I think you have it exactly right about The Mandalorian: a weekly release with time to theorize between episodes, the novelty of a live-action Star Wars show... also, its focus on a white man means that some potential criticism ends up muted or unexplored.

(I realized--after finishing the season and watching the closing credits of the final episode--that Jon Favreau was heavily involved in making the show. This resulted in a big "Oh, of course!" moment for me. Favreau and I just don't mesh well very often. I sometimes don't enjoy his writing or directing. Even when I do like what he makes, it's rarely an enthusiastic kind of appreciation.)