Syme: I like Firefly a lot. It certainly helped that the Southern accents of the cast were above average for actors.
Whedon does take the opportunity to get in a few licks at religion, even despite the presence of the Shepherd. The Buddhist core worlds are corrupt and dehumanized. The frontiers are full of wacko Christians. I often don't know whether to be relieved or irritated that every time someone seems to be quoting from the Bible, the quote is completely fabricated.
But on the whole, I thought the show was great. One thing that made me sorry the show was cut short was the resolution of the reaver plotline in the movie. Given all the beliefs people had about reavers at the beginning of the show, it would have been interesting to see that develop more slowly.
And yes, Out of Gas is an amazing episode. Heart of Gold is terrible. It's pretty clear why the network didn't run that one. It contains all of Wheddon's worst tendencies in one episode.