Glen here...
With a review a super-mega-blow-out review from CORDWAINER HAWK.
Rapant Crusadeness runs throughout, and a few spoilers too. Although we have been extremely careful not to post anything which would too severely compromise one's ability to enjoy the show on first viewing, people wishing to remain virginal until the series' debut should back-off NOW. There will be no further warnings!
It should be pointed out that Cordwainer's review represent his own feelings and his own thoughts about this new Babylon 5 spinoff series. Having seen all the material he is reviewing (and more), I personally have some substantially different opinions about much of what Cordwainer says, and about the show in general. As such, Cordwainer's review should be seen as Cordwainer's review - and not the official position of Coaxial.
With further delay, here is Cordwainer's review of four Crusade episodes: "Racing the Night", "The Memory of War", "The Needs of Earth", and "The Well of Forever". Enjoy!!!
Crusade
I finally understand why TNT hates Crusade. It’s just too intelligent for them.
TNT does not want to have a TV show where the characters are intelligent adults. TNT cannot have a TV show about ideas, philosophy, and mythology. To put it simply, in terms a TNT suit can understand, perhaps Crusade is just too smart for a network devoted to WCW Wrestling, and Mortal Kombat and other unethical programs of consequence free violence, and displays of inhumanity and vulgarity.
I recently experienced early versions of Crusade episodes, "The Needs of Earth" and "The Memory of War". And I viewed final cut, ready for broadcast videotapes of the episodes, "Racing the Night" and "The Well of Forever."
Crusade is, simply, one amazing TV show that is a highly artistic achievement of monumental proportions. (Though I understand ignorant fools who have sold their souls for money and live by greed, or worse yet actually work in immoral professions like advertising, don’t understand concepts of art. To them all life is essentially prostitution. Well, if they are whores that does not mean everyone else is or has to become one.)
To really enjoy Crusade one must have an I.Q. with at least 3 digits. This is why TNT does not get the show, since their collective I.Q. only ads up to about 12. Well, perhaps that’s not fair. Maybe they can reach up to about 30. Or perhaps I’m too generous.
As we understand the story, essentially TNT wanted Crusade to have more sex and violence. I’m not so sure, because the Crusade episodes I’ve encountered do have action, adventure, battles, and even some sex. (Even if it’s often humorous kinds of sexual situations… Hell, even at one point along a journey, the Excalibur itself gets laid. …Well, not exactly, but trust me, it’s funny. You’ll see this in episode 3.)
But, enough of TNT… they are irrelevant to this now. They will show the 13 filmed episodes, and hopefully the show will be enough of a success that a second season can air on a real network that has some understanding of quality. This show is in fact network quality, so much so, that it really should be on one of the big networks like CBS, or FOX. But, if Warner Bros.’s best bet is with the Sci-Fi Channel, then so be it. If SFC gets Crusade, and puts it on a proper day and time, like a Tuesday, Wednesday, or a Thursday night in primetime, it should be a huge hit for them.
What is Crusade about?
The starship Excalibur is on a mission to find a cure to the Drakh plague that has hit and will kill the 10 billion people on Earth in 5 years. So, Crusade is about a quest. A grand quest, like seeking the Holy Grail. But, it’s more. Every character on the Excalibur is on a deeply personal and individual quest. No one is exactly what he or she seems, and as Galen says, they all have a secret name… and a secret question that will unlock their heart.
The characters are all complex, and often in dramatic conflict with each other. And they are intelligent and adult. You won’t find any teenagers in this show with raging, and out of control hormones.
There are references to history and myth in the show, like The Book of Job, Stonehenge, The Oracle at Delphi, and The Library at Alexandria. Characters use Latin phrases from time to time. And in one episode the music of Mozart plays a key emotional role.
Now do you see why TNT dislikes this show? I can see why they disliked it in an age of television that gives us more and more dumb teenagers obsessed with sex, and more and more shows that revel in ignorance. Here’s a show that asks more of the audience… that asks the audience to have some intelligence. That actually asks the audience to think about questions. This show does not cater to the lowest common denominator.
And it’s the truest kind of science fiction. You see, I think TNT thinks of sci-fi in terms of the crap Joe Bob Briggs shows and makes fun of. To TNT that’s their idea of sci-fi. But, Crusade is science fiction in terms of the rich history of SF books and quality comic books. Crusade evolves from that kind of literature background. And it has *real* science in the show, thanks to the efforts of the science advisors, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
Crusade does not give the audience easy answers. Rather you will think about complex questions: Who are you? What do you want? Where are you going? Who do you serve? Who do you trust? What price will you pay to achieve your goal? Because, there is always a price, and always consequences.
And when you’ve made a promise, do you keep it no matter the cost?
I know these are questions that perhaps people don’t want to think about. I’m sure soulless creatures who occupy themselves with ratings, demographics, and advertising don’t want to think about such things.
Some people think writers should do what is popular, according to market surveys. (Take a look at what George Lucas said about studio executives in his 60 Minutes interview. He said the suits only know business, and making films is not a business, it’s an art form. The two don’t mix. He said the suits don’t even know what a film is. Well, I think the same must be said about the TNT suits.)
