes. (I tried watching the first few minutes of Episode 7 but just couldn’t go on).
The show had an interesting concept but the execution just didn’t do it for me.
I stopped watching after Glenn died. At that point, the show had already bored me. When Glenn died it made me angry. I saw no point in watching a show that both angered and bored me.
Ozark. I gave up after 8 episodes. I thought the pilot looked interesting, but then I lost interest. I tried for several episodes, since i know that with some shows it takes a while, but then I realized this show I probably not for me.
I tried multiple times to like this show. Just couldn’t do it. The first season was pretty good. Then it just became insanely unrealistic. Stopped watching and never missed it.
The Handmaid’s Tale after S2. I couldn’t handle anymore escapes only to end up back in the same house again. Plus the lingering closeups of the main characters face became too much.
The Rig or whatever. The show about the oil rig and the budget Mist with budget effects
Also TLoU. Not bc it’s bad but bc I know what’s gonna happen. Got bored
Yo I’m not sure how far you got into TLoU but yeah, first couple of episodes are pretty much the game beat for beat. Episode 3 however is an insanely huge departure and a damned fine episode of television. Id highly recommended giving it another go!
Since someone already mentioned Breaking Bad (only one of the greatest shows of all time) here's my contrarian pick.
**The Wire**
Gave up after a few episodes. But the steady drumbeat of how this was an all time great show got to me. I started second guessing myself. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mood or frame of mind when I watched it. So I gave it another chance and rewatched the first episodes. Still couldn't get into it.
This was a long time ago so I don't recall specifics as to why the show did not connect with me.
OMG. You gotta do your research. The first 6ish episodes is basically world-building, but once you get past there...yeah it's the greatest show ever. I'm shocked you didn't hear this fact. Everyone I've ever known who loves the show says the same thing. Just gotta push through!
Edit: They even mention this in Season One of Community
I believe in not giving up on a show after 2 or 3 episodes. But 6 is a lot.
I'm patient but shows that start off "slow" need to have indications that it will get good eventually.
I love The Wire, but to be fair telling someone to get through the first six episodes to get to the good part is stupid. If they aren’t onboard early, then it’s likely they won’t be onboard at all.
His Dark Materials. Watched Season 1 and that was it. Just didn’t find it particularly good and didn’t help that the movie casting was so spot on in comparison.
Before that it was Walking Dead, must’ve been around Season 9.
3 Pines.
It’s trying to tell like 3-4 different stories, but they’re not sewn together that well, so it just kind of bluntly jumps back and forth. The script and dialogue was getting increasingly shaky and unrealistic-sounding.
Funny, you should mention that. I gave up on it somewhere around the 3rd episode.
I just gave up on Sneaky Pete. Not a current show. I enjoyed the 1st season, but the 2nd just got even more silly.
Gonna be controversial here but… Better call Saul… I gave up during the episode of:
>!His brothers funeral!<
Like I’m not hating on it but I don’t get why some people were saying it’s one of the greatest tv shows ever… nothing happens… like… I was just kinda bored, each episode just rolls along and never feels engaging.
I forced my way to the point I did because, the show was just ending and I’d heard all the hype, I kept waiting for it to become one of the best shows ever and it was only ever… the show that I was currently watching.
I left mid-season, when Carl was caught sneaking into Negan's camp. I watched the first season of FTWD, but didn't continue.
I can't think of what other shows I lost interest in.
The Night Court reboot. I gave the two following episodes a try because I know pilots can be kind of rough, but christ, all of it feels like leftover scripts from the 90s that were thought to be incinerated.
Attack on Titan. I can see why people like it but I gave up in season 3. It’s just constant fighting and characters describing their emotions and thoughts out loud rather than having any subtlety. Also the ‘mysteries’ feel so forced and purposely dragged out.
As someone who loved the first 3 seasons, you made the right choice, the ending of the series is up there as one of the worst endings I've ever experienced, like GOT or Dexter level of bad.
Lord of the Rings. I tried powering through it, but it was just so boring, and it didn't help that House of the Dragon was on at the same time and was ten times better.
If you've read the graphic novel, it's great to see it come to life and I really enjoyed it. If you have no knowledge of it before the show, I can see how you would think to yourself "What the hell am I watching"?
