If you haven't been, at least try this episode (or everything up to this episode if you want to go all-in). If this episode doesn't move you in some way, then I don't know. Maybe it's not actually a show for you.

Yes.

Don’t expect too much. It’s corny with very simple preachy messaging. The writing is cheesy and filled with sloppy humor. The show plays everything very safe.

I do have to say though, that episode 3 was okay and 4 approaching good. The first two were a boring pandering fest.

Honestly, yes. I went in pretty skeptical because I don't really like the 32nd century setting and find teenage drama tiresome. SFA is actually pretty good. I really liked this episode: classic Trek storytelling and excellent world-building. The teenage drama stuff is annoying (to me personally), but that's kinda the price of having a show about cadets.

There are some great characters, too. Jay-den (the Klingon and focus of this episode) is great, and Lura Thok, the Cadet Master, is an absolute gem of a character.