Variety:

Netflix crunched cold, hard viewing data for more than two dozen TV shows and says it has determined which specific episode grabbed most subscribers to the point where they watched the entire first season.

However, none of the shows Netflix looked at, which included originals and licensed series, hooked viewers with the pilot. In fact, two shows — “Arrow” and “How I Met Your Mother” — didn’t hit the tipping point until episode 8. In the traditional TV biz, conventional wisdom holds that a show’s pilot is the most critical linchpin to igniting viewer interest, given the nature of how new television programs debut.

I tend to judge a show based on the pilot. If I don’t like the pilot, the show is dead to me. That said, if there’s enough buzz about a show later on in its run, I do give a later episode a watch. Rare that my opinion changes, but it definitely does happen.

Perfect example is Big Bang Theory. Hated the pilot, thought it was obvious and had all the wrong stereotypes. But my wife loved it, pushed me to try again in season 2. For whatever reason, that clicked for me and I became a fan.

This season, two new shows survived the pilot episodes for me: Limitless and Blindspot. I read the Limitless book and saw the movie. Big fans of both. The pilot did not disappoint. Blindspot reminded me of a terrific show a while back, John Doe. Intriguing. Hoping it develops well.