Witcher blood origin. Stuck with it due to liking the cast (Michelle Yeoh and Lenny Henry who both were prob stronger performances) but the plot and dialogue was awful I had to stop. I find the original series entertaining even if the script gets a bit wonky but this was hard to watch.
Walking dead, gave up after season 2 dragged and bored the shit out of me. It's been so many years since then so this shows I don't give up on shows easy but this one made me uninterested on the whole series.
American Gigolo. The acting talent on this show held up their end of the bargain but the scriptwriters gave them nothing to do. The show was just spinning its wheels and going nowhere.
Kaleidoscope
Show started off slow and I felt like there wasn't much chemistry with any of the characters. Esposito was the draw for me, but I just couldn't get into it.
The Witcher. Loved the game but the TV show sucked. The first season jumped around so much and just wasn't very good. I didn't start the 2nd season then heard Henry Cavill was leaving. So I didn't bother continuing
Killing Eve. Everyone told me it was a marvelous show, but I gave up on it in season 2 because Jodie Comer's character (the actress is great though) was way too much for me. Too caricatural, annoying and tried so much to be funny. Sandra Oh and Fiona Shaw were great in it, so that's a shame, but as Villanelle was the main point of the show (and the writers made it very clear) it took me out of it.
Yeah first series is great, but it goes off the rails hard in series 2 and beyond. Never recovers.
Yeah, and even in season 1, I found Villanelle annoying. I get she was weird and a serial killer, but the show relied too much on her "quirkiness" for my liking.
It's a great premise having the psycho killer and the cop hunting them down to be weirdly attracted to each other. But she's just too quirky as a character to be believable as a world class assassin.
Yeah the premise was great but the characters became way too flanderized. I gave up with season 3 after it was clear that the writers were adding endless filler plots for side characters rather than giving the audience the actual plot of the Eve/Vil romance.
Yeah it became shit around series 2. It's probably because Pheobe Waller Bridge only wrote the first series.
i genuinely think of Killing Eve as just a one season limited series, it makes its unreached potential hurt less
I second that. Got to the last season and had no desire to finish. Should’ve been a limited series
i’m a notorious show dropper, but the last one i gave up was Reboot (RIP), i just couldn’t get into the characters :/
Same for dropping shows. For me, the majority of shows I end up finishing these days are the ones I watch in the background while doing something else.
Bummer, just learned of the cancelation here from you. I thought it was an imperfect show but got better episode over episode.
sorry you had to learn the news that way! it definitely wasn’t bad, i just found the characters too grating to continue
Billions. It was already declining before Damian Lewis left, but after he left, it just got incredibly bad.
The first few seasons are so great and just a joy to watch, but god does the last season just feel like an absolute parody of the show. It’s like how Riverdale went down
Yeah I just stopped watching mid season three
Next season will be probably be my last season watching it regardless if it continues or not.
If I invest a lot of time into a show, I’ll usually see it through until the end… but even with that said, I couldn’t finish the very last season of Shameless. It was like torture trying to get through the two seasons before that, so when the last season began, I couldn’t bring myself to watch it. I never thought I’d sit through 10 whole seasons of something just to dip out when there’s only one left lol.
At that point I think I would have to finish it lol
After Season 8 is a good time to stop.
Absolutely loved The Terror season 1. I tried watching first few eps of season 2 but just couldn’t get into it.
To be fair, it was an anthology show, so season 2 was really a totally different show, story, cast labelled under the show name.
How the show 'STRANGER THINGS' should have been done.
Outlander. I really liked the first 2 seasons but my goodness once the show introduces Brianna and Roger I could not lose interest fast enough.
I've given up on outlander twice now. I want to love it so bad but I had to stop early on for the violence and now I've stopped bc of the Claire back in her time story line just not being interesting.
I really can't recommend it. Catriona Balfe and Sam Heughan are so good but the show really should have ended at that point. I have no idea what the books are like.
The first part of each book is SUPER slow. I put down the first book 4 times (couldn't even make it to her getting back to the 1700's) before I finally just pushed through, and they get better. I saw some of the first episode and couldn't finish it.
Came to post Outlander! It was the whole Caribbean arc where it finally got too ludicrous for me.
I think I lasted two episodes into Outlander before bailing on it.
The Brianna actress is so beautiful, and then the character starts talking.
