TLJ really failed to advance almost anything. Rey and Finn had good chemistry in TFA (though Finn is a bit of an unfortunate stereotype of a bumbling black sidekick), then they're separated the whole of TLJ and Finn is on pointless side trek with Rose who apparently has gotten the Jar Jar treatment (how Jar Jar in AOTC was minimized so much because everyone hated him). They also didn't even have Poe meet Rey until the last five minutes, if he's supposed to be part of this "trio".
The only things that really happened in TLJ were they killed Snoke (most pointless character ever) and Luke in underwhelming fashion, and Kylo is now head of The First Order, which is hard enough to swallow that he's capable of really being in charge of anything.
JJ has his work cut out for him righting this ship, and nothing can ever wipe off the stain of such a misfired middle chapter to this trilogy.