{{Short description|Spin-off TV show from J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5}} {{About|the 1999 science fiction series|other television works with a similar title|Crusade (disambiguation)#Television}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox television | image = B5 Crusade.jpg | caption = ''Crusade'' series launch poster | genre = {{unbulleted list|Space opera|Drama}} | creator = J. Michael Straczynski | starring = {{Plainlist| * Gary Cole * Tracy Scoggins * Daniel Dae Kim * Peter Woodward * Marjean Holden * Carrie Dobro }} | country = United States | list_episodes = | num_seasons = 1 | num_episodes = 13 | runtime = 45 minutes per episode | company = {{Plain list| *Babylonian Productions *Warner Bros. Television }} | network = TNT | first_aired = {{Start date|1999|6|9}} | last_aired = {{End date|1999|9|1}} | related = {{Plainlist| * ''Babylon 5'' * ''The Legend of the Rangers'' }} }} {{Babylon 5 TV seasons and films}}
'''''Crusade''''' is an American spin-off television series from J. Michael Straczynski's ''Babylon 5'', airing on TNT from June 9 to September 1, 1999. It is set in 2267, five years after the events of ''Babylon 5'', and just after the movie ''A Call to Arms''. The Drakh have released a nanovirus plague on Earth, which will destroy all life on Earth within five years if it is not stopped. The Victory class destroyer ''Excalibur'' has been sent out to look for anything that could help the search for a cure.
== Production background == Like ''Babylon 5'', ''Crusade'' was intended to have a five-year story arc, although as Straczynski notes in the DVD commentary for ''A Call to Arms'', it was intended to resolve the Drakh plague after a season or two and move onto other storylines. Conflicts arose, however, between the producers and executives at TNT, and production was cancelled before the first episode was broadcast.<ref>[http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=2060 Crisis on Babylon 5: Crusade], Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved July 13, 2006.</ref>
TNT's market research had indicated that the audience for ''Babylon 5'' did not watch other TNT programming, and likewise TNT's main audience was not watching the show, making another related program unattractive to the network's management. Straczynski believes that the network's "interference"<ref>[http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/501.html#JS War Zone], The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5. Retrieved July 13, 2006.</ref> with the production was an attempt to get out of their contract by allowing them to argue that he failed to deliver the series they wanted.
Thirteen episodes were made and broadcast by TNT, with at least four more scripted. The Sci-Fi Channel attempted to pick up the show and continue production, but was unable to find room in its budget.<ref>[http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/113.html The Babylon Project: Crusade], The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5. Retrieved July 13, 2006.</ref>
== Plot background ==
=== Drakh attack === {{Main|Babylon 5: A Call to Arms}} In 2267, six years after the end of the Shadow War, the Drakh, a former ally of the Shadows, attempt to destroy the Earth with a leftover Shadow Planet Killer. Interstellar Alliance (ISA) president John Sheridan takes command of ''Excalibur'' and ''Victory'' and leads the EarthForce and ISA fleets to victory. During the battle, the Drakh release a viral weapon into Earth's atmosphere, infecting every living thing on the planet. In five years, the virus will become active and kill everything. The ''Victory'' is destroyed in the battle, but the ''Excalibur'' survives. Command is turned over to Captain Matthew Gideon who is given a mission: explore the galaxy to find either a cure, or an ally capable of producing one ("War Zone").
=== Telepath War === {{Main|Telepath War}} At some point between 2262 and 2267 (most likely in 2264, and just before ''Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers'', which took place in 2265{{Original research inline|date=March 2011}}), a civil war broke out on Earth between the Psi Corps and a group of rogue telepaths, with mundanes (non-telepaths) caught in the middle. As a result of the war, the Psi Corps (which all telepaths had been forced by law to join) was disbanded and the laws were rewritten; telepaths were given limited rights and allowed back into society, including the military (e.g. Lt. Matheson in ''Crusade''). Few telepaths have advanced very far because of how recent the war was and due to the common fear of telepaths. Telepaths are still banned from scanning others' thoughts without consent and are required to be "deep scanned" by powerful telepaths on a regular basis to ensure that they are not violating any laws ("The Well of Forever").
