Why would the movie not do something that pleases fans? Some of us old geezers have waited 32 years for that moment. Seeing Luke again was the emotional payoff.
It was a payoff because it was nostalgia. If you remove Luke and Rey staring at each other, the story still has the same result. They found the map of where Luke Skywalker is hiding and Rey has taken the first steps on her journey in the Force.