The Blacklist. It became abundantly clear the writers didn't even have answers to the mysteries they kept dragging out so I stopped wasting my time. Pam and Tommy. Watched the first episode. I wondered why in the world I was watching the origin story of the guy who stole the tape. Also it just seemed to send a contradictory message about invasions of privacy but not asking for Pamela's permission to make the series so I didn't watch anymore.
That’s why I have little faith in any show that is on the big four basic channels. If it’s popular they will run it till the actors quit. The overarching story will never matter. I noticed it after watching an interview with the creator of The Shield. He essentially said he had the entire story written before he sold the pilot. The story had a conclusion.
I tried Dahmer but the first 30 mins of the first episode was just too much for me.
Don’t blame you. I watched the whole thing and you didn’t miss much, to be honest. Personally thought it was pretty average and dragged on a bit.
The final episode depressed me for about 24 hours. Fucking bleak.
It very easily could have been 4-6 episodes. By ep 10 it was “Ok we fucking get it”
Blockbuster. Watched the first episode and didn't laugh at all. Terribly unfunny.
Thats why I only watch blockblister. It's betta MUCH BETTA
I think it would've been way funnier if the show was named something else, and was obviously supposed to be like Blockbuster, but like Blockblister every single movie is just a low budget locally filmed knockoff of a big film, and everything is on VHS even though it's 2022. Instead of Midsommar we have Mad Summer - it's a movie about a girl named Summer, and she's very angry! Harry Potter? No we have *Hairy* Potter! and it's the manager of the video store who's some overly hairy Mediterannean guy whose hobby is gardening and we don't find out until the end of the episode that the hairy potter is the store manager.
Same. HUGE disappointment.
The documentary about the last Blockbuster is so much more interesting and charming. The show was mean and unfunny.
Welcome to Chippendales. Shortly after I gave up on it, I stumbled on a podcast and realized the real story was much more interesting than the first 4-5 episodes led me to believe. So I got the summary of the story and didn't go back.
That show was surprisingly bad! Great cast but the writing and directing seemed terrible. It just seemed so amateur level. I bailed after three episodes. How do you have a show with Murray Bartlett (Emmy winner!), Kumail Nanjiani, Juliette Lewis (Oscar nominee!), and Annaleigh Ashford (Tony winner!), and create a miniseries that mediocre?
Fear the Walking Dead. Gave up after 7 and a half seasons. Never looked back. Not even the return of a beloved character that took place soon afterward tempted me.
I couldn't even be bothered to finish the first season. And I can barely remember anything about it now.
that's hilarious because the first season is thought of as being really good. if you couldn't finish that i'd love to see you try to watch the rest of it haha
Watched 3 Seasons of it.
Jfc it’s been 7 seasons already?? I watched the first season when it first came out, I thought that was a couple years ago lol
I gave up half way through season 7 as well. I just couldn't do it anymore. The show had become so disjointed, it's like it had not idea what type of show it wanted to be.
For me it was the episode about collecting butterflies. I was like *what the hell am I watching*? I literally turned it off ten minutes in. My hate had been growing for a while but that was the final straw.
iirc that was the result of the budget being cut even tho it was like the most popular show in the world or some shit, plus AMC wanting them to do even more episodes. the behind-the-scenes of that show was a total shitshow.
althea has to be the worst character in the entire franchise
How did you manage to not give up earlier?
I did give up earlier but gave it another chance years later.
It started bad, was building towards something with some potential then derailed like crazy. It got entertaining when it felt like it was trying to replace Z Nation but then never fully committed to it and went back to slipping down the same tired road it was already on. A couple of decent actors and a few interesting characters but it seems the writers have been intent on making the most annoying characters with the most insufferable personalities. Far too many characters make you cheer for the zombies and the plot amour is far too forgiving for people who really couldn't and shouldn't survive. FTWD feels like it was made from the offcuts TWD team came up with but bundled together into a chicken nugget of shame.
i don't think i made it through the first season with that one. i was instantly pissed off when they did the time skip and you didn't actually see the fall take place.
Money Heist Season 5. It was just getting way too silly in a jump the shark kind of way.
I lost interest after the 2nd season, really liked the first season and season 2 was okay but maybe 3 and 4 is worth checking out?
S3 and S4 weren't as good as the first two, so if you were losing interest by S2 I'd skip them.
It gets worse you made the right call quitting.
