Season 3 is better thanks to cashing in on nostalgia

I haven't really liked any Star Trek show since STNG.

May I recommend Star Trek Lower Decks?

Yes, it's animated, but because it's animated, there's more alien lifeform representation than in the live action shows. It's really well written, has character development over the series, and does fan service really, really well.

It also explores some of the less seen (but obviously necessary) aspects of the Federation - what happens after first contact, what do the non-officers do day-to-day, etc.

I started it after Picard, and although I liked Picard (for all the faults highlighted by the OP and other commenters), I fell in love with Lower Decks.

Have you watched Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks? As someone who also hadn't gotten into Star Trek since Next Generation, those were exactly what I wanted.

One of the big issues with Picard is that the original script was with the android being the main character and Picard not even be part of it. Then the studio wanted a big name attached to it, because they didn't believe it would do well to revive the Star Trek franchise on its own. So they got Patrick Stewart involved, made Picard the main character and basically mangled the show. I think Stewart also wanted a lot of changes to the show and the studio involvement was huge as well. This made the end result pretty terrible tbh.

Season 1 is awful. Season 2 is awful. Both have the occasional high point that is pretty much entirely unearned.

Season three is a clunky, but well meaning apology for the previous two seasons and all of the TNG movies. It’s fan service, yes, but compared to seasons 1 and 2 it is Shakespeare. Actors get to act. Some actual drama between characters that never got a real chance to have those scenes before. Like “All Good Things” it’s not perfect, but it’s good enough to be a satisfying ending.

Mostly I didn't like the first season because it felt like a weird retread of the premise of Mass Effect. Never bothered watching anything beyond that.

Trying too hard to be gritty and serious, when the somewhat campier aspects of TNG are what originally sold me on that series.

TNG had its share of serious and deep plots, but the less serious, self-aware episodes are what give it character.

By "realistic" do you mean "grimdark"? Cause that's the only way I usually see it used when in reference to shows showing idealistic things suddenly turning dark and melodramatic.

the most disappointed i've been in any trek product. really hoped they'd do TNG justice but it's just shitty nutrek like everything else.

I liked seasons 1 and 2 more than most, and I still only kind of liked them. I would definitely recommend that all but the most die hard fans just skip to season 3. No previous new characters except Raffi are even featured in it. (Laris doesn't count, it was just a quick scene at the beginning).

Picard had too much nonsensical decision making for me to ever get into it. Its not the worst trek, but I think its down there.

Personal ranking: DS9 > TNG > LD > VOY = TOS = Ent > Picard > SNW (haven't finished season 3) > Disco (never watched season 5).

I haven't seen Prodigy and it's more than 30 years since I watched any TAS.

I have issues with the writing and I am only halfway through S1, so maybe it comes later?

I really havent seen any bad character decisions yet.

It felt esoterically nostalgic. I would have liked it to have more depth of side characters or cheesy moral lessons as in TNG, Voyager and DS9