What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Lauront]

I suppose, but when he has stated in prior interviews that Emet-Selch is a character intended to render the Ascians understandable and more sympathetic to the players, surely him achieving that is the character playing his role to perfection? Plus Yoshi is angling it around the topic of forgiveness, so I'd say it ties perhaps a bit less into how thoroughgoing a villain Emet-Selch portrayed.

As for Venat, seconded - I presume they also felt that the Q&A had covered her in enough depth without wanting to draw more attention to her as a character.