Now, don't get me wrong, I have been loving the new Pike and discoprise is neat, but this tempers my excitement a bit.
Except for the Mudd episode, the Short Treks ended up tying into Season 2 in some way that wasn't immediately obvious, setting up a bit elements of the main plotline.
I'd almost consider Saru's to be required viewing because of how much his backstory pays off in the regular season, but Calypso was sort of a hint to the season finale, and my be a clue to where Discovery might find itself in season 3, and Runaway introduced a character that did end up showing up in the regular season (though even without that was some nice character building for Tilly). I was hoping we'd get a similar thing for season 3, but I don't know how a bunch of stuff on the Enterprise could tie into what Discovery is in for, even if it could still be good worldbuilding.