I still think Palpatine being the ultimate evil of the ST was the way to go.
They had the perfect opportunity in one small scene to fix all the complaints about Snoke AND also fit the storyline: SOLO. Instead of Maul being the criminal empire leader cameo, just have a younger (unscarred, too) Snoke.
One scene explains where Snoke was during the OT, where he got his power/money, why he dresses in an ostentatious glittering robe (he’s a wealthy crimelord, not a sith lord), where he got obsessed with the Solo family, and thematically wraps up his role in the cycle of revenge.