Been reading the thread with interest.
I've had a few months to reflect on Season 2 now.
I don't think it was a failure, but I do think it failed in some aspects.
I liked:
1) The concept of the Borg being moved forwards for the first time in forever. The Jurati-Queen is an outstanding creation and I loved the resolution.
2) It had a sense of fun compared to the rather melancholic Season 1.
3) TVH and Assignment: Earth links
4) The NASA stuff. I wish there had been more focus on all this stuff, like a Star Trek version of For All Mankind. It felt like in the end Picard actually barely spent any time with his ancestor at all.
I disliked:
1) Casting people from Season 1 in different roles.* I found it at best
jarring and at worst... I'm not interested in seeing Brent Spiner play a C-List Bond villain. I know it's COVID stuff, but I wish they could have put some
names into those roles. Charles Dance as the geneticist, or Kirby Howell-Baptiste as the time agent (just off the top of my head)...
2) Q and Guinan were both thrown away. This makes me feel pretty bitter toward the season generally.
3) Narratively, it was all over the place. I think it's good for Star Trek to have a message, but in Season 2 there were too many threads and any message the season has ends up diluted.
Though that's just my take of course.
The biggest missed opportunity was Q kissing Picard. Why didn't they do this?
This is one of those things that I didn't know I wanted until I read it...
Should have happened. Absolutely.