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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

Midnight On The Firing Line

Babylon 5A surprise attack results in the capture of a Centauri agricultural colony on Ragesh 3; when he receives the word, Londo Mollari is up in arms. When careful examination of a visual record of the attack reveals Narn heavy fighters are responsible for the invasion, Londo and G’Kar take every opportunity to go for each others’ throats and war seems inevitable. As if trying to prevent a Narn-Centauri war isn’t enough to occupy his time, Sinclair is also troubled by recent attacks by space raiders on unarmed transport ships – the pirates are taking more drastic and violent measures than ever before. The Centauri government decides to take no action regarding Ragesh 3. Enraged, Londo conceals this fact and tries to see if he can encourage sanctions against the Narn Regime in a meeting of the council. When G’Kar claims that the Ragesh 3 colonists have allied themselves with the Narn to escape factional fighting and produces Londo’s colonist nephew as a witness to this claim, Londo decides to take matters into his own hands in a most undiplomatic manner…

Season 1 Regular Cast: Michael O’ Hare (Commander Jeffrey Sinclair), Claudia Christian (Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova), Jerry Doyle (Security Chief Michael Garibaldi), Mira Furlan (Ambassador Delenn), Richard Biggs (Dr. Stephen Franklin), Andrea Thompson (Talia Winters), Stephen Furst (Vir Koto), Bill Mumy (Lennier), Caitlin Brown (Na’Toth), Andreas Katsulas (Ambassador G’Kar), Peter Jurasik (Ambassador Londo Mollari)

Order now!Download this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Richard Compton
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: Peter Trencher (Carn Mollari), Paul Hampton (The Senator), Jeff Austin (Centauri #1), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh), Maggie Egan (Newsperson), Mark Hendrickson (Narn Captain), Douglas E. McCoy (Delta 7), Marianne Robertson (Tech #1)

Babylon 5Notes: The dream of which Londo speaks in this episode is later seen in The Coming of Shadows, and is explained in full in part two of War Without End. It comes to fruition in Hour of the Wolf.

Although Ardwight Chamberlain is credited with the role of Kosh, he only provides the Vorlon ambassador’s enigmatic voice; production assistant Jeffrey Willerth was the actor underneath the bulky suit. Willerth later married series regular Patricia Tallman.

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

The Parliament of Dreams

Babylon 5Amidst a week of cultural exchange in which various cultures’ religious and philosophical views are demonstrated, Garibaldi notices the arrival of Catherine Sakai, Sinclair’s old flame from the space academy on Earth. While Sinclair tries to come to grips with his past, Ambassador G’Kar’s past gets a grip on him as an old adversary from the Narn homeworld has diverted all his resources to killing G’Kar. The sudden arrival of a new aide makes the ambassador understandably nervous, and no matter what steps he takes to ensure his own security, someone seems to be one step ahead of G’Kar at every turn…

Order now!Download this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Jim Johnston
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: Julia Nickson (Catherine Sakai), Thomas Kopache (Tu’Pari), Joy Hardin (Narn #1), Mark Hendrickson (Du’Rog), Calvin Jung (Guard), Randall Kirby (Businessman #1), Michael McKenzie (Pilgrim), Marianne Robertson (Dome Tech), Glenn Robinson (Head Waiter), Erich Martin Von Hicks (Businessman #2)

Notes: The character of Na’Toth, making her first appearance here, was originally to have been played by Susan Kellerman according to Warner Bros.’ preliminary promo material. Also note that the Minbari religious ceremony, according to Catherine Sakai, does double duty as a marriage ceremony.

