But I'm also not finding him that interesting or funny at all. Right now he feels largely like a placeholder and a black hole of narrative energy.

But... that's because that's what he is at this point in the show? From what I recall, anyway. He's just there to provide comic relief at the moment. (I think he never gets better at providing comic relief, I'm afraid, but the show does get better about giving him a personality and something to do either in this season or in the next one.)