>The parts I was intially mad at
>(Snoke being a non-issue, Luke being a pussy, Rey not getting
>tempted by the darkside) were because I went in wanting those
>beats and Rian was like, "Nah, lets stay away from all this
>nostalgia for a bit" and In hindsight it was great choice.
>
>I have no idea what movie 9 is gonna be and the series is
>better for it

As I was walking out of the theater I knew I had really enjoyed the movie, but I also felt like it didn't meed my expectations. And even as I was feeling that way, I KNEW I would need time to process whether it was just an issue of me going in wanting certain things to happen, or if the movie itself was underwhelming. And honestly, by the time I got home I realized that it was the former.

Last Jedi reminds me of ESB. Not in terms of the plot although there are some similarities, but in how it fits within the trilogy, and where it took the series after the first film. As a kid, Empire was my least favorite of the original trilogy, and it wasn't until I was high school/college age that I realized that it was the best. Because if you watched Star Wars, then later watched Empire, there was so much that wouldn't have gone the way you expected. The entire movie was the "good guys" taking Ls, and instead of the triumph of blowing up the Death Star in A New Hope, it ends with the "good guys" retreating with their tails between their legs and the main character dealing with a huge revelation that both he and the audience don't know is true since the reveal came from the villain. The same overarching thing happens in TLJ without actually recycling the plot at all.

You almost have to see it twice to appreciate it - not because it's complicated at all, but to first cleanse your palate of your expectations before enjoying it for what it is.