Wrt to Mal and Zoe - I agree, no sexual interest. I also don't think that Wash is worried about that either - that's where Mal chooses to take the argument. Wash is fashed by the whole "obeying happening under my nose" thing, and so am I.

Zoe offers Mal the kind of unconditional backing that I'd only expect to see in a military (and probably active combat) situation - and they're fly-by-night crims, not soldiers. I fanwank it away by ascribing her a career military background, and coming from a military family (popular media tells me that such things exist in the US?), so that she is used to looking for a clear command structure - but I don't see it as especially healthy for her.

I do see it as downright unhealthy for Mal. While he knows that Zoe has his back so unquestioningly, he's shielded from the consequences of his dodgy decision-making. In a sense, she's buffering him from having to grow up.

And then there's the whole thing where Zoe chooses to lie to Wash, rather than discuss Mal's decisions which do, actually, affect him. Which : no.