Interestingly enough, "Serenity" was not the first episode aired. Apparently the FOX executives didn't care for the pilot because they thought that it didn't have enough action and that Mal was too serious. Admittedly I agree with them, for I was relatively unimpressed with the pilot and understood why the FOX execs didn't want to air it. Although I liked that "Serenity" established certain elements of the show such as the harsh frontier life, the crew's distrust of the Alliance, and River's mysterious background, I wasn't crazy about most of the characters.

An ensemble cast of quirky characters is often challenging to create since many often have cookie cutter personalities. Wash just seems to be there to crack jokes while Kaylee is there to be cute and adorable. Book bores me with his stoic attitude, and Inara reminds me too much of Counselor Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation, minus the empath abilities. I didn't like Mal. He seemed crabby, mean, and unpleasant. I was pleased to see him lighten up in the second episode. My favorite character so far is Jayne, who had me rolling with laughter during an interrogation scene. Baldwin, known for playing no-nonsense, badass characters such as Animal Mother in Full Metal Jacket, appears to have fun with Jayne, as if he were portraying a parody of his past tough guy roles. I also don't like the storyline regarding River and Simon's past. The whole notion of a mysterious agency experimenting on people is too X-Files for me. Will we be seeing creepy men in black chasing the group in subsequent episodes?

After the lackluster impression "Serenity" made on me, I was reluctant to continue watching the series. However, I've heard so many positive reviews about the show, not just from critics but from word-of-mouth. And while a strong pilot is key to winning an audience, often times they are rocky. The actors are still discovering their roles, the writers are trying to find the right direction to lead the story, etc. Therefore I've decided to give it a second chance and continue watching.