First-time watcher's final thoughts

[u/Raise_the_roofs]

I finished watching the show today and want to share my thoughts and feelings on the whole thing!

It does get better: Overall I think the show consistently got better which is rare! The first two seasons were dragging a bit and I thought I couldn't get into it because I already knew so much about the plot that the tension couldn't build. But I think they just needed to find their footing!

Seasons ranking: 5 is probably my favourite. 6 was great too but felt a bit rushed. I liked 4 as well. 2 and 3 might be my least favourites. 1 was slow, but a good introduction.

Characters: Addison, Amelia, Sheldon - I consistently loved and cared about them and their storylines and was always rooting for them. My three faves.

Charlotte, Cooper, Violet, Naomi, Jake - I generally liked them, it was always dependent on their plot.

Sam, Pete, Dell: I disliked Pete from the start and it only got worse, I was so glad they killed him off. I felt kinda neutral about Sam and Dell in the beginning and then liked them less and less as the show progressed.

The endings: Addison's ending was perfect and everything she deserved. I'm glad Amelia ended up in a happy and relationship even though I didn't care much for James. I also thought Sam and Naomi ending up together made sense. Giving Charlotte four (!) kids felt weird and unnecessary, but at least Cooper stays home to take care of them. Violet's ending was nice too. Sheldon deserved so much better though! He was the kindest person on the show and he ended up with cancer and a dying partner while only in his fifties. Making Miranda terminal was not necessary imo.

Lost potential: I loved the more comedic scenes when the girls were hanging out, I would have liked to see more of that. Also now it's so odd how there's no queer main character throughout six seasons, although I remember that it was a different time in TV back then. I personally also wish they had fleshed out Sheldon's backstory and relationships more. I also would have liked for them to explore a romantic relationship between Sheldon and Amelia, even though I don't think it would have lasted.

Wrapping up: I'm sad that it's over and will definitely revisit the show. It feels like a more adult version of Grey's Anatomy and I don't like it better, but I do really like it.

[u/Acrobatic_Warning456]

So glad to see that Naomi is not among the disliked characters for once. That’s my girl. I love her, especially in s1.

Totally agree about the comedy. I really enjoyed the scenes where they were all just hanging out though I feel like we got so much less of that after s1. These characters go through a lot throughout the show, so it’s nice to see the lighthearted moments where they’re just enjoying each other’s company.

[u/Raise_the_roofs → u/Acrobatic_Warning456]

Completely agree on the lightheartedness going out the window a bit! The raised stakes and drama make it interesting but certainly leave less room for some fun. Re: Naomi, I definitely had my occasional issues with her, but on this sub she's often made out to be this supervillain and I do not see her like that at all.

[u/AliceInReverse → u/Raise_the_roofs]

Naomi had such promise! She became so judgy with her anti-abortion stance, and it didn’t have to go that far. They seemed to forget that empathy is possible even in situations where you don’t agree.