I don't think this season has been particularly character focused. Looking around the cast:
You can, of course, argue that ten episodes isn't enough time. But I don't think that's true. The first season provided character arcs for everyone other than Ortegas, including two for Uhura!
The problem, to me, seems to be in part one of setup and payoff. The season made the choice to focus heavily on romantic subplots (Pike's angst about Batel, Chapel's new relationship with Korby, Spock/La'an, Uhura/Beto, etc.) and it's stuck in neutral on all of them, focusing instead on guest characters, comedy gimmicks, or crises of the week.
- Pike's been given nothing other than worrying about Batel all season.
- Una has fallen into the background, occasionally piping up to be a strong XO (honestly, better in command than Pike).
- Spock had a sad about Chapel getting together with Korby, then started boning La'an in an apparently zero-drama manner.
- M'Benga has been essentially absent from the season, other than revisiting his past actions in Shuttle to Kenfori, and the whole Gamble subplot.
- La'an is seemingly mostly over her Gorn trauma (which was transferred to Ortegas), and her situationship with Spock is nowheresville.
- Chapel has essentially no character arc now that she's with Korby.
- Uhura has had a snoozer of a flirtation/will they or won't they with Ortega's brother.
- And Ortegas (who was long overlooked) somehow got the only complete character arc this season, establishing new PTSD with the Gorn which was paid off in Terrarium.
You can, of course, argue that ten episodes isn't enough time. But I don't think that's true. The first season provided character arcs for everyone other than Ortegas, including two for Uhura!
The problem, to me, seems to be in part one of setup and payoff. The season made the choice to focus heavily on romantic subplots (Pike's angst about Batel, Chapel's new relationship with Korby, Spock/La'an, Uhura/Beto, etc.) and it's stuck in neutral on all of them, focusing instead on guest characters, comedy gimmicks, or crises of the week.
