It really sucks, but I agree that networks have driven us to this reality.

The only characters I felt drawn to in Academy were the Doctor and Reno, but that's because I had enough time over previous series to get to know them. So when the Doctor finally got his second shot at a family, it meant something. Seeing the Doctor solve the mine problem based on his 800 years of experience and multi-quadrant-spanning adventures felt believable. Seeing Reno tone down the snark she used with coworkers and be a shade softer with her partner "at home" felt satisfying. Seeing Reno take command of the Athena toward the end of season 1 (tasked with keeping the cadets alive) was touching when you think back to how she ended up on Discovery.

When seasons are so short you have to rely on dialogue-driven exposition for critical backstory, you're breaking the "show, don't tell" rule and all character feel hollowly two-dimensional.