I tend to agree. I think I like it as much as I do in large part due to the lack of competition in serious sci-fi TV. Have read the first book but not bothered with the rest and may never do unless they knock 'em all out cheap on Kindle sometime. There's a lot more competition for my time on books.
The pet semetary storyline seemed like what would normally be the halfway point of previous series of this show, like it's left open to resolve in some future film or series that they've yet to announce.