Considering it was a big part of her arc, it was better than the million other instances they did it in the other superhero shows on CW all things considered
It went a bit off track with the romance.
I haven't been caught up on BL this season, unfortunately. Has the writing stayed up to S1's standard?
That depends on what you're looking for from the show. I just binged season 2 on netflix and found it very emotional.
As a super hero show, there's better shows for straight up action. However, as a family drama it's pretty good. BL plays up more on the lore this season. The writers play up more on other potentially powerful metas as likely thorns in season 3. The action scenes carry the tradition of being heavy on nostalgia music, with mostly decent choreography. One early Thunder scene took cues from Daredevil's rugged hallway fights.
If you're into black actors and directors, the cast this season is up there with Black Panther. It's kind of insane who appears in the show now, and I'm loving it. Ericka Alexander, Michael Wright, Bill Duke, Salli Richardson, Robert Townsend...it just keeps going and going. The universe is expanding in exciting ways, and that's all being handled with a great pace. Jennifer Pierce, for example, doesn't even get her costume until the last few episodes of the season. This would normally be a HUGE no-no in a capes and tights show, but because her arc is so wrought with internal conflict over accepting her powers, it's not only justified, but the buildup is proper reward.
The show isn't perfect. Tobias Whale is a fantastic villain, but he's losing steam. Season two reminds you that season one had a ton of untapped potential with villains that were simply killed off. Remember Jill Scott? Remember Tobias's sister? Even Todd, the evil tech nerd this season is a ton of fun and a breath of fresh air in the bad guy family, but the show doesn't linger long enough on the character or the implication of the void that he fills left by Khalil. Blink, and you'll miss him. His demise, I think, was handled off screen.
In fact, one of the biggest complaints that I have with the show is underwriting of the supporting cast in general. The show rests with herculean weight on the shoulders of the Pierce family. The orbiting relationships were handled a little better this season (as setup for season 3), but not by much. Also, BL has reached a point where it's feels like a running gag or Boondocks episode when white people are introduced, ie, white people are cartoonishly EEEEEEVIL. Here's hoping that they at least offer the illusion of nuance next season.
What BL continues to be successfully doing is hammering the narrative that being a black superhero is NOT fun and games. It's actually a burden, and by the finale, you feel the bittersweet relief along with the family.
Like i said, it totally depends on what you're coming to BL for in determining how much mileage you get out of it.