I’d argue that sometime around late season 2, it went beyond being a mere “love letter” and just became a masterpiece of its own. I feel like seasons 3 and 4 contain episodes that are in the top tiers of any Trek. The only episode I think that can be considered among the worst in the franchise is “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption”. For the rest of them, though, I feel like they develop relationships very well in a way that rivals even DS9.
I’d argue that sometime around late season 2, it went beyond being a mere “love letter” and just became a masterpiece of its own. I feel like seasons 3 and 4 contain episodes that are in the top tiers of any Trek. The only episode I think that can be considered among the worst in the franchise is “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption”. For the rest of them, though, I feel like they develop relationships very well in a way that rivals even DS9.