Despite appearances, this isn’t actually just about criticizing TLJ.

This is about arguing that most of TLJ’s positively received elements, even among its biggest fans, have already maximized their output, and are holding the rest of the franchise back if they’re respected going forward.

I’m not arguing for outright retcons… but I am arguing for ignoring what elements were liabilities going forward, and focusing more on tending the more profitable and higher quality ideas that run contrary to it - away from Reylo, away from Ben Solo, away from sad and useless Luke not refounding the Jedi, and towards Finn as a major hero and Rey’s closest companion, towards Rey having some serious issues and grudges against Ben/Kylo, and towards Luke having successes in reforming the Jedi off screen.

Understand: Reylo fans will still have the kiss that they ignored Kylo’s actions and Rey’s humanity for, fans of Sad And Failed Luke will still have the only real story it could tell, Ben Solo fans get the shallow retread they waited three films for and were insecure around Finn for. They still got all the stuff they needed to be happy.

But you’re going to make better Star Wars stories after TROS if you address John Boyega’s complaints and the complaints of Finn fans, ignore TLJ’s insistence he was a selfish coward, and embrace that Force-user idea. You’re going to make better Star Wars stories if you fix Rey by realizing Ben Solo was a cancerous companion for her to get stuck with, and to let her POV reflect reality rather than Adam-Driver-worshipping-fantasy. You’re going to make better Star Wars stories by having Luke have some students he trained before his psychopathic narcissist of nephew destroyed his larger school, like Grogu.

Yes, I still think The Last Jedi was a bad movie… but I think the worse aspects fo it was the way it hampered and neutered that era of the franchise.