I can’t help but think the movie would be much stronger if most of those fan servicey things were not included. But, those things are the impetus for such a film, so it always would have been that way.
Star Wars needs to start branching out and defining itself apart from what came before, and not in the way TLJ feaux-tried to, if it’s going to be viable going forward (artistically, not financially, of course).
And FFS, this is just my opinion. Just needs to be said around here.