Good stuff. Interestingly enough, I haven't seen the pilot, but I have watched the 13 episodes of s1, and several of s2 so far.
I will be frank, at the beginning, I was a little put off. It's an axiom of Hollywood that sex sells, and sometimes that's the only thing a show has going for it. And for the first few episodes, I was less than impressed.
However, eventually the writers seem to have realized that they had a great cast of characters, people you can like and relate to, and empathize with, and started writing real stories.
I thoroughly enjoy this show. While I watched the original back so many years ago, this is infinitely better. Season 2 has even been an improvement over season 1, and season 1 was a tough act to follow.
I won't comment too much on cast, but if you're an Edward James Olmos fan, then he really shines here. Some of his best work is in the last few eps of s1, and the beginning of s2. Mary Donnell is very enjoyable as well.
Good stuff here. You will enjoy it if you're a sci-fi fan at all.