I don't know about "downhill" necessarily, at least not for everything, but I can well imagine a certain amount of whiplash involved in pivoting from this to a story about actual space wizards shooting lightning bolts at each other.

You're right, but it's incredible that we're in a position now where we can happily say this about a show that was roundly condemned before anyone ever saw it because "we already know what happens, so what's the point?" Turns out that was barely an issue at all, and there only feels like more open ground to explore in the second season in spite of future events being relatively set.

> he knows she hates him but he needs her. What a mess.

After seeing what his mother is like, I have to wonder if there's something more going on with him and how he responds to dominating female authority figures, especially when they treat him with contempt.