As a fellow GenX I could not agree more. I was absolutely hyped when Trek returned to cinemas only to get increasingly disappointed by a “star wars reboot proof of concept” approach to the movies.
When Discovery came around I was all in, but soon it turned into a shooting gallery pew pew show and became the first Trek show I abandoned mid-way.
Picard was a confusing mess where they made friends with Borg only to fight Borg next season… and then ended to the crowd’s applause because showrunners drowned it in memberberries.
Strange New Worlds is about discoveries and relationships and science. It’s goofier than TOS or TNG but in a nice, friendly way. It does not try to be edgy or shocking - it feels fresh and engaging, just like TNG, DS9 and VOY felt when they were first broadcast.
I guess we’re just about to wrap up the second season, so it may be too early to call - but SNW is way on the way to becoming my favorite Trek, not just of the modern era but of all time.
What I mean is not the comedy episodes, but general demeanor of characters. Lots of little silly quirks that are more common in sitcom characters than navy/explorers that the federation is.