Beginning eps are important to gain interest and the ending eps is important to keep remembrance. Middle is probably the least important if you had to choose, but really the best shows are ones that are great from start to finish and have at most 1 (max of 2) episode that are weaker in a 1cour series or 3-4 max eps that are weaker in a 2cour series.
Probably why Clannad After Story aged pretty weakily for me. I was bored at the beginning, the middle was a masterpiece but the ending was banal.
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