Crusade
an Episode Guide
by Pål Are Nordal
Last updated:
Thu, 25 Oct 2018 21:00
Crusadean Episode Guide
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| aired from: Jun 1999 to: Sep 1999 | 13 eps | TNT | 60 min | stereo | closed captioned |
regulars:
In 2267 the Earth is quarantined, having been infected with a deadly plague by an attacking alien force. Scientists estimate that it will kill every inhabitant within 5 years, not nearly enough time for a cure to be developed. So the planet's only hope lies with the Excalibur, an advanced prototype starship sent out to search ancient alien ruins for their former inhabitant's secrets, hoping that somewhere out there a cure can be found.
The show is a spin off from Babylon 5 (B5).
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Production Credits
Executive producer:Douglas Netter, J. Michael Straczynski
Created by: J. Michael Straczynski
Producer: John Copeland
Co-Producer: Skip Beaudine
Associate producer: Susan Norkin
Reference Editor: Fiona Avery
Captain Matthew Gideon is assigned to the prototype destroyer Excalibur, to spearhead the search for a cure to the plague unleashed by the Drakh. His first mission is to seize a downed Drakh craft on Ceti 4.
b: 9 Jun 99 pc: 108 w: J. Michael Straczynski d: Janet Greek NOTE: This episode was made when the network decided that the original opening episode, Racing the Night, didn't explain the situation well enough for their target audience. So for this one they wanted large amounts of exposition. Other requests included: start it of with a fistfight, include a "cool" fighter jock, and video footage of the riots on Earth (something that was impossible to film within the series budget, forcing the producers to insert stock news footage).The Excalibur responds to a request for help from an Earth Force vessel orbiting Regula 4. The world contains an antiviral agent that can slow down the plague, but the mining operation is being hindered by unexplainable accidents, pranks... and dragon attacks.
b: 16 Jun 99 pc: 107 w: J. Michael Straczynski d: Mike Vejar NOTE: Special guest star Edward Woodward is the father of regular cast member Peter Woodward.With no leads to follow up on, Galen suggests they should take a little trip into hyperspace. Using the advanced sensors of the technomage ship, they go in search of the legendary "Well of Forever", rumored to have all the answers they could wish for, or so Galen says. Meanwhile a representative for the Senate Committee on Metasensory Abilities comes to check on Lt. Matheson's, scanning him to see if he's breached the rules for telepaths.
b: 23 Jun 99 pc: 106 w: Fiona Avery d: Janet GreekOn a distant world, rumored to be a place of healing, the Excalibur finds an alien being trapped in some kind of stasis bubble. As the crew begins examining it, memories start to surface, memories many of them have tried so very hard to forget.
b: 30 Jun 99 pc: 109 w: J. Michael Straczynski d: Mike Vejar NOTE: The subtitles of the creatures thoughts were added when the network felt viewers wouldn't understand the scenes as they were.The telepath in Matheson's flashback was supposed to be Lyta Alexander from B5, but the scene was rewritten for a new actress when Patricia Tallman turned down the part.
The Excalibur is ordered to a remote planet, settled by a group of humans who left Earth as the plague was being released. They could be infected and if so, they can't be allowed to spread the plague.
b: 7 Jul 99 pc: 110 w: Fiona Avery d: Tony Dow NOTE: This episode was meant to air after "The Memory of War", where the nanotech plague shield is introduced. But because the episode where the crew switched back to the black uniforms was never produced, it ended up being placed before the first switch in "Appearances and Other Deceits".The Earth Alliance is holding a conference on Mars about the plague, supervised by Captain Lochley, with Dr. Chambers as the main speaker. Unfortunately a doomsday cult is determined to stop the conference, believing the plague is a rightful punishment from God.
b: 14 Jul 99 pc: 111 w: Peter David d: John CopelandThe Excalibur comes to Babylon 5 to negotiate with a race for access to one of their colonies, located on a world that may have been hit by a similar plague before it's present inhabitants settled down. Meanwhile, Max meets with his ex-wife who's in trouble with a ruthless loan shark.
b: 21 Jul 99 pc: 112 w: J. Michael Straczynski d: Jesús Treviño NOTE: Mister Kitty was a reference to Straczynski's cat of the same name. It died of leukemia (as a complication of feline AIDS) on May 17th 1999.While two Earth Alliance PR consultants are helping the Excalibur "improve" its image back home, the ship comes across an alien vessel with a giant hole in one side floating dead in space. When the lone survivor is brought to Medlab, an alien sentience is released, and starts slowly taking control of the crew.
b: 28 Jul 99 pc: 113 w: J. Michael Straczynski d: Stephen Furst NOTE: John Vickery reprises his role as Mr. Welles from the B5 episode "The Fall of Night".Crewmembers start turning up dead while exploring the ruins of a highly advanced civilization, somehow left untouched until now.
b: 4 Aug 99 pc: 103 w: J. Michael Straczynski d: Mike Vejar NOTE: This episode was originally made as the opening episode, hence the presence of introductory exposition.In spite of Galen's grave warnings, Gideon goes ahead with the investigation of world where the entire population was wiped out during a war one hundred years ago - without any heavy weapons ever being used. All goes well until night falls, when people start dying...
b: 11 Aug 99 pc: 102 w: J. Michael Straczynski d: Tony DowA Ranger comes to the Excalibur with the whereabouts of a fugitive, supposedly carrying a collection of the essential knowledge of his race. Risking an interstellar incident and his own life, Gideon decides to retrieve him, hoping that some of the information could help fight the plague.
b: 18 Aug 99 pc: 101 w: J. Michael Straczynski d: Mike VejarThe Excalibur picks up a life pod containing two paranoid aliens, fluent in English and determined to bring back proof that humans have been interfering with their world's development for some time. The truth is out there, indeed.
b: 25 Aug 99 pc: 104 w: J. Michael Straczynski d: Jerry ApoianA secretive senator comes aboard the Excalibur and orders it to return to Earth to retrieve a "package" smuggled past the quarantine. On their way they pick up a wounded Captain Lochley, left drifting in space after a raider attack.
b: 1 Sep 99 pc: 105 w: J. Michael Straczynski d: Stephen Furst| Back to TOP of Page |
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Crusade was meant to last 5 years like it's predecessor Babylon 5 (B5), but was canceled after only 13 episodes were produced, due to a creative conflict between TNT and series creator J. Michael Straczynski. There have been indications that the Sci-Fi channel might commission more of the series if their current B5 reruns do well.
At the time of cancellation, several more scripts were being written. Three of them, "To the Ends of the Earth", "Value Judgements" and the season one ender "End of the Line", are available to read online for free at Bookface.com along with 2 of the produced ones. "Value Judgments" (featuring the B5 bad guy Alfred Bester), can also be bought from Scripts From the Lot.