It is a delicate balance to strike as and it will not always be successful. It is unreasonable to expect Trek to be "safe and familiar" and take risks and be commenting on contemporary issues.
Reminds me of a Simpsons moment:
Man: How many of you kids would like Itchy & Scratchy to deal with real-life problems, like the ones you face every day?
Kids: [clamoring] Oh, yeah! I would! Great idea! Yeah, that's it!
Man: And who would like to see them do just the opposite -- getting into far-out situations involving robots and magic powers?
Kids: [clamoring] Me! Yeah! Oh, cool! Yeah, that's what I want!
Man: So, you want a realistic, down-to-earth show... that's completely off-the-wall and swarming with magic robots?
Kids: [all agreeing, quieter this time] That's right. Oh yeah, good.
You're never going to please everyone. It's nice that some people are embracing S2 after not liking S1, but I hope that the reverse is not true for a significant portion of those who enjoyed S1.