Season 1 was relatively grounded and though it had flaws I thought it was still decent especially for a show with so many relative newcomers as actors.
My sentiment almost to a tee. Season 1 focused on their humble beginnings that included more interaction with their fam, their crews, and local opp crews. With that being said, that allowed the more seasoned actors/better actors and more interesting characters more screen time (e.g., Wood Harris, The Flenory Parents, Lamar, B-Mickie, and etc). It seems like the writers, actors, and directors struggle significantly with the BMF story once expansion and world building became more frequent. Also, just like with any other Power spin-offs that gained popularity, casting changes included more celebrities/rappers that cannot act or just randomly added (e.g., Young Miami, Lil Baby, Titty-Boi, Saweetie).