For me:
-The Expanse - The beginning was confusing AF and the politics didn’t make sense and seemed boring, so I quit. But then eventually after like a year or two, went to reddit and it was recommended again, so I just read some light spoilers and that helped me got through the first season. And then it has been an intriguing and thrilling journey.
There’s plenty of reasons, especially in the modern media landscape. One big reason is that people consume TV differently now. Older shows and modern prestige TV are made to be watched with your full attention. But a lot of people watch shows as background while scrolling phones or doing other stuff. If you try to put a show like The Expanse, to OP’s point, on in the background, you’re going to miss a lot and be totally confused. I can see why someone might pass on it at that point, but then find it much more engaging if they try again while paying full attention.