Those of you who know me or are familiar with my reviews know I am a big fan of Science Fiction. Now, I’m not one of those die-hard fans who has to nitpick every little thing that doesn’t seem feasible, I just like to sit back and enjoy a good story. (Though if the error is really glaring, I am apt to point it out.) I have always liked “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”, but as far as series go I’ve always been partial to “Babylon Five.” I’ll admit that the series started out a little weak, and seemed a bit corny. But this was to be short-lived. Within that first season alone, changes began to take place that elevated the series from an ‘alien of the week’ style to the beginnings of what would become an epic storyline.

To my understanding, that was what creator J. Michael Straczynski intended. He went in with an entire 5-year story arc written out, a ‘Bible’ if you will. The plan was to draw in audiences with simple stories and likable characters, then shake things up more than just a little. Then as the 2nd season progressed everything started to evolve. The stories started becoming even more complex, and plotlines began to mesh. Situations that were alluded to or foreshadowed in the 1st season began to surface in the 2nd. Things that might not have been clear would suddenly become crystal.

The same goes with all the characters. Personalities and relationships began to shift. Characters that were funny and likable started becoming darker. Alliances were formed and broken, political ties began to be questioned, and friendships were torn apart. What started out as ‘Sci-fi’ light, became an intricate web of conspiracies, lies and deception. Some of the treachery bordered on shocking. “Babylon 5,” in its 2nd season became a force to be reckoned with in the realm of science fiction dramas.

Along with the changes many of the characters were going through, there also came a change in leadership. With the disappearance of the original commander Jeffrey Sinclair (Michael O’Hare), there was need for a new face of authority. It came in the form of John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) who, like every one else, turned out to be more than what we saw at face value. His is the command that guides the series throughout the remainder of its five year run.

The news that the show was going to end at the end of the 5th season was somewhat sad, in spire of the fact that most fans knew all along that was all there was going to be. Throughout the run, there were several Telefilms that took the series regulars into different directions, but it appeared once the show was gone, it was one. However, one storyline that was brought to light in the Telefilm, “A Call to Arms” brought to Earth the threat of a biological weapon left behind during the Drakh confrontation. The weapon unleashed a plague that would kill all life on Earth in 5 years. This set the stage for Straczynski’s spin-off series “Crusade.”

Once again the hope was for “Crusade” to run a full five seasons, during which time the crew of the Excalibur would seek out a cure for the bio-weapon that was dooming the human race to extinction. But unfortunately it was not to be. Only 13 episodes were produced, and due to irreconcilable differences between Straczynski and the studio, the series was summarily cancelled. He had one vision for the series, while they had another.

I watched most of the episodes when they first aired, and though there was a noticeable decline in the budget (compared to “B5”) and the fact that they were being aired out of order, it was obvious that Straczynski would have had another hit on his hands. The same fate recently befell Joss Whedon’s “Firefly”, which was destined to be one of the best sci-fi shows ever. The network ran the episodes out of order, which was confusing to audiences, and they kept pre-empting it for the dumbest of reasons. Of course, that show died as well. The only positive note being that due to the huge DVD sales of that series’ release, the studio greenlit a big budget theatrical film to be released next year. Part of what helped was that the DVD release also afforded fans the opportunity to watch the episodes in the order that they were intended.

As for “Crusade”, the few episodes I did see were still very well produced and had a very strong cast. Leading the pack was Gary Cole, who is one of the most underrated actors working today. He has always been a great addition to any cast, whether playing the intensely scary sheriff in “American Gothic”, mimicking Robert Reed’s Mike Brady in the otherwise awful “Brady Bunch” movies, or the boss in the hysterically funny “Office Space.” Cole is simply a great actor, and I was looking forward to his carrying this series for a full five years. Ah well….

Though the entire cast did a great job with the limited time they had to develop their characters, I would like to direct your attention to Daniel Dae Kim. Of late, I’ve been rather amazed by how many shows I’ve see this talented actor on. I was most used to seeing him as a smarmy lawyer for Wolfram & Hart on “Angel”, but since that time I’ve caught him on episodes of “24”, and most recently as a regular on the superlative series, “Lost.” I’m thrilled to see him being given the opportunity to show some range and expect to keep seeing his name for years to come.

Beyond the cast, it was the Straczynski’s input that made the series so good. As in the case with “B5”, the characters were all flawed, and were often faced with extremely tough moral decisions. And unlike most network shows, they did not always take the high ground.

The new DVD release from Warner at least offer fans the opportunity to see all of the episodes that were produced. But unlike the release of “Firefly”, the episodes on the DVD are presented in the order they aired (re: out of order), so if you watch them this way, prepare to be confused. In the listing of the episodes I will include below, I will place them in the order that Straczynski intended for you to see them. Print this out and put it with your DVD set, and be sure to watch them in this order.

The extras on this set include two commentaries, the first showing up on the episode “Well of Forever.” It features actors Peter Woodward (Galen) and Carrie Dobro (Dureena), along with director Janet Greek and writer Fiona Avery. (This was one of the few episodes that were not written by Straczynski). It is a fairly good commentary, but there were a few too many times that their conversation strayed from the series at hand. The other commentary, and the one most welcome, was by Straczynski himself on “Racing the Night” (which should really be viewed as the first episode). He has always been as good a speaker as he is a writer and he talks quite eloquently about both series. I was hoping he would get more into what all was involved with the show’s cancellation, but he offered nothing up in that regard. You’ll also find two featurettes that together run a total of 20 minutes, each offering some interview footage from the creative team about the series in general.

In spite of the fact that the overall storyline remains open ended, “Crusade” still offers sci-fi fans (and especially “B5” fans) several well-written episodes. I do recommend you get ahold of the “Babylon 5 Movie Collection” and watch “A Call to Arms” first, as it will help introduce you to the events that led up to the series. (By the way, there are rumblings of a feature film that would tie up the series, let’s keep those fingers crossed!!)

Episodes (in the order you should watch them):
Racing The Night
The Needs of Earth
The Memory of War
The Long Road
Visitors From Down the Street
The Well of Forever
Each Night I Dream Of Home
Patterns of the Soul
The Path Of Sorrows
Ruling From the Tomb
The Rules of the Game
War Zone
Appearances and Other Deceits

Starring: Gary Cole, Tracy Scoggins, Daniel Dae Kim, David Allen Brooks, Peter Woodward, Marjean Holden, Carrie Dobro
Extras: Audio Commentary on 2 Episodes, The Making of Crusade, Forging Excalibur
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 12/7/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Crusade: The Complete Series a B-.