Your reactions to S1 are basically identical to mine the last time I rewatched it, so clearly your opinions are right and correct. XD
When I first watched the show, I had no problem with Wesley. However, when the show started airing I was five, so Wesley might has well have been an adult to me. By the time I was old enough to critique media in any meaningful way, Wesley was not present as much and his character wasn't misused quite so badly when he did appear, so I don't think I had strong opinions on him then either, and when I started going online I was surprised at how much most people hated him. But in retrospect, I do get it. There were ways the character could have worked, but the writers were not availing themselves of any of those ways, especially early on.
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When I first watched the show, I had no problem with Wesley. However, when the show started airing I was five, so Wesley might has well have been an adult to me. By the time I was old enough to critique media in any meaningful way, Wesley was not present as much and his character wasn't misused quite so badly when he did appear, so I don't think I had strong opinions on him then either, and when I started going online I was surprised at how much most people hated him. But in retrospect, I do get it. There were ways the character could have worked, but the writers were not availing themselves of any of those ways, especially early on.