This is the biggest pitfall of all fan service efforts. It’s what cheapened Trek, as fan service killed what got the fans in the first place. It ruined the final seasons of Game of Thrones. It poisons pretty much everything J. J. Abrams does, making sweet, airy pastries that cause gut pains and loud groans later.
The ironic part is that Star Wars basically started off as a Flash Gordon fan service, it wasn’t supposed to be more than one movie, a salute to the matinee cliffhangers. And in that respect, in series form the Star Wars franchise does better because the original three movies played that Saturday matinee feeling to the hilt.
