TV shows that hooked you in from the first episode.

[Ronald Nand]

Recently I decided the start seeing House of Cards, and the show grabbed me from the first episode, the political intrigue, the scheming, the main character. I just finished Season 1 and I've really enjoyed it, I find Frank Underwood an extremely compelling and interesting character, he's evil but interesting, you want to see what his plan is and what he's going to do next.

Its the first time a show has managed to make me so interested with just one episode, even shows as good as Game of Thrones took a couple of episodes to get me fully invested in them.

So what shows managed to hook you in with their first episode?

 

[Queen Michael]

Doctor Who. The revived show with the ninth doctor. Damn it was a good start.

 

[Andysweden]

Most recently I'd have to say Gotham and The Flash, and I'm not what I'd consider a comic book person, but those two shows had me hooked and wanting to know more from the first few minutes.

I have to say though I am pretty easy going in terms of entertainment and will give most shows a couple of episodes to get me hooked

 

[JayRPG]

Only 2 come to mind, and they are both Anime.

Code Geass and Death Note.

While I love quite a few TV series, even my favourite ones took a few episodes for me to really get into (Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Heroes, Lie to me, parks and rec, community etc etc).

Come to think of it, Orange is the new black had me hooked after maybe 1 and a half episodes so that's pretty close.

 

[Andysweden]

While I love quite a few TV series, even my favourite ones took a few episodes for me to really get into it (Game of Thrones, Walking Dead

I think Walking dead would have taken me a couple of episodes had I not read the comics first, although like the comics It didn't take me too long to tire of the series.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Archer's first episode hooked me half a decade ago. It was just a perfect storm of dysfunctional and sarcastic characters, clever jokes, good art work, and great voice acting. I still happily tune in every week.

Walking Dead too. Since the 28 Days Later-esque first episode, I've rarely missed one. I don't love it like I do Archer, but its one of the few shows that I both turning on the tv for.

Another that got me right away was Titan Maximum, for similar reasons. Unfortunately Seth Green didn't continue with it after season one.

 

[Nazulu]

Only one I can think of is the original Full Metal Alchemist. Such a dramatic dark intro, and the rest of the episode introduces everything else in interesting ways too.

Oh and South Park. Caught the first episode on TV with the family and it was nothing we were expecting. Back then it was such a different thing compared to everything else. Especially me being young and all.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Only 2 come to mind, and they are both Anime.

Code Geass and Death Note.

While I love quite a few TV series, even my favourite ones took a few episodes for me to really get into (Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Heroes, Lie to me, parks and rec, community etc etc).

Come to think of it, Orange is the new black had me hooked after maybe 1 and a half episodes so that's pretty close.

Seconded on those two. Granted I was way younger and easier to impress back when I first found them but as opening episodes they easily stand up to this day. The last few seconds of Code Geass Episode 1 is still amazing.

"Well then..."

OT: Right now it's a cute little comedy anime called Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun, it's about a guy who draws and writes shoujo manga with his assistants and the entire anime is a massive pisstake of the shoujo genre. Nozaki's manga is the most painfully generic romance shit in the world but they never even acknowledge that.

The fucking bike in the first episode had me in stitches, I haven't found an anime that consistently made me laugh every episode since Baka to Test years ago.

The episode where Mikorin gets Nozaki into playing a Visual Novel with him was the best comedy scene i've seen for ages. They end up over-analysing the protagonist's best friend character so that when they hit the ending, they cry over how worthless a friend they were to him as the protagonist.

It also features the manliest umbrella sharing(?) scene ever. Yuzuki just dumps her umbrella on Chiyo's head with the words "you need this more than me" then sprints into the pouring rain laughing. Nozaki even takes it as a scene for his next chapter it was so manly.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Kill La Kill.

I liked how over the top it was right at the very start of the episode and aswell its presentation (the whole Guy Richie/ Kill Bill when introducing the main character names). What sold me was at this scene when the "don't lose your way" song kicked in!


Heh, funny. Blumenkranz (Raygo theme) was somewhat played (not fully) right at the first episode!

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Lost, Dr. House, Farscape, The Sopranos. Those shows come to mind.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Breaking Bad has one of the best openings I've ever seen in a TV show. It's just so perfect and encapsulates the entire tone of the show from the first moment. Loved the show from the first episode.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Two shows come to mind for me.

Leverage. What's this? A show that isn't about murdering people? And the good guys always win? No grey area of a victory? The bad guys always get what they deserve, and it's not death? And it's funny? Freaking sold. Sold a million times over.

Person of Interest. Basically the same idea as above. Yes, sometimes people die, or the good guys don't always get the clean-cut victory, but in the end it is about helping the little guy and saving people. Or at least it was for the first few seasons. Then it got too complicated, too focused on the big stuff, the stuff you can't fight, and I lost interest. I gave up on it once the second machine went online, and even before then I was having trouble watching it.

 

[laggyteabag]

Kill La Kill.

I liked how over the top it was right at the very start of the episode and aswell its presentation (the whole Guy Richie/ Kill Bill when introdusing the main character names). What sold me was at this scene at the "don't lose your way" song kicked in!


Heh, funny. Blumenkranz (Raygo theme) was somewhat played (not fully) right at the first episode!

God damn, that show was so pretty. I might have to watch it again.

OT: I would probably say that Akame Ga Kill, Attack on Titan, and Death Note all also have great intros. The revival of Doctor Who with Christopher Eccleston was also really nice, it is just a shame that he stopped after only one season and seems to have distanced himself from the show altogether.

 

[Random Argument Man]

Game of Thrones, Doctor Who (2005), Walking Dead and Trigun.

Breaking Bad has one of the best openings I've ever seen in a TV show. It's just so perfect and encapsulates the entire tone of the show from the first moment. Loved the show from the first episode.

It's funny since I've hated the first season of Breaking Bad. It was very slow-paced. However, as the show went on, it won me over.

 

[TakerFoxx]

Does movie first count?Because i actually watched Firefly in reverse : Serenity first, and then the show. And though i had no idea that there even was a show the first time I saw the movie, goddamned if it didn't have me hooked.

 

[Mezahmay]

House M.D., Leverage, Firefly, Supernatural, and I'd say Breaking Bad if I'd seen more than the first four episodes of season 1 to date. Once I get the time I'm probably going to actually watch that show and love it.