spoilers:end of spoilers
I absolutely wouldn't say it was all setup and "empty promises", but looking back at it the series does take its time to develop a lot of the situations and character arcs, more so than I realized just reading through it, before throwing the wrench that was the raid arc and All For One basically winning that into it all. With this current act being the "final" one I think that it's safe to say that it's the one where all that build up of all the stories will pay off. This first arc being the payoff for all the negative aspects of Deku's journey and his idolization of hero society.
So there's a lot to look forward to.
In regards to Ochako, I have read the interview you mentioned and I want to make it clear that whenever she's be in the spotlight the writing for her is really strong and engaging. I just think that when considering her spot as the main heroine of the series and Deku's first real friend she hasn't gotten as much spotlight as other characters that are as narratively important as her. So I'm hoping for lots of really good stuff from her in this act.