Mary, Joss kept the religious references pretty even-handed throughout the series, too. I'd guess we'd have him to thank for that. Mal had lost his faith at the battle of Serenity Valley and River tried to "fix" Book's Bible one day (with a scissors no less!) but religion & faith were still treated respectfully.
That gray sun look may come from things shot in the rainforest land of BC....Serenity was shot in California.
I thought the dialect was consistent....if anything they dropped some of the Chinese that spattered it's way through the series. It's cool you noticed Elizabethan style, that is something Joss (according to a recent interview) intentionally blended into the "western movie speak" (my name for it).
I'm so glad you got to see it and enjoyed it.
Jewels
