Every great show has a "it gets good at episode X" reputation. Here are the shows I almost abandoned and am glad I went back to.
My list:
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The Wire (HBO) — Almost quit after Episode 3 of Season 1. The show does not hold your hand. Characters are introduced with no context. Plotlines seem disconnected. By Episode 7, it clicks. By Season 4, it is the greatest show ever made.
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Breaking Bad — The first few episodes are slow. Walter White is a sympathetic chemistry teacher making meth. It feels like a dark comedy. Then Tuco Salamanca shows up and the show becomes something entirely different.
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Succession — Season 1 is deliberately uncomfortable. The characters are awful people and the show does not try to make you like them. By Season 2, you realize that IS the point. The boardroom scenes become addictive.
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Better Call Saul — The most extreme case. Season 1 is a slow character study about a lawyer named Jimmy McGill. It takes until Season 3 for the Breaking Bad connections to accelerate. The final season is flawless.
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Bojack Horseman — The first 6 episodes are mediocre animated comedy. Episode 7 introduces the show's real identity as a devastating exploration of depression and self-destruction. Seasons 3-6 are among the best television of the decade.
What show did you quit too early and regret it?
Source: Personal viewing, common "when does it get good" discussions across forums
The Wire is the ultimate "trust the process" show. I tell everyone to commit to 5 episodes minimum. If Episode 5 does not hook you, the show is not for you. But 95% of people get hooked.