OT (Off Topic): Douthat on Star Wars Episode 7

(Minor spoiler alert too:)

If you want it (for, say, holiday dinner-table arguments), Ross Douthat gives a long, detailed list of why The Force Awakens is not a reboot of, but rather the "the same frickin' movie" as, previous ones. He almost persuades me that its overwhelming critical success is evidence of cultural decadence. (No reason to post this here, except that MOJ writers frequently discuss what Douthat says and this gave me an excuse to endorse this view of Ep. 7.) And yes, if the attractive new characters are given an interesting new plot in the next two episodes, the new series will prove to be a success.