Babylon 5 - Crusade

This is a mostly chronologically correct, JMS approved viewing order for the episodes.

• Published Episodes
  • War Zone
  • The Long Road
  • Appearances and Other Deceits
  • The Memory of War
  • The Needs of Earth
  • Racing the Night
  • Visitors From Down the Street
  • Each Night I Dream of Home
  • The Path of Sorrows
  • Ruling From the Tomb
  • Patterns of the Soul
  • The Well of Forever
  • The Rules of the Game
• Unfilmed episodes
  • To the Ends of the Earth
  • Value Judgments
  • Darkness of the Soul
  • Tried and True
  • War Story
  • The Walls of Hell
• The End of the Line
• Resources

Published Episodes

War Zone

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.

The Long Road

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.

Appearances and Other Deceits

Two EarthGov representatives arrive to improve the ship’s image when an alien being spread through people by touch arrives on the ship.

The Memory of War

The crew visits a planet where the inhabitants were wiped out in a war 100 years ago.

The Needs of Earth

The crew rescue an individual whom the Rangers claim possesses all the important information of his race on six data crystals.

Racing the Night

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.

Visitors From Down the Street

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.

Each Night I Dream of Home

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.

The Path of Sorrows

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.

Ruling From the Tomb

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.

Patterns of the Soul

The crew travel to a world named Theta 49 to investigate the possibility that the Drakh plague may have spread beyond Earth.

The Well of Forever

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.

The Rules of the Game

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.

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.

To the Ends of the Earth

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.

Value Judgments

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.

Darkness of the Soul

Episode involving the Apocalypse Box. Scripting was about to begin when the series was cancelled.[7]

Tried and True

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.[8] 18 TBA J. Michael Straczynski Episode would have involved the discovery of a construction base. Only exists as a one-line description.[9]

War Story

Dureena is abducted by an unknown ship under circumstances that leave Matheson feeling as though he’s responsible.[10]

The Walls of Hell

In attempt to rescue Dureena, Matheson gets possessed by the apocalypse box and subsequently takes over the ship.[10] 21 TBA J. Michael Straczynski Dureena returns with a magical sword and without any memory of what happened to her.[11]

The End of the Line

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.

Resources

• Thoughts on appropirate viewing orders
  • https://greysector.wordpress.com/2016/03/18/crusade-the-continuity-order-watch-through/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusade_(TV_series)