How much fan service is a bad thing?

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Although not a huge fan of the show, I've watched all the episodes of Downton Abbey over the years. I read a few reviews of the recent movie and many of them sing a common song--that it includes too much "fan service." I assume they mean the Wikipedia definition, "material in a work of fiction or in a fictional series which is intentionally added to please the audience." (Manga and anime fan service usually has a slightly different meaning, to include racy content meant to please fans.) The reviewers say the movie includes too many story arcs--a plot for every character--so no one is disappointed that their fave character isn't featured enough. A couple of reviews have also said that because no one dies or ends up unhappy (of course poor Edith can't be totally happy) the movie is fan service.

Well, I'm not sure how I feel about that and, of course, I started thinking about it in terms of the last QT book. The books have all had bad things happen to the characters but the endings have always been...hopeful, though not completely "happily ever after." Does a book have to have beloved characters die in order to be taken seriously? I feel like the Harry Potter and Hunger Games series both threw in a bunch of painful character deaths at the end there to, what, satisfy critics and be seen as realistic?

I love the Masterpiece Mystery Endeavour series, which has often ended a season on a real downer note, with deaths or tragedy for the main characters. This most recent season was different, with a really kick-ass exciting happy ending. And, when it was over, I thought, "this was so unrealistic as to the show's past universe but BY GOD I LOVE THE HAPPY ENDING." 

What do you all think about it? If an author gives readers a satisfying ending with a low body count, is that a bad thing? I guess what I'm getting at is...Gen doesn't have to die, does he?

Oh, and this is cute: Book Nerd Problems: Your Favorite Character Dies