Glen Note: I’m having a helluva time getting information about Crusade. Don’t know if it's due to TNT’s involvement, or just bad luck. I haven’t even been able to get my hands on a copy of the already-completed launch movie Babylon 5: A Call to Arms, and that’s been done for a while now. If there’s some kind and appreciative soul out there who might be able to help me out, please drop me a line. Anonymity guaranteed.
Glen here…
…with a detailed look at one episode of the forthcoming Babylon 5 spin-off series, Crusade.
A little background before we proceed.
I chose to run this piece on this particular day for several reasons. First, it should be seen as something of a tip-of-the-hat to B5 creator J. Michael Straczynski’s publicly announced abridgment of his participation in the controversial and legendary "moderated" Internet news group. Seems the man once voted one of the 50 most powerful people on the Internet will no longer be using the Internet quite as much as he used to. No matter what the motivating factors behind this decision, it does represent changing times, and movement towards a different era.
In the message announcing this decision, Mr. Straczynski briefly indicated that an episode of Crusade had recently been screened - making specific reference to an episode called "Racing the Night". He talked about the magnificent feedback he had received regarding the quality of "Racing the Night". To support his assertions, I should say I’ve talked to several people who have either seen the episode in question, or know someone who has. And all of them have indicated two factors consistently: 1) the show is very, very good; and 2) the visual FX by Netter Digital are astounding, and quite un-like the FX seen in Babylon 5. This isn’t to negate the quality of B5’s FX, but sources indicate the FX in Crusade are so far beyond anything seen in the previous series that comparison is difficult at best.
So, all things being equal, this seemed like a good time to run the following piece by AICN operative CORDWAINER HAWK. My friend GWEILO has indicated that "Cordwainer" translates…literally…to mean "someone who makes shoes".
Therefore, Cordwainer Hawk is (by implication) someone who makes shoes for hawks (and yes, I know the name is a partial homage ot Harlan Ellison).
While I suppose hawks might be appreciative of such a thoughtful and concerned gesture - especially during this Holiday season - I’m wondering if shoes would be too heavy for hawks to fly around with. How would they remove their shoes to keep their little feet from getting stinky? What if they stepped on gum and then tried to fly away - would the gum keep them stuck to the ground until it dried-up?
Glen, get to the point!!!! Okay, fine. Here is Cordwainer Hawk’s detailed analysis of Crusade: "Racing the Night".
CRUSADE: "Racing the Night" written by J. Michael Straczynski.
"Racing the Night" is the episode J. Michael Straczynski originally intended to be the first episode of "Crusade", his Babylon 5 spin-off series. It was filmed 3rd, because of its production demands, yet was always meant to air first. It takes place 5 months after the events that will be shown in the Crusade segue movie, "Babylon 5: A Call To Arms" which is supposed to air on TNT, January 3rd. "Crusade" is now set to debut in the first week of June 1999, six months after A Call To Arms first airs.
((Glen Note: I’m not sure if "A Call to Arms" isstill airing in January, and there has been talk that Crusade could…conceivably…be pulled up to March. As I’ve heard nothing definite to answer either question, I’ll let Cordwainer’s message stand as is. But I just wanted to give you a heads up. Back to Cordwainer:))
The new first episode, "War Zone" will introduce the Crusade characters just days after the events in A Call To Arms. JMS originally wanted to jump right into mid-mission with his first episode written, "Racing the Night" but TNT felt differently.
Now, for the sake of proper time line continuity, since "Racing" takes place 5 months into the mission, JMS now plans to air "Racing" as either the 7th or 8th episode of the series. This should be fine, since it is JMS's now revised episode ordering. Perhaps there will be some minor changes made to "Racing" to accommodate for this change, but that is unknown at this time.
"Racing the Night" is great. The cast list for the episode is: Captain Matthew Gideon, Galen, Dr. Sarah Hoffman, who was Dr. Gwenevere Hoffman (now Dr. Sarah Chambers). Also listed are, Dureena Nafeel, Max Eilerson, and Lt. John Matheson.
