It's clearly not as big a problem for others as it is for me, so I don't pretend my opinion matters on this (though I do wonder if it might have turned non-trekkies away, if the CBS streaming requirement hadn't already done that).

But it just feels ridiculous that the whole series now seems to be structured around a plot device that's become the second most prominent example of how silly the original series got (Spock's goatee ranks just behind "Spock's Brain" in the public consciousness, I mean).

I'm sticking with it because I've loved Star Trek since I was like 5 years old. And most everything other than the plot arc is very compelling to me. But I really hope they find something both new and non-silly to structure the next season around. I would definitely NOT say this first season is stronger than the first seasons of Enterprise, DS9, or possibly even TOS.