I didn't want to read this thread until I finished season 2, and wow was it worth it. What an incredibly good show, the best of anything Star Wars since 1981. Well done characters, motivations, acting, pacing, direction and beautiful settings that didn't overwhelm you with CGI. Everything you could ask for in the "how did the Rebellion come about?" series. I love the feeling of the hopelessness and tension in many of the scenes.
Great intrigue throughout, lots of unknown outcomes and unexpected twists, excellent weaving of multiple storylines together without getting hung up on a single one. Even the villains were likeable in the sense that you understood their motives and what drives them. I loved seeing how the ISB works and how they plan and execute their tasks. The actors were great, excellent casting choices, and Mendelsohn was absolutely perfect. He has a gravitas about him that was took over every scene he was in. Dedra was a great choice too, so ambitious to move up the ladder only to be left humiliated, ashamed, broken and sentenced to a death camp. Just an incredible rollercoaster of a ride with her story.
I hope there is not only more of it, but more of this style of Star Wars, gritty, harsh, tense and lots of difficult situations with just a few glimmers of hope sprinkled in here and there.