Cast and Crew

Gary Cole as Matthew Gideon
Daniel Dae Kim as John Matheson
David Allen Brooks as Max Eilerson
Peter Woodward as Galen
Marjean Holden as Sarah Chambers
Carrie Dobro as Dureena Nafeel
Tracy Scoggins as Captain Elizabeth Lochley

Created by J. Michael Straczynski
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Fiona Avery and Peter David
Directed by Mike Vejar, Janet Greek, John Copeland, Stephen Furst, Jerry Apoian, Tony Dow, and Jesus Salvador Trevino
Complete information is available from this IMDB page.
Buy from: Amazon.com or Amazon.ca

Past TV reviews can be found here.

Original Airdate

All 13 episodes of Crusade originally aired in 1999.

Synopsis

After the events of Babylon 5: A Call To Arms, Earth sends out its best ship to find a cure for the Drakh plague.

High Point

"Racing the Night" is probably the best overall episode.

Low Point

The non-existence of episodes 14 through 110.

The Review

The originality of the series is mixed. On one hand, it's a spin-off. On the other hand, it's significantly different in style and look than it's predecessor. We've got some of the politics that Babylon 5 did so well, but we've also got a lot more action going on, with very different character dynamics. I give it 4 out of 6.

The effects were often better than they were on Babylon 5, and they were certainly the best they could afford given the available budgets, but they're still pretty obvious. I give it 3 out of 6.

The story is incomplete, as the series was canceled/pulled/unplugged before the whole thing came through. We've got glimpses of what could have been, but the initial mission statement the crew had (the only statement that was filmed, though JMS alludes to more in his commentary) was left unfulfilled at the end of the series. Watching this series feels like reading the first chapter of a really great book, and then never coming back. I give it 4 out of 6.

The acting from most of the cast is great. Gary Cole convinced me he was great when he made American Gothic, and nothing changed my mind about that here. (Elements of the Lucas Buck character came through a couple of times, too, which helped generate interest in this captain as well. He's not a paramount of virtue, but there are lines he will definitely never cross.) In fact, the only regular cast member I was dissatisfied with was Marjean Holden, particularly in the last episode. (Her reaction to David's request in particular seemed wrong to me, and the gap in talent became more clear when we saw her playing off of Richard Biggs.) I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response is often great. In addition to amusing moments, and to a parody of The X-Files that worked extremely well for this viewer, we had a sense of urgency and a feel for a larger universe showing up in the grand scheme of things. Then we get crushed by the sudden end to the series. I give it 4 out of 6.

The production is pretty good. The sets strike me as being more convincing than those on Babylon 5, and the variety of locations gives a much greater variety for the look of the show. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, it's the beginning of a good series, and (I think) a better package than the movie collection. It's accessible to people who haven't seen the parent series, too. (When this first aired, I could follow it without ever having seen a complete episode of Babylon 5. If my old VCR hadn't died one day, I'd have seen all 13 in their original broadcast, instead of just 12.) If you're a fan of well written sci-fi, pick this up. I give it 5 out of 6.

In total, Crusade - The Complete Series receives 30 out of 42. It would have scored higher had it managed a complete season.