Yeah, they did. It didn't completely ruin it, though. Even with the messed up viewing order it's the best sci-fi series I've seen. It's a mystery to me how more people didn't appreciate it.
OnT: I liked The Avengers, and loved Firefly. Whedon's great with large teams of 'lead' characters. That he is the greatest thing to happen to movies ever, though, is a notion I find ridiculous. I could rattle off a list of directors and writers I find superior but it still wouldn't properly answer the question of what person is the greatest/most important filmmaker ever. It's too vague a question.