Most disappointing is the decision to go back to a ragtag rebels versus oppressive empire style of story. It would have been much more interesting for the remnants of the Empire to be the small guerilla group fighting the established New Republic.
Good point. This is actually the most disappointing aspect of the ST for myself.
You could kind of view the three trilogies in the following manner if you feel similar to how I do:
Prequel Trilogy: Good Overall Story, Bad Characters
Original Trilogy: Good Overall Story, Good Characters
Sequel Trilogy: Lackluster Overall Story, Good Characters
Just my two cents but obviously doesn’t apply if you like the ST story.