I cannot find a single thing about him that’s likable. His ideas are all fucking stupid, and he only got to where he is now through rampant exploitation, disregard for safety in his factories, and stealing the “founder” title from every company he bought. He literally just bought his way to the top, and for some reason people see him as a deity. He isn’t charismatic, like a cult leader, and he gives off the impression that he peaked in middle school. So what about him is so likable to people? I don’t get it, and I probably never will.
Discovery and Picard aren't Star Trek. Lower Decks is Star Trek, but it's bad Star Trek. LD has potential to be good but they need to have Mariner evolve in some way. She reminds me of Rick from Richard and Mortimer and not in a good way.
Mariner already started getting somewhere by the end of the first season and it has continued along with Boimler slowly coming into his own. Season 2 takes a lot of wind out of Mariner's sails, which I just realized was a pun. They've had less episodes than a single season of old Trek and at half the episode length each. I think they've done quite well with character depth considering it is still a more or less episodic comedy.