This was one of the most boring episodes I have witnessed.
I guess they thought they would be clever and write an ST episode where dialogue and moral/ethical quandries are at the forefront as were with Picard often, with little to no action,yet they still held our interest intensly
There was zero subtlety or sense how to shape touching on various pol-soc (or personal) issues, that might mirror thouse of our society, in tastefully/neutraly as ST was always famous for. All perspectives, all voices,equally. ST was never in your face preachy. Even more,here it is inclusion by exclusion, as someone nicely put it...
Antithesis of quality ST writing. Writers who wrote this have no sense (talent?) how to compile an immersive tense dialogue or steer the storyline. They poured freezing cold water all over the tension they have built, big part by dragging on (talentless writers stretch the storyline and pepper the few "good" story ideas they have over the season, while quality writers just write good stories, they do NOT drag on, or mess with the audience ).
Instead we got A LOT of FORCED lgbt sandwich talks, emotions, Michael whispering and smiling ( two acting expressions she seems only to lately possess).
Horrible travesty of an episode. Writers by large lately keep forgeting they are in the business of ENTERTAINMENT (!) not forcing perspectives onto people.