Crusade (1999) User Reviews

Promising but Without Conclusion

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 16 May 2021]

"Crusade" is a spin-off "Babylon 5" composed of thirteen episodes but without conclusion of the lead plot.

The plot is based on a virus released on Earth by the aliens Drakh that will decimate the global population in five years. Captain Matthew Gideon is assigned to command the starship Excalibur and search for the cure exploring the galaxy. Along his journey, he lives adventures with his crew in the outer space.

The lead characters are reasonable: Captain Matthew Gideon (Gary Cole) is the best and most interesting one. Lt. John Matheson (Daniel Dae Kim) is a telepath not allowed to use his abilities that are pointless. Max Eilerson (David Allen Brooks) is an annoying character. Galen (Peter Woodward) and Dureena Nafeel (Carrie Dobro) are promising and should be better developed. Dr. Sarah Chambers (Marjean Holden) is expressionless in an important role.

The special effects are poor, even for a 1998 TV Series, but it was worthwhile watching the DVD Box. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available.

wow, did TNT ever screw this up!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 20 February 2006]

This series was absolutely doomed from the beginning. Not only was it following on the coattails of Babylon 5 (appearing AFTER the original had run its course), but TNT moved this follow-up series so many times, most of its small audience was lost and assumed the show had been canceled (which it soon was).

The show had a bizarre premise. An alien atavistic race wanted to destroy the earth once and for all and sent a plague into our atmosphere. All life was doomed to die within a few years and there appeared to be no hope--except for a few ships that were off world and were madly searching for ANYONE or ANYTHING that could help us cure this plague.

Excellent acting and writing really mean nothing if there's no commitment from the TV execs, so this series quickly tanked. In fact, J. Michael Straczynski, the brains behind the series and writer of most of the episodes, left in disgust because of how Turner Networks handled this. It is available on DVD but don't expect the quality of the original series--it had some excellent moments and a lot of promise but quickly withered due to neglect.

Had great potential

[chrichtonsworld · 7/10 · 6 July 2007]

When you introduce a new story and new characters in the world of "Babylon 5" you have got a lot to live up to! At first I hated the idea of a ship traveling in unknown space to explore and search for a cure to heal the human race! The traveling part reminded me too much of Star Trek! But when I saw how they handled different subjects I did recognize some elements that made "Babylon 5" so brilliant! What I did miss was some tension that played a big part in the Babylon 5 universe! I knew that if this series had gotten the chance to continue it would have been just as great as "Babylon 5" was! Some shows need time to grow and tell the story! The first season of "Babylon 5" also needed time to develop and to make sense! From what I have seen "Crusade" had great potential and that's why it is sad that they canceled it!

Great potential bungled by Total Nitwit Television (TNT)

[david.richmond · 1 January 2001]

The tribulations associated with the production of this show were a drama in and of themselves, and anyone who doesn't know the history should check it out. The first episodes are not representative of the original vision Mr. JMS had for Crusade. The last episodes were actually the first ones filmed and intended to launch the series.

There are actually some sad parallels to the problems Gene Roddenberry had with NBC in trying to get Star Trek made. The NBC execs thought the Star Trek pilot (The Cage) was too brainy. They wanted the regular series plots dumbed down and more action added. As they say, the one thing we learn from history is that no one seems to learn from history.

Given the success of Babylon 5 and the fact that B5 fans were greatly anticipating Crusade, it was a business fiasco for TNT's execs to presume to tamper with something they didn't understand. Unfortunately, tamper they did, and we have been forced to live with the consequences of an unfulfilled vision. Compare Crusade's "Racing the Night", the intended first episode, with "War Zone" to see the result of TNT's meddling. Notice the utterly unnecessary fight scene in "War Zone". Also, notice that the Rangers disappeared entirely from the TNT-influenced episodes.

TNT's final insult was in trying to foist this off as a "special limited series". Since when do you introduce an audience to a story and a bunch of characters, then deliberately fail to finish what you've started? Curiosity prevented me from not watching. Now I'm stuck wondering about what might have been.