The guest cast is: General Miller, Drazi Ambassador, a Brakiri Ambassador, a Ranger, Kulan, and several other characters.
"Racing the Night" is a great story. JMS is at the top of his form. (This is why all of us who like his work should be passionately concerned about the way TNT is treating his vision. Because what JMS has created and crafted in "RtN" is a intelligent story, a fast paced plot, lots of action and visual splendor, as well as very interesting characters).
Crusade has all the potential to be a truly amazing SF series. And RtN sets the tone for the series, since it was what JMS intended to be the kick off of the show, before TNT started meddling with him. And what JMS has in mind is a truly exceptional SF TV show.
RtN opens up with Capt. Gideon sleeping on a cot, in a room. He is described: "...late to middle thirties, a ruggedly good-looking man with character in his face from years of peering into alien sunrises."
Gideon sleeps, and he seems to dream back to when he got command of the Excalibur: We then are in a conference room where Gideon, and General Miller talk with some alien ambassadors, who are concerned about Gideon traveling through their space in Excalibur. The Drazi says, "...He has taken part in more battles during peace time than most officers face in a major war." But, Gideon is able to cut an interesting deal with the Drazi in order to get permission to travel through their space. It's a deal Gen. Miller does not really like much.
From there we realize that the conference room is on Babylon 5, as Miller and Gideon exit B5 in a shuttle, and we pan over and get our look at Excalibur. General Miller says, "That's your ship. Good luck with her, Captain. Because unless we find something at home to beat this damn virus, you, your crew, and this ship... are the last, best hope of Earth. Don't screw it up." And then Gideon wakes up in the room we saw him sleeping in.
He gets out of bed, puts on his wristlink, and goes out to a balcony, and we find that he is on a mile high tower in an ancient alien city, on some alien world. (The FX for this scene are really something amazing to see.)
We later find that the crew has been on this world for the last two days or so exploring the ruins. They think perhaps the civilization that lived here, and suddenly vanished might have been wiped out by the same kind of Shadow/Drakh plague that has hit Earth. There are some mysteries set up on the planet that fuel the plot, and lead to a great deal of action and interesting events for the crew.
Gideon comes across as a man of action. A man with a strong code of conduct, but with a willingness to take risks and gamble. He has a great wit as well. At one point the ship gets caught in a "gravitetic field" and cannot move, and starts to be pulled to the surface. Gideon eventually orders the big main gun to be used.
Matheson informs the Capt. that using the gun will drain all available power and the ship will be dead in space for at least a minute. Gideon interjects: "I read the driver's manual Lieutenant."
TNT felt this episode was not enough of a good introduction to the characters and situation, and thus told JMS to write a new ep 1, "War Zone" which will show how the crew came together. I disagree with TNT's views. RtN introduces the crew just fine.
In "Racing the Night" they are together, and working. But, JMS wrote this ep in such a way, that any viewer: A) understands what the mission of Excalibur is; B) introduces the characters at work, their traits, and details how they relate to each other; and C) shows just about everything Excalibur is capable of.
For example:
Early in act one Gideon meets up with Max. (After Gideon flies to the location where the work is going on, in a Skimmer, which is described as a slender two-seater hover bike with a front windshield).
Max is the IPX, "crack archaeologist and linguist". He is also quite greedy. He tells Gideon at one point, "Good times, bad times, it's all about profit." Max also notes that he grew up on Mars, and states he wants to find a cure "almost" as much as Gideon does. JMS describes Max as, "darkly good looking and not entirely to be trusted."
Gideon then talks to the doctor, who is described by JMS as being in the "early to mid thirties, attractive in a serious, thoughtful way, with a sarcastic edge that pops out from time to time." It pops out quickly when she calls the Captain away from Max and says, "Sorry to drag you away from the king of the pig people."
