I'll always like the fact that Crichton doesn't just walk in being a good fighter. He consistantly gets the snot knocked out of him (more striking because Browder isn't a small, nerdy looking guy) and is much more an intellectual. He's also far more emotionally connected than those around him (something that starts to reverse as the series goes on). And I like that Aeryn/John was obviously conceived from day one of the series. It's not something that happens later because the fans want it or is broken up to save ratings, it's just always there.