Didn’t TLJ imply that Luke’s sacrifice would inspire rebellion across the galaxy? Wasn’t that what the end scene was all about?
Instead we got Luke sacrificing himself for no reason, no one in the galaxy caring about the First Order for a whole year, and then Lando somehow convinces the entire galaxy to fight the First Order in the span of 30 minutes.
Mm, not quite. The end of TLJ implies that the Force, hope, and people’s belief in what is good and right would continue to inspire rebellion against the forces of evil, as it always had, and that the seed of Millenium Falcon and its occupants, particularly Rey but really also everyone else, will grow in this galaxy of fertile soil, the spark that reignites the fire. Not many would necessarily know of Luke’s sacrifice, but that’s okay; his legend is firmly established as an example in the minds of many.
That’s the problem though: Luke’s legend doesn’t inspire rebellion across the galaxy. The Resistance has barely grown in the year between TLJ and TROS, and the only reason anyone bothered to show up at the final battle at Exegol was because of Lando’s insane smooth-talking skills. It’s another example of JJ throwing away all the good stuff from TLJ.
Oh, I wasn’t disagreeing with that. I haven’t even seen TROS.