Did people who didn't see the preview cut catch that Freyja is a Winderemeran? I think the preview cut's choice of end point may have emphasized that bit a little better. Though I guess this cut emphasized that she has special power even if what she
is may be easy to miss.
I don't think this is quite as good a "gateway" Macross as Frontier. As someone who has seen previous Macross series I can largely take Walkure's flashy performance on the battlefield in stride but I think it might be too much too fast for a lot of franchise newcomers. Heck, even as a fan of previous Macross series I feel this is pushing it a little even if it is a (semi) logical extension of things the franchise has done previously.
Newcomers might also have benefited from a bit more explanation about Macross history and the Zentraedi.