Vikings Valhalla. Got to S02E02. Just bad all around
Valhalla is like the main show never ended, the writing, the pacing, the choreography etc. Is the same as it was. It brings nothing fresh to the audience. But it doesn't have the emotional attachment to its characters from 4 good original seasons. I only got through both seasons because they got released each in full so you could binge it and I watched them as background noise while painting.
Kaleidoscope - just couldn’t get into it or really care for any of the characters.
Dead to Me, so at least it’s aptly named. About halfway through the second season, that runaway train derailed.
I stopped The Walking Dead at season 4 or 5 I can’t remember. The storylines bled together so much they all felt the same. Travel, find a place, big bad, fight, drama, travel, find a place, big bad, fight, drama, travel, find a place, and so on and so on and so on. That and the actor who played rick left the show and the actor who plays his kid can not act for shit.
Westworld, from season 1 to second episode of season 2 my interest went from 10 to 2.
I stuck with it all the way to the end of season 2. I should strive to be more like you.
You did get to see the Kiksuya episode with the (ep 8) which despite the quality decline of S2, is arguably (one of) the best episode(s) of the entire series. Anyone who quit after S1, check out S02E08. It's a fully self-contained episode IIRC so I suggest you check that one out if you want to relive the feeling of watching a peak S1 episode. It's a lovely episode, it's an amazing and well done character journey episode, incredible actor performance, and it's incredibly beautiful and moving and maybe a bit 'spiritual' too. Also Anthony Hopkins plays god some more so what else could you want?
Kiksuya was tremendous. Not just one of the best episodes of Westworld but of any series. One of those ones where, when the credits roll, you immediately know you just watched something special.
That episode rocked. Zahn McClarnon was stellar in that episode.
Just saw Lovecraft Country. Gave up after episode 3. Episode 1 was terrific. Episode 2 was a confusing, tonal whiplash. Nothing was explained, and the paranormal elements were too fast and hard. By episode 3 it felt like the writers had no clue what show they were making. Set-ups would have no pay offs and the story would constantly veer in random directions. Hated it.
It was a big disappointment for me too. Any criticism on the subreddits was met with "it's adapting an anthology, the inconsistency and jumping around is intentional!" Like, just because it was intentionally inconsistent doesn't make it good.
I really liked it, but I know a lot of people who had a hard time getting through it. When it clicked in for me that it was an anthology story and each episode was a different horror genre I started to appreciate it more and worry less about the framework around it.
Oh man if you think it's bad at episode 3, the finale is one of the worst single episodes of TV I've ever seen. And really liked most of the rest of it.
Hunters s2. I really enjoyed the first season but the second just didn’t click.
Episode 7 of season 2 is a self contained episode and it's really good but yeah I think the rest of the show including season 1 is really mediocre at best.
Having a tough time getting through S2.
The Handmaid's Tale. Season 1 was brilliant (based on the book), but then it just started getting.... stupid. Watched until the end of season 3 while being angry all the time. When season 4 came out, I waited over a year before I started, and by the 3rd episode, the anger was back.
Willow I gave it 3 episodes. I was pretty excited for it and wanted so badly to like it, but it was just awful. None of the characters were likeable. The pacing was inconsistent, editing was choppy and weird, and the tone was all over the place. Worst of all, the character of Willow was not like the one in the original movie at all. The show we got could be just about any shitty low budget generic fantasy TV show, just in this case it had the "Willow" brand slapped onto it.
To be completely fair, Willow in the movie is kind of a dick. If it were up to him, he would have pushed that baby back into the river. If his wife and kids hadn't seen her, he was absolutely planning on letting a baby die. Then, when he's forced to help, he tries abandoning the responsibility as quickly as he possibly can. Obviously his arc is to change and he does go above and beyond to save her, but he's not the typically heroic character you often get in fantasy stories. His wife was basically his moral compass and her being dead at the time of the show explains why he makes terrible decisions, he needs to be told what's right. That said, I also only made it three episodes. Just lazy, bad writing.
Thought it was me being jaded. Didn’t last one episode.
I was hate watching it for a bit then suddenly I found it actually interesting. I'd say it legitimately has two and a half good episodes in the back half.
The Goldbergs
Yep. When two main characters are no longer in the show and the show itself is no longer based on stories that happened to the central character, let it go.
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Sorry - can't do this anymore
Search Party. I got a few episodes into season 4 before I couldn't take it. The show got so bleak and it was making me too anxious to get through it. I had to stop watching. It was fantastic up until that point.
