Bushwhacked - S1-E2
Revealing mistake: As Mal rolls the survivor of the derelict transport onto the floor, the survivor moves his left hand onto his chest when he is supposed to be unconscious.
Bushwhacked - S1-E2
Audio problem: When Zoë and Mal find the door to the cargo hold, Zoë checks to see if it's locked. Four beeping sounds can be heard as she does this, but she doesn't press any buttons. She only turns a knob on the door. The four beeping sounds are also heard before she even touches anything.
Bushwhacked - S1-E2
Continuity mistake: When Kaylee and Simon go looking for spare parts on board the derelict ship, there are two green lights lit up on a control box behind Kaylee. But once Kaylee pulls one of the ship's parts out, the two green lights are no longer lit. Several lights in the room flicker and flash on/off, but the two green lights on the control box behind Kaylee do not.
Bushwhacked - S1-E2
Continuity mistake: After Simon and River come down from Serenity's roof, River asks Simon if Mal is coming back. Simon tells her that he is. River's head then moves from looking down to looking up between shots.
Bushwhacked - S1-E2
Visible crew/equipment: As Simon boards the derelict ship, a handheld camera is reflected in his visor.
Bushwhacked - S1-E2
Visible crew/equipment: As Zoë and Mal investigate the derelict ship, stage lights are constantly reflected in both their visors.
Bushwhacked - S1-E2
Continuity mistake: As Mal tells Commander Harken that the Reavers made the survivor watch as they killed everyone on board, Commander Harken's hands move from separated to clasped together on the table.
Bushwhacked - S1-E2
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the episode, when Inara asks Simon how River is, River's hair is hanging down behind her back on both sides. But when Simon tells Inara that she still won't talk about what was done to her at the Academy, her hair is hanging in front of her right shoulder. A few shots later her hair is hanging behind her back again.
Chosen answer: One of the premises of the show is that the two major Earth societies that survived, and ultimately merged, were the Chinese and Americans. As a result the common language includes much Chinese. Clothing, signage, and building designs also have a heavy Chinese influence.