=== Mars independence === After the Earth Alliance Civil War in 2261, Earth joined the ISA. As promised by John Sheridan, Mars was granted independence since ISA laws required members to free any colony where the majority of colonists wanted independence ("Rising Star"). There is still resentment between the two sides ("Ruling from the Tomb"). Earth controls most of the information systems and resources in the Solar System and Earth-based corporations control much of the Mars economy ("Objects in Motion"). As a result, there is some hostility among Mars-born humans towards Terrans and many in EarthForce do not feel obligated to risk their lives to help Earth fight the plague.
=== Shadow technology === The galaxy is dealing with the Shadow technology legacy, which, among other things, includes the release of the plague on Earth by the Drakh, which is made out of Shadow technology, and Earthforce's use of it, which Gideon had to experience tragically ten years before.
== Cast ==
This is a list of season star cast members, as credited on the DVDs.<ref name=B5Crusade-DVD /> * Gary Cole as Captain Matthew Gideon: captain of ''Excalibur''. He was specifically chosen by Interstellar Alliance president John Sheridan because he would be willing to take chances and would not let diplomacy get in the way of completing the mission. * Tracy Scoggins as Captain Elizabeth Lochley: commanding officer of ''Babylon 5''. She first encountered Gideon on Mars during an interstellar conference on the plague where she was heading security ("Ruling from the Tomb"). She and Gideon originally clashed due to similarities in personalities, but soon developed a relationship as casual lovers, ("The Rules of the Game"). She returned to ''Babylon 5'' after the conference and appeared on a recurring basis. * Daniel Dae Kim as Lieutenant John Matheson: second in command and P6<ref>''Value Judgements'' script, page 16.</ref> telepath (slightly stronger than a Commercial Telepath (P5)). He is considered to be a role model among human telepaths since no other has advanced so far in the EarthForce military. He served as Gideon's first officer on his previous assignment as well. He was assigned to ''Excalibur'' at the insistence of Gideon. * David Allen Brooks as Max Eilerson: a successful archaeologist from Interplanetary Expeditions. He was a child prodigy and has a gift for understanding alien languages. He was not originally assigned to ''Excalibur'' but was recruited by Gideon during their encounter in "War Zone". * Peter Woodward as Galen: a technomage, who had saved Gideon's life 10 years prior to the series ("The Path of Sorrows"). He was exiled from the technomages' order <!-- Not really. That was his cover story. In reality, Galen's mission given to him by The Circle, was to keep an eye out for any shadow technology that may be a threat to the Technomages (in particular) and the rest of the galactic inhabitants, and mitigate or eliminate that technology. --> in 2267 after he helped Earth and the ISA fight the Drakh in the battle that resulted in Earth becoming infected with the plague (''Babylon 5: A Call to Arms''). * Marjean Holden as Doctor Sarah Chambers: ship's medical officer. She was on Mars at the time of the Drakh attack and was willing to risk the plague to go home to Earth and be with her family and help, but was persuaded that her medical expertise could be put to better use by helping to find a cure. * Carrie Dobro as Dureena Nafeel: a thief and last known survivor of her race (which was destroyed by the Drakh during the Shadow War). Along with Galen, she assisted the crew during the Drakh attack on Earth. After the attack she was held on Mars by EarthForce for further questioning, but was released when Gideon made her part of the crew.
== Episodes == The "correct" order of episodes is somewhat unclear and the episodes contain conflicting evidence as to the in-universe chronological order. Series creator J. Michael Straczynski revised TNT's ordering for re-broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel in April 2001 and the episodes have been repeated in this order on a number of occasions since then. "War Zone", an episode made halfway through the production as an opener, has been pushed near the end. In particular, these episodes ignore a discontinuity in uniforms – in the TNT order, the crew start out with the revised uniforms in production, and then in "Appearances and Other Deceits" were forced to change to the "new" uniforms used earlier in production. The fourteenth episode would have featured a return to the older uniforms that the crew prefer.<ref>[http://midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/eplist.html#crusade Episode List], The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5. Retrieved July 13, 2006.</ref>
A third order was formally endorsed by Straczynski as the "true" chronological sequence of in-universe events for the filmed episodes, as it appeared in ''The Official Babylon 5 Chronology'' (published in the pages of ''The Official Babylon 5 Magazine'' in 1999–2000) and the book ''Across Time and Space: The Chronologies of Babylon 5''. Here, "Babylon 5 Historical Database" author Terry Jones explains the running order was done to take into account Straczynski's desire to have the grey bellhop uniform stories incorporated within the black explorer uniform stories and the internal story continuity had the series continued. This also accounted for the various on-air dates given and the changes made to dialogue in "Each Night I Dream of Home". This particular ordering supersedes Straczynski's own "preferred" sequence from a strictly chronological and causal standpoint. The original broadcast order as set by TNT was used for the DVD releases.