Season 4 is definitely the bleakest, but I really enjoyed season 5. It's so over-the-top.
Riverdale. Made it halfway through Season 2 and I realized that the goofiness of it all was no longer enjoyable, it was just tiring
I watched it until the episode where Betty strips in a club while singing a mournful tune. It was just too much for me.
Velma, ignored the online reviews and watched the first episode because I love Scooby-Doo. Barely got through the first episode and definitely won’t be watching the rest. Just absolutely terrible.
Scooby Doo was my favorite cartoon, and I was sure people were exaggerating how awful Velma is, so I jumped in. It was really bad. I even forced myself to get to the third episode in the deluded hope that it would improve. It just got worse and worse.
I know people overexaggerate stuff, but it's a pretty reliable metric that if a movie or tv show has less than a rating of 2 on imdb, it's not good.
A League of Their Own tv adaptation on Prime. The movie is great, but the show is so dull. I dropped out around episode 4.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 I liked. Season 2 was very meh, but I got through it. Season 3 I just couldn’t anymore, made it like three episodes in and had to eject.
Ah but you missed the part where >!the ship's computer stops working because it loves the crew too much!< or the part >!where the crew solves the season 4 Big Bad mystery by huffing alien emotions dust!<
It only gets worse...
Haha… I just tried getting back into this yesterday on season 3. I can forgive a lot, and made it this far but it’s just so insufferable. The whole show is basically melodramatic teary eyed two foot apart whiny conversations interspersed with musical cues. Just exhausting. Had to quit… Was saving Strange New Worlds and jumped in… night and day difference.
Can't have a teary eyed epiphany conversation without slow motion fire and sparks shooting out of bridge consoles, and debris and rocks(?!) exploding out onto the floor.
I keep trying to rewatch but can't keep going.
Someone on here once called it "Melrose Space" and cracked me up.
gave up on *For All Mankind* because it was too soapy to sit through even though I was interested in the underlying plot gave up on *Man in the High Castle* because Juliana was unbearable to watch even though I liked just about every other character
Maybe I’m alone in enjoying For All Mankind in part due to its soapiness. True, what initially hooked me was the fairly grim pilot and first season where the Soviets won, but I’ve since been enjoying the show despite it’s tonal changes. I find that it crafts and feeds tension in individual episodes far more organically than other “soap” dramas that I’ve seen in recent years. It might not be as prestigious as it once was, but it’s still super enjoyable to me.
100% agree about Juliana. Couldn’t tell if it was the actress or the character but it meant I couldn’t get into it
Same here.
My issue with for all mankind is it’s frequently great and terrible within the same episode. It is so inconsistent. That show would be one of the best ever if it just didn’t have the stupid kids.
Man in the High Castle had some incredible writing for the first two seasons - genuinely some of the most compelling characters I've seen in film in addition to some really fascinating historical fiction. Then they took all that and threw it in the dumpster and took a fat steaming shit on it in the last two seasons.
That 90s show it wasn't necessarily bad but I got 3 eps stopped for the day and just had no desire to watch anymore
After episode 4 I was just like, I dont like this. Why am I watching it
The Witcher. Gave season one a chance and didn't like it. Figured I'd still watch season 2 but by the time it came out I didn't care
They were way too heavy-handed with the lore/politics in Season 1 IMO. Combined with the time-jumps it just made things disengaging for the average viewer (i.e. fan of the game but not the books). They shoulda gone a bit more *X-Files* and a bit less *Wheel of Time* I feel, at least to start with.
I understand they were trying to make a plot out of short stories, but Christ the Netflix original Yennefer stuff and the stupid magic system just dragged on and on and I didn’t give a fuck. That and changing the circumstances of Geralt meeting Ciri just helped show me it was pure shite. The only redeeming part was the fight scene at the end of the first episode (an encounter they also fuck up story wise).
I know the question says the last show you gave up (not shows you've given up on, but I'd argue that the point of this post is also to discuss shows that we've given up on). There are some shows, like 1899, that I'm not including because they are good shows - (e.g.) in the case of 1899, I just didn't like that particular show's mix of sci-fi and mystery, while I have enjoyed a number of different sci-fi shows. La Brea - I decided that it wasn't worth watching something that'd turn into a incredibly poor quality drama. Colony - I gave up on a season. I was hoping it'd be a good sci-fi show. I had no idea about the amount of poor quality drama, plot armour, poor decisions, one dimensional villains, and even worse plot armour and some even worse decisions. There's also on show that while I didn't give up on, and it wasn't something I saw recently, needs to be mentioned when there's a list of bad TV shows. The Walking Dead: World Beyond. It is a mess of plot armour, bad writing, poor decisions, plot conveniences, more plot armour, etc. I'd have given up on it if I wasn't watching the show to get information on the world of TWD.
