The general consensus of this board is that S2 is better than S1. There's a very real reason for that. 2x08, 2x09, and 2x10 are FIREWORKS, man. But the build-up to those episodes is a strange, twisty path. The definition of a slow burn. So when you begin next season, rest assured, you're gonna feel a very jarring sensation. It's normal. KEEP GOING. It's worth it, so damn worth it.

That said, I had a similar reaction to S1. I think it's because I have a history of depression and I'd never seen those lost, floating, melancholy feelings (mixed with some rage) so well articulated on a screen before. I think S1 is hands down the best season, but that doesn't mean S2 or S3 are bad or worse or whatever. The show is really a series of mini-series, each season needs it's predecessor, but each season also has a finale that could've easily been the series finale and felt satisfying.

The show is a modern retelling of Dante's Divine Comedy. The first season is Inferno, quite literally the characters end up in a fire. But also because metaphorically the characters are all in Hell.

S2 is Purgatorio. The same day is re-told multiple times from different perspectives and then Virgil takes Dante across the river Styx into the afterlife.

S3 is Paradiso. The show's tone has gradually lightened, the cinemtagraphy has went from extreme close-up to extreme wide shots. We're no longer in a drama of lingering pain, but a dark comedy.

I really think this series brought me out of depression, along with therapy and meds, but this show had a lot to do with ripping my soul open, letting me weep, and then showing me how people tell stories to themselves that aren't always helping them.

You're going to fucking love the ride. If you felt that strongly about S1, then this is absolutely the show for you.