> All the references to the original movies are on point

How I Met Your Mother was a very popular show.

But when I watched it, I was struck by the fact that in many, many places where an ordinary sitcom would have a joke, HIMYM instead had a continuity reference. Everything about the structure of the scene would suggest that the reference had been a comical beat, and the laugh track would play, but there was not even the faintest suggestion of... a joke.

If I want to hear about things that happened in the original movies, I can watch them. Does referring to them improve Andor somehow?

I think it's a personal preference. I personally like very subtle references to the classic trilogy: a non-fan can still follow the scene without problems, but for a fan, the same scene can carry a stronger impact and deeper meaning.

I believe this more intense effect, at least for me, stems from the connection to the unique 'pathos' of the original three films. That's my two cents.