Usually, in any sort of storytelling medium, be it a book, TV show, movie, comic, etc., usually fits under one of two categories: story (plot) -based and character-based. This applies not only to PR, but to any story. Usually it's one or the other--and if one goes underdeveloped, it's okay as long as the other one does get developed (so if a show has no plot, but the characters are fleshed out and developed, it's ok, and vice versa).
Some PR seasons have been character-based. MMPR (particulary the first two seasons) were very much character based. There wasn't a real overarching story, save for the typical monster-of-the-week battles, but the characters did a lot, so you'll rarely ever hear anyone complain about that.
Other PR seasons (MOST PR seasons, actually), however, have been more story-based, and the characters take a backseat to the story. Seasons like Lightspeed, Time Force, and Operation Overdrive. Yes, Operation Overdrive's story was terrible and it completely fell apart in the end, but it was story-based, with the fight for the jewels and the crown. And the characters had virtually no development, save for Mack's robot story and Tyzonne's Vella subplot. And they never tried to act like they did--because it was story-based.
My point to all this? Some seasons are either plot-based or story-based. But SPD, somehow, manages to be neither. Like, WTF? How the **** do you even do that? How do you have NO story AND underdeveloped characters? THAT'S my problem with SPD. THAT is why I don't like SPD. It didn't even make an attempt, save for the first four episodes, and the last four episodes. Everything in the middle is disposable. And then they tried to act like they did something in "Insomnia" knowing damn well they didn't. And it showed--all of Syd's clips were from two episodes: "Dogged" and "Stakeout."
Not to compare this season with DinoThunder (because we ALL got enough of that when SPD was airing), but I respect what DinoThunder did because it was the pretty much the only season (save for maybe Ninja Storm) that managed to move the plot AND develop and flesh out the characters. It was both story- AND chatacter-based. Whether it did either, or both, or neither of those things WELL is up to the individual viewer, but I gotta respect that season for at least TRYING to do both. SPD I can't respect because it did neither, didn't TRY to do either, and then tried to act like it did both in the end.
And while, yes, the first half WAS pretty good, I don't even know if I can respect THAT part of SPD because it STILL did nothing. It just happened to do nothing BETTER in the first half than it did in the second half.
And then, don't even get me started on the OTHER problems with the season (the teamup, Grumm being a complete and utter bitch and probably one of the worst PR villains ever, the Omni/Magnificence bullshit, and CRUGER AND AISYNIA). I could go on about those for DAYS.
All that being said, I do still want to rewatch the season when I have the time and see if it turns out any better this time around.
