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Babylon 5 / Crusade TV Movies

The Gathering

Babylon 5In the Tigris Sector in the year 2257, the gigantic space station Babylon 5 has entered service and is preparing for its first major official duty, hosting the ambassadors of the Minbari, Vorlon, Centauri and Narn governments who will, along with station Commander Sinclair, the Earth representative, begin down the uneasy path toward interstellar peace. The station’s first officer Takashima and security chief Garibaldi are both officers with career records that are, in places, less than exemplary, giving the impression that the Earth Alliance isn’t going to send the cream of its crop to Babylon 5 – especially not since Babylons 1, 2 and 3 were sabotaged and destroyed, and the fourth station in the line vanished without a trace within a day of becoming operational. There are also questions about the alien representatives: Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari spends a good deal of his time in the diplomatic pursuit of drinks and winnings in the station’s casino; Minbari Ambassador Delenn, whose people once waged a vicious war with Earth and suddenly stopped all attacks just moments before wiping out the human race, is secretive and speaks in riddles. Ambassador G’Kar of the Narn Regime is ill-tempered and makes no secret of the fact that he seeks power and prestige for his own people and himself, no matter what the cost to other individuals or governments. And last, but not least, Vorlon Ambassador Kosh Naranek, who, when he arrives, will be the first Vorlon ever encountered by any of the above species, travels incommunicado. This proves to be a problem when Kosh, in a life-sustaining encounter suit, is found unconscious moments after his ship docks at Babylon 5. The crew swings into action and discovers foul play, which infuriates the Vorlon Empire. Matters are made no less critical when it is discovered that the culprit is at large on Babylon 5, and Commander Sinclair is framed for the attack on Kosh. His crew must fight to uncover the truth to prevent the Vorlons from extraditing Sinclair – or to prevent them from simply declaring all-out war on the Earth Alliance…

Order now!Download this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Richard Compton
music by Stewart Copeland
(music in 1998 TNT special edition by Christopher Franke)

Cast: Michael O’ Hare (Commander Jeffrey Sinclair), Tamlyn Tomita (Lt. Commander Laurel Takashima), Jerry Doyle (Michael Garibaldi), Mira Furlan (Ambassador Delenn), Blaire Baron (Carolyn Sykes), John Fleck (Del Varner), Paul Hampton (The Senator), Peter Jurasik (Ambassador Londo Mollari), Andreas Katsulas (Ambassador G’Kar), Johnny Sekka (Dr. Benjamin Kyle), Patricia Tallman (Lyta Alexander), Steven R. Barnett (Eric), William Hayes (Traveler), Linda Hoffman (Tech #2), Robert Jason Jackson (Tech #3), F. William Parker (Businessman #1), Marianne Robertson (Hostage), Dave Sage (Businessman #2), Ed Wasser (Guerra)

Babylon 5Notes: Three of the main characters – Takashima, Dr. Kyle and Lyta – were replaced by the time the weekly series began, as was Sinclair’s girlfriend Carolyn; the sets also changed between the film and series, primarily due to the production moving to its own custom-built facility, necessitating some redesigns, although the series sets are very much like the movie’s. Almost all of the alien makeups were also altered for the series, most notably Mira Furlan’s Delenn makeup, which originally was much more gaunt and had several “bumps” on the head, as well as light blue spots and blotches; the makeup for G’Kar also changed, notably with the addition of redder contact lenses and a more rounded-off chin than was seen in the movie.

Another curiosity: close examination of the station in the pilot film reveals that the cobra bay doors from which the fighters launch in the series are not present. You may also notice Ed Wasser, later much more recognizable as Shadow agent Morden, playing a technician on the station’s observation dome.

The “special edition” of The Gathering shown after the world premiere of TNT’s Babylon 5: In The Beginning restored several dropped scenes, including a brief hostage scare (taking place after Lyta’s arrival), and additional dialogue with Takashima and Kyle, Sinclair and Delenn, and others. Delenn also takes a much more active part in the climactic hunt for the saboteur.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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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

Soul Hunter

Babylon 5Shortly after the arrival of new doctor Stephen Franklin, an alien spacecraft of an unknown design tumbles through the hyperspace jump gate, on an uncontrolled collision course with the station. Sinclair manages to retrieve the ship just before it collides with the station, and its sole occupant is taken to the medlab. Ambassador Delenn reacts with horror at the new arrival, describing him as a Soul Hunter, a figure feared in Minbari lore. Though Sinclair and Dr. Franklin dismiss Delenn’s frantic warnings about the alien as superstition, it becomes clear when Franklin’s patient awakens that it does have some business with the Minbari on its agenda – especially Delenn, who turns out to be more than she appears.

