Episode Number: 101 Written By: J. Michael Straczynski Directed By: Janet Greek
Starring: Gary Cole as Captain Mathew Gideon Daniel Dae Kim as Lieutenant John Matheson Carrie Dobro as Dureena Nafeel Peter Woodward as Galen David Allen Brooks as Maximilian Eilerson Marjean Holden as Dr Sarah Chambers Tracy Scoggins as Captain Elizabeth Lochley (not seen in this episode)
Guest Starring: Alex Mendoza as Trace Miller Tim Thomerson as Senator McQuate Also Starring: Chris Comes as Aide Maggie Egan as New Anchor Don Fisher as Captain Henson Mark Hendrickson as Drakh Captain Eluha Majar as Crew #1 Rebecca Markham as Sam Brook Parker as Lt. Ross John Sanderson as Dr Ames Will Schaub as Jenson Otto Sturcke as Ensign
Summary: Earth is in disarray after the Drakh attack as panic about the virus infecting the planet spreads throught out Earth and Earth Force. Captain Gideon, commanding an Explorer vessel, arrives in Earth Space only to be soon chosen to lead the search for the cure as the Captain of the Excaliber. While testing the Excaliber they are diverted to Ceti 4, where a Drakh ship has been forced down by a Earth Force Destroyer, in the hopes of learning more about the virus and the Drakh..
Detailed Summary: Coming soon.
Facts:
Effects:
As would be expected from a company such as Netter Digital and
Optic Nerve the effects were excellent. The Drakh vessels looked more
refined over the original ships we saw in "Rumors, Bargains & Lies" and
"A Call To Arms". It even appears that there is a new type Drakh
ship, though this is difficult to tell from the few seconds the ships are
seen. They could be simply better detailed versions of those seen in
"R,B&L" and "ACtA".
The return of the old original Drakh "skull" helmet was good to see, but the new smooth glowing eyes instead of the original insect-like version seemed out of place and lessened the impact of the alienness of the Drakh. Also, aside from the Drakh Counselor's costume, it seemed costumes of the Drakh footsoldiers were less imposing than those seen previously on the Babylon 5 series.
The virtual world scenes of Ceti 4 were generally well done, though there seemed to be some minor discrepancies between the intended scenes light and ambience and the actual placement of lights for shooting the scenes early in the episode. Otherwise an excellent job. The new Marsdome expansions were good and the interior scenes of the dome were excellent, particularly passing over the parks and transit systems.
Characters:
Captain Matthew Gideon:
Lieutenant John Matheson
Dr. Sara Chambers
Dr. Max Eilerson
Galen
Dureena Nafeel
Music:
Evan Chen's sound track for this episode was hit and miss at times, but over all added nicely to the harried pace of the episode and the dark edginess that appears to becoming a ongoing feel of Crusade. Whether this sound mix was the result of Evan Chen's unusual style of music or the mixers will be determined as the series progresses. The opening credits track was perhaps a bit too mellowing, but also a welcome change from the somewhat bombastic and militaristic music that permeated Babylon 5's 4th and 5th season.
Quotables
Story: 6.40 Acting: 6.30 Special F/X: 6.10
Notes & Opinions: While certainly not the best addition we've seen from the Babylon 5 universe it certainly wasn't the worst. Like any new series (particularly one based on an established program such as Babylon 5) there were areas that needed obvious improvement and/or changes. More action oriented than many B5 fans are used to this episode still did a good job of introducing a lot of new characters quickly as well as providing us background for those characters to build off of. Over all I found this to be an enjoyable episode to watch.
Best Actor/Actress: David Allen Brooks. While a difficult decision as there were many good performances, David Allen Brooks was chosen for the ease and naturalness he gave to the role. As usual Peter Woodward continued his excellent performance first seen in "A Call to Arms" as did Carrie Dobro. Gary Cole was also excellent but some of his lines seemed stilted and hurried.