Gideon and the doctor talk about Galen, the Techno- mage, who's not around at this time. (He does not live on the ship. He has his own ship and comes and goes as he pleases). Gideon then asks if the doctor has seen Dureena, to which she says that she asked "our resident thief and tunnel rat" to find a way into an underground vault (where the crew has been doing their studies). By the way, Dureena, and Galen get introduced in the TNT TV movie, "A Call To Arms" which I've not read or seen.
Shortly problems arise on the ground for the team, as "hunter bots" that are disks shaped attack drones of some sort, show up. After some interesting action packed moments, everyone is able to get up to the Excalibur. And Galen has arrived on the scene.
From the flight deck, which (I'm told the script calls it "just plain big"), we go to a corridor and to the "bullet cars" which are mag-lev cars to make getting around the mile and a half long ship much easier.
First officer Matheson meets Galen and Gideon. Not much detail is given for Matheson, except that he's young, eager, and he's a telepath. Matheson reports he thinks everyone got off the planet. Gideon says, "Don't think." To which Galen says, "That's right. If you wanted to think you shouldn't have joined the military in the first place."
Galen is the most interesting character. He has all the best lines. It is fitting that a ship named Excalibur has it's own resident Merlin. And that is what Galen is. Being a Techno-mage, one who mixes math, technology and magic, he has a lot of power, mystery, and ability. He's also quite sardonic with his wit. Plus, it seems he has a lot of interesting and useful items on his rather cool sounding ship.
Galen and Gideon are on a first name basis. He calls him Matthew all the time. Plus, later on in the script we learn they have a history with each other going back at least 10 years. This is an interesting relationship, and I think it is a relationship that will be at the heart of the series.
Dureena also has an interesting relationship with Galen. There are several great scenes between them particularly at the end, in the tag of the story, after a White Star has shown up along side Excalibur and a Ranger briefs Gideon on other potential target worlds that may have ancient answers that could lead to a cure.
That last scene in the story between Galen and Dureena is JMS writing at it's best. As Galen tells her, "There is always hope. Only because it's the one thing no one's figured out how to kill yet." And Galen's very last line to Dureena in this episode will make any long time viewer of B5 and "JMS-isms" smile.
In "Racing the Night" you will see massive CGI FX shots. An ancient city. Lots of Thunderbolt Starfuries in action, and you'll see just about everything Excalibur is capable of doing. The plot of the story is full of action and humor, and a great deal of intelligence. It raises some interesting questions as well. Gideon also is faced with a moral dilemma before the end of it all (and we learn that Max is very morally flexible). And the very last scene of the episode will leave viewers with a "what the hell was that!?" kind of reaction.
This is JMS at his JMS best.
There has not been a SF exploration show quite like this on TV in 30 years. And the original Star Trek had the Enterprise on a 5 year mission "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations."
Crusade's five year mission to save humanity from the Drakh plague, that if not cured will kill all of the seven billion people living on Earth after 5 years of exposure to the virus. Excalibur's mission is to explore strange *old* worlds, to seek out *old* life forms, and very very old, and *ancient* civilizations. All in the hope of finding the cure that will save humanity. It is a tremendous burden for Gideon and his crew.
If TNT leaves JMS alone to write and produce this series in accordance with his vision for it, it will be a truly great show. It could even end up in the pantheon of great SF TV shows. This series continues all that we've come to expect from Babylon 5: intelligent plots, great action sequences, emotional involvement, deeply interesting mysteries, and passionate and often flawed characters who are often quite at odds with each other.
This is going to be a great show, if "Racing the Night" is still JMS's tone-setter for the rest of the series.
Lets hope it is. And let us hope that Crusade will be the "next great story," from the storyteller, J. Michael Straczynski.
Glen here, again.
I’d like to thank Cordwainer Hawk profusely for his thorough work, and boundless patience with me as I delayed this report for what must have seemed an eternity to our friendly shoemaker.
If you’d like to send me a message, or have me pass one on to Cordwainer Hawk:
