IMHO the antagonists have not been threatening one bit this season, because they haven't won a single round.
We have a key with five bits here. Discovery managed to grab four out of five so far, despite a few complications being thrown their way, and are on their way to grab the fifth. Discovery will clearly solve the final bit next week, then go to the tech, and there will be some sort of Breen intervention at the end of the 9th episode which throws everything into doubt.
Think about how much better all of this would have been if Moll and La'k had 3 out of the 5 key bits by now! Then Discovery would be on the back foot, desperately trying to race to the finish here.