their were only two other "arcs", a mediocre 5 parter, based around haruhi and crew making a movie was the other big one. It really doesn't have much substance and can be condensed into a 2 parter easily. It does have some great moments, but overall i just couldn't get passed how dragged on it felt.
for fans of the first season, you can probably just watch the first episode and you should be fine. you aren't missing much be ignoring the rest of the season. The last five episodes are savable if you want to watch them, but seriously, ignore the endless eight. they do feel endless. (or, if you're the obsessive type who wants to see every story no matter how bad, watch the first and last episodes of the endless eight. You'll get the idea.)
