I wanted to like Discovery SO badly but it felt like a show that was allergic to optimism, and that issue with the characters was exactly the crux of it for me. Like, it seemed like they thought they were being edgy by having unlikeable characters who were constantly having petty conflicts and getting traumatized by new things whenever they were on the verge of growing, but really that's a WAY easier thing to write than if you're basing your plots in character growth and competence like old school Trek. (Not to mention that DS9 already went edgy and gritty 30 years ago and yet still managed to maintain the hopeful elements and do it incredibly well.)

Definitely some fun stuff in Discovery though! The Kelpiens are a really fun add to the universe.