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

Chrysalis

Babylon 5Negotiations between the Narn and Centauri over territorial claims to quadrant 37 are getting nowhere, and it looks like G’Kar has the upper hand on Londo. In the meantime, a strange discussion between Kosh and Delenn leads to a momentous decision, one which numbers Delenn’s days as she knows them. An informant for Garibaldi is found murdered, and Garibaldi sets out to discover who did it. Morden, an elusive being in human form who once asked Londo and G’Kar what they wanted, appears out of nowhere and offers Londo the opportunity to take credit for a solution to the quadrant 37 problem that will tip the scales in the Centauris’ favor, a solution which Morden and his unspecified associates will provide at no cost. Garibaldi follows a tenuous trail of clues to a man named Devereaux, who warns that the security chief is getting into something too big for him. As it turns out, this is true – Garibaldi discovers evidence that Devereaux may be an Earthforce special agent, and finally stumbles across a plot to assassinate the president of the Earth Alliance. He pays for this discovery dearly when one of the conspirators shoots him, almost fatally. The Shadows are cast upon quadrant 37, utterly annihilating every trace of the Narn presence there in mere seconds. Delenn goes to Sinclair to discuss at last the Battle of the Line and his capture, but his priority must be to find Garibaldi. Delenn is risking her life and Sinclair’s to reveal the mystery to him, and warns that she has little time left. Garibaldi, dying, warns of the plot to kill the president, but his warning is too late, and Earthforce One is destroyed and Vice President Clark is sworn in as president hours later. Londo is horrified at Morden’s solution to the quadrant 37 dispute. Delenn sets into motion a process which begins transforming her, and Sinclair misses his chance to learn the greatest mystery of his life. Garibaldi is given 50/50 odds on surviving his injuries. And all at once, nothing will ever be the same…

Order now!Download this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Janet Greek
music by Christopher Franke

Babylon 5Guest Cast: Julia Nickson (Catherine Sakai), Macaulay Bruton (Garibaldi’s Aide), Liz Burnette (Lurker #1), Edward Conery (Devereaux), Maggie Egan (News Anchor), Cheryl Francis Harrington (Senator), Mark Hendrickson (Narn Pilot), James Kiriyama-Lem (Med Tech), Wesley Leong (Paramedic), Gianin Loffler (Lurker #2), David Anthony Marshall (Stephen Petrov), Gary McGurk (Morgan Clark), John Riojas (Guard), Marianne Robertson (Tech), Fumi Shishino (Screaming Woman), Ed Wasser (Morden), Bergen Williams (Security Guard)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 2

The Coming of Shadows

Babylon 5When the Emperor of the Centauri decides to pay a surprise visit to B5, G’Kar decides to assassinate him. And he’s not the only one with designs on the throne. Refa, a power-hungry associate of Londo’s, wants Londo to deliver an address that will decry the Emperor’s politics, a speech which will be remembered after the Emperor’s death, already planned by Refa and his backers. But before the Emperor can even be touched by either party, he falls ill for the final time. In medlab, he entrusts Franklin to deliver a pledge of peace to G’Kar. Meanwhile, Refa panics, fearing that a competing assassin has struck first. Londo offers to summon the Shadows to conquer a Narn colony in quadrant 14, and Refa sends a flotilla of Centauri warships to claim the territory. Arriving Narn ships are shot down by the Centauri, and the Narn respond by declaring war on the Centauri. And it is revealed – though only to Garibaldi – that Sinclair is on Minbar, preparing for the coming of the Shadows. His warning, though it cannot be revealed to anyone else is to beware…and stay close to the Vorlon.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Janet Greek
music by
Christopher Franke

Cast: Bruce Boxleitner (Captain John Sheridan), Claudia Christian (Lt. Commander Ivanova), Jerry Doyle (Garibaldi), Mira Furlan (Delenn), Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Andrea Thompson (Talia Winters), Stephen Furst (Vir), Bill Mumy (Lennier), Robert Rusler (Warren Keffer), Mary Kay Adams (Na’Toth), Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar), Peter Jurasik (Londo), Michael O’ Hare (Ambassador Jeffrey Sinclair), Fredric Lehne (Ranger), Malachi Throne (Centauri Prime Minister), Jeff Conaway (Zack Allen), William Forward (Refa), Turhan Bey (Centauri Emperor), Neil Bradley (Kha’Mak), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh), Jonathan Chapman (Narn Pilot #2), Bryan Michael McGuire (Customs Guard #1), Kim Strauss (Narn Pilot #1)

