I disagree with that article completely. Rey Palpatine wasn’t done for any storytelling reason, it was just done to please people who were pissed that Rey was a nobody in TLJ.
It’s possible that it was initially conceived as a reaction to fan outrage (though I doubt it), but it absolutely serves a storytelling function. Destiny is not determined by lineage or the sins of the father. That’s Rey’s story (such as it is) and maybe the only thematic material we get in the whole movie. It’s not strong, but it’s there.
And I really don’t like Rey taking the Skywalker name without permission, just because some ghosts smiled at her. If Jeff Bezos smiled at me, would that mean I’m a billionaire? Rey’s arc in TROS makes no sense, and it devalues TLJ’s message that anyone can be a hero. It’s one of those moments that was clearly designed to be a dig at TLJ, like “Go away, Rose!” and “A Jedi’s weapon deserves more respect.”
Luke already passed the mantle to her in TLJ. Leia clearly has a maternal relationship with her in this movie, so it’s more than just smiling ghosts. Her choosing the name Skywalker is symbolic, it implies that she will continue the Skywalker legacy and reinforces the only theme in the movie of choosing your own path and not letting lineage define you.
Rey being a Palpatine is probably a regression, but her accepting the Skywalker name I think was inevitable and probably would have happened either way.