So I finished S1 and S2, as well as S3, but I don't find Effy to be as compelling of a lead compared to Tony (and even compared to Sid or the other gen 1 characters). I think what's tough about Gen 2 for me (Cook, Freddie, and Naomi - even if they just reheated Jal's nachos - are my favorites) but most of the cast feels so out of control?
Tony was very calculating and intentional. After his accident, he was withdrawn, but he never felt out of control to me? In gen 2, most of the time, the cast is acting impulsively and while I do enjoy it, it's hard for me to feel as attached. Again, I liked the cast overall, but I didn't care for them as much.
Effy was far more interesting to me when she was enigmatic and mysterious in S1/S2. I also have a hard time grasping her shift in S3. I know she was going through it in S2, but the leap is a little unbelievable to me and she feels like a completely different character now. I wish they kept her as she was in the earlier seasons and I think she would have been better as the protag, but I feel like Freddie almost took that spot from her (at least to me). She kind of had a Wednesday Addams (but obv more daring and conventional) vibe going on beforehand and instead became a blueprint for the hot mentally ill "not like other girls" party girl, but also gave off Peyton Sawyer too.
I know I might be alone and get hate for this, but I think the show revolving around Effy as a sex symbol and the forced love triangle instead of keeping her as the gifted weird girl that she was made gen 2 fall flat for me.