John Copeland, Douglas Netter and J. Michael StraczynskiNote: This episode won the Science Fiction Society’s Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in 1996, beating out the films Toy Story, Apollo 13 and 12 Monkeys and the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode The Visitor. This was the first Hugo awarded to a television series other than Star Trek (or one of its spinoffs) or Twilight Zone, and only the seventh Hugo to be given to a television series in 43 years of the Best Dramatic Presentation category.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 2

Acts Of Sacrifice

Babylon 5The Centauri-Narn War is heating up, and B5, with a sizeable population of both aboard, is also becoming an uneasy place. Both Centauri and Narn are gearing up to attack each other hand-to-hand, and both of their ambassadors know that violence on the station will serve no purpose in the war. G’Kar fights with his own people to persuade them to be at peace, or to enlist in the military if they feel there’s no other option but to fight. Londo, on the other hand, is having difficulty coping with his newfound respect among the Centauri – and the fear he seems to elicit from everyone else. Despite G’Kar’s pleas for aid or alliances from the other major powers, it becomes apparent that his posturing in the past has convinced the other governments to remain neutral.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Jim Johnston
music by
Christopher Franke

Cast: Bruce Boxleitner (Captain John Sheridan), Claudia Christian (Lt. Commander Ivanova), Jerry Doyle (Garibaldi), Mira Furlan (Delenn), Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Andrea Thompson (Talia Winters), Stephen Furst (Vir), Bill Mumy (Lennier), Robert Rusler (Warren Keffer), Mary Kay Adams (Na’Toth), Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar), Peter Jurasik (Londo), Paul Williams (Taq), Christopher Darga (Narn #1), Glenn Morshower (Franke), Jeff Conaway (Zack Allan), Ian Abercrombie (Correlilmurzon), Paul Ainsley (Centauri #1), Jennifer Anglin (Narn Second), Joshua Cox (Tech #1), Kathryn Cressida (Bartender), Sandey Grinn (Narn Captain), David Sage (Centauri Merchant)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 3

A Day in the Strife

Babylon 5Sheridan is busy trying to placate the station’s dockworkers, but that’s soon the least of his problems. The Centauri send a new representative to speak for the station’s Narn population, one who seems more willing to work with the Centauri rather than support a fledgling resistance movement. Na’far tells G’Kar that unless he agrees to return to Narn, the families of those one the station will be punished. Sheridan renews his acquantance with Ta’lon, Na’far’s bodyguard, with whom Sheridan escaped from a Strieb ship months before. He must also deal with a peculiar first contact scenario. An alien probe has signalled the station, offering to share advanced knowledge and technology if Earth is advanced enough to deserve it. Along with the offer comes a series of questions. If the station can not answer them, the probe will explode with enough force to destroy Babylon 5.

Order now!Stream this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by David J. Eagle
music by Christopher Franke

Cast: Bruce Boxleitner (Captain John Sheridan), Claudia Christian (Commander Susan Ivanova), Jerry Doyle (Security Chief Michael Garibaldi), Mira Furlan (Delenn), Richard Biggs (Dr. Stephen Franklin), Bill Mumy (Lennier), Jason Carter (Marcus Cole), Stephen Furst (Vir), Jeff Conaway (Zack Allan), Peter Jurasik (Londo Mollari), Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar), Stephen Macht (Na’Far), Marshall Teague (Ta’Lon), Anne Bentancourt (Dr. Gonzales), Neil Bradley (Narn #1), Joshua Cox (Corwin), Mark Hendrickson (Narn #2), Larita Shelby (Med Tech), John St. Ryan (Troublemaker), Michael Bailey Smith (G’Duk)

Notes: Sheridan and Ta’lon’s escape from the Strieb ship occurred in season 2’s All Alone in the Night.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 3

Sic Transit Vir

Babylon 5One man in the Centauri Republic is risking his career and even his life by secretly fighting for Narn’s freedom from Centauri oppression. And it’s ironic that he now faces an arranged marriage to a Centauri woman whose father headed an ethnic “cleansing” program on Narn after the war. But nobody expects the revelation that this man’s name is Vir Cotto. And in the meantime, Ivanova’s dreams are exposing her subconscious concerns about the secession from Earth (among other things).

