Not every great TV show makes a great first impression. Sometimes the pilot feels awkward, the characters are irritating, or an entire first season passes before the writers finally figure out what makes the series work. That can make giving up after a few episodes incredibly tempting, especially when there are hundreds of other shows waiting for a chance. But some series reward a little patience in a major way. A shaky comedy can suddenly find its voice, a slow drama can reveal what it was building toward, and characters who once seemed unbearable can somehow become favorites. Here are 15 TV shows people hated at first, but grew to love.©IMDbParks and RecreationThe first season felt to many viewers like an awkward attempt to recreate The Office, and Leslie Knope hadn’t yet become the character people would love. By Season 2, the writing had sharpened, the ensemble chemistry improved, and Pawnee finally started feeling like its own wonderfully strange world.©IMDbThe OfficeThe American version initially stuck much closer to its British predecessor, resulting in a first season that could feel unusually harsh and uncomfortable. Once Michael Scott became more sympathetic and the supporting characters developed their own identities, the show found the warmer personality that defined the rest of its run.©IMDbSchitt’s CreekSpending time with the spoiled Rose family isn’t necessarily appealing when they first arrive in Schitt’s Creek. But as the characters soften and their relationships deepen, the series transforms into something much warmer than its early episodes suggest.©IMDbBoJack HorsemanThe opening episodes can make BoJack Horseman look like another irreverent animated comedy about a terrible celebrity. Stick around, however, and that setup gradually becomes an unexpectedly emotional exploration of depression, addiction, relationships, and the consequences of hurting other people.©IMDbStar Trek: The Next GenerationThe early adventures aboard the Enterprise could be uneven, with the series still figuring out how to distinguish itself from the original Star Trek. Once the characters and storytelling settled into place, The Next Generation became one of the franchise’s defining entries.©IMDbAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.At first, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can seem like a lightweight case-of-the-week extension of the Marvel movies. The series eventually embraces larger serialized stories and higher stakes, rewarding viewers who made it through that comparatively restrained beginning.©IMDbBlack SailsBlack Sails asks for quite a bit of patience before revealing the ambitious pirate drama hiding underneath its early episodes. As its political conflicts deepen and the characters become more complicated, the series grows into something far richer than its beginning suggests.©IMDbThe LeftoversA relentlessly bleak first season made The Leftovers difficult for some viewers to connect with. Seasons 2 and 3 expanded its world and became stranger, more adventurous, and occasionally even funny without abandoning the grief at the center of the story.©IMDbHalt and Catch FireThe first season initially appears centered on another difficult male antihero trying to conquer the technology industry. Later seasons broaden the focus to the entire ensemble, turning the series into a much more intimate story about ambition, friendship, failure, and reinvention.©IMDbBuffy the Vampire SlayerThe first season has plenty of charm, but its low-budget monsters and episodic stories can make it a rough introduction for modern viewers. Once Buffy begins embracing longer arcs and more emotionally ambitious storytelling, it becomes much easier to understand its lasting reputation.©IMDbIt’s Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaA group of selfish people screaming at one another isn’t necessarily an easy sell, especially before the show’s comic rhythm fully clicks. Once viewers understand that the Gang’s awfulness is the joke rather than something they’re expected to admire, the chaos becomes considerably easier to enjoy.©IMDbSuccessionSuccession introduces viewers to a wealthy family in which practically everyone is unpleasant, making emotional investment difficult at first. A few episodes in, the vicious dialogue, shifting alliances, and deeply dysfunctional relationships reveal just how entertaining those terrible people can be.©IMDbThe ExpanseThe Expanse throws viewers into a dense political conflict filled with unfamiliar factions, terminology, and characters whose connections aren’t immediately clear. Once those separate stories begin coming together, the complicated setup starts paying off on a much larger scale.©IMDbCommunityCommunity initially presents itself as a fairly conventional sitcom about a study group at a community college. As it becomes increasingly comfortable experimenting with genre, structure, and elaborate concept episodes, it turns into a much stranger and more distinctive show.©IMDbBreaking BadWalter White’s transformation takes its time, and the earliest episodes are considerably smaller and slower than the crime saga the series eventually becomes. That patience pays off as his decisions begin piling up and the consequences turn an initially modest story into something much darker.The post 15 Shows People Hated at First, But Grew to Love appeared first on Den of Geek.