Johnson does call the episodes “gorgeous and boundary-pushing” and those are certainly both things that would have to be said about Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
It’s entire existence potentially changes quite a lot about how you view the Force and Star Wars as a whole.
While Rian Johnson doesn’t talk specifically about how these episodes influenced him, it’s not hard to see how.
While arguments still abound about the movie overall, nobody is claiming the film isn’t beautiful or that Rian Johnson didn’t push the limits of what Star Wars had been up to that point.