I was especially intrigued by the storyline involving Gideon and the mysterious "apocalypse box". JMS never let characters get away with cheating, as Gideon was clearly doing by consulting the force controlling the box. I'd really like to know what fate was in store for Gideon as recompense for taking shortcuts to success. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have to make up my own ending to this story.

If allowed to develop unobstructed, Crusade could have been a classic series. In spite of TNT's interference, there were still flashes of brilliance in the few episodes that were produced. Instead, it seems that Crusade is doomed to occupy a place in sci-fi history as a memorial to what might have been.

Another series canceled before its time

[Polaris01313-1 · 7/10 · 17 April 2008]

I just recently finished watching all 13 episodes of Crusade, and I must say, it had potential. I liked the design of the Excalibur(which reminded me of the rockets used in The Martian Chronicles mini-series). Most of all, I liked the main characters and some of the guest stars that were on the show.

It's a shame that TNT had to be pig-headed about the show. Sometimes major networks don't know artistic freedom, integrity, quality, or originality, period. I can understand J. Michael Straczynski's frustration over the entire incident.

It may not be Babylon 5, but it was a decent sequel to that show, and it had potential.

Here is to hoping that, like Futurama, we'll see the return of Crusade and the crew of the starship Excalibur.

Rated a 7 so far - An Interesting Show - even After all these years

[rKim_ · 7/10 · 1 January 2022]

I found and was able to download this show that I never wanted to watch in years gone by. It seems now though that with no shows are being aired that are interesting to me older shows like this are worth the time and effort to watch. I do not plan on finding Babylon 5 or any of the other offshoots that were created but I will watch this one. The stories are simplistic but I have enjoyed that so far after only watching the first couple of episodes. Who knows, if I like this enough I may seek out older shows like this for a trial viewing even after so much time.

What Could Have Been

[Tiger Hawk · 10/10 · 18 April 2001]

In talking about Crusade, one must first recognize the fact that we are talking about a series that was cut short before it even aired. Only 13 episodes were produced of the show and of those 13 a handful do not do the series or its predecessor, Babylon 5 justice.

True to form J. Michael Stracynski (hereby referred to as "JMS") set about to tell us a story, albeit one not as tightly plotted as Babylon 5 or as driven by multiple story arcs, but a story nonetheless. A story meant to further the Babylon 5 universe, but a story that was cut short.

Similar to what JMS did with Babylon 5, the first season episodes of Crusade set up A LOT of what was going to be dealt with later on in the series. The result is that these episodes, on a whole, are mediocre at times, because they lacked the effect of having a later episode revisit some themes set up there and bring them to fruition. Several first (and second) season episodes of Babylon 5 seemed mediocre at the time, but when revisited after watching later seasons, they became gems of foreshadowing, plot development, minor details, etc. all of which added to the show.

But, I'm dwelling on the past and like so many others, disregarding the fact that this show is a good example of quality television in and of itself. With only 13 episodes, JMS did set up a whole sub-section of the Babylon 5 universe, showed us new areas to explore, reunited us with some old friends, sowed the seeds of what was to be a very interesting plot development, and even poked fun at the X-Files (fans of that show take heart, JMS and Chris Carter are good friends and it was done more as a homage than to criticize the show).

One of JMS' strengths is in his characters. These are people who are flawed, who are crude, dishonest, have secrets in their past, but still work together and are the team I'd want looking for a cure were we to be infected with a plague like the Drahk one.

Captain Matthew Gideon is perhaps the most flawed. He's a gambler, he doesn't take anything from anyone, he's angry over the loss of a ship he served on, but most of all he's determined. For all that though, he's not one to jump into things head on, he more prefers to have an ace up his sleeve. That `ace' being, at least some of the time, his mysterious `Apocolypse Box,' which started sowing seeds of doubt.