A fourth, continuity-based order can be inferred by the events of the episodes themselves as several of the episodes make mini-arcs within the series; i.e. the continuity order of Gideon/Lochley meetings based on dialog is "Ruling from the Tomb"/"Each Night I Dream of Home"/"The Rules of the Game" which also requires "Ruling" to precede "Appearances and Other Deceits" while the continuity order of the nanite mask is "The Memory of War"/"Each Night I Dream of Home"/"Patterns of the Soul", etc.
=== Episode list {{anchor|Table}} === {{Episode table |background=#fc9|overall=5 |title=19 |director=16 |writer=16 |airdate=14 |prodcode=6 |episodes=
{{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=1 |Title=War Zone |DirectedBy=Janet Greek |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|6|9}} |ProdCode=108 |ShortSummary=After the Drakh infect Earth with a plague, Captain Gideon is called to Earth and given a new assignment. Using the brand-new Interstellar Alliance deep range vessel ''Excalibur'', he and his crew must search for any clues to a cure for the plague. If a cure is not found within five years, everyone on Earth will soon die. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=2 |Title=The Long Road |DirectedBy=Mike Vejar |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|6|16}} |ProdCode=107 |ShortSummary=Earth's strip mining of a peaceful planet causes an environmental hazard to the population, who have rejected technology in favor of a more traditional lifestyle. However matters are complicated when the local population begin taking hostages from the mining operation. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=3 |DirectedBy=Janet Greek |Title=The Well of Forever |WrittenBy=Fiona Avery |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|6|23}} |ProdCode=106 |ShortSummary=Galen takes control of ''Excalibur'' and goes in search of a mysterious place in hyperspace known as the "Well of Forever", where he claims "powerful energies intersect". However, it is revealed that Galen has more personal reason to search for the Well. This episode also features creatures native to hyperspace: large, jellyfish-like, passive creatures. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=4 |Title=The Path of Sorrows |DirectedBy=Mike Vejar |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|6|30}} |ProdCode=109 |ShortSummary=On a world rumored to be a place of healing, the crew of ''Excalibur'' find an alien that acts as a confessor for passing travelers. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=5 |Title=Patterns of the Soul |DirectedBy=Tony Dow |WrittenBy=Fiona Avery |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|7|7}} |ProdCode=110 |ShortSummary=The crew travel to a world named Theta 49 to investigate the possibility that the Drakh plague may have spread beyond Earth. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=6 |Title=Ruling From the Tomb |DirectedBy=John Copeland |WrittenBy=Peter David |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|7|14}} |ProdCode=111 |ShortSummary=On a visit to Mars, the crew encounter the "Sacred Omega" doomsday cult. The cult plants a bomb at an antiplague action conference in the belief that judgement day is soon. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=7 |Title=The Rules of the Game |DirectedBy=Jesus Trevino |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|7|21}} |ProdCode=112 |ShortSummary=Gideon comes to ''Babylon 5'' to try to negotiate a deal with the residents of Lorka 7, a world that may hold medical secrets useful in trying to cure the Drakh plague. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=8 |Title=Appearances and Other Deceits |DirectedBy=Stephen Furst |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|7|28}} |ProdCode=113 |ShortSummary=Two EarthGov representatives arrive to improve the ship's image when an alien being spread through people by touch arrives on the ship. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=9 |Title=Racing the Night |DirectedBy=Mike Vejar |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|8|4}} |ProdCode=103 |ShortSummary=The crew visits a planet once home to a civilization wiped out by the same plague as the one the Drakh left on Earth. They are surprised to find all the buildings still perfectly intact, but then motion is detected in the ancient city. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=10 |Title=The Memory of War |DirectedBy=Tony Dow |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|8|11}} |ProdCode=102 |ShortSummary=The crew visits a planet where the inhabitants were wiped out in a war 100 years ago. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=11 |Title=The Needs of Earth |DirectedBy=Mike Vejar |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|8|18}} |ProdCode=101 |ShortSummary=The crew rescue an individual whom the Rangers claim possesses all the important information of his race on six data crystals. