That 2nd episode was better than I had expected. It hit all the right notes for me, visually and characterization-wise.
I was a bit worried that Madoka would end up "too perfect", but her overall personality is very fun and well-balanced, and that makes it all work.
Another thing is that it's not hard to see the inspirations behind some of the key cast members for this show.
Tadokoro, the Fleet Captain, is giving me some Bright Noa vibes, and that is simply awesome. I just love how blunt, direct, and to-the-point he is. Granted, it's not always smart of him, but it makes for a good badass commander type, imo. If not for how his ace pilots are cute girls, I'd be looking forward to an epic Tadokoro Slap!
Lan is a Rei-type, but with some nice added personality and emotional intensity. I like how there's a lot of insecurity simmering beneath the cool, calm, and collected exterior.
Conceptually, a Gundam-esque show with a spunky genki girl ace pilot, with a Bright Noa as the leader of the base, with a Rei-type as the No. 2 pilot, with a mysterious Itsuki Koizumi-esque alien acting in some intermediary role, and with yuri subtext, is just a wonderful blend of elements that's like something out of my wildest anime creation dreams. It's like an incredible blending of Haruhi, Gundam, and NGE!
It seems so brutally unfair to mention such giant names after just Episode 2 of a new anime original which isn't getting epic hype (at least not yet), but Lagrange really is making me think of those other anime shows a lot. While such prominent inspirations abound, each character feels like her or his own person, especially Madoka and Lan. I'm very much looking forward to where this anime chooses to take them.