[ohsnapman]

Because The Wire is not about instant gratification. It's layers on layers that pay off in multiples by the time you're into the later seasons. Even season two, by far the weakest season, is a total treat the second time you watch it and know what you're looking for.

[CJefferson]

The problem is that there are too many things in this world which people assure me will be amazing if I just stick with them, and not enough time to try them all out.

Got to season 3 of the Sopranos -- still hated it.

Used vim for 9 weeks as my only editor -- still hated it.

[endersshadow]

It has amused me to no end that we live in a time when we can develop communities around amazingly obscure interests, but people still believe that preferences are objective. If you didn't like the Sopranos, c'est la vie. If you're an emacs guy, hey, that's cool, too. I'll never understand why we keep communicating under the guise of, "My opinion is a fact."

It's ironic that in a world of nigh infinite communities and interests, you can still be wrong about what you're interested in.

[balls187]

Funny that you think Season 2 is the weakest. I've gotten the feeling that Season 5 was the weakest.

That said, as you put it, after multiple viewings, I love every season.

[chrismonsanto]

I loved Season 2. Season 5 was shorter and felt rushed compared to the other seasons. Still incredible though.

[baddox]

As soon as I run out of television shows that don't have horrible first episodes, I'll give The Wire another chance.

[mikeash]

How can you tell a series like that from one that just sucks? Putting 40+ hours into an entertainment product before it begins to pay off just isn't reasonable.

[balls187]

It's not easy, but, The Wire is amazing.

People who don't like it because:

1. It starts slow (it's character driven)

2. They assume it's another Cop Drama (it's not)

3. There is a lot of violence

4. There is a lot of foul language

5. Many of main cast are black and the show portrays inner city life

[baddox]

I didn't make it past the first episode because I thought the first episode was one of the cheesiest ridiculous plots with the most comical over the top stereotypical acting I've ever seen. There are very few shows that I have been excited to start yet couldn't make it past one episode, but The Wire is one of them.

[Touche]

Those are all valid reasons for not liking something. I'm sick of the cargo-culting that everyone must like the same internet-popular shows.

[mikeash]

Why does "character driven" have to imply "starts slow"?

Maybe we have different ideas of what that phrase mean, but for example, I'd say that Firefly was "character driven" and yet was able to hook me (and lots of other people) within about ten minutes.

Anyway, the discussion here isn't so much about why people like or dislike The Wire, but more of a meta-discussion about how you can determine whether a show is worth watching, and how much of something you have to see before you're allowed to say you didn't like it. dublinben seems to imply that you can't declare dislike unless you've literally watched the entire thing from beginning to end. The question is then raised as to why you'd spend that much time watching a series if you didn't like what you saw of it to start with, and responses which talk about how great The Wire is once you put a lot of time into it are then entirely missing the point.

[dalore]

Which Firefly episode did you watch first though?

They are out of order.

[mikeash]

Serenity. I was so skeptical of the concept of a western-with-spaceships that I didn't try it until years after it aired, and so was able to watch it all in the proper order.

Experiences like that have made me truly interested in how you can really evaluate this stuff. People praise The Wire. I didn't like what I saw of it. Is it worth my time to keep watching it to see if my opinion changes? I don't have time to do that with everything, so there has to be an initial filter. How do you decide?

I tend to err heavily on the side of caution here. I'm happy not having any TV to watch, but I hate wasting hours on something bad. I'd rather miss out on something good if it comes down to it.