You might think you're watching a completely different series at the start of this episode as it is set roughly 100 years into the future and features American characters. A full 24 minutes pass before we revert to the usual Victorian steampunk settings.
"A better world" hoped for by Knitter (Ellora Torchia) is also the underlying theme, mentioned by the Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), of Whedon's film "Serenity."