Crusoe is a television adventure drama based on the novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. The series' 13 episodes aired on NBC during the first half of the 2008-2009 television season. It follows the adventures of Robinson Crusoe: a man who has been shipwrecked on an island for six years and is desperate to return home to his wife and children. His lone companion is Friday; a native who Crusoe rescued and taught English
Episodes
| # | Title | Writer(s) | Director | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Rum and Gunpowder" | Stephen Gallagher | Duane Clark | October 17, 2008 |
In this special two hour series premiere, Robinson Crusoe, the only survivor of a shipwreck, and his trusty companion Friday, a native whose life he saved, find themselves in danger when a group of pirates land on the island. They are searching for a legendary treasure, and the daughter of the pirate who buried the treasure, Judy, threatens to kill Crusoe unless he acts as a guide to the island. Friday, thought dead, pursues the pirates in order to rescue his friend. The situation goes from bad to worse when the Spanish Guard, led by Captain Santana, lands on the island and joins forces with the pirates whom they have been sent to arrest.  | ||||
| 02 | "Sacrifice" | Avrum Jacobson | Jeff Woolnough | October 24, 2008 |
| Friday has an unusual dream about a young woman whose spirit is lost and yearning for the sea. While Friday believes this is significant, Crusoe is skeptical, and instead focuses his attention on fixing the water source to the tree house. However, Crusoe loses his wedding ring, and in the process of trying to retrieve it from the spring, discovers a temple to a water goddess with evidence that a woman was sacrificed on the island. Chased by a group of wild dogs, Crusoe and Friday journey through the jungle in an attempt to discover the truth and set her spirit free, as well as recover the symbol of Crusoe's marriage. | ||||
| 03 | "The Mutineers" | Michael Robison | Andrew Rattenbury | October 31, 2008 |
After a merchant ship lands on the island, Crusoe and Friday discover that it has been taken control of by a group of mutineers. Crusoe contemplates forming an alliance with the ship's trapped captain in hopes that he can provide him with a means to return to England. Captain Taylor agrees, and they plan to kill the leader of the mutineers, Jacob, so that the rest of the crew will no longer serve him under fear. While planning their attack, they come across the ship's physician's assistant, Oliver, who is actually a woman disguised as a young man. However, she quickly proves that she is more than a match for any man who crosses her.  | ||||
| 04 | "High Water" | James Moran | Jeff Woolnough | November 7, 2008 |
| Crusoe and Friday come across a washed up boat and compass while passing through the jungle. While they repair the boat, Friday accidentally drops the compass into the camp fire, melting the needle. Crusoe and Friday then set out to steal a compass from the mutineers on the island, an d discover that Atkins has been keeping track of the tides. As they make their exit, they run into Olivia, who helps them escape after Atkins and his men return to the camp. While running from the mutineers, Friday falls into a sinkhole and is trapped by a tree, making Crusoe choose between saving his friend's life and reaching the boat before the tides wash it away. | ||||
| 05 | "Long Pig" | Michael Robison | Nick Fisher | November 14, 2008 |
| Friday deals with demons from his past as the cannibals return to the island to sacrifice two new captives. Crusoe, unable to stand by, decides to rescue the captives. They are initially only able to rescue one, but they aren't thrilled when it is revealed to be Captain Santana of the Spanish Guard. However, Santana claims he has turned over a new leaf, and refuses to leave the island until the other captive is rescued. Crusoe and Friday are shocked to learn that the other Captive is Friday's father, Baillom, who has befriended Santana while they were imprisoned together. | ||||
| 06 | "Bad Blood" | Debbie Oates | Alex Chapple | November 21, 2008 |
| Crusoe goes to find Olivia after Friday attacks him, suffering from delusions from what he believes to be a snake bite. Not convinced by Crusoe's diagnosis, Olivia determines that he had actually ingested some poisoned honey, but there is one problem: The cure is a rare plant that only grows on cliffs. Olivia insists on accompanying Crusoe to retrieve the plant, and they set out on a desperate attempt to retrieve the cure for Friday, who is quickly falling deeper into madness. Through it all, Crusoe is determined not to betray Friday, whom he credits with saving his life, and Friday's accusing him of being a traitor brings painful memories from Crusoe's past to the surface. | ||||
