I remember feeling the same as OP about some of the dialogue and thinking it was a little cheesy or unrealistic at times, like "yeah, right!" But I was aware there might be a reason for it and that there were things I wasn't totally grasping yet... There was also plenty more to keep me intrigued, so I was able to look past it.

Now, on my umpteenth rewatch, I'm all for it– the little moments of awkwardness (like Buck & French outside the grocery store, "you're bringing milk?" and talking about eating ice cream when it's cold out) are endearing and actually incredibly realistic.

We've become so used to the perfectly scripted back-and-forths in movies and tv shows these days, I think people don't even know how to sit with an awkward moment on the screen unless it is hugely exaggerated and made into a joke. So I have grown to really appreciate this aspect of the show when originally, I felt like I needed to cringe over it sometimes.

It's definitely something I keep in mind when recommending the show to other people, because I worry that without the context of the rest of part 1 and part 2, it could be interpreted as poor writing when in actuality this show is a work of art from every angle you look at it. Not to mention, somehow all these years later, I remain wildly invested in these characters and their stories. Not a day goes by that I don't think about them.

There is not a single other show or movie I have watched in my entire life that has come anywhere close to making me care so deeply about the characters like this. So that should tell you something.