You’re honestly insane if you think people defending this film is “prequel-type apologia.”
Not to me it’s not. I feel the same as Jay, I shouldn’t have to wait for some other movie or book or spinoff to explain to me some esoteric, speciously thin reason of why B followed A. I’ve been listening to this same kind of far-stretched rationalizing for those garbage films for over 16 years.
TFA is much better than Episodes I-III. It is fun if you don’t take it seriously, and there’s a lot to like in the movie. But there’s also a lot not to like. Which is why I give it a “meh” rating and am left wondering what could have been.