Lieutenant Matheson is the upstanding officer on the ship, loyal to a fault. He's a telepath left with the burden of proving to the world that telepaths don't need an organization to police them, as the Psi-Corp once did. He's got the sword of Damocles above his head and a past history of violence against the Corp.

Doctor Chambers wasn't given much time to develop, but like Dr. Franklin on B5, she cares about her patients and is willing to do what it takes.

Max Eilerson is the resident archeologist, linguist, and pain in the butt. He seems to annoy just about everyone and yet, he's indispensable. Just because he's searching for a cure to save every man, woman, child, and alien on Earth doesn't mean he can't find a way to get rich out of the deal...

Which brings us to Dureena, the thief with a code of honor. Dureena is trustworthier than Eilerson, despite her background. She does provide the important role of being the one person who can pick locks, sneak in and out of places, and search alien worlds for the cure.

Finally, there's Galen, who is the most interesting. He's a Technomage, which means he uses science and technology to simulate magic. That means he's the one with the ability to save the crew and spy on them when needed. He rescued Gideon 10 years in the past, when his ship was destroyed and now cares for him as if Gideon were a stray cat he took in and yet more times than not, it seems he needs Gideon more than Gideon needs him.

It's a shame all this potential was left in the limbo good shows go when they are taken off the air. Even more so when you learn how the first season was to end. Without spoiling things (in the case of some miracle resurrecting the series), it seems that a lot more people than we thought are using the Shadow tech that the virus is based on. President Clark's Shadow enhanced ships in `Between the Darkness and the Light' was just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, it's a lot more recent use of Shadow technology than another group in the Babylon 5 universe that bases what they do on that same technology. The former group, at the end of the season though, was willing to protect their secret use of the Shadow tech at any cost.

For now though, we are left with 13 episodes, most of which do make for good television as stand-alone episodes. And yet, they could have been so much more...

Wow, Earth destroyed because media moguls cut funding for salvation mission; almost a parable of our time!

[justinmo-1 · 6/10 · 11 July 2006]

I saw this series belatedly; it's fairly good, not exceptional, sci-fi fare. Some of it's philosophic moments are more profound than usual and the intellectual level of the discussion shows that the writers actually used classical allusion; or looked up the references anyway. Apart from that the characters are engaging and the plot's the usual ever-present danger but no-one important ever gets killed stuff. The problem is that the series is unfinished, apparently pulled before being resolved; this is a problem because the essential issue was that if they couldn't find a cure within five years then the population of the Earth would die of an alien plague. The discursive way the story writers approached the central theme indicates they expected to ride this horse for about 5 years themselves. But it stopped after one partial season, 13 episodes. Which means that the Earth actually died somewhere around 2004, and no-one noticed! I always knew media barons were bad guys; but killing off the Earth on a marketing decision is too much! This habit has become almost typical of American television's approach to SF ever since, everything good gets a short run and pulled, The Chronicle and Firefly stand out as other examples. They could have made one more episode of Crusade to solve the plague and wrap it all up at least... Boo, hiss!

Darker and deeper

[Freemheart · 10/10 · 13 January 2004]

Beyond Babylon 5 there's another war and it begin in the edge of the heart of a group of people trying to find a cure to save earth, that's Crusade, a Babylon 5 spin off. It's not the classic story of the space explorers, it's about how hard can be our present when we have some unfinished business with our past. That's make the characters the most important thing of all, everyone with his secrets and own private war making the story more complex. In a just a few episodes Straczynsky goes far beyond B5 not only taking many unsolved mysteries from his first saga, also with good actors and amazing scripts. Forgetting Warzone as first episode and watching the real one, Racing the night, it's become clear the salvation of the people of earth it's just a piece of the whole jigsaw where only a few have a real chance to survive. It's shame what happen with TNT cos Crusade is one of the best underrated scifi shows with many things to explore.

Will have to do a lot better

[*Prometheus* · 6/10 · 11 June 1999]

What happened? They really blotched up the first episode. It seemed entirely out of context. I don't mean the plot, I mean the character portrayal. Since when does a Mars senator give orders to an Earth Force vessel?(for example)They have a long ways to go to catch up with B5. Did JMS even direct this episode?

