He didn't do anything. It's simply the circus act of having the original cast back. That's literally the only reason it's been better received. People wanted a nostalgia trip, apparently, and they got it. The writing is just as horrific as it was the first two seasons.
Some show notes now that it's almost finished:
-At least we got Laris, although she was underused. Orla Brady wasn't, which was good.
-Great to see Brent Spiner's range as an actor.
-Q's motivations make sense since he figured he was "dying". John de Lancie is a wonder.
-There's been some fantastic cinematography throughout the series. And wonderful directing.
-Jeri Ryan, though underused, is great as always.
-Shaw is a solid addition to Trek.
-Loved some of the callbacks to previous Trek, especially TOS.
-Worf is a great funny man.
-Annie Wersching made a creepy Borg Queen.
-We needed more Lovecraftian AI.
-The theme music for Seasons 1 and 2 is lovely.
-Amanda Plummer played a nasty villain, well, in her final two appearances anyway.
All in all, Picard is popcorn fare. And that's definitely okay with me. I'll give a C for most of the writing though. There were moments of brilliance that sadly couldn't be extended for whatever reasons.
