Cast
Complete series cast summary:
  Nathan Fillion  ...  Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds (14 episodes, 2002-2003) 
  Gina Torres  ...  Zoë Washburne (14 episodes, 2002-2003) 
  Alan Tudyk  ...  Hoban 'Wash' Washburne (14 episodes, 2002-2003) 
  Morena Baccarin  ...  Inara Serra (14 episodes, 2002-2003) 
  Adam Baldwin  ...  Jayne Cobb (14 episodes, 2002-2003) 
  Jewel Staite  ...  Kaylee Frye (14 episodes, 2002-2003) 
  Sean Maher  ...  Dr. Simon Tam (14 episodes, 2002-2003) 
  Summer Glau  ...  River Tam (14 episodes, 2002-2003) 
  Ron Glass  ...  Shepherd Book (14 episodes, 2002-2003) 

Storyline

Captain Malcom 'Mal' Reynolds is a former galactic war veteran who is the captain of the transport ship "Serenity", Mal his crew of hired transporters, Mal's ensign Zoe Alleyne Washburne, Zoe's husband, pilot Hoban 'Wash' Washburne, muscular former combat soldier Jayne Cobb, young engineer Kaylee Frye, former Alliance medical officer Simon Tam, his teenage sister River (Both on-the-run from the Interplanetary government "The Alliance"), the beautiful "companion" Inara Serra and religious man Shepard Book do legal or illegal jobs (smuggling, protecting, guns-for-hire, robberies) as the Serenity crew travels across the outskirts of Outer Space for food, money, anything to make a living on, as The Serenity crew tries to stay under the radar of The Alliance and pulls dangerous jobs in the Alliance controlled star systems.

This show blew me away. The beauty of the production, the detail in the sets, the well written characters, the intelligent stories and concepts, the fun, the drama, and the excitement all amazed me. I don't usually spend time watching TV, but I honestly hated having to wait until the next show! :)

The special effects are seamlessly integrated and beautifully detailed. The manner in which the show was presented - the hand-held cameras, the use of zooms, and the occasional off-focus effect - was very intriguing, giving it a look of a show that was real and gritty, something that really caught your attention but didn't distract you from what was being presented. It made you feel like you were really there, like it was believable.

While there was a Western attitude and flavor to some of the episodes, I always felt that it was more about the lack of authority, the fact that people were just dropped out on these planets without the kinds of support that you would expect. It's presented very well and makes sense to me, although I've heard others take a different approach to it.

If you have the opportunity to get the DVDs, I would highly suggest it. It is well worth the money!