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=12 |Title=Visitors From Down the Street |DirectedBy=Jerry Apoian |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|8|25}} |ProdCode=104 |ShortSummary=''Excalibur'' detects a distress call and picks up a saucer-shaped life pod. Although never having seen the race before, the two individuals inside claim humans have corrupted their government and ruined lives on their homeworld. This episode can for many reasons be viewed as a satirical appreciation of the ''X-Files'' franchise, but from an inverted alien Mulder and Scully perspective including the basic character and costume designs. |LineColor=fc9 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=13 |Title=Each Night I Dream of Home |DirectedBy=Stephen Furst |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|9|1}} |ProdCode=105 |ShortSummary=A ''Warlock''-class destroyer drops off two passengers onto ''Excalibur'' with instructions to take them to Earth. On the way, the crew take a risk by stopping to rescue a Starfury and Elizabeth Lochley. On arrival at Earth, they are greeted from a lifepod isolated in the medbay by Doctor Stephen Franklin. |LineColor=fc9 }} }}
===Unfilmed episodes=== When production was suspended, planning for the episodes that would have made up the second half of the season was at various stages: three had completed scripts and a number of others were ready for scripting with titles and story outlines.
{{Episode table |background=#000|overall=5 |title=19 |writer=16 |episodes=
{{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=14 |Title=To the Ends of the Earth |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski
|ShortSummary=The Apocalypse Box directs Gideon to a ship like the one that destroyed ''Cerberus''. This episode further expanded on the story of the unidentified black craft seen in Gideon's flashbacks. |LineColor=000000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=15 |Title=Value Judgments
|WrittenBy=Fiona Avery |ShortSummary=The crew of ''Excalibur'' discovers a vault with a lock that requires a telepath to open it. This episode expanded on the fate of the Psi Corps and would have seen the return of Bester. |LineColor=000000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=16 |Title=Darkness of the Soul |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski
|ShortSummary=Episode involving the Apocalypse Box. Scripting was about to begin when the series was cancelled.<ref>{{cite book| title = Crusade: Other Voices - Volume 2| year=2011 | page=5}}</ref> |LineColor=000000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=17 |Title=Tried and True |WrittenBy=Fiona Avery
|ShortSummary=Dureena is imprisoned and interrogated by her mentor Nafeek as to what she is doing on ''Excalibur''. This episode was intended as a standalone "coming of age" story for Dureena, not connected to a story arc.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Rising Star: Fiona Avery | author=L. E. McClintock | journal=Babylon 5: The Official Monthly Magazine |date=November 1999 | issue=17 | pages=57}}</ref> |LineColor=000000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=18 |Title= |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski
|ShortSummary=Episode would have involved the discovery of a construction base. Only exists as a one-line description.<ref>{{cite book| title = Crusade: Other Voices - Volume 2| year=2011 | page=368}}</ref> |LineColor=000000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=19 |Title=War Story |WrittenBy=Richard Mueller
|ShortSummary=Dureena is abducted by an unknown ship under circumstances that leave Matheson feeling as though he's responsible.<ref name="behind_the_scenes">{{cite book| title = Crusade: Behind the Scenes | year=2010 | page=354}}</ref> |LineColor=000000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=20 |Title=The Walls of Hell |WrittenBy=Larry DiTillio
|ShortSummary=In attempt to rescue Dureena, Matheson gets possessed by the apocalypse box and subsequently takes over the ship.<ref name="behind_the_scenes" /> |LineColor=000000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=21 |Title= |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski
|ShortSummary=Dureena returns with a magical sword and without any memory of what happened to her.<ref>{{cite video| people = JMS| title = Commentary on Episode 9: Racing the Night| medium = DVD| publisher = Warner Home Video|date = 2004}}</ref> |LineColor=000000 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=22 |Title=The End of the Line |WrittenBy=J. Michael Straczynski
