This sentiment is by no means an absolute, because I loved the series from the very first episode and had zero expectations getting in my way, and I personally know others for whom the same is also true. Season 1 of DSC is, for my money, the greatest and most completely satisfying Freshman series of Star Trek that has ever been made, and it only gets better with repeat viewings.
I think Isaac's Mirror verse villain still had room for nuance - he would still be pretty much a Nazi, but hideously riddled by guilt and PTSD after a career of atrocities, and even after launching a coup in the Terran Empire, seemed to have been affected by the Federation's ethos of justice, tolerance, and inclusiveness (after fighting alongside the Discovery for a long-ish span of time). Anyway I think DSCO's S1 is not awful on principle but on hindsight felt campy, busy, and unrefined. And the final episode it felt like the show was running out of steam.
Likewise, as a kid I'd often let those expectations drive my enjoyment. I remember as a 10 year old walking out of The Final Frontier loving it. Often, the more excited I was going into a movie, the more enjoyable I found it to be walking out of it. "The Sunken Cost" fallacy might explain things as I enjoyed it more because I had an investment in it. Therefore, walking out disappointed would mean I had invested my interest in it foolheartedly . Anyway, a friend of mine took advantage of the quarantine to finally watch Discovery after telling me two years ago he had watched a YouTube video about it that blasted it and made him think it was all garbage. He decided to watch Season 2 first, intending not to watch Season 1 at all. But after Season 2, he found himself interested in Season 1, so he went and watched it (more "Sunken Cost" at work, possibly, since he was in for the month of CBS All-Access already). He came away thinking Season 1 was better than Season 2. Not sure what that's worth, but there it is. I also took advantage of this time to re-watch the show. I had intended to watch Season 1 for the second time before Season 2 last year, but never got around to it. I thoroughly enjoyed Season 1 upon my re-watch and am excited to dive back in to Season 2. I decided to watch all the Short Treks (minus "Calypso" and "Children of Mars," the latter because it's for Picard and the former because I think it fits better after Season 2) beforehand. "Q&A" obviously takes place before Season 2, while the other two Pike stories could fit before or after it. So, at this point, I'm ready for my Season 2 re-watch!
I'm definitely prepared to commit to my opinion that Season 1 was better than Season 2. Season 2 had two of the series very best episodes (New Eden, If Memory Serves)...but Season 1's arc overall was better in my opinion. I've seen it three times and I feel like rewatching it again. Season 2 I rewatched once, and I feel like I'm good.
It's funny. I think the second season is better, but I like the first season a bit more. It's the reversal of what I think of TOS.
I watched a second time and i enjoyed very very much...ep i liked less was the one with Mudd but the all story art was very cool very sci fi very intense.
Not going after Cornwell was kind of the first big indicator that lorca wasn't just a captain suffering PTSD. Not sure why that would be a bump when it's there to offer the audience a clue
I just finished Season 2 of DSC, and the way the season ramps up to its conclusion just kept reaffirming episode by episode why the series supplanted DS9 as my favorite Star Trek series as quickly as it did.
I did a S1 and S2 rewatch around Memorial day weekend. I enjoyed it more doing a binge watch and outside of some confusion with the S2 storyline, it's been a really good show so far.
I actually finished the re-watch over the weekend (got sidetracked for like a month). I really did enjoy it this time around. I think maybe just watching it without over-analyzing everything and accepting it for what it is helped me. Before I think I was just too focused on finding headcanon theories for myself to explain how DSC and TOS can exist in the same timeline. I still think season 2 is better, but I no longer have my "blah" feelings for season 1.
To me season 1 of Discovery is synonymous with: - wasting four episodes on the mirror universe so soon in a show's run - being about war with the Klingons... without actually showing most of it - the most idiotic storyline of transforming a Klingon into a human and no one noticing. And then throwing that plot away without any pay-off whatsoever. Pointless. - juvenile writing and the producers' OBSESSION with throwing plot twist after plot twist - Lorca being the only compelling character on the show... and then turn him into a moustache twirling cardboard villain zzzz - Being confined to the ship for what felt like 95% of the season - The season finale feeling like they'd run out of money before shooting it The episode with the attack on the Klingon sarcophagus ship was cool though. Very well executed action scenes when the second beacon starts up. But that's about the only specific memorable thing I remember from season 1, the rest all kind of blurs into one.
I liked Lorca from day one, but I found that looking at all the nuisances and clues in his (Jason Isaacs) performance, and knowing he was a MU badguy, was a lot of fun and made the rewatch even more enjoyable. I think it's easier to like something in a rewatch, as the expectations we all have as dedicated fans are now relaxed, and it's just a matter of watching/enjoying without all the Trekkie baggage.
I enjoyed season 1 the first time around, but even though its an excellent pilot, the 2-parter threw me off a bit at first, as we all had to make an adjustment. When I rewatched the pilot at the halfway mark break, I appreciated it much more. The finale is problematic. I liked the beginning and the last 10 minutes. The middle was a waste of time and it was far too short! Even so, I have an appreciation for the coda, which to me really sums up the growth and lessons learned for season 1. It comes off better in a re-watch. RAMA
DS9 is still my favorite simply because we spend 7 seasons with the characters and I care more for them, but damned if season 2 of Discovery wasn't a blast! Rewatching it right now, only the last episode left. But Pike is easily my favorite captain right up there with Sisko. And as oddly enough, I wasn't that interested in the character of Burnham. Didn't have that odd hate that so many people seem to have, just didn't resonate with me. This time, she quickly became the character I cared for almost the most through the season, with a performance I really enjoyed.
I would agree, certain aspects of the show work a lot better when you know where they end up. And the terrible Klingon makeup is less of a problem when you're ready for it. They still should have never gone to the MU and made it so Lorca only differed from Federation morals because he was from there.
I tend to lean this way but I love the visuals of the MU and its interpretation in this production so its hard to really be sad that we got it. But, I do like the idea of Lorca being Prime and suffering from trauma that makes him more apt to go to the extremes, like Maxwell in TNG.