Maybe my biggest takeaway regarding companions is that they suggests to me that Wizards has really doesn't understand why Commander is such a popular format.

Commander isn't popular because you have a legend in your command zone. While that is a unique aspect of the format, the reason Commander is popular is because the incentive is to have a fun game with your friends rather than to win at all costs.

As a result, it's impossible to port over what makes Commander popular to tournament formats. The incentives are completely different. In a very real sense (imo), the companion debacle is about Wizards just not "getting" Commander as much as anything else.