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

Guest Cast: W. Morgan Sheppard (The Soul Hunter), John Snyder (Soul Hunter #2), Toni Attell (Med Tech #1), Jim Bentley (Man), Mark Conley (Tech #1), David D. Darling (Guard #1), Ted W. Henning (Guard #2), Marianne Robertson (Tech #2)

Notes: It is in this episode that we first learn Delenn is a member of the Minbari Grey Council, and also first hear of the Minbari compulsion to safeguard their souls. Later in Points of Departure it is learned that their own souls are not the only ones the Minbari are concerned with.

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

Born To The Purple

Babylon 5Londo stalls negotiations with the Narn – and infuriates G’Kar – when he wishes simply to partake of a seedy bar whose agile young Centauri dancer intrigues Londo; when he winds up in bed with her, talks are delayed even further. But the girl is in the employ of an information trader who plans on using her to get to Londo’s Purple Files, detailing various dirt on many Centauri families – information the Narn Regime would pay handsomely for in order to gain blackmail material against their former masters. When Londo discovers that his secrets have been taken, he begins a desperate quest to track down the culprit and free an innocent pawn.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by Lawrence G. DiTillio
directed by Bruce Seth Green
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: Fabiana Udenio (Adira Tyree), Clive Revill (Trakis), Mary Woronov (Ko D’Ath), Jimm Giannini (Ock), Robert Phalen (Andrei Ivanova), Robert DiTillio (Norg), Tom Lowe (Gunman #1), Katharine Mills (Dancer), Mike Norris (Butz), Laura Peterson (Gera Akshi), Marianne Robertson (Tech #1), Momo Yashima (Dr. Goyokin)

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

Infection

Babylon 5Dr. Vance Hendricks, one of Dr. Franklin’s med school mentors, arrives on Babylon 5 in a cloud of mystery with a collection of pristine artifacts from the planet Icarra, which has been dead for over a thousand years. One of the artifacts takes control of Hendricks’ partner and transforms him into a killing machine designed to eliminate any life form which is not pure Icarran. Since the Icarran race has been dead for centuries thanks to creatures just like this, every living being aboard the station is in danger – a situation which Sinclair decides to take into his own hands despite Garibaldi’s protests.

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

Guest Cast: David McCallum (Dr. Vance Hendricks), Marshall Teague (Nelson Drake), Patricia Healy (Mary Ann Cramer), Sav Farrow (Tech #1), Daniel Hutchison (Security Guard), Sylva Kelegian (Tech #2), Tony Rizzoli (Guard), Marianne Robertson (Tech #3), Paul Teuell (Customs Guard)

Notes: We discover, later in the series, that Interplanetary Expeditions, Hendricks’ employer, is the same outfit that unburied Shadow vessels on Mars and Ganymede.

Infection was the first hour-long episode of Babylon 5 produced.

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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

Mind War

Babylon 5After a narrow escape from an Earth Alliance fighter squadron, outcast Psi Corps member Jason Ironheart takes refuge aboard Babylon 5, hoping to make contact with Talia, his old student and former lover. Matters are made no easier when two Psi Cops – capable of immense telepathic power – arrive to grill Talia and Sinclair about Ironheart’s possible whereabouts. When it becomes apparent that Ironheart is not only aboard the station but is also somehow dangerous, Talia risks her standing with the Psi Corps to discover that Jason has become a new breed of telepath thanks to the Corps’ illicit experimentation. And Catherine Sakai, on a routine planetary survey mission, encounters a spacecraft of unfathomable size…

Order now!Download this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Bruce Seth Green
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: William Allen Young (Jason Ironheart), Felicity Waterman (Kelsey), Walter Koenig (Bester), Julia Nickson (Catherine Sakai), Don Dowe (Earth Fighter), Elisa Pensler Gabrielli (Guest Liaison), Michael McKenzie (Narn Captain), Kevin Page (Businessman), Mark S. Porro (Security Guard), Macaulay Bruton (Garibaldi’s Aide), Marianne Robertson (Dome Tech #1)

Babylon 5Notes: This episode marks the first appearance of the First Ones. Bester also makes his first appearance, though Walter Koenig was originally slated to guest star as one of the “Knight” characters in And the Sky Full of Stars which, although it aired later, was filmed before Mind War; Koenig’s heart attack in 1993 prevented his planned appearance. The gift given to Talia by Ironheart is explored further in A Race Through Dark Places.

