It is quite obvious that the whole character is being set up for a redemption. First they needed to make him dirty by killing Obi W... I mean Han Solo. In EP9 there will be some cheesy family reveal (possibly about Rey) that makes him turn, just before he dies.
Not too difficult to predict what will happen. After Yoda trains Luke in EP8.. gosh sorry, I meant Luke trains Rey, Jabba will release Finn and Snoke will reveal that he is the mother of Chewbacca.
Seriously, EP7 was simple as a stick. I believe that Disney took the prequels' failure as a hint that complex stories not working with SW. However, it was the execution. In the 2010's we want some uniqueness at least, if not complexity. If EP8 will be another EP5, the franchise will lose some serious appeal.