It always bugs me when I drop a series after 3 episodes because it's just not for me. Are there any tips for figuring out beforehand whether a series is actually going to be good, or if I should spend my time on something else instead?
What matters to you in a series - are you into action, story, character development, or more just something to watch casually in the background?
That's important because you can't really say objectively whether a series is "good." But you can check beforehand whether it matches what you're looking for. Watch trailers, read reviews on platforms like IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes - not just the average rating, but detailed reviews from people who like similar series to yours. Pay attention to specific criticisms: Does it say it has a slow start? That the humor doesn't land? That the characters are annoying? That tells you way more than a generic star rating. YouTube also has tons of channels where people seriously discuss series without spoiling anything - check those out before you start.
Another trick is to watch the first 10 - 15 minutes and then decide. Not a whole first episode, just really the opening - that's when you quickly figure out if the look, pace, and tone appeal to you. Sure, some series need a few episodes to warm up, but honestly: if you have zero motivation to keep watching after 20 minutes, it probably won't get better. And remember that your taste can change - a series that other people love doesn't automatically have to be for you, and that's completely fine.
You really can't judge it that well beforehand - some series don't get really good until episode 5, while others start strong and then get annoying. I once started a series that seemed super slow in the first episode, but the characters grew on me so much that I stuck with it. I think it's better to just check out the first two episodes and then see if the characters interest you or if the story makes you curious - not whether everything is perfect. If nothing grabs you after three episodes, it's probably not your thing anyway, and then it's totally fine to bail out instead of wasting time on it.
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