I tried to read as much as I could so apologies if it was already discussed. But has there been much discussion about artificially padding time of passage between TFA and TLJ? It’s always been an annoyance how TLJ immediately takes place after TFA with little room to breathe.
The challenge of course is visually showing a significant amount of time has passed. There could be little cues such as Rey with her hair down, perhaps to show progression in her Jedi training. Perhaps earlier sequences in TLJ could be regulated to flashbacks. Rey’s storyline could be toyed around with from having visions of the past and/or future when she falls into that dark side energy cave.
Briefly have the idea that Rey feels as though she’s physically in the presence of Kylo Ren, like a premonition, when he’s asking her to join him. It could be set up that she’s conflicted that she may have the temptations of the darkside, hence you see her about to raise her hand to meet Kylo’s. Then later in the movie, the actual scene plays out where she rejects his offer, signalling her solidfication in the lightside. Idk, just spitballing here.