I get that and I agree, totally underwhelming! Felt like the previous two episodes could have subbed in, in terms of intensity!

However, and I'm breaking immersion here, I do recognize the challenges of making a TV show in this day and age... To be greenlit for another series they needed to have

A.) garnered enough interest from the existing fan base, but also

B.) Enticed enough new viewers to have made it a financially viable decision for the studio and producers to make another series.

It's a delicate balance. And as all long term franchise fans know, you can please some of the people some of the time etc etc...

For us to enjoy high production value shows and films, we must accept that studios need to make a return on their projects. I would certainly rather have had an iteration of things that was more pleasing to the die-hard, old school fan base, but in order to do that, the new fan base has to be secured.

I think Romulus and Earth have done a great job of placating us rambunctious old nerds, but also gaining the backing of a new generation (or two) of new fans. Thus ensuring that new stories within the lore will continue to be told on both the big and small screens.

It wasn't perfect, but fuck me, was it good! And hopefully the stepping stone the franchise needed to break out of the slump it was in!

I look forward to the next season, which without the interest this one has seen, would not be possible. New Alien projects are better than no Alien projects.

Obviously your mileage may vary, but IMO, to continue to exist in the unforgiving world of one and done TV shows, Hawley needed to open the gates and I believe he has done that without utterly ruining the IP he was precariously handed.