"Crusade" The Well of Forever (TV Episode 1999) Poster

(TV Series)

(1999)

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10/10
Some things in life matter more than money and power
fig-752753 April 2020
I think I love this show more than Babylon 5. It doesn't have the best reviews on here though (or anywhere else, probably). I think many people just don't get the characters. For me I love the fact that the crew of the Excalibur are a quirky mix of unusual, but interesting, people. I think it works very well.

I disagree with the other reviewer's opinion of Galen here. I think this episode develops the relationship between Galen and Matthew (Gideon) perfectly. They are both principled men that are single minded when they have to be (if the cause is right and just). Remember the opening episode when Galen asks Matthew a number of questions before deciding to go with him? That sets the tone for their relationship, and it establishes that they are men with a similar outlook on life, and have a similar approach to dealing with the challenges that life throws at us.

I love the interactions with the secondary characters here too. This episode also goes a long way to establishing that Durrena is someone that lives her life in the same way too.
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5/10
Technomage Galen persuades Captain Gideon to go on a search for the Well Of Forever
steephlodewijks3 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Synopsis:

Technomage Galen persuades Capt. Gideon to take the Excalibur to the mysterious Well Of Forever, somewhere in hyperspace. What Gideon doesn't know is that Galen does so under false pretences.

This episode's B-story revolves around Lt. Matheson being submitted to mandatory but intrusive telepathic probing by 'Mr Jones' of the Bureau of Telepath Integration.

Review:

This episode fails to deliver for the most part. The main storyline establishes Galen as a man who holds on to personal promises even if it means misleading a friend. Or even if it means knowingly jeopardizing the lives of the crew of the Excalibur. If the story had ended with Galen admitting that he made a mistake, or if in some way his guilt around his actions would have been shown earlier on in the episode, then, in my view, it would have been more believable.

It clearly was the writers' intention to establish Galen as an honorable man with his concluding words 'I will never again betray your trust. If I honored one vow, then you know I will keep this one'. For me that does not excuse the misleading of his friend nor the willingness to risk other people's lives for his own agenda. In any other story he would have been the bad guy... So the writers should have chosen another way to show us how 'honorable' Galen is.

Some scenes with Gideon and Eilerson seemed to refer to earlier dealings between the two, but I don't have a clue which dealings were meant here. In the two previous episodes there weren't too many scenes of those two characters interacting, certainly none that would explain the 'wink to the audience'. This gave me a lingering feeling that I missed something, which didn't particularly contribute to me enjoying this episode.

Quickly on to the next episode, I'd say.

Regards, Stephan Lodewijks from The Netherlands
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