Now, I did really expect some return of neo-SSPX to the more paleo-SSPX attitude after the excommunication, since that largely scuttled any talks they were in and the compromises they felt they needed to make in order to continue them. But no such luck. Instead they appealed the excommunication .. which implies that it might have validity, since there's no need for them to lift a non-excommunication. I felt also that they compromised on NO Holy Orders precisely because of the talks and they could now stop pretending. But that hasn't happened either.