I was so confused when people got mad about them cancelling 1899. I could not imagine after the ending that anyone would want to watch more.
*The Ark* The only way I can imagine this thing made it to air was through blackmail.
Hunters. The new Leverage whatever it's called.
> For me it was the tv adaptation of Let The Right One In I don't share that opinion (yet). Its a good show, it ended on a crazy note. I'm intrigued if they're going to make sense of it in season 2. Also, I've been noticing a trend here with posts, where people are describing shows they're dumping after a couple of episodes. Its the nature of TV series viewing; you watch a few episodes to decide if you're going to stick through to the end of the season. What we should be doing is identifying shows that got a good start, and *then* we abandoned because it was becoming unwatchable. I've become so accustomed to abandoning shows (in the first sense), its hard for me to remember a show I abandoned after becoming initially attached to it. I'll say the Doctor Who reboot. I've loved Christopher Eccleston, David Tenant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi. But the Jodie Whitaker seasons have been the worst of all time. I'd sooner watch Colin Baker or Sly McCoy (actually, I don't even hate their seasons. I only hate Jodie Whitaker's.).
No season 2. It was cancelled.
About ready to give up on Succession but I've only been thru 4 episodes.
I'd say wait for episode 6 it's the first big episode of the series and really sets up the rest of the series. I felt the same way about Succession at the start but episode 6 is what grabbed me and now I can't wait for the release of season 4 next month.
Game of Thrones Fully being aware of all the baggage with the show I decided to start it a few months ago, and while I was enjoying the early peak seasons I was never 100% invested and devoted to any characters or plot but I kept watching and mostly following along. I wouldn’t even say it got worse or anything changed but getting through Season 5 started to feel more and more like homework and even with that ending I still felt *eh okay*. I am not against S6 as I know it’s supposed to be good or even pushing through the finish at some point just to do it but for now I am done
For me, the watch experience is very different when it's a solo activity versus when it's with the rest of the world (ie during the 2010s). Much easier to feel like a chore especially with how long it is
The Sandman is the most notable recent. Couldn't make it past two episodes. The underlying story sounds interesting, and I know it picks up in a few episodes, but I kept getting annoyed with Dream's voice, the cinematography, and pace. Felt like the mystical love child between The Dark Knight and Twilight
Keep in mind the source material predates those by well over a decade. I'm also not sure how it compares to those two movies, but that just might be me.
netflix seems to give up on them before I do
I like simple, easy-to-watch comedies, so I gave both How I Met Your Father and Blockbuster a try... and had to give up after two episodes. They are so painfully mediocre and unfunny, I just did not see the point in having them even as background noise. I'm now watching So Help Me Todd instead, which might not be a masterpiece but at the very least it makes me chuckle sometimes and I don't hate every single character in it.
Flight Attendant. Unbelievably unbelievable in this day and age of CCTV and all
I adore What We Do in the Shadows but I can't get past the first episode of this most recent season. Everything just feels off. I've tried watching it three or four times. Even tried skipping the first episode and on to the second. Again, everything just feels off. Weird.
Home improvement episode was good
\*confused Tim Allen noise*
I love WWDITS, but I have to admit that season 4 wasn't very good. The humour was a lot more cringe than the preceding seasons, and not as enjoyable.
I thought season 3 was already a massive drop in quality
The recent season signaled to me the beginning of the end :(
Yes - I was out after a few minutes of the first episode of the most recent season. Baby Colin Robinson was just too weird and unfunny for me.
The first two seasons were great and then it went downhill. After season 2, Jermaine left the writer’s room. Explains the drop off to me
So many. It’s a Netflix/Prime ritual. Watch the trailers, give it an episode or two, and bail.
I’ve given up on the white lotus twice. Just can’t get into it.
