Oftentimes, what you overhear your Star Wars-inclined acquaintances arguing over are what we call the "great nerd debates": differences in opinion over whether the "original" or "special edition" is canon, or who would beat whom in a fight. Merely knowing Greedo is a bounty hunter does not prepare you to follow the old "Han shot first" debate. This section is a primer course to enable you to follow, if you choose, these ad nauseum arguments, and even offer your own (read: our own) opinion.
An example: in 1977, George Lucas offered the world Star Wars, a galaxy-wide adventure. Followed up by The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), this "classic" trilogy tantalized audiences with hints and glimpses of a glorious past.
Then, in 1999, George Lucas pooped on the past.
This video highlights a few of the contradictions, not to mention some of the utterly absurd "plot" twists, the prequels brought about.
