It can be both............they don't mean the same thing. It was the debut of Picard. debut perform or appear in public, or to be shown or introduced to the public, for the first time:
You are correct.....episode 2 will debut Thursday. It is also a continuation of Picard's story more so than a sequel to TNG. That has been started over and over since it was announced.
A. Great episode. This episode and the two seasons of Discovery show that Kurtzman Trek is superior to Berman Trek.
A- and/or 9/10; take your pick. A seriously strong premiere and one which fills me with even greater hope for the show than I had going into it.