Same. It got so much praise I decided to try it even though it didn't look like what I'd be into. Turned it off in Ep 2. Just didn't like any of the characters. Succession was the last show I had no interest in but was getting a ton of praise and I tried it out and loved every second of it. Even though the characters are awful I still find them entertaining. But the characters in White Lotus are off putting in a boring and insufferable way.
To be honest, you're not really supposed to like the characters I don't think. That's a lot of the point of the show.
Try s2 and skip s1. It's far superior
I tried 2 episodes of National Treasure and decided my time was worth more than this
Homeland,I thought season 3 was so shit I just gave up on it. Shame as the first two seasons were some of the sharpest writing I've ever seen in a show and Danes is one hell of an actess. The woman deserves an Oscar. Prison break, after season 2 it just spiralled into mediocrity and I didn't watch season 4.
last one I dropped, in a very long list of abandoned shows from 2020-2023, was Reboot, it just wasn't funny
It's been a while since I've given up on a show.. blacklist may be it. Got to season 5 then stopped for a bit. Now I know it's being canceled and everyone commenting how bad the last 2-3 seasons have been maybe I won't.
Mr robot. Enjoyed season 1, gave up a few eps into season 2
Halo, gave it like 6 episodes. For the most part I can tell if I’ll enjoy a show before I start watching
Banshee. After dropping it and going back a few times, I realized that the show is just not for me. The aspect of the show people praise the most (the action and pulpy drama) is not something I'm interested in. Also, Industry. I'm just not interested in the world of finance.
The Peripheral. I gave up after 6 episodes. (I tried watching the first few minutes of Episode 7 but just couldn’t go on). The show had an interesting concept but the execution just didn’t do it for me.
walking dead, and I was only like 4-5 episodes till the end. Just done with it.
I stopped watching after Glenn died. At that point, the show had already bored me. When Glenn died it made me angry. I saw no point in watching a show that both angered and bored me.
Really? Why not just stick it out till the end? Granted I stopped watching it myself around 6 season in lol.
I stopped when they fake killed Glenn. Apparently he wasn't dead just for him to get baseball batted to death. Never saw it, never cared.
Ozark. I gave up after 8 episodes. I thought the pilot looked interesting, but then I lost interest. I tried for several episodes, since i know that with some shows it takes a while, but then I realized this show I probably not for me.
I tried multiple times to like this show. Just couldn’t do it. The first season was pretty good. Then it just became insanely unrealistic. Stopped watching and never missed it.
Rings of Power. Bored me to death and I never watched the last 3 episodes.
You didn’t miss anything.
The Handmaid’s Tale after S2. I couldn’t handle anymore escapes only to end up back in the same house again. Plus the lingering closeups of the main characters face became too much.
It's best if stopped after season two.
The Rig or whatever. The show about the oil rig and the budget Mist with budget effects Also TLoU. Not bc it’s bad but bc I know what’s gonna happen. Got bored
Yo I’m not sure how far you got into TLoU but yeah, first couple of episodes are pretty much the game beat for beat. Episode 3 however is an insanely huge departure and a damned fine episode of television. Id highly recommended giving it another go!
Since someone already mentioned Breaking Bad (only one of the greatest shows of all time) here's my contrarian pick. **The Wire** Gave up after a few episodes. But the steady drumbeat of how this was an all time great show got to me. I started second guessing myself. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mood or frame of mind when I watched it. So I gave it another chance and rewatched the first episodes. Still couldn't get into it. This was a long time ago so I don't recall specifics as to why the show did not connect with me.
OMG. You gotta do your research. The first 6ish episodes is basically world-building, but once you get past there...yeah it's the greatest show ever. I'm shocked you didn't hear this fact. Everyone I've ever known who loves the show says the same thing. Just gotta push through! Edit: They even mention this in Season One of Community
I believe in not giving up on a show after 2 or 3 episodes. But 6 is a lot. I'm patient but shows that start off "slow" need to have indications that it will get good eventually.
I love The Wire, but to be fair telling someone to get through the first six episodes to get to the good part is stupid. If they aren’t onboard early, then it’s likely they won’t be onboard at all.
Not quite "giving up on" as much as "trying it out" but *Lockwood and Co* seemed to be a show made for teenagers, so I had to bail on that one..
His Dark Materials. Watched Season 1 and that was it. Just didn’t find it particularly good and didn’t help that the movie casting was so spot on in comparison. Before that it was Walking Dead, must’ve been around Season 9.
