I agree. I have to admit, I was getting a bit tired of the moclan story arc, but Episode 8 made it all worth it and feel necessary. I don't think that episode would have had the impact it did if they hadn't developed the characters and story as much as they did. I found the social commentary in Discovery more jarring while watching it. But thinking back, it wasn't any more emphasized than Orville. Probably less. But I just didn't feel as invested in the characters. Few of the story arcs in Discovery had the payoffs that Orville delivered. And, apparently unlike most Star Trek fans, I enjoyed Discovery. Not my favorite Star Trek by any means, but I was engaged enough to complete all seasons.