Pacing and writing of the sequel anime

What's everyone's thoughts on the pacing and writing so far? I feel like things are just moving too quickly for any meaningful development. A lot of things are written for plot convenience, such as Gai not recognizing Shion when he first appeared to the troopers despite having seen him kill his comrades 3 years prior. Then there's also how characters act in ways that don't make sense, for e.g., Shion having no reaction to the reveal that Ramaga is possessing Ryo. I mean, Ryo was his mentor, why did he not freak out and feel some sense of urgency?

I know Shogo Muto said that he thought up the ending of cour 1 first, and then worked backwards from there, but to me, that's kinda not an ideal way to write a story. Especially one that's supposed to be a sequel with existing lore that could've been expanded upon. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE the show, but the decisions of the staff baflles me sometimes.