Order now!Download this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Jesus Trevino
music by
Christopher Franke

Cast: Bruce Boxleitner (Captain John Sheridan), Claudia Christian (Commander Susan Ivanova), Jerry Doyle (Security Chief Michael Garibaldi), Mira Furlan (Delenn), Richard Biggs (Dr. Stephen Franklin), Bill Mumy (Lennier), Jason Carter (Marcus Cole), Stephen Furst (Vir), Jeff Conaway (Zack Allan), Peter Jurasik (Londo Mollari), Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar), Carmen Thomas (Lyndisty), Damian London (Centauri Official), James Jude Courtney (Narn #1)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 3

And The Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place

Babylon 5All attempts at discerning a tactical pattern in the Shadows’ attacks come up with a blank, and Sheridan’s not happy about it. Delenn tries to comfort him, but his inability to recognize the Shadows’ strategy frustrates Sheridan to the exclusion of all else. Lord Refa arrives from the Centauri homeworld along with a functionary of the Royal Court, investigating Refa’s complaint that Londo is impeding Centauri progress in the war. Londo sends Vir to tell G’Kar that his former aide, Na’Toth, is still alive and well on Narn. Then Londo confronts the Emperor’s messenger with his story that Refa is actually the obstacle to Centauri ascendency. Meanwhile, Vir is captured and forcibly probed by a telepath working for Refa. Powerless to resist, Vir cannot withhold the news that G’Kar is returning to the Narn homeworld. Sheridan holds a meeting with Brother Theo and two religious leaders from Earth, who have risked a great deal to smuggle out word that a resistance has formed against President Clark’s totalitarian regime. Reverend Dexter expresses in private his concern that Sheridan is shouldering too much of the war’s burden himself, and suggests that Delenn is Sheridan’s obvious partner in tactical matters – and more. Refa arrives on Narn and traps G’Kar, only to discover that the trap has been sprung already – by Londo. Londo has paid off Refa’s guards to leave him defenseless at the hands of the Narn, and has promised G’Kar the release of thousands of enslaved Narns in exchange for a small favor…Refa’s death. Sheridan begins to detect a possible pattern to the Shadows’ attacks, but upon his suggestion that he must think like the enemy in order to outwit them, Delenn becomes alarmed and literally drags him to Reverend Dexter’s worship service. Later, she reveals that things may not be as hopeless as they seem, unveiling an entire fleet of White Stars that could turn the tide in the war.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by David J. Eagle
music by
Christopher Franke

Cast: Bruce Boxleitner (Captain John Sheridan), Claudia Christian (Commander Susan Ivanova), Jerry Doyle (Security Chief Michael Garibaldi), Mira Furlan (Delenn), Richard Biggs (Dr. Stephen Franklin), Bill Mumy (Lennier), Jason Carter (Marcus Cole), Stephen Furst (Vir), Jeff Conaway (Zack Allan), Peter Jurasik (Londo Mollari), Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar), Erick Avari (Rabbi Leo Meyers), William Forward (Lord Refa), Louis Turene (Brother Theo), Mel Winkler (Reverend Will Dexter), Francois Giroday (Virini), Paul Keith (Drigo), Wayne Alexander (G’Dan), Marva Hicks (Singer)

Original UK airdate: September 8, 1996

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 5

Objects In Motion

Babylon 5Sheridan plans a grand farewell for G’Kar and Garibaldi, not just to express his gratitude, but to smoke out an assassin trying to keep Garibaldi and Lise from learning too much about Edgars Industries’ less benevolent projects. Number One rekindles her acquaintance with Franklin and once again asks for help in dealing with Earth. Earthforce may have stopped shooting at the rebels, but Mars’ provisional government is learning that red tape can be just as effective a weapon as a PPG. An eager Narn who comes to learn from G’Kar teaches him a lesson instead: an icon disappoints his followers at his own peril.

Order now!Download this episodeteleplay by J. Michael Straczynski
story by J. Michael Straczynski and Harlan Ellison
directed by Jesus Salvador Trevino
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: Denise Gentile (Lise Hampton-Edgars), James Hornbeck (Casey), Marjorie Monaghan (Number One), Jeffrey James Castillo (Guard), Walter Williamson (Paretti), Neil Bradley (Tru’nill)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer