Pertaining to the "equal time" argument for TLJ, I think it boils down to being able to separate objectively demonstrable structural flaws from subjective opinion. I loved Poe's crank call on Hux, for instance. Others despise it. That's subjective. I like to think mine is at least based on objective -- it's in character for both, it serves a purpose and isnt just random time-eating, and it sets up what happens next.
The big problem is that nothing can be fixed in IX. Star Wars' structural flaws go back to at least the '80s (arguably earlier) and are largely George's fault. Constraining the story to the trilogies model drastically over-limits the audience getting the information they need up on the screen. The ST is only the latest example, and a case can be made it's "worse" due to the shaky foundation of George's on-the-fly revising of the story in Empire and Jedi, further destabilized by the shortcuts, contrivances, and contradictions of the Prequels. That it couldn't be anything else than what we got because they only gave themselves three movies to tell a story that needs more.
So I stopped expecting anything and have just sat back to enjoy what I can out of Star Wars since somewhere between ROTJ and the Special Editions. I can't hold Lucasfilm (Not Disney. Stop blaming Disney.) to a higher standard because that battle has already long since been lost. Probably on that day in the early '70s when George didn't have enough faith in his creation and decided to pull from the middle of his notes to make a standalone movie. I'm gonna go see IX. Most likely opening night. In real IMAX. Probably more than once in its theatrical run. I'll probably like it. I can practically guarantee that within 48 hours I'll be able to tell you how it could have been done better -- or, more to the point, where it needed to fit into a larger-numbered saga of episodes. If Marvel's only just past the "setting things up" stage twenty films in, surely Star Wars could have comparable legs, if allowed...
That's about all I can say here, since I've only seen as much about IX as the rest of y'all. And Celebration has so failed to engage my enthusiasm (we're less than three months out and the only celebs so far are voice actors -- mostly for Resistance -- and authors; plus they dragged their feet on the room blocks for the costuming groups, and when finally revealed to not be enough of a savings to justify it, the other "nearby" hotels have long since been booked solid...) that we're selling our passes and hoping the next one might not suck. Celebration IV in '07 (run by GenCon) has so far been a high-water mark ReedPop hasn't come anywhere close to. Can't say I'm shocked. Emerald City Comic Con (local to me) has become an exercise in mediocrity since they bought it.
So I'm looking forward to seeing what anyone who does go posts in here about the next episode.
