Also people being like "why go from no references in C2 to this" and I don't get why this is a question.
C2 was directly after C1, literally as fresh of the press as possible. It would've felt like they were trying to rehash the formula, or use cheap fanservice to keep critters tuned in.
It's been a while since C1 now, though.
C3, for all its faults, also doesn't do it cheaply. VM and M9 being there feels earned. Sometimes, I wish it wouldn't limit BH (or rather the players limit themselves). However, the how and why VM especially got involved makes sense.
The Somnovum was such a niche villain, and in no way on the same level as Ludinus. Ludinus is threatening the fabric of the universe, and all of VM have incredibly high stakes in this.
As a fan, smn who became a critter with C2, I want closure for VM. I want them to save Vax, to find a solution for him - they deserve happiness. And this conflict has been brewing for so long, and Matt managed to tie all of it into the Ludinus plot sooooo incredibly (like who shoves a Vax into an orb? Who does that?).
I'm just tired of people hating. It's often so mindless, feeding into the "I don't like it = it's objectively wrong" narrative and doesn't put forward anything productive.
As a DM and DnD player, I long for the things Matt gets to do. Imagine yourself in their shoes, imagine playing DnD for such a long time with different characters and then you get to witness the impact all of them had. You get to witness them BE the heroes, and save the world again. That's incredible!
C3 has gone beyond fanservice - fanservice is them putting callbacks into the animated series, it's them asking for the members of the Taldorei council. It's all a service to the players, too, because they themselves are fans as much as players. Do people not feel joy when the cast gets to fuck around Whitestone and meet the De Rolo kids? Do these watchers not yell out when they hear a familiar German accent?
If so, I kinda pity them because why deprave yourself of all that fun. You can not like sth. That's up to you, but pushing these narratives to somehow justify it despite dislike just...sometimes being enough? Not great. Especially if they're not ready to then engage in meaningful discussions...