There is a subset of the fanbase with a bizarre fixation/belief that any references to the past are bad because it demonstrates a lack of innovation or creativity and it's "relying on nostalgia," which is automatically bad because.....well, they dont' feel it or care about so one else should.
My gripe with it is totally different, and the finale was a classic example on display: When half your crew are characters with plot armor because they appear in a 'later' show, it removes all tension and drama. Case in point which has already been mentioned numerous times: Chapel being alive aboard the saucer. Was there ever any doubt she had somehow survived? Of course not. She's immortal as far as this show is concerned- better off than Duncan MacLeod on Highlander.
There were only three characters that had to be here: Spock, Pike, and Una. Even Una is arguable, because she's a blank slate after The Cage / The Menagerie, never seen or heard from again. They could have killed her off one episode in, had they wanted to. But as things stand, here's what we've got:
Pike: Immortal. Plot Armor.
Spock: Immortal. Plot Armor.
Uhura: Immortal. Plot Armor.
Chapel: Immortal. Plot Armor.
M'Benga: Immortal. Plot Armor.
Scotty: Immortal. Plot Armor.
Kirk: Immortal. Plot Armor.
It's not about references to the past being bad. It's about a terrible case of incestuous 'small universe' syndrome that serves to hamstring storylines, writers, and the ability to generate some genuine suspense. That's
my issue with it.