Changed my mind about slow-burn shows after giving in to The Americans

I used to avoid shows that take their sweet time getting anywhere. Everyone kept raving about The Americans and I figured it was just another boring spy drama with lots of long stares. Then I got stuck home with the flu last winter and binged the first season out of pure boredom. By episode 4 I was hooked on how the tension builds up without big explosions every scene. The way they handle the marriage and family stuff alongside the spy missions just clicked for me after that. It took a whole season of slow setup but the payoff in season 2 really made me get why people love that pacing. Anybody else have a show they dismissed at first that ended up being way better than you thought?

2 comments

2 Comments

river_fox181mo ago

Endings I haven't seen stuck yet so I'm still skeptical.

baker.simon1mo ago

The slow burn only works if the show actually has somewhere to go, and The Americans had that ending planned from the start which is why it never felt like they were just spinning wheels.