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

The War Prayer

Babylon 5Mayan, renowned Minbari poet and old friend of Delenn, is aboard the station to entertain the Minbari population and enlighten others of Minbari culture, when she is brutally attacked by masked members of the Home Guard, an isolationist terrorist group from Earth whose members seek to flush all alien influnces out of human society. Other violent attacks on non-humans concern and outrage the aliens aboard Babylon 5. One assault leaves Vir’s nephew in a coma. G’Kar stirs up trouble in the name of justice, trying to get the alien residents of Babylon 5 to rise up against their human neighbors, while uncomfortable questions about the influence of the Home Guard trouble Sinclair, who ultimately must take a direct hand in affairs.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by D.C. Fontana
directed by Richard Compton
music by Christopher Franke

Babylon 5Guest Cast: Tristan Rogers (Malcolm Biggs), Nancy Lee Grahn (Shaal Mayan), Michael Paul Chan (Roberts), Rodney Eastman (Kiron Maray), Danica McKellar (Aria Tensus), Diane Adair (Mila Shar), Richard Chaves (Alvares), Mark Hendrickson (Thegras), Chuck Butto (Security Officer #1), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh), Mike Gunther (Alien #1), Marianne Robertson (Dome Tech)

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

And The Sky Full Of Stars

Babylon 5The blackmail of a security guard for his gambling debts allows two shady characters aboard the station with their equipment, which requires a lot of power and is intended for a specific subject – Commander Sinclair. The commander is kidnapped and wired into a virutal-reality cybernet, in which he is interrogated by an unknown but determined adversary whose purpose is to uncover memories of what happened when Sinclair’s ship went missing for the 24 hours prior to the Minbari surrender in the final battle of the Earth-Minbari War. Sinclair resists his opponent’s attempts to get into his mind, but finally he remembers events that have been blocked from his memory for a decade: the destruction of his entire squadron, his capture by a Minbari battle cruiser, torture, and a mysterious encounter with twelve figures cloaked in grey, one of whom he suddenly remembers well – Delenn. The memory could cost Sinclair his life.

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

Guest Cast: Christopher Neame (Knight Two), Judson Scott (Knight One), Jim Youngs (Benson), Justin Williams (Mitchell), Joe Banks (Guard), Gary Cervantes (Strongarm #1), Mark Hendrickson (Grey Council #1), Fumi Shishino (Security Guard), Macaulay Bruton (Aide), Marianne Robertson (Tech #1)

Notes: Upon closer examination, “Knight One,” played by Judson Scott, could be a member of Psi Corps – he’s wearing the gloves.

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

Deathwalker

Babylon 5Waiting for a Narn representative to arrive at the station, Na’Toth spots a woman she claims is a war criminal who committed atrocities upon her family during conflicts 30 years ago and viciously attacks her. Sinclair discovers that the victim of the assault would indeed appear to be Jha’dur, a Dilgar warmaster whose hideous biological experiments took the lives of thousands. She now claims to have created a drug which bestows immortality, and Earth immediately calls the station with orders for Sinclair to ship Jha’dur home so planetside scientists can develop her discovery. As it so happens, the Narn Regime has given G’Kar similar orders. Most of the smaller members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, however, still harbor a deep hatred of the Dilgar and Jha’dur in particular…to the point of severing diplomatic ties with anyone who now chooses to associate with her.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by Lawrence G. DiTillio
directed by Bruce Seth Green
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: Sarah Douglas (Jha’dur), Robin Curtis (Ambassador Kalika), Cosie Costa (Abbut), Aki Aleong (Senator Hidoshi), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh), Robert DiTillio (Ambassador #1), Sav Farrow (Tech #2), Mark Hendrickson (Ashok), Marianne Robertson (Tech #1)

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

Believers

Babylon 5A family of a devout people known as the Children of Time arrive on the station seeking medical treatment for their son, whose respiratory blockage will prove to be fatal if not treated soon. When Dr. Franklin proposes surgery, however, he stumbles across their belief that puncturing the body allows the spirit to escape, and they refuse his help. As he manages to stall them by asking them to consider a more risky alternative treatment, Franklin petitions Sinclair for permission to overrule the parents’ authority so he can save the child’s life. Sinclair has to walk on eggshells around both parties, but cannot avoid making a ruling on the matter that could undermine Babylon 5’s neutral status. And all this time, a child’s life is slipping away…and Dr. Franklin decides to take control of the situation himself.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by David Gerrold
directed by Richard Compton
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: Jonathan Charles Kaplan (Shon), Tricia O’ Neil (M’ola), Stephen Lee (Tharg), Silvana Gillardo (Dr. Maya Hernandez), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh)

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

Survivors

Babylon 5With a visit from the recently re-elected President of the Earth Alliance looming in the immediate future, preparations are in full swing, including maintenance on a docking area which will be the home of a new fighter squadron being brought to Babylon 5 by the President. An explosion in this area brings the President’s chief of security, a woman whose father was killed in an incident 17 years ago engineered by criminals to frame Garibaldi, aboard the station to investigate. A dying worker points the finger at Garibaldi for planting the bomb that damaged the fighter bay, and the President’s security chief pronounces Garibaldi a fugitive from justice. Though he is on the run, Garibaldi puts his life on the line by continuing to investigate the real cause of the explosion as the President’s visit draws near.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by Mark Scott Zicree
directed by Jim Johnston
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: Elaine Thomas (Lianna Kemmer), Tom Donaldson (Cutter), David Austin Cook (Special Agent #1), David Crowley (Lou Welch), Maggie Egan (INS Reporter), Jose Rosario (Nolan), Robin Wake (Young Lianna), Mark Hendrickson (Alien #1), Rod Perry (General Netter), Marianne Robertson (Tech #1), Mark Ginther (Dagool)

