How Many Episodes Should You Watch Before Giving Up?

You ever start a new show, and your friend hits you with: “Just give it a few episodes!” Yeah, okay, but how many is a few? Turns out, science (well, IMDb ratings) has an answer: six episodes. That’s the magic number before you can officially declare, “This is garbage”. And move on with your life. Of course, some shows take their sweet time getting good. Like, Seinfeld needed sixteen episodes before it hit its stride. Sixteen! That’s almost a full season of waiting for laughs. Who has that kind of patience? Not me. How many episodes did popular shows take to catch on? Breaking Bad – 6 episodes (Worth it. Trust the process.) Doctor Who – 6 episodes (Fair, considering it’s been running since dinosaurs roamed the Earth.) Friends – 7 episodes (The laugh track was working overtime in the beginning. Still is, in my opinion. Never made it past one.) South Park – 8 episodes (Early animation was… rough.) Seinfeld – 16 episodes (If you made it past season one, congrats on your endurance!. Now, some of you are probably thinking, “What about White Lotus? I’m on season three, and I still don’t care.” Great question. I don’t know. Maybe you should stop. Because here’s the thing: we have limited time on this planet. Why waste it on a show that feels like homework? Stephen King once said if a book doesn’t grab you in 100 pages, it’s the author’s fault. Same rule applies to TV. If six hours deep you’re still waiting for "the good part," maybe the good part is turning off the TV. I’ll never understand the people who stick with something just because they “already started.” You wouldn’t keep eating a meal that tastes like cardboard just because it’s on your plate. Same principle. Drop the bad show. Move on. Find happiness. But if a show takes six episodes to find its groove? Fine. Give it a chance. Maybe it'll be your next obsession. Or maybe you'll just save yourself hours of regret. Either way, science has spoken. Six episodes. No more, no less. Choose wisely