Cancelled...and deservedly so

[KingJawa · 2/10 · 14 November 2005]

I adore B5, just love its complex characters, amazing effects and engaging storyline And I hated Crusade for the failure to do any of the above Crusade was cancelled for the wrong reasons - TNT were fools, but lets face it, what was actually made was awful The characters were boring and Galen was incredibly annoying. The sets were poor, the effects sub standard, the music was dire and the story's were confused - Earth is dying but seems to function pretty well anyway - and why do they keep coming back home when they have a limited amount of time to explore the galaxy's fringe? Where do all these abandoned planets (which can support life) keep coming from - why haven't they been invaded? The show is just boring, good riddance to a bad show. Only a new cast, new sets, new music and a budget 5 times the same could make this worthwhile

Why TNT killed Crusade (they wanted out of the contract)

[electrictroy · 9/10 · 17 July 2009]

I'm not going to review the show but in brief: I consider Crusade equal to the original Star Trek's first thirteen episodes. Because it was an exploration ship and had that unusual otherworldy music, for me watching Crusade evokes the same sense of "wonder" and "mystery" and "danger" as the original Trek did. What happened to Crusade is approximately equivalent to if Babylon 5 ended after "Signs and Portents" where the Shadow Ambassador Mr. Morden first unveiled himself. Crusade was a 5-year-story about Earth and the Shadows, but was unfortunately cut short.

Also the recommended airing order is episode 103 (Racing the Night), 101, 102, 104, 105, and so on. IMHO it makes more sense story-wise to follow this production order, rather than following the TNT/DVD order. (The same is true for Star Trek TOS.)

So anyway quoting J.Michael Straczynski (jms):

It was after episode five. We'd gotten minimal notes from TNT, pretty much along the lines of the Warner Bros notes we had in our first season of Babylon 5, so things were going pretty swimmingly. Then, out of nowhere, they gave us the shutdown so they could look at the show. That wasn't a small sign, it was more like an explosion going off on the set.

.....It was only after I had left that I ran into TNT executives who had been working there at the time, who said, 'We're sorry about what happened.' I asked them under promise of confidentiality, and what it came down to was they had done a multi-year audience survey, and finally got the results in right around the time we were shooting episode 5, and it said that the TNT audience does not like or want or respond to SF.

What I was told is that when they saw those figures come in, they decided that they wanted to get out of the contract and use that money to buy repeats of Law & Order, which their survey indicated would be a good buy for them. It you look at the trades for that time, they were kind of surprised when TNT came in on this bidding war and nailed it. Everyone thought their budget for the year had been allocated, so where was this money coming from? By sheer coincidence, the money they paid is equal to what they were going to pay for a full season of Crusade.

Plus they didn't want to have to pay for the first 13. By trying to say it wasn't the show they ordered, they were trying to get out of paying anything and stick Warners with the bill. That was the purpose of the notes that came through. They could say, 'We gave them notes, and they wouldn't do them.' No, because they were egregious and wrong and I couldn't do them, but at the time, I knew none of this.

And as one TV person told me after the fact, "Had you done every single note that they asked you for, they would have found some other reason to get out of that contract." They were trying to paper their way out of the deal, which makes me even gladder that I stood up when I did. - jms

In my opinion:

TNT sounds like a bunch of shysters: (1)Sign a contract (2) Change your mind (3) And manufacture excuses not to pay for the 13 episodes produced.

Ahead of its time

[joel-753-810200 · 7/10 · 17 April 2024]

Following on from the cult classic sci-if series Babylon 5, Crusade offers us a further exploration of this universe, with a high production value for its time, detailed sets and lots of cgi graphics, this series could have gone further.

However, it was also a victim of its own brilliance. The quality of production at the time it was produced stifled and limited the scope of this great show. If it was made today, with modern production techniques, then I think that would really bring this series to life and it would have a superb run.

