Do any of you guys discuss upcoming spoilers or your concerns/praise of the films with people in person?
When TFA came out, one of my closest friends joined the Star Wars bandwagon, and began purchasing merchandise and comic books related to the series. He and I watched ANH and ESB together so I could explain things to him, but I don't believe he has ever seen the prequels or ROTJ. He began watching Rebels this year, and doesn't quite understand the Clone Wars or how they fit into things (without any context I could see the confusion).
However, he really enjoyed TFA as a film. He is the kind of person who enjoys every single thing he encounters, and never has a critical opinion about any form of media. Just as Star Wars can apparently do no wrong, his beloved Marvel films are always flawless. Following TFA's release I was critical of the movie, as I didn't enjoy it at all. It's one of my least favorite films (generally speaking). I was cognitive to not be overly critical, as there were some "cool" factors, but it just wasn't a film I enjoyed. My friend had the opposite opinion, where the film was 100% perfect. Following a casual conversation about the pros and cons of TFA in late December of that year he didn't talk to me for 3 months.
What started that disconnect was our initial conversation, and then that evening I collected my thoughts, read the TFA thread here, and posted my opinion of the film (acknowledging the positives as well, and how it would be a good film for new fans) on Facebook. Both he and his wife ripped me a new on social media and effectively stopped being my friends. I had several people even comment on how he had become overly upset about differing opinions on TFA, and apparently he stopped talking to other people who disliked the film as well.
Have any of you had similar experiences with friends?
I ask, because I sent him the link to TLJ's trailer the moment it was released, and he did not want to talk about it. Apparently Star Wars is still a sore topic for him. I just find it odd he is so connected to something he had liked for two weeks (while I had been a fan for 20+ years).