Original title: A Knife In The Shadows

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

By Any Means Necessary

Babylon 5When an impatient Narn ship captain panics, he causes a catastrophic head-on collision in the station’s spacedock, destroying his ship and killing some of the dockworkers. The spokesperson for the laborers refuses any of Sinclair’s proposed solutions to their protests, and the word comes through from Earth – since the workers are under a government contract, any strike they declare is illegal and can be remedied under the Rush Act, which empowers the government to force laborers to continue their work or face arrest. A labor negotiator is sent in from Earth in hopes that the situation can be brought to a satisfactory resolution, but he seems all too ready to have Garibaldi’s security forces carry out the Rush Act. Sinclair decides to take matters into his own hands with his own unique and risky interpretation of the Rush Act.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by Kathryn M. Drennan
directed by Jim Johnston
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: Katy Boyer (Neeoma Connally), John Snyder (Orin Zento), Aki Aleong (Senator Hidoshi), Patricia Healy (Mary Ann Cramer), Michael McKenzie (Narn Captain), Jose Rey (Eduardo Delvientos), Ricardo Martinez (Worker #2), Marianne Robertson (Tech #1), Floyd Vaughn (Worker #1)

Original title: Backlash

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

Signs And Portents

Babylon 5Aside from the appearance of a mysterious young man who insists on nebulously asking the station’s alien ambassadors what they want, all seems quiet aboard the station until a nearby fighter is attacked by raiders, whose attacks have been getting bolder every time. Sinclair orders the station to be placed on alert in the event of any closer raider activity. In the meantime, powerful Centauri Lord Kiros arrives to take possession of the Eye, a legendary Centauri artifact which has been lost for a long time and recently “rediscovered” by Londo, unaware that the raiders would be drawn to just such an object. Kiros’ aunt, the mystic Lady Ladira, predicts the destruction of Babylon 5 and the death of Kiros himself. When the raiders turn out to be operating inside the station and take Kiros and the Eye, Sinclair orders the station’s fighter squadrons to prevent their escape. A huge mothership appears with its contingent of fighters, and Ladira’s predictions seem like a grimly imminent certainty.

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

Guest Cast: Gerritt Graham (Lord Kiros), Fredi Olster (Lady Ladira), Whip Hubley (Raider #1), Anita Brabec (Dome Tech #3), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh), Joshua Cox (Dome Tech #2), Garry Kluger (Man), Lee Mathis (Fighter #1), Douglas E. McCoy (Fighter #2), Hector Mercado (Pilot), Marianne Robertson (Dome Tech #1), Robert Silver (Reno), Ed Wasser (Morden), Lynn Red Williams (Customs Guard)

Babylon 5Original title: Raiding Party

Notes: In this story, Morden appears for the first time in the series to ask Londo and G’Kar what they want; also putting in a debut appearance is a dark spiny ship which will become more familiar toward the end of the season. It is also established that Delenn and Kosh know what Morden is. Though this episode arrives first in the chronology of the series, Ed Wasser played the role of Morden first in Chrysalis, which was filmed before Signs And Portents.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

TKO

Babylon 5A spaceliner just arriving from Earth carries blasts from two of the crew’s respective pasts – Rabbi Yosef Koslov has come to Babylon 5 bearing a legacy from Ivanova’s late father, for whom she has yet to sit shiva; and discredited boxing champ Walker Smith, an old friend of Garibaldi’s, has come on board to enter the Mutai, a deadly one-on-one freestyle martial arts competition open only to selected alien races. Ivanova disappoints Koslov when she refuses to spend any time to pay last respects to her father, and Smith is frustrated when Garibaldi isn’t supportive in his controversial bid to become the first human being to fight in the Mutai. Some of the Mutai’s alien spectators aren’t thrilled with Smith’s challenge either – even to the point of plotting to kill him before he can disgrace the tournament.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by Lawrence G. DiTillio
directed by John C. Flinn III
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: Greg McKinney (Walker Smith), Soon-Teck Oh (The Muta-Do), Don Stroud (Caliban), Theodore Bikel (Rabbi Koslov), James Jude Courtney (Gyor), Robert Phalen (Andrei Ivanov), Lenore Kasdorf (ISN Reporter), Michael McKenzie (Migo), Marianne Robertson (Tech #1)

Notes: Curiously enough, Ivanova can be seen early in the episode reading Working Without A Net, the [fictional] autobiography of series creative consultant Harlan Ellison.

LogBook entry by Earl Green