Get over yourself. You’re not better or smarter than everyone else. Yes, the PT both mirrored and predicted IRL events. That’s what good social commentary does. And, yes, you could learn the lessons taught in those movies through other media or history, but the same could be said about tons of stuff. You could say literally the exact same thing about Andor, which is deservedly getting a lot of praise right now.

Every generation needs fiction that speaks to them and meets them where they’re at. Maybe you could learn the same things taught in the PT by watching something else or reading about history. But that’s not as accessible and engaging to everyone, especially the children who the PT was geared towards. Get off your high horse and recognize that not everything needs to be perfect or groundbreaking to have a genuinely important contribution to society and culture.

You said the first scene, by which I assume you’re referencing when Rey hands him the lightsaber and he tosses it away, “basically took a shit on a beloved character by way of cheap slapstick,” which I thoroughly disagree with. I think him rejecting the lightsaber is perfectly in character with what we saw in the OT and the 30 years of character development since.

TLJ is legitimately one of the best Star Wars movies, and Luke’s characterization in it, right down to rejecting the lightsaber, is more in-line with his characterization in the OT than anything else he’s ever been in, including everything in Legends and the new expanded universe canon.

There’s problems with them, especially with dialogue and the existence of Jar Jar. But they were also incredibly prescient for the modern political climate. I think it’s an important story about how a scared and lonely child raised by people who told him to suppress and ignore his emotions can turn into a fascist while also telling the story of how a manufactured political crisis can get a populace to support the transition from a liberal representative democracy to a fascist dictatorship.

The Last Jedi is legitimately a very good movie.

The Force Awakens is fine, but dull and mostly forgettable.

The Rise of Skywalker is just bad.

Boy, you couldn’t be more wrong.

The wonderful people at BLEEEP. So long as you leave them and their child-hunting island alone they’ll never instigate an insurrection against anyone.

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Funnily enough, a big part of why the series didn’t even get a full first season, let alone the 7 seasons Whedon had planned, was because when Fox aired the show they did NOT air the pilot first. Fox execs didn’t like the Pilot (which had the infantry scene you referenced) and chose to kick off the series by dropping 3 episodes on the first night. They launched with episodes 2, 3, & 6. They then continued with this out-of-order lineup: 7, 8, 4, 5, 9, 10, 14, pilot, 13, 11, 12.

The show overall isn’t super serialized, but the pilot does actually introduce the characters well. Throwing the audience into the 2nd episode without the introduction to the characters in the pilot was confusing to the audience. Then jumping around, there are constant little mentions to something that happened earlier, but the audience hadn’t seen yet. Then jumping into the pilot late in the run makes it super weird.

The out-of-order release, which was an attempt by the Fox execs to do exactly what you suggested, absolutely killed the show before it had a chance to build an audience.

There’s plenty of reasons, especially in the modern media landscape. One big reason is that people consume TV differently now. Older shows and modern prestige TV are made to be watched with your full attention. But a lot of people watch shows as background while scrolling phones or doing other stuff. If you try to put a show like The Expanse, to OP’s point, on in the background, you’re going to miss a lot and be totally confused. I can see why someone might pass on it at that point, but then find it much more engaging if they try again while paying full attention.

The Expanse is absolutely one of, if not the, best sci-fi shows ever made. There are another 3 books which haven’t been adapted into the show (yet?). There’s a sizeable time gap between where the show ends and when thee final 3 books take place. And they started setting up the plot of the final 3 books in the show. There’s definitely room for a follow-up movie or revival. But the whole book series (as well as the numerous short-stories set within the same universe) is totally worth a read (or audiobook listen). The ending is bittersweet, but I’ve never got such a satisfying end to such an epic story. Then the epilogue knocked me on my ass and left me wanting so much more.

My answer to the question, though, is Breaking Bad. I got it recommended so many time. I sat down and tried to start it 3 or 4 times and just couldn’t get hooked by the first couple of episodes. It wasn’t until someone forced me to watch the entire first season. I got hooked by the episode where Walt blows up Tuco with the fulminated mercury.

someone monetizes it.

It might have been, but it really wasn’t.

It wasn’t even that they wanted to pay higher taxes. The Stamp and Tea Acts actually LOWERED the taxes. But it was incredibly easy to get around paying the taxes previously. So what Parliament did was say, “guys, you have to actually start paying the taxes, but we’ll make them lower as a compromise.”

That’s why the American elites revolted.

I also enjoy that a bit insubstantial number of his problems are the result of him just messing up while trying to do the right thing. Like the entire plot of No Way Home was caused my multiple screwups while Peter was trying to help people.

but finding the time isn’t trivial

Preach it! I work 40+ hours plus have a 3yo and 5yo. There’s no such thing as free time except when I’m supposed to be sleeping.

This one right here, for starts. Just post your question.

Or as a lot of their tankie supporters claim.

Monarchs 500 years ago could also travel at whim, enjoy different cultures, and learn about any subject available to them without restriction. And the great thing about a divine mandate is that monarchs didn’t have to do a single damn thing they didn’t want to and could still keep their power.

I’m a licensed electrician. I do construction for my job.

If I didn’t need to work to support myself and my family, I’d offer my services as a licensed electrician to my community at-cost. I’d charge for materials, but not my own labor. Basically, just use the skills I have to support others in my community who could benefit from those skills.

But I also wouldn’t work anything close to 40 hours/week.