Yeah, I imagined back then Adam (or whatever what became to be Adam in the show) was going to be a lot like what we got Sera in the show: a nuance character that saw the exterminations as a necessary evil. Maybe even being assigned this role by the higher angels, so it not being solely his choice. Something more than the one-dimensional frat boy that we got.
Another thing to point out is according to the episode's description, Charlie meeting up with the General was something she does as part of her royal status, where as in the series, she only goes there because "Loocifer wus bizy". Granite, we don't know if Charlie was planning on pitching the Happy Hotel (were they at least going to acknowledged the name change in the original episode list?) to the General, but it seems like they were going to have a more civil discussion, even if the General was written as demeaning, but hey, better than frat Adam.
Overall, compared to Series Charlie, Pilot Charlie seemed to have more of an active role with Hell politics, given Episode 9 had it where she was the one to assemble the Council together, and in the beginning of "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows", she signals that the Extermination's over.
Series Charlie only gets the opportunities she has because of other characters.
- Lucifer asking her to take his place talking to Adam
- Lucifer arranged Charlie's meeting with Heaven
- Alastor brings her to Rosie to gather an army to battle the Exorcists
Series Charlie being regarded as "Mary Sue" isn't because she doesn't have flaws, the flaws are there, it's just that she doesn't necessarily get called out on it, or to be more specific, doesn't reflect on how the consequences of her actions as a means to develop as a character as the show paints her as in the right, regardless of how little she earned it. Characterization wise, Pilot Charlie is optimistic but a realist when it ultimately comes down to it
Compared to Series Charlie who legitimately thinks life is Sunshine and Rainbows, and if anything inconveniences that ideology, she's gets overly emotional towards people who had the audacity to upset her.