Brilliant writing as it was in the OA. I demolished the season within 24h and now am sad I'll have to wait a year.
I was super surprised that anyone could give it one star ratings. I looked through them and they're typical of people who
A. Don't pay attention. It wasn't a loophole you just didn't listen / understand
B. The pacing is fine and I have ADHD similar to the OA, it doesn't rush, it lingers where it's needed. Not everything is an action movie.
C. Themes. People don't understand underlying themes so they question "I don't know why they included this scene or that" failing to see the connection with the greater character development and thus also the themes,
D. Again people fail to see themes and character development they miss things. It's a show you have to pay attention to the fine details. The themes that emerge.
If you need things spoon fed to you its not for you. You have to think.
Interestingly it's almost as though she wrote the OA again but in another way. Netflix owns the OA so it's completely different but the themes are similar. I don't want to give spoilers but start with Andy, the one wearing glasses identical to Haps and his similar characteristics - what he wants, these ideas of solving grand scale scientific mysteries that concern all of humanity, life after death; but to what end, what is humanity really?
Themes of connection and protection vs control (won't go into spoilers) of grand philosophical questions of humanity.
There are a lot of parallels but it could be a different story, with Brit simply having been drawn to similar themes. She wrote it directly after the OA (was cancelled)
OA fans definitely must watch. But don't expect remotely the same genre. It's "sci fi murder mystery" on the outside, but shares the same heart of exploring grand philosophical ideas and problems we/humanity face.
Unless you don't pay attention then it's just a murder mystery that will make no sense to you I guess.
Or hell maybe it's the OA in another dimension.. (fan theory)