I just started season 3 (ripped through the first two in the span of about two weeks). This is one of the rare series in the peak TV era that would benefit from longer seasons (even though they're already longer than most with 14-15 episodes instead of the 8-10 we've grown accustomed to). 17 or 18 is probably the sweet spot for the arcs they've handled so far but that probably makes budget and casting a bigger problem.

I was really excited by Bryan Fuller's involvement initially but figured the show would end up a big misfire after he dropped out. So I never thought it worth subscribing to CBS All Access for it. I signed up for a trial to watch The Stand and Picard a month or two ago and then dipped my toe into Discovery afterward. I loved what they did with the Klingons (first time they've actually come across as barbaric monsters who should scare you instead of the caveman-ish Keystone Kops they became in other series and films) and was disappointed when they started to dull those sharp edges in season 2 (backpedaled on the makeup and costume choices, made them more civilized, etc.). Overall, though, I have enjoyed it much more than I expected to going in.

Also, they appear to be falling into the trap of assuming there's an appetite for a smorgasbord of other shows in this universe instead of strategically using their assets (like Pike, Georgiou, Section 31, etc.) to strengthen a lynchpin show like Discovery. All may suffer in quality as a result. If they want to make some limited series, that would be a much better route to go to maintain some quality standards (along those same lines, we don't need a second season of Picard, for example).