I think the Mandalorian might be the most SW thing since SW. Sure SW has always been epic, but it was also inspired by formats of pulp sci fi that were episodic. Lucas made a movie that was still very episodic. The act breaks in the original film are the most distinct in all of cinema perhaps. And Act 2 on the Death star was definitely less about narrative thrust so much as showing the characters' bonding as they go form one exciting incident to the other .. which is Lucas trying to recapture something form the old serials. But since SW is now just epic big films ever since, that serialized film (while not entirely lost) has become a bit mitigated... yet with the Mandalorian you are getting short half hour episodes that, while connected, could seem to thrive on the fact that we have to wait a week to see what new pratfalls will happen next.. we are meant to wait a week to see what he might decide to do.. we are meant to wait a week to see if the adventure will continue as we expect or if he will have to do a side quest. I hate to say it.. but maybe SW is more suited now to streaming and this half hour format than it was to big films after the first couple of films were made.
Hell, I wish they'd DO an old style 'cliffhanger' ending for one or more of these 'The Mandalorian' episodes, maybe they actually will at some point...but given the way they've done the first two, I doubt it will happen.