The problem with the show isn't SJW-ish stuff. Star Trek has always been pretty progressive, the problem is the Michael character. The name is terrible, always jarring, and her acting is spotty at best. The show focuses way too much on her too. I think that hurt the show more than anything, as Star Trek has always been more of an ensemble cast. Making her Spock's never heard of half sister is retarded. She's constantly raved about, which gives a Mary Sue vibe, but there's a good explanation for her character being so valued by the Captain, def the highlight of the season, which I won't spoil.
I loved the Captain btw (Jason Isaacs, cool arc), and her former Captain's counterpart. I don't want to spoil anything, but I always like Michelle Yeoh's accent. She reminds me of a character we'd see in TOS movies. Saru and the redhead are great characters as well.
There's a cool build up as the season progresses, and some cool moments long the way, but I found the ending anticlimactic. It's still worth the watch though. Every Star Trek has been awful in its first season, so this measures up well in that regard. The production values are off the charts too.
With Les Moonves out of CBS, I'm hoping we'll see some positive changes in Discovery and future Star Trek. I'm pretty excited to see Anson Mount cast as Captain Pike for season 2.
The upcoming Picard post Next Gen series sounds interesting too. Stewart is said to have some pull on its direction. He knows his audience, so I'm very hopeful it will be excellent!