22 TV Shows That Had A Perfect First Episode

"That whole trek up the island, with Sawyer killing the polar bear, Shannon translating the French transmission, and Sayid doing the math for how long the transmission has been running was great. And then Charlie’s 'Guys…where are we?' pretty much immediately makes you want to keep watching to find out."

—Craphole-Island

"Stan breaks into the Jennings' garage to investigate their car. Finds nothing. Shakes his head out of disbelief he even had a thought Phillip could be a suspect. Pan around, we see Phillip concealed in the corner of his garage, his gun loaded. He was ready to use it."

—TumbleweedWarm9234

"The first episode's ending is insane and perfectly sets the tone and humor of the show."

—dtudeski

"The first episode is one of the most hooking starts to any show I remember watching. Years ago I finally got the hype of The Walking Dead and binged it. Watching Rick Grimes stuck in a tank as the camera pans out to a thousand zombies surrounding the tanks — it’s just cinema, even by TV show standards."

—Dillmen101

"It introduces all the characters perfectly, and I was so surprised at the end to learn Don Draper was married."

—kates4eb4bc65e

"I was HOOKED from the very beginning. Fast-talking, witty lawyers negotiating deals with kidnappers on behalf of prime ministers? AND the reveal of the president’s affair? Girl, it gives me goosebumps every time I watch it."

—laidedahunsi

"The first episode of Westworld works perfectly as a story in and of itself. I've shown that episode to a few friends without any expectations that they get into the rest of the series, and they've enjoyed it."

—space-beast

"Having a narration style for the show allowed the narrator to quickly and efficiently introduce all of the main characters. This was really beneficial for the pilot because they were able to quickly jump into the action of the show."

—juvebuffon

"The reveal at the end of the first episode that all of these slightly dysfunctional families are actually one big family is really well done."

—Goldman250

"The ending of Serverance’s first episode is pretty wild. You’re already thrown into a loop when you see Petey approach Mark, but then you learn Mrs. Selvig is also Cobel?? Why’s she there? Is she severed too? Why’d her smile drop so suddenly?? Guess I better watch the next one to find out more!"

—two5five1

"I always thought the pilot of How I Met Your Mother was a neat little twist. You assume you're getting a fairly straightforward story and then you realize that's how Ted met Aunt Robin and that the series is going to be about him growing into the person he needed to be to meet the mother. Of course, the series finale undermines the appeal of that pilot ending for me a lot."

—dreadit-runfromit

"Martin Sheen entering, slapping the religious right, and then moving on to the next part of his day like those people were nothing is just perfect."

—Tmotty

"Will playing Fur Elise on the piano at the end of the first episode of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Uncle Phil expected him to be an uncouth hoodrat. It showed him, and the audience, that Will was a complex character."

—UHeardAboutPluto

"Without giving it away, the last five minutes change your whole perspective."

—im_a_reddituser

"In the beginning, you aren't sure if you're into it, then something absolutely crazy happens at the end."

—ChronoMonkeyX

"You know that if the series is gonna be anything like the movie, the main character is going to fuck up early on. But man does Lester fuck up big time, and it already had me stoked for the rest of the season."

—HailToTheThief225

"I was completely caught off guard by the girl still being under Kilgrave's spell and her killing her parents."

—Bournerounderz

"The bulk of the first episode tries to paint Homelander as the one hero with some level of integrity. The end swiftly rips that away."

—splettnet

"I was a little on the fence about it as I watched the pilot, but then as he almost falls down the elevator shaft and his phone rings as it falls, there’s this strange moment, like a shift, and then who I thought was gonna be the 'main character' is overwritten."

—j0257

"You start to think things might actually be changing only to see Elliot get dragged in front of Tyrell and realize that everything he did was only possible because he was allowed to do it by the people truly in charge. The NYPD seeing Elliot surrounded by men in black suits and then turning around pretending like nothing happened is such a good way to emphasize who's really in control in a way that's above the law."

—RDCLder

"I think people forget about it because no show has worked harder than Heroes to undo the legacy of the first season with all subsequent seasons. But the first episode and the whole first season are pure brilliance."

—ian9outof10