Crusade (TV Series) The Path of Sorrows (1999) User Reviews

Captain Gideon and his crew find a mysterious sphere on a planet and take it on board the Excalibur

[steephlodewijks · 7/10 · 3 January 2009]

Synopsis:

Captain Gideon and his crew find a mysterious sphere on a planet, and take it on board Excalibur. Inside the sphere lives an alien who lives off the emotion of forgiveness. The Captain, Lt. Matheson and Galen all experience journeys through their memories when facing this strange alien...

Review:

The far-fetched concept of this episode could have easily failed, but somehow science fiction often has a way of making strange concepts work. The memories that the mysterious alien triggers in three of the regular characters serve as a nice way to get some interesting insights into what makes them who they are. The past experiences we witness add a welcome bit of depth to all three characters, and they spark interest in what else we may learn of these people in future episodes.

The whole episode has a kind of dreamy mood to it, which works really well throughout. Visual effects are very good, and by this fourth episode I even find myself slowly getting used to the Asian-influenced musical score to the series.

This episode shows promise, and hopefully hints at what the writers, actors, directors and crew of the series are capable of.

On to the next episode!

Best regards, Stephan Lodewijks from The Netherlands

The Path of Forgiveness

[rbr-41299 · 10/10 · 21 December 2016]

The blend of psychology and theology in the Crusade episode "Path of Sorrows" was refreshing and stimulating. We are reminded that we all carry "pain" that requires forgiveness. While Gideon and Matheson experience some emotional healing for their "pain," Galen is revealed as a tragic figure who won't let go of his deep resentment and bitterness over the loss of his mate. (From the trilogy, "The Passing of the Technomages," by Jeanne Cavelos it would appear the technomages don't practice marriage).

JMS connects with theist and atheist by Galen's reference to either God or the universe as the cause of Isabelle's death. The real cause of Isabelle's death is not explained in the episode (see Cavelos' book 'Casting Shadows'). Sadly, many people are angry with God because of being "victimized" by the sufferings of life. Actually, JMS gave us a twist on the age-old challenge to Christian faith. If God exists why does He allow suffering? It's interesting that the George Burns "God" asks John Denver "why do you allow it?" People don't like a God who doesn't insure that their personal expectations for life and happiness are fulfilled. Why believe in a God who acts like the universe followed the Prime Directive?

In Galen's mind if God exists He must of necessity take (and give) life by merit. Isabelle didn't "deserve" to die; therefore God has committed the most horrible wrong. The remedy is for Galen to forgive God as the creature suggested who used a memory of Isabel saying, "You must learn, one day, to forgive God for his decisions...I'm sure it will greatly relieve Him." This is a common therapy used by psychologists and if you remember JMS has a degree in psychology. The psychological approach does not imply that God (if you believe in Him) did anything wrong; it's simply a technique of helping the person to face his pain. As you might imagine Christian theologians have difficulty with the concept of forgiving God, whose actions in the Bible are guided by both love and justice. The creature in the cocoon was wrong. Galen did need forgiveness for his anger toward God and imputing evil intent to Him.

At the end of the episode Galen is given a way out (which is convenient but not true to life.) Galen gets his own little re-run of "B5 Day of the Dead" with a message from outer space, presumably from Isabelle (but what if the message was from God?). We don't know what the word "love" is meant to convey, but Galen's negative reaction reflects his inner anguish that he had tried to hide from everyone. Life is too short to live it in self-pity and bitterness.