Took me 4 shows to learn that a slow first episode doesn't mean a bad series
I used to bail on any show that didn't grab me in the first 20 minutes, and I probably skipped at least 6 good ones last year because of it. Back in March my brother kept bugging me to try a drama he liked, and I gave up twice before finally pushing to episode 4, which is where it actually kicked in. Now I give anything a 3 episode trial, roughly 2 and a half hours, before I decide. It sounds like a lot but it saves me from quitting too early and also from hate watching something for 8 hours hoping it gets better. Your mileage may vary depending on how much free time you have, but it works for me. How many episodes do you usually give a show before you call it quits?