Since I was a little kid, I've always been a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise.

From the classic movies to the Clone Wars television show, to even the dreaded prequel trilogy, this universe has always been an amazing escape for me. In recent years, however, most Star Wars projects have turned into confusing messes that, while having good moments, largely do not capture the same fire that the original films held.

That is, all except one series.

Jon Favreau's The Mandalorianhas gained a ton of praise for being one of the best stories created within George Lucas's universe. Why is this series superior to other interpretations? From what I have seen, this series is able to combine all of the aspects that people like about Star Wars. From previously-established alien races to a significant lack of convoluted exposition scenes, to (most importantly) more human characters and relationships. In this series, characters go from the very flat, one-dimensional characters of the sequel trilogy to more well-rounded, flawed characters that are more fun to watch.

Additionally, it takes us in a new direction within the Star Wars universe. While many would consider the Skywalker saga to be a "space opera". By comparison, The Mandalorian would be considered a "space western". While the main series dealt with very dramatic, epic events on a large scale, The events depicted in The Mandalorian are on a much smaller scale and allows for more character-based storytelling. Bottom line, the reason that The Madalorian works are because it takes Star Wars back to the basics.