My problem with the criticism I've seen so far is that it's really lazy and shallow.

Most people seem to want the show to be the exact same as S1 and whine about everything that's different. Not worse, just different. Of course, if it was the same as S1 they'd whine that it was unoriginal and boring. The rest don't seem to be paying attention--there were dozens of comments in the discussion thread saying they didn't know who the characters were or what was going on. People need to pay attention before they start spouting off misinformed opinions.

A lot of folks can't get past Vaughn, and base their criticism of him on their opinion of his roles in other work. I think he's doing very well in this role. He's an upper level Russian mafia figure trying to go fully legit with this rail development and have kids. He's confident and wise as a mobster ("don't do anything out of hunger, even eat") but insecure as a legit businessman ("should I have sprung for the country club?"). He's not some mafia caricature or some over-the-top villain (though Osip makes reference to his time in the 90s as a 'terror'), he's a perfect example of a semi-legit gangster trying to make it work for his family.

Another issue that's been plain as day is that people are really putting S1 up on a pedestal. I remember the discussion threads from last year--people bitched about minor things then too. Tons of people hated the ending. But now enough time has gone by they think it was flawless.

Personally, I think the biggest differences between S1 and S2 that make it harder for people to get into is that S1 was told from two timelines and the murder case began a couple minutes into the first episode. Rust and Marty looking back on the case from '95 established that this was a big deal and that the stakes were high. The bizarre circumstances of the crime scene in S1 let you know right away that this was going to be a about a serial killer and some far-out-there occult stuff.

With S2 we got the case last, and we aren't looking at it retrospectively so we don't know for sure how important Casper's equally bizarre murder is. We don't know if it's a serial murder, a cult murder, or just plan weird shit with no deep meaning (though probably not). But if the viewer pays attention, it's clear that the stakes are just as high, if not higher than S1.

Folks need to get over S1 and view this for what it is: a new season with a new story, new source material, new actors, and a new director. And so far, it's been solid.