My view is that a writer’s job is to tell us whatever he wants to tell us. He’s reporting back to us about what he knows, and what he thinks, and how he sees the world around him. The job of an artist is not to give us what we want. It’s for him to tell us what he wants to tell us, and to perhaps give us what he thinks we need. And to do it in an entertaining way, according to what he thinks is entertaining by his standards, from his background and understanding of dramatic arts and concepts.
Now, I’m not saying Crusade is the greatest art ever. It’s still a TV show. But, it’s a TV show that attempts to reach for the stars, it attempts to reach a high level of intelligence, wisdom, as well as being entertaining, full of action and humor. And Crusade has a great sense of mythology. It’s a quest, a quest for the cure. And the characters are on their own personal quests. It’s a Crusade.
The Episodes
In "The Needs of Earth" written by JMS, the Excalibur gets some information about an alien on the run from his own government, because he has apparently found a way to download virtually all of the important knowledge of his race, covering centuries. Then he left his world in a hurry presumably to sell that information to the highest bidder. So, his government is after him, and bounty hunters have captured him and are holding him until the alien government can come and get him.
Gideon decides to go and bust the guy out of captivity, and get the information in the hopes of finding useful medical information, or information on other civilizations they’ve not yet encountered - information perhaps useful toward finding a cure to the Drakh plague.
In this episode you’ll learn more about how Gideon operates and makes decisions. And you’ll learn a bit more about Dureena’s past. And we learn about one of (IPX archeologist) Max Eilerson’s unusual hobbies.
You will see Gideon and Dureena don EVA suits as they venture to Praxis 9 and sneak into a domed city to find the fugitive and break him out. There is a lot of action and humor. Gideon has some funny interaction with his first officer Lt. Matheson when enemy ships are chasing them. And Gideon has some humorous moments with an alien official and his translator.
But, at heart "The Needs of Earth" is about art. And it’s about the value of art in culture. In a turning point the music of Mozart plays a pivotal part. And in the end a very large statement about art, and hope is expressed.
So, if you are a person who has sold your soul to prostitute yourself to work in an immoral profession like advertising, and you have zero understanding of artistic values, then perhaps this episode will be of some help to you.
As Dr. Chambers says: "Every advanced culture sooner or later figures out that hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, come close to figuring out Pi… Science is a universal constant; it’s there for anyone to discover as long as you do the math. But you don’t just discover Ode on a Grecian Urn, or Beethoven, or Gaugain. When the last copy is burned, it’s gone forever."
It’s a good episode, with an important idea. Where do hopes come from? What inspires hope? Those are the questions raised and discussed in "The Needs of Earth".
In "The Memory of War" the Excalibur ventures to a world, and as Captain Gideon describes the situation: "Ever since we started this mission, the Rangers have been investigating stories about a highly advanced world whose population was wiped out a hundred years ago using non-destructive technology. No missiles, no radiation, no obvious poisons… to all intents and purposes, it sounds like the Drakh virus."
But techno-mage Galen warns Gideon not to go down to the planet, because the odds are everyone who goes down there will die. Galen says, "For a hundred years, no one in my order has come to this place. The last one who tried… died."
So, Galen refuses to sojourn down. He tells Gideon: "Has it occurred to you, Matthew, that in our travels together we have found no shortage of dead worlds? Have you ever wondered why there are so many dead worlds out there? It’s because people insist on doing stupid things. This is one of them. …Take my advice. Don’t go down there."
Well, of course Gideon and crew go down there. Galen remains on the ship. That is until Doctor Chambers makes an astounding discovery, which sets Galen into a rage. And everyone should watch out when Galen gets pissed off.
Another very cool thing about Crusade is the look and feel of the show. JMS has created a sense of wonder and majesty on the alien worlds they visit. They look alien. They look weird. They look magical. To that end, in this episode, JMS describes the alien city thus:
"The shuttle emerges from the clouds and coming up through the mist below is a city of impossible size, with minarets and exotic spires that rise miles into the sky." Then, JMS writes as a note to the design and animation people: "(Whoever read the most Dr. Strange comics back in the late 1960’s gets to design this city.)"
And by the way, the huge alien city in another episode, "Racing the Night" is also an incredible sight. Crusade draws from mythological fiction, classic exploration science fiction, and also military SF. To that end not only is Excalibur bristling with weapons and fighters, but it also has a large contingent of heavily armed security squads. (And they have the same combat helmets that were used for the film "Starship Troopers".)
Anyway, back to the story. Galen gets righteously peeved, when he finds out how the inhabitants of the world died, and who was responsible. And then goes down to the planet full of wrath. He becomes flame.
And wait till you see Galen’s staff. And how he uses it like "The hammer of god" and raises it like "an Old Testament prophet." You will even see something rather like "the mouth of hell" in this episode.
So, again you’ll see an excellent sequence of action in this episode, with amazing visuals. It should turn out to be rather excellent.
And then...at the end...Dureena accomplishes one hell of a favor for Galen. In the very last scene of "The Memory of War" once again you will encounter what seems to be the key question posed in this series: "Whom do you trust?"
