The Shows You *Thought* You'd Hate (But Totally Loved!)
Hands up if you've ever had a friend practically glue your eyeballs to the screen, insisting you have to watch 'this one show.' Or maybe you just scrolled past a title a hundred times, thinking, 'Nah, not my vibe.' We all have our TV comfort zones, don't we? Mine's usually anything with dragons or witty banter that takes place in a coffee shop. But lately, I've been thinking about all those times I've been pleasantly, spectacularly, utterly WRONG about a show.
It's like we build little invisible walls around our TV preferences. 'Oh, a historical drama? Pass!' 'Another gritty sci-fi? I'm already stressed!' 'Everyone's talking about it, so I'm automatically against it!' Sound familiar? Whether it's the genre, the art style, the overwhelming hype, or just a general sense of 'meh,' we've all been there, pushing away what could be our next obsession.
But then... something happens. Maybe that persistent friend finally wears you down. Maybe you're bored on a Tuesday night and decide to give that 'weird' show a chance. Or perhaps, just perhaps, the internet collective consciousness finally seeped into your brain, and you clicked play, secretly expecting to roll your eyes within the first five minutes.
And then BAM! You're hooked. You're cancelling plans. You're dreaming about plot twists. That show you absolutely, positively swore you'd hate? It's now your entire personality. It's the one you're now forcing your friends to watch. It's the series that proved you don't actually hate period pieces, or animated comedies, or deep, introspective character studies. You just hadn't found the right one yet.
It's a beautiful reminder, isn't it? A nudge to step outside our comfy TV blankets and embrace the unexpected. To trust a recommendation (even if it takes a hundred tries). To challenge our own preconceptions. Because sometimes, the greatest treasures are hidden just beyond our initial 'no thanks.' So next time you're about to dismiss a show, take a breath. Give it a shot. You might just find your new favorite!
Inspired by a fun chat over on Reddit about TV shows that surprised everyone:
https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1qsa8kw/best_tv_series_u_watched_that_u_didnt_wanted_to/