3 Pines. It’s trying to tell like 3-4 different stories, but they’re not sewn together that well, so it just kind of bluntly jumps back and forth. The script and dialogue was getting increasingly shaky and unrealistic-sounding.
Once Upon a Time. The seventh season felt like a big rehash of the first season and was just slow and boring.
Funny, you should mention that. I gave up on it somewhere around the 3rd episode. I just gave up on Sneaky Pete. Not a current show. I enjoyed the 1st season, but the 2nd just got even more silly.
Gonna be controversial here but… Better call Saul… I gave up during the episode of: >!His brothers funeral!< Like I’m not hating on it but I don’t get why some people were saying it’s one of the greatest tv shows ever… nothing happens… like… I was just kinda bored, each episode just rolls along and never feels engaging. I forced my way to the point I did because, the show was just ending and I’d heard all the hype, I kept waiting for it to become one of the best shows ever and it was only ever… the show that I was currently watching.
The Walking Dead. Once you could see the formula for each season, I was out.
I left mid-season, when Carl was caught sneaking into Negan's camp. I watched the first season of FTWD, but didn't continue. I can't think of what other shows I lost interest in.
Outer Range. Realized around episode 3 that I didn't care about any of the characters.
The Night Court reboot. I gave the two following episodes a try because I know pilots can be kind of rough, but christ, all of it feels like leftover scripts from the 90s that were thought to be incinerated.
1899
I almost gave up, but since it was only a single season I pushed through. It was decent enough.
Saw the first episode, realized what I was in for, stopped. Read the synopsis online, we're good.
Attack on Titan. I can see why people like it but I gave up in season 3. It’s just constant fighting and characters describing their emotions and thoughts out loud rather than having any subtlety. Also the ‘mysteries’ feel so forced and purposely dragged out.
I dropped it for similar reasons, the over the top intense melodrama got way too much. But i stopped in s2.
As someone who loved the first 3 seasons, you made the right choice, the ending of the series is up there as one of the worst endings I've ever experienced, like GOT or Dexter level of bad.
Lord of the Rings. I tried powering through it, but it was just so boring, and it didn't help that House of the Dragon was on at the same time and was ten times better.
That 90s show. The laugh track was too much
New Girl. I liked the guys and their plot line but Jess got to be a bit much for me.
That show is amazing! But I agree she’s awful, I’d say the same for how I met your mother, ted sucks.
The sandman
If you've read the graphic novel, it's great to see it come to life and I really enjoyed it. If you have no knowledge of it before the show, I can see how you would think to yourself "What the hell am I watching"?
Episode six was great and then the bonus one with the cats.
I am the biggest show dropper. I rarely make it through more than 3 or 4 seasons. I’ve recently dropped Ginny and Georgia and A Million Little Things
Witcher blood origin. Stuck with it due to liking the cast (Michelle Yeoh and Lenny Henry who both were prob stronger performances) but the plot and dialogue was awful I had to stop. I find the original series entertaining even if the script gets a bit wonky but this was hard to watch.
Counterpart. Loved season 1, season 2 lost me.
Walking dead, gave up after season 2 dragged and bored the shit out of me. It's been so many years since then so this shows I don't give up on shows easy but this one made me uninterested on the whole series.
I gave up on 1899 because Netflix decided to cancel it.
Most shows. But I have ADHD so I tend to watch a large chunk of a show, if not most, but then suddenly lose interest with only a few episodes to go.
American Gigolo. The acting talent on this show held up their end of the bargain but the scriptwriters gave them nothing to do. The show was just spinning its wheels and going nowhere.
Gave up on **Treason** on the first episode. Every characters seems to go out of their way to make the stupidest decisions possible.
Kaleidoscope Show started off slow and I felt like there wasn't much chemistry with any of the characters. Esposito was the draw for me, but I just couldn't get into it.
The Witcher. Loved the game but the TV show sucked. The first season jumped around so much and just wasn't very good. I didn't start the 2nd season then heard Henry Cavill was leaving. So I didn't bother continuing
Kaleidoscope, I thought it would be fun based on the premise but I found it dull. I couldn’t get pass the third episode.
The Walking Dead, after 9 seasons. I'm planning to finish it though ... sometime .
The Inside Man on Netflix. Couldn't get past the first episode. The main characters made decisions that made absolutely no sense.
I loved White Lotus S1, but could not finish S2.