Why mess with what's working? Drum got you a call your first time out, that's your setup now. Learn the stick burner later if you want, but I'd ride that Gateway till it stops paying out.

Honestly the whole "just watch the short one" advice only works if you want something to forget in a week. I've sat through plenty of shows where the middle sags, and yeah it feels like a chore sometimes, but the payoff is usually bigger when you actually earned it. You don't get that same weight from a six episode arc because you barely know the characters yet. Sticking with a slow burn is like putting money in savings, it feels boring until you need it and then it's great. People just don't have the patience for that anymore.

2,000 square feet in one afternoon with a rented stretcher? You must have arms of steel, dude.