The plots were full of philosophical meaning for humanity, portrayed in a relaxed manner.

I enjoyed it.

There seems to be a trend of remaking old classics, I hope this gets a shot some day.

Overacting the series.

[lothos-370-690020 · 5/10 · 3 March 2017]

While Babylon 5 suffered from a few over the top performances, in general its main cast and regulars were all accomplished actors.

Crusade on the other hand is jam packed full of terrible performances. From regulars like Galen who never met a syllable he didn't over emphasise, to a whole catalogue of terrible overly expressive bit parts, this show really has more than its fair share of over the top actors.

Whether it was a decision by the director or just poor acting, every episode contained at least one cringe inducing scene.

While the overall story was interesting and had huge potential some of the plots were very samey and one in particular was so bad, it approached Plan 9 levels of awful.

The special effects remind me of games of the same era, which is reasonable given they were all using the same technology, but it has dated very poorly.

There are a number of shows that were cancelled long before their time, Crusade was not one of them.

Murdered during birth by TNT!

[bigger-2 · 16 April 2001]

To those of you who only saw it when broadcast on TNT, the broadcast "opener" was not in fact the true opening episode. The series is now being rebroadcast in the order in which it was intended by Sci-Fi Channel, and after only a week it remains far more satisfying than it was two years ago. The story detailed on all the chatrooms at the time. Basically, B5 was bought for TNT by the people who bought re-broadcast rights, but supervision for Crusade was taken over by people who supervised original series and evidently didn't like it -- they were into westerns. They wanted a new character added, a female who 'explored' other species sexually. They were responsible for the change in uniforms, and they demanded a new opener, one which gave away too much. JMS went as far as he could, then told them to stuff it. They took 13 episodes, no more, and at the time the Sci Fi channel had committed its financial future to Farscape. I liked Farscape -- now I love it -- but I LOVE Crusade. Watch the series as it is broadcast here, and write Sci-Fi asking if they can't get new episodes. Marjean Holden may be trapped in Beastmaster, but I suspect the other actors would jump at the chance to play such complex characters.

needs to be more serial

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 31 October 2023]

It's 2267. Earth has been attacked by an unknown alien race called the Drakh. They have left behind a bio-engineered nano-virus which is expected to wipe out all life within five years. Earth is quarantined. Mars has activated prototype spaceship Excalibur and given the command to Capt. Matthew Gideon (Gary Cole). Lt. John Matheson (Daniel Dae Kim) is his second in command. Their mission is to find a cure for the virus no matter what the cost.

This is a spin-off from Babylon 5. I saw most of Babylon back in the day, but it's been three decades since it premiered. It was never my favorite but it kept me engaged. I didn't stay for the follow ups. This one didn't have a chance. It's canceled after one season. I like most of this, even the old 1999 CG. What I don't like is the episodic nature of the show. It's not Star Trek on a 5-year tour where they go willy nilly around the galaxy exploring anywhere and everywhere. They have a mission. This needs to be a serial. For example, the pilot ends with them capturing a valuable prisoner and a crashed enemy vessel. The next episode should be digging through every last inch of that ship for a clue. Maybe there are coordinates for an enemy base. Matheson should be psychically Guantanamo the prisoner until he starts talking. In the end, the show has an elevator pitch and not much plan after that.

Getting better

[*Prometheus* · 6/10 · 8 August 1999]

In response to my original review, I would like to say Crusade is getting better with the actor portrayal and plot. I still find that the series strays from time to time from what the original plot intended. I find the there is a little too much "fantasy" involved, especially with the Techno-Mages. The special effects are excellent I must say. The last episode that aired on August 4, 1999 was the best to date in my opinion. It followed the storyline of the whole series very well. I also liked the space battle. I hope the series keeps going and matures even more. I felt the same way when B5 first came out only to find myself glued to the T.V. every day watching it!

Excellent Show!

[greghill · 9/10 · 11 September 2020]

I reckon this would have been an excellent show if it hadn't been cut short, but that's something us Sci Fi fans are used to.

