Good but not great First off: The set-designers did an amazing job. This is probably one of the best TV sets I've seen in a long time. This could've easily been a movie set.
And the rest of the production crew did an outstanding job. I really do hope this wins at least some reward, because a lot of hard work went into this.
As a viewer; Pay attention to details, there is a lot of foreshadowing and smart little things included that will make sense later on. But you need to be alert. This is not a show you should watch on a rainy afternoon with a bowl of popcorn. This requires a little bit more brain-activity than that.
However, I'm a little bit disappointed. There is some stuff that is left unresolved, and there is a lot of "suspend your disbelief" going on here. You can't take this show to seriously, but at the same time you have to talk it seriously enough.
The show demands a lot of the viewer, and I have to think that is a failing of the script.
I also think 8 episodes are either too much or not enough. They either needed another 4 episode to really get into the nitty gritty details, OR, they need to cut this down to a movie. The 8 episode format works for netflix, because in a sense, you are probably going to binge this and watch it as a long movie. But there are some fat they could have cut out, if that is the case.
I would say this is leaps and bounds above the average sci-fi TV-show, but it's still just a sci-fi TV-show. So don't expect James Cameron or Ripley Scott.
Go in with low expectations, enjoy it for what it is, and you might get a good viewing out of it.