|ShortSummary=Gideon learns of the origins of the ship that destroyed ''Cerberus'', and of a conspiracy at the heart of the Earth Alliance. This was to have been the season finale, with a major cliffhanger leading into Season 2. |LineColor=000000 }} }} The completed scripts of "To The Ends of the Earth", "Value Judgements", and "End of the Line" were published online for a period during 2001 on bookface.com.<ref name=Bester1>[http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-314&query=Value%20Judgements%20Bester Fwd: Fiona Avery Info] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205064632/http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-314&query=Value%20Judgements%20Bester |date=February 5, 2012 }} (Value Judgements Bester)</ref><ref name=Cerberus1>[http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-760&query=Cerberus Racing the Night (Spoilers included, and some for The Path of] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205064637/http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-760&query=Cerberus |date=February 5, 2012 }} (Cerberus)</ref><ref name=Bookface1>[http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-196&query=Bookface jms bookface update] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205064643/http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-196&query=Bookface |date=February 5, 2012 }} (Bookface)</ref><ref name=reviews1>{{cite web|url=http://worldsofjms.com/crusade/reviews/index.htm|title=Crusade Reviews|access-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref>
A script written by Peter Woodward for the second season entitled "Little Bugs Have Lesser Bugs" was published in 2011 as part of the ''Other Voices Volume 1'' collection.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://b5books.com/crusade-books-jason-davis/#cOV1 |website=Babylon 5 Books |access-date=11 November 2022|title=Crusade Books Edited by Jason Davis }}</ref> Scripts for three further episodes, "Value Judgments", "Tried and True", and "War Story" were included in ''Other Voices Volume 2'', also published in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://b5books.com/crusade-books-jason-davis/#cOV2 |website=Babylon 5 Books |access-date=11 November 2022|title=Crusade Books Edited by Jason Davis }}</ref>
== Home releases == The complete series was released as a four-disc set in 2004, almost five years after the series ended and a few months after the final season and movie set of ''Babylon 5'' was released. ''Crusade'' was also included in ''Babylon 5: The Complete Universe'', a set of all B5 shows and movies released in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2005. It was not included in ''Babylon 5: The Complete Television Series'', which was a set released in the United States.
The episodes are in the original broadcast order. The set does not include the pilot movie, ''A Call to Arms'', which was released earlier as part of the movie set. Unlike ''Babylon 5'', the DVD release of ''Crusade'' was not cropped and re-edited for widescreen; it maintains its original fullscreen format. Initially, the set included a commentary with Straczynski, however he got it removed from subsequent pressings when he learned that parts of it had been replaced with an entirely different interview to cover up his harsh criticism of TNT.<ref>[http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-4141 Re: "Crusade" DVDs in TNT order], JMSNews.com December 10, 2004</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-4116|title=Quickie from JMS 2005-01-30|access-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" !DVD name ! Region 1 ! Region 2 |- | ''Crusade: The Complete Series'' | December 7, 2004 | March 28, 2005 |- | ''Babylon 5: The Complete Television Series'' | August 17, 2004 | N/A |- | ''Babylon 5: The Complete Universe'' | N/A | October 24, 2005 |}{{clear}}
==See also==
''Space Battleship Yamato'', a TV show with a similar premise about fixing up Earth
== References == {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=B5Crusade-DVD>{{cite AV media |people = Straczynski, J. Michael (Creator) |date = December 7, 2004 |title = Crusade: The Complete Series |url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149437/dvd#B00061QJSK |medium = DVD |publisher = Warner Home Video |access-date = January 2, 2010 |isbn = 0-7907-9693-7 |oclc = 57346752 |quote = Who do you serve, and who do you trust? }}</ref>
}}
== External links == {{Wikiquote}} {{Commons|Babylon_5#Crusade|Crusade}} * {{IMDb title|id=0149437|title=Crusade}} * ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20080319231902/http://www.comp.dit.ie/dgordon/ApocalypseBox/ Apocalypse Box Site]''
{{Babylon 5}} {{J. Michael Straczynski}} {{TNTShows}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Crusade (TV series) Category:1990s American science fiction television series Category:Post-apocalyptic television series Category:Serial drama television series Category:1999 American television series debuts Category:1999 American television series endings Category:American television spinoffs Category:TNT (American TV network) original programming Category:Space adventure television series Category:English-language American television shows Category:Television series set in the 23rd century Category:Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios Category:Television series created by J. Michael Straczynski Category:Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Category:Television series set on fictional planets Category:Fiction about wormholes