I agree completely, the show has some weaknesses. I didn't like the stones either, and I'm lukewarm on the Lucian alliance incursion. That said, this show has provided me with many hours of entertainment that I really enjoyed. I even liked the more "hard scifi" episodes of early season 1. Sure, the show had its share of stupidity and missed opportunities, but for me there was enough clever and stimulating content to keep me really invested.
I think the missed opportunities are a halmark of TV's writing process. These guys start with a multi-season arc, then make a season arc, then make two half-season arcs, then make the individual story arcs for what needs to be accomplished in each episode to forward the half-season arc.
If you get an opportunity in season 2 ep 3 for a great new plot, you might have little to zero opportunity to take advantage of it.
