Home | Corwin Images | Dialogue Extracts | Video Clips | Email
In Defense of the Minor Character
This piece will not be straightforward analysis of Corwin's character - 2 excellent examples of such articles already exist, one at Babylon 5's Unknown Soldier, and the second at TheCorwin Homage Page. There's little need to replicate that information here:-) Instead, this will focus on the nature of the role itself, and what purpose Corwin serves within the Babylon 5 universe. It really amounts to no more than a collection of arbitrary musings, (actually - pretentious drivel would be a more accurate description) ,but this is my site - so I'm putting it up anyway;-)
In the world of conventional television, the minor character fulfils a variety of mundane, but nevertheless useful functions - as a straight man, the introducer of a plot device, or the bearer of transitory comic relief. In traditional televised sci-fi, those overshadowed by mightier parts receive more perfunctory treatment still, frequently cast as little more than cannon fodder - Officer Expendable, the proverbial "redshirt".
Mercifully for all involved, Babylon 5 is not traditional televised sci-fi, and here secondary characters are awarded a status more in keeping with the conventions of literary drama. The majority are expertly described and convincing figures, who, while performing all of the duties listed above, also behave as a dramatic and moral counterpoint to more prominent players, as the voice of conscience, or as a vehicle for depicting the consequences of events. These figures provide a valuable insight into the complex scenarios of Babylon 5, and the show would be sadly diminished by their absence.
Of all these subsidiary characters, possibly the most unjustly neglected is Lt David Corwin. As I've stated earlier, despite his presence in over 30 episodes of Babylon 5, he delivers very little dialogue, and in consequence is too frequently dismissed as superfluous, just another example of television's love affair with animated wallpaper. Admittedly, when compared with Vir Cotto, Lennir, or even Zack Allen, Corwin's role does seem to be somewhat lacking in profundity, but this is largely a result of the part being employed in a manner differing substantially from J.M.S's original intent.
His initial objective was to develop Babylon 5 as a direct continuation of the events presented in the pilot episode, "The Gathering", and what we now regard as Corwin's role would have been one of much greater significance. The part would have been used as a means of gradually introducing the character of Susan Ivanova, who would begin as a Second Lieutenant, and then eventually rise to the position of executive officer to Laurel Takashima, the station's first Lt Commander. When the scenario of conflict with Earth began to unfold, however, Takashima would transpire to be untrustworthy in the extreme, and Ivanova would assume her position when an act of treachery was revealed. Once the inclusion of Tamlyn Tomita (the actress who portrayed Takashima) in the regular cast was no longer feasible, these plans were revised. Ivanova was elevated to the position of Lt Commander, and David Corwin became her replacement (a move well made in my humble estimation.) The original storyline was consequently redundant, and Corwin's position became much more tenuous, declining to the point where it was described by JMS as "nice but optional".
By Josh Coxx's own admission, Corwin was developed to a point far in excess of his own, and JMS's expectations. "I started off by doing the last three episodes of the first season, and it was just a day-player sort of thing. I don't think [series creator/executive producer] Joe Straczynski or any of the producers had any real plans for this particular guy - I think he was there just to impart the information the main characters needed to hear." Corwin's eventual emergence from his position of anonymity, is attributed to the intervention of Bruce Boxleitner, and Claudia Christian. The latter commented on this while being interviwed for the Babylon 5 Series 3 Episode Guide: "I just kept telling everybody how responsible and good and professional he [Josh] was, and then I said "Why don't you give him [Corwin] a name?" It's nice because he is sweet and a good kid, and you might as well reward excellence." Initially credited as either "Tech1" or "Tech 2", the character was awarded the title of David Corwin in the series 2 episode "And Now For A Word", a name selected by JMS in honour of his mentor, the sci-fi writer Norman Corwin.
