Okay so I spoiled myself just enough to know Hugh isn't back, because whilst knowing sucks the anxiety levels I was feeling were way worse so:
Clearly when they were giving us all their reassurances about Hugh being back they were clearly saying "in season 2" whilst we were all hearing "by season's end", because we know that with this trope that's what it would take both for our sanity and common decency.
I have no doubts they intend to bring Hugh's character back somehow or another in S2, or they never would have bothered with all those reassurances in the first place. My issue is that there is a very big difference between asking people to have patience for a couple weeks, and asking them to have patience for another year (at least) - with nothing canon to go on. That's what really fucks me off, is that to the casual viewer this story is over and done with but without even showing Paul grieving. So to them when Hugh comes back it'll seem out of nowhere, as if the show is merely pandering to the fans, and their previously beautiful queer rep suddenly is just a plot device rather than a well rounded story arc.
And okay, I know this whole thing walks a well known precedent for Trek. After Wrath of Khan everyone truly believed Spock was dead, and in fact had it from Nimoy himself that he was. It's not like the coming back from apparently permanent dead thing is new. But Spock wasn't an openly gay man of colour in a much touted, lauded, and advertised piece of new representation for Trek.
So I think my issue isn't so much that Hugh is dead, because I don't necessarily believe in the permanence of that, it's the complete lack of awareness in deciding how and with whom they should pay what I'm assuming will be an homage to Search for Spock. It's a lack of understanding that in this climate, you cannot just "nah Spock's dead for realsies" a gay Latino man on screen, and think it's enough to off screen go "but not really". All it would have taken is one moment to hint at his not-quite-deadness. That's all it takes. And it fucks me off they didn't do it.
I wanna trust Wilson and Anthony, so I have to believe what's coming is truly going to be awesome, but right now I'm less than impressed, and disappointed that Trek, of all things, is still making me turn to fanfic to see my queer ships happy.