I'm a judgmental person so when it comes to tv shows. I tend to write off shows based on how they look or the actors in them. Sometimes if they pass that test, I judge them based off the first three episodes. When I do try and watch a show I don't like after three episodes I tend to get surprised. These are some of the shows that surprised me.
1. "Bojack Horseman"
This show is known for being good, but I thought it was all just hype because the show is literally about a horseman. I honestly thought that was weird and seeing the other animal people made me think it was some kind of kid show. I finally decided to watch it when I sitting by while my boyfriend was watching the most recent season. The one thing that caught my eye was the existential humor. I really liked how the protagonist was an antihero and how despite all his failings you learn to love him anyway. It also shows the realities of life and how not everyone ends up with a happy ending. The existentialism of the show was really what I connected with the most. All of the central characters had their own unique ways of dealing with their existence like Bojack's drug-induced lifestyle, Princess Caroline's workaholism, and Mr. Peanutbutter's optimism. The complexities of the characters allow the audience to really fall in love with their good sides and their bad sides.
2. "Jane The Virgin"
I was very reluctant to try watching this show mainly because I didn't really understand the plotline. After seeing many people talk about how good it was on twitter, I randomly decided to give it a try. I haven't finished the show yet, but I love the writing style as well as the effects. The characters are all loveable and have dynamic personalities and the soap opera theme of the show can be dramatic, but I see it as irony and an inside joke. The plot line is stereotypical, but that all plays into how the family members like soap operas. Every time there is a cliche storyline, I laugh because the writers are making Jane's life a literal soap opera. Jane is also a very lovable protagonist as she goes through her pregnancy and dealing with a love triangle. Despite being a goody-two-shoes she still has her complexities and she's never characterized as perfect. Even with her shortcomings, she makes the audience want to root for her and fall in love with her because she is a good person at the end of the day.
3. "Portlandia"
It took me a while to get into this one because the sense of humor isn't necessarily mainstream. I remember watching a few episodes and wondering why this won so many awards because the sketches just weren't getting to me. I could kind of see why people would call it funny, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I decided to continue watching one day and I'm glad I did. I realized the central plotline is meant to satirize people's stereotypes of Portland. The main jokes revolve around how people view Portlandians as hippies who love nature and own chicken farms. It also makes fun of hipster culture as it calls out the outrageous behaviors people exhibit when new fads and trends come out when concerning ecofriendliness in society. All in all I learned that there's much more to these jokes than meets the eye. Hopefully it will continue to be good because I have not finished it yet.