During the pandemic, my son and I binge-watched a lot of streaming series together. But recently I started thinking about the shows we didn’t finish. Sometimes we stopped mid-season; other times we just didn’t start a new season.
Here are five series that became a big DNF for me, in no particular order.*
Yellowstone: So many people I know loved this show. Not me. I could fill an entire post harping on the ludicrous storylines, eye-roll-inducing writing, and ridiculous portrayal of women. (Kudos to Kelly Reilly for heroically trying to make bad dialogue work.) We got partway through Season 3 before giving up.
Mr. Robot: We finished the first season and got halfway the second, but then my son went off to college and I haven’t felt like finishing it. It’s excellent, but sometimes a little tough going for me.
The Morning Show: This show lost me in Season 2, when it seemed determined to hit every current “issue” in the news. I might have to go back to it, given that Jon Hamm has joined the cast.
Beef: I was actually enjoying this show, but my son lost interest. Another one I might finish up now that he’s not around to commandeer the remote.
Bodyguard: To be fair, I haven’t stopped watching this, really. I loved the first episode, but couldn’t convince my son to give it a try, and my husband has seen it already. It’s still on my To Be Continued list.
There are older shows I gave up on, even after investing substantial time in watching them. Lost is a good example; I lost interest after Season 3, which also coincided with our son becoming a toddler. I DNF (or keep up with) Grey’s Anatomy; I may have even given up on ER.
In a related category are Shows I’m Behind On. New seasons have come out, and I just haven’t had time to watch them. In this category:
The Great: We watched the first two seasons and loved them. But when Season 3 came out, we were just heading into the high school graduation season, and then other shows moved in to suck up our time.
Only Murders in the Building: I liked this show, but my son wasn’t as much of a fan, so we never got to Season 2. And now Season 3 has dropped!
Sex Education: We binged and loved the first three seasons of this show. Season 4 just dropped in September, and it’s definitely top of my list.
Your turn! What are some TV shows you gave up on, and why?
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My husband and I have been loving The Blacklist for pure escapism—we love James Spader's smarmy character and his waffling monologues. We started watching Bodyguard together but I continued it alone and loved it.
I also DNF Yellowstone. The accents! And I am SO with you on The Morning Show for the exact same reason. Just a flimsy portrayal of every topical issue, with zero nuance. and YET, John Hamm lured me back in.