I’ve been hearing one year, but even then I agree with Zach that a relationship could have just developed in between films. Even six months would be enough time to justify it. Also, doesn’t Poppa’s version keep Finn covering Rose on the Falcon? I think that alone hints that Finn might have feelings for her.
I think the bigger concern is if the “not fighting what we hate/saving what we love” will be a lesson Finn utilizes in IX. Though even then you could argue it is something he just comes to learn from Rose overtime, unless they directly refer to it I suppose.
In retrospect, I think the easiest way to solve the issue with that scene is to use darthrush’s idea (that Poppa built off of) and have it seem like Finn is about to get shot, but then Rose saves him from the oncoming laser and it continues as is. You wouldn’t be drastically altering what happens or any choices a character makes, but it makes it clearer that Finn was not going to stop the cannon. Because I think that is sort of the main reason people have a problem with the whole scene, because it wasn’t as clear as it could’ve been that Finn was not going to disable the cannon. So everything else Rose does, the line, the kiss, seems selfish and a “dumb”, as the stranger I sat next to in my second viewing called it, because not everyone felt Finn was going to 100% fail. But if an AT-AT shoots right at him, and we start thinking he is going to die for nothing, and Rose pushes him out of the way at the last minute, then it would be clearer that Finn was going to fail, and you wouldn’t be drastically changing what happened.
I think the solution Poppa has in Rekindled now, though, is really the best version for people who just didn’t like Rose’s speech and the kiss, regardless. If Poppa doesn’t like that moment, then I think he can stick with it as-is without having to worry about IX contradicting it. But if that line might be important in IX, then I think it might be something worth considering down the road. I think Poppa’s version is good, but it would be something I would like to see a future editor try out down the road.
AbramPT, I do see your point about Phasma too. For those who didn’t like Phasma, they probably won’t care and probably just be happy that she is gone. And if she does show up, then it still works because she could’ve just gotten extremely wounded by all the destruction in the hangar.