max_brown•2mo agoProlific Poster

Vent: I was about to quit on 'Severance' after the first two episodes

Honestly, the first hour felt so slow and confusing I almost dropped it. My buddy told me to just power through to episode 3, and I'm glad I did because that's when the whole mystery really kicks in. Has anyone else had a show that took a few tries to finally click?

4 comments

4 Comments

angelarivera2mo agoMost Upvoted

What gets me is how streaming changed our patience for slow burns. We're so used to instant hooks now that a show needing time feels wrong, but some stories just can't be rushed. It's a shame because we might miss out on real gems.

claire_grant342mo ago

Oh man, was it the same for you with The Wire? I mean, I tried the first episode like three separate times over a couple years and just could not get into it. Everyone kept saying it was the best show ever, but it felt so slow and confusing at the start. I finally forced myself to watch the first four episodes in one weekend, and by the end of that I was totally hooked. It just needed time to build the world and the characters. Some shows are a slow burn for sure.

keith_bennett1mo ago

Flip it around and think about how some shows need to be confusing at first. It's not a flaw, it's a feature. Severance literally puts you in the headspace of someone who has no memory of their life outside work. If it made perfect sense from the jump, it would be lying to you about the experience. That initial disorientation is the whole point, it's supposed to make you feel as lost as the main character does. Most shows try to comfort you with familiarity, but the good ones sometimes need to make you uncomfortable first.

diana_carr662mo ago

Was it the same for you with Mad Men? I gave up twice during the first season because it felt like nothing was happening. Pushed through on a friend's nagging, and by season two I was completely invested in the characters and their messed up lives.