While this was the 11th, and final episode aired in the initial run of the show on Fox in 2002, it was intended to be the 1st and pilot episode. It introduces all of the core characters, and it does so quite well.
As we may have people who have never watched the series joining us, please keep conversations limited to this episode.
I agree about the rebirth stuff, pre-whedon issues, I also figured it may have been because of cryosleep etc etc clothes freezing to her skin. But now that we know what we know it does feel creepy.
On the fandom page the still for the episode is the overhead shot of River in the cryo chamber. I thought better to grab my own screen cap of the inevitable betrayal.
Thanks for the better screen grab. I don’t mind the TVDB one that Kodi uses for a thumbnail but it’s kind of boring.
And yeah Whedon’s creepiness is a bit more obvious in hindsight but honestly I didn’t see it coming either much like Neil Gaimans I was surprised to hear it but not completely shook.