Anakins sudden fall to the Dark Side makes sense in context
OK so Anakin makes the choice to side with the Emperor by chopping off Mace Windus arm and then he's christened Darth Vader and now all of a sudden he's killing kids... What?!?!? Yes this abrupt fall into evil is a major gripe for those that aren't fans of the Prequels.
BUT
If you figure that series of moments into the larger series....
Yoda says in ESB that "once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny". When Luke faces the Emperor in a battle of wills the Emperor makes mention that all Luke has to do is strike him down and his journey to the dark side will be COMPLETE... Also he stops just short of that defining moment by not killing Vader.
These statements if looked at literally make the swift fall of Anakin Skywalker make a lot more sense; what these characters are saying and now what has been show in that the Dark Sides hold is strong and immediate; once you cross that line your mind will depend into evil fully; there doesnt seem to be any gradual shift. Once youre Dark Side thats pretty much it.
Anyways, that is just something that I noticed; for all the inconsistencies in lining up the two trilogies this is one that actually makes more sense in the context of the entire saga.