Like I've said in many other threads, viewing Serenity really benefits from having seen Firefly, in my opinion. Because it hooked me from the word go, and I was genuinely interested in the characters, the story, and the world, but that might have been because I was already attached to them. Then again, though, most of my friends saw Serenity first, loved it, and it inspired them to go back and watch Firefly. I guess it all depends on the individual.