I wonder if the network complaint about Mal being too mean for a protagonist would still be made if Firefly hadn't aired just before the whole anti-hero trope started taking over TV. He does act rather dickish towards a lot of people (including some that maybe don't deserve it), but I think they do a good job establishing he's also willing to go above and beyond for the people he considers part of his crew. I really loved that he's willing to shoot the marshal and that mayor lady's horse because, even if it's not the most moral, it's clearly the most practical thing to do at that moment. As much as I like Star Trek, it drives me crazy how often the people on those shows refrain from doing what needs to be done in favour of what's right (Janeway could've gotten that ship home at least a dozen times if she'd have been willing to just say 'you know what, screw the Prime Directive').
Overall, I quite like the pilot. The story and action isn't necessarily the most well-executed or original, but the universe they created and all the character stuff really works for me. My first introduction to Firefly was through the movie and they take some steps introducing the people and place there (and they do it again in The Train Job), but I think the pilot by far does the best job at it. A lot of shows (including many of Whedon's) don't really figure out who their characters are or how they all fit together until far longer into their run. That Firefly kinda nails it right from the start is why I, and I think many people, still watch it today.