Clever science fiction

[fig-75275 · 10/10 · 2 June 2016]

I like Crusade almost as much as I like Babylon 5. It is similar enough to Babylon 5 that you can believe it is set in the same Universe, but it is different enough to be fresh and new. The characters all work well together and there is plenty of character development. The stories are all convincing and they cover many different aspects of science fiction.

I thought the chemistry between Lochley and Gideon, and between Gideon and Galen, was great. Max, Dureena, and Dr. Chambers have some good scenes too. The "X-Files episode" was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. It's a shame they didn't make more episodes.

Great series--too bad it was canceled

[bpeck13 · 8/10 · 7 October 2008]

This is a spin off of the Babylon 5 TV series. However, you don't really need any knowledge of the Babylon 5 series to enjoy it. To best understand this series, watch the prequel movie A Call to Arms first.

It is too bad this series was cut short. It was interesting and Gary Cole made a great lead actor—not your typical stuffy military-type at all. He cheats, he lies, he speaks his mind regardless of rank, and he breaks the rules--but always for the right reasons.

The worst part is that the series just stops mid-stream/mid-season. They should have finished out the season and found a way to wrap things up. So what if it was only a one-year series? At least the viewers wouldn't have been left just hanging with no conclusions or closures. They talk about fan/viewer loyalty—how about reciprocating some of that loyalty to the viewers??? Don't get us hooked just to slam the door in our faces!! I liked the series very much and would have liked to see it continued

Doesn't Add Up

[talon_mortis · 4/10 · 5 January 2007]

Crusade was a show with a big challenge, live up to Babylon 5. It didn't, quite frankly. The over-arcing plot was good, most of the characters were well thought out and the ship itself was pretty damned gorgeous. So where did it go wrong? I think the main reason for the cancellation was the 'drabness' that overhung the show. There were a lot of episodes towards the start of the series that were simply weak. From Episode 9 onwards there was a definite improvement, with continuity strengthening and characters being slightly more developed.

Some of the shows good points include the constant references to the Shadows screwing around in the past, possibly hinting at a re-emergence, the Apocalypse Box was a great idea, Max Eilerson, a slimyer company man we never did see. Oh, and of course the episode that directly parodied the X-Files.

Biggest flaw? Galen. He was truly wooden, a big detraction from the pace and mystery of the show. It irks me that of all the characters that they could have brought back for Lost Tales, it would have to be Galen, wouldn't it. Ah well.

So, a cancellation kind of earned. Perhaps B5 was just too good to sequel? After all, Legend of the Rangers came first and that flopped utterly. It makes me wonder just what Lost Tales holds for the future for us.

"...I repeat, Earth is quarantined..."

[bradphipps101 · 23 September 2002]

Crusade was a bold step in another direction for the ultra successful Babylon 5 TV series. Set up in the prologue movie 'A Call to Arms' and taking place 5 years after B5 ends, Crusade follows the crew of the experimental destroyer Excalibur in a search for a cure from a deadly alien plague which is slowly killing the Earth, something in itself is amazing. Not many shows would cut off mankind's homeworld for the sake of a story, and in doing so lifted Crusade to a new level of Sci Fi.

The Excalibur is a mixture of Minbari, Vorlon and Earth technology, and resembles the Liberator from Blake's 7. The highlight of the ship has to be the Main Guns which converts all of the ship's energy into one savage laser beam, but renders the ship without power for one minute as it recharges. J. Michael Strackzynski, the show's creator, is a forward thinker, so much so that this ship was first mentioned back in Babylon 5's 5th season episode 'Movement of Fire & Shadow'.

Season One was a mixed bag. Lasting only 13 episodes due to a conflict with JMS and broadcaster TNT, there were only a handful of episodes that stood out. Out of those made, 'Racing the Night' was arguably the best. A desperate species suffering from the same plague as Earth, using any means necessary to find a cure; this episode posed more questions than people think. Had the series continued, it was promised the show would have taken on a new aspect, and the plague wouldn't have been the only thing the crew should be worried about...

