Praxis 9

Story: The Needs of Earth
Written By: J. Michael Straczynski
Season: Crusade

The crew of the Excalibur head to a planet called Praxis 9, a scummy planet that sells illegal goods and slaves and stuff.  They go there because a refugee from some planet may actually hold the key to the plague, willing to sell info to the highest bidder.  They smuggle him off the planet and end up getting chased by the people of his own planet. 

It turns out that his info doesn’t have anything to do with the plague, it is actually the entire collection of his planet’s art, which he smuggled off the planet when the government began to ban all art as subversive against the government. 

The episode makes a comment on art and it’s importance, and that is fine. The episode was fine, there were some actually decent character moments for once.  I’m still not thrilled with the series, but this was a better episode. 

NEXT TIME: The Original First Episode