One question that has been constantly in the back of my mind throughout this season.... Has this show brought on any new fans? I don't think it has.
Yes, a show should definitely appeal to its long time fans, but it should also work to bring in new ones. The obvious nostalgia bait of the cast, the villains, the Enterprise-D, are all clearly a big deal to fans. But, imagine you have never seen a single episode of TNG, or any Trek for that matter. Is there anything in this show to appeal to the audience at large?
Discovery certainly made efforts to grab new audience members. Prodigy is almost entirely based on getting new and younger fans into the franchise. Even Lower Decks has some broad appeal with its humour. Strange New Worlds definitely makes an effort to get new fans on board, but Picard..... I don't think so.
And maybe that's fine for THIS show. But so many people are throwing around the idea that they want "this" to be the blueprint for the franchise going forward, and I cannot disagree more.
To copy this would do nothing but stagnate the franchise. We need new fans because we're not getting any younger. To appeal only to Trekkies will be a surefire way of killing this franchise.
With 9 out of 10 episodes outta the way, I think I can safely say that "More Terry" and his plans for a "Star Trek Legacy" series are exactly what this franchise doesn't need.