All in all the show was definitely killed off before it's time. It had potential to rival or even surpass Babylon 5 in terms of excellence, but it seems we'll never know.

Crusade Should Never Have Been Discontinued

[tjwilson-65746 · 10/10 · 5 July 2017]

I never saw Babylon 5, but Crusade was an excellent show, good plots, great actors, quality sets. I own it and watch it over and over again. However, the "music" that accompanied the show was kind of weird and this may be a very good reason it wasn't popular. But it's a lousy reason, I will forever miss the fact that there was nothing beyond nothing after the 13 episodes. Loved it, still do!

Babylon 5: Crusade (1999)

[jtwcosmos · 9/10 · 18 May 2011]

"I want them out of my sky."

This is the story of a star ship on a mission of discovery, and not just any discovery. What the crew of this ship is looking for, could very well be described as the Holly Grail. And both the name of the series - Crusade - and the name of the ship itself - Excalibur - clearly indicate that.

If you take the time to read some of the reviews, you will quickly learn the difficult and complicated story of this series: how it was sabotaged by Network Executives, how it had to deal with their absurd demands and how it was killed off, eventually, when the creator refused to comply with their less then inspired requests.

You will also learn about it's strong points - good story, mostly - and not so strong points - the music, for example. But is there anything more to it? Maybe there is.

Crusade is a spin off of the highly successful series Babylon 5. The story begins several years after the end of the Great War, and the premise for it is explained in the TV movie "A Call to Arms", so make sure to watch the movie, first. As the successor of Babylon 5, Crusade inherits a very complex universe, where black and white are never easily identified and where morality and politics don't always go hand in hand. But what does this series do with it's inheritance? Does it develop it as fully as it deserves? I guess we will never learn the answer to that question, really, but from the 13 episodes it is clear that it could have. And if it hadn't been sabotaged by some really, really awful choices, it probably would have.

But first, the good parts.

The design of the ship is fantastic. It is big, powerful yet limited and it has a fighter wing, which makes for a lot of very animated space battles. It also has a very complex transportation system, and everybody seems to have their conferences in it.

The main cast is likable, the characters are complex, and they clearly have things to do and places to go. Whatever they are, they are not the usual types one sees in a space show and they are quite unique, actually.

One of the most powerful features of the show is it's mythology. JMS does a great job of developing a whole universe, ensuring an intriguing and fascinating background for the story. Most of the episodes build on that, are highly entertaining and provide a good blend of action, drama, inner conflict, ambition, frustration and humor. So much so that one is likely to ignore many of the shortcomings of the show.

Which leads us to the... not so good parts.

First things first: the show's opening credits are arguably the worst ever made. They are simply hideous and there is no question about that. They could easily be used as the template for how not to do things (and I've never seen credits like that again so... they probably were). The questions "Who are you?" and "What do you want?" written in shaky fonts all over the screen... not very promising. Especially if they are answered.

Then there is the music. Bad, bad, bad.

And the writing? Unfortunately it seems the writers never cared enough for it, and never gave the script a second thought. It seems rushed, it seems incomplete and it seems shaky. Come to think of it, maybe that's the meaning of the opening credits, who knows? Maybe it is a warning: "Beware! There be bad writing." Or maybe it is just the way it is rendered by the actors, but I seriously doubt that; the occasional moments of witty and insightful dialog that made Babylon 5 so great are delivered perfectly.

Or maybe it is the direction that is at fault. A closer examination of some (if not all) of the episodes reveals a whole lot of close-ups, strange and goofy poses the actors seem to strike, and some scenes are positively begging for one more take. Alas, the amount of tape they have at their disposal seems to be very limited and that's a shame, really.

And on top of it all, there is the Network's interference. Their less than inspired "notes" resulted in some episodes being quite pointless, and one can simply ignore them (like War Zone, for example).

Crusade. A series that could have been so great, but didn't quite make it. 9/10.