| 07 | "Heroes & Villains" | Cameron McAllister | Michael Robison | December 6, 2008 |
| Olivia informs Crusoe that the mutineer's ship has been fixed, and he must think of a new plan to get on it and off the island. He discloses a new strategy to Captain Taylor and his wife, the later of whom feels guilty about her prior treatment of Friday, and the former agrees to grant Crusoe passage to England. However, fresh problems are encountered, and Captain Taylor's first mate betrays him, Olivia is caught in the crossfire when the mutineers attacks Crusoe and Friday at the treehouse, and someone's attempt to find redemption causes more problems than it remedies. | ||||
| 08 | "The Name of the Game" | Jack Lothian | Helen Shaver | December 20, 2008 |
| Haunted by the memory of seeing another boy being attacked by a crocodile, Friday is unable to try to pass the final test as a child, and believes that his father is ashamed of him. Years later, Friday becomes annoyed with Crusoe after he claims that the academic challenges he faced were tougher than the physical ones Friday faced. Friday and Crusoe use Friday's childhood challenges as a competitive tool, and Friday begins to lash out a Crusoe when he doesn't take the trials seriously. But after an unlucky accident, Friday is once again forced to face the challenge he could not bear to do as a child in order to save his friend's life. | ||||
| 09 | "Smoke and Mirrors" | Debbie Oates | Alex Chapple | January 10, 2009 |
| Crusoe is overjoyed--and somewhat mystified--when Susannah appears on the island, claiming that she came ashore from a ship that has come to rescue him. Unable to remember the events that lead to this point, Crusoe must journey across the island to the cliffs in order to reach the ship and discover what transpired after mounting a flag as a signal for a rescue. Susannah is intent on helping him find his lost memories, but may be more aware of what is going on than she lets on. Soon, both of their lives are in danger after Crusoe realizes that there is someone else residing on the island. | ||||
| 10 | "The Hunting Party" | Rohan Gavin | Helen Shaver | January 17, 2009 |
| A former king of a neighboring tribe of Friday's arrives on the island and sends three warriors to hunt down Crusoe. Friday tries to protect his friend, but ends up developing an attraction to the sole female warrior of the group. Throughout the hunt, Crusoe and Friday are reminded of those they encountered previously on the island. Meanwhile, in England, Santana has contacted Susannah over Crusoe's whereabouts, but she is reluctant to believe his lavish story. However, Jeremiah is more inclined to believe him, as his shady plans begin to fall into place. At the same time, Olivia returns to England and her life as a woman, intent on delivering Crusoe's message to Susannah. | ||||
| 11 | "The Traveler" | Stephen Gallagher | Michael Robison | January 24, 2009 |
| Crusoe and Friday are startled after a rescue ship arrives off the coast of the island. Upon reaching the beach, they find a shipwrecked lifeboat, and save the sole survivor from being drowned by the current, whom they later discover to be Jeremiah Blackthorn. Crusoe is overcome with joy and gratitude, but Friday isn't convinced that Blackthorn's intentions are pure. Reading Friday's claims as a misunderstanding, Crusoe encourages Friday to spend time with Blackthorn and get to know him. Back in England, Olivia rescues Susannah from the mental institution Blackthorn placed her in, and they set out to discover Blackthorn's true intentions. | ||||
| 12 | "The Return" | Stephen Gallagher | Michael Robison | January 31, 2009 |
| In the series finale, Crusoe and Friday defend themselves against Blackthorn and his men. After Blackthorn fails to capture the duo, he sets out to retrieve the Crusoe bible from the tree house, for it contains the only proof that Crusoe is the rightful heir of Blackthorn's fortune. Crusoe, shocked by the discovery of Blackthorn's true intentions, vows to get revenge, and demands information from Samuel Tuffley after cornering him in a sword fight. Back in England, Olivia helps Susannah search for her children, who are being abused at an orphanage where Blackthorn abandoned them. | ||||
