When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. When TNT decides that you have to have new sets and uniforms, make an episode that makes fun of the whole situation. Only JMS could pull something like this off and have it work.

We find out the the same Mr. Wells that annoyed Sheridan in "The Fall Of Night" is back to his old political tricks again, annoying the next generation of TV captains. Along with him is a walking gay stereotype who's been given the orders to "redesign" the ship and uniforms to help make the Excalibur's mission more palatable to Earth. Naturally, the two of them manage to irratate the hell out of the crew.

Meanwhile, an alien presence invades the ship. This kind of plot is something that seems more suited to a Star Trek show, but JMS manages to pull it off by making the aliens suitably powerful. Unlike Star Trek, people actually do die. The treatment of what would normally be a stereotypical plot makes this episode work on a much higher level.

One of the best moments in this episode comes at the end - a moment that shows that our actions have consequences, and that someone must take responsibility for them. The look on Gideon's face when he tries on his new uniform and sits down to write some unpleasant letters shows the depths of burden.

Not only does JMS create an episode that explains what might be a very unusual change, he also creates one that has an emotional core to it. That kind of writing is all too far and few between. Once again, Crusade treads some familiar territory, but adds its own unique flavor.