Despite this overtly ad-hoc presentation however, Corwin can still be regarded as a fully functioning member of Babylon 5's dramatis personae. "Animated wallpaper" generally does not enjoy much in the way of character development - but Corwin undergoes a demonstrable evolution, from the insignificant grunt, who's only purpose seems to be informing his commanding officer of when something sinister arrives through the jump-gate witnessed in series 1, to a somewhat confused, reticent, and romantically inexperienced young man in series 3, to someone sufficiently competent to be entrusted with the running of the station during the absence of his superiors in series 4. By series 5 he's relaxed to the point where he can steal food from his CO's plate, and allow homeless ambassadors to sleep in the Observation Dome. By the time of his final appearance, in The B5 film "River of Souls", Corwin is issuing direct, if somewhat drastic orders to the staff of C&C. It is a tribute to the consistently high standard of writing seen throughout Babylon 5, and, at the risk of sounding hoplessly sychophantic, to Coxx's talent as an actor, that this progressive development is achieved in little more than a couple of lines per appearance.
Corwin's principle function seems to be as a means of presenting the events of Babylon 5 from the perspective of someone who is directly affected by the decisions being made around him, but who has no capacity to influence them whatsoever. He is a method of demonstrating the outcome and effects of Sheridan's actions. The slightly sketchy nature of Corwin's role contributes greatly to its versatility, and his character is used to good effect in a variety of ways throughout the show. His appearance in the series 3 episode "Exogenisis" for example, is enormously humorous, but holds a much more serious subtext. It provides an early indication of the bitterly schismatic nature of the impending stand against President Clark, and of the growing atmosphere of necessary paranoia within Command structure of Babylon 5. His statement that identifying possible moral conflicts within his orders, isn't something he feels qualified to do alone, and that "We have to obey the chain of command, or everything falls apart", demonstrates how radically the beliefs of some Earthforce personnel will be altered by coming events. And judging from the reaction to this episode on the Babylon 5 Newsgroup, I was not alone in my fears that Corwin would prove to be the downfall of the Conspiracy of Light - although that said I was exceptionally glad when he didn't. Comedy, suspense, and prescient insight - all in a collection of scenes amounting to no more than about 5 minutes in total. Not bad going for an "insignificant" character.
What is to my mind, Corwin's most important function emerges in "Point of No Return" and "Severed Dreams", the episodes in which Sheridan finally declares Babylon 5's secession from the Earth Alliance. Here the character serves to articulate the thoughts of his fellow junior officers, in a lesser, but nevertheless important reflection of the personal conflict between ethics and obedience, emphasized by Zack Allen's involvement with Night Watch. Corwin's only ever act of insubordination - challenging Sheridan's decision during "Severed Dreams" to offer humanitarian assistance to the crew of the Alexander, a crew who were branded traitors by EarthGov, adds a dimension of realism to this deeply significant scene. Far from blindly complying with Sheridan's orders, Corwin's response highlights the potential ambivalence, and personal doubts harboured by Sheridan's crew towards an unthinkable demand. The confusion, and numb disbelief abroad in C&C, is neatly summarised in a single line during "Point Of No Return:" "How did this happen? What did we do wrong?" This role of encapsulating the mood amongst his colleagues surfaces again at the end of "Z'Ha'Dum," in Corwin's exceedingly human blend of muted grief and terrified uncertainty as he delivers news of both Sheridan's and Garibaldi's disappearance to Ivanova.
Babylon 5 is littered with examples of Corwin's function as the spokesperson for the common soldier, and even apparently comic scenes fulfil this purpose. During his uncomfortable interview with ISN in "And Now For A Word" for instance, his decision to lie inexpertly about his thoughts on working with Ivanova, provide the evidence of what we could previously only surmise about that character's treatment of subordinates - namely that it is frightening in the extreme. This is the greatest asset Corwin brings to Babylon 5 - his presence in the show elevates the nameless souls slaving over a hot keypad in C&C, from the status of mere clipboard monkeys, into viable human beings.
While trawling through the archives of the Babylon 5 newsgroup, I was pleasantly surprised by the extent of Corwin's popularity, amongst both the male and female audience. His status as the normal man confronted with an abnormal situation, someone swept up in circumstances over which he can exert no control whatsoever, appears to be one that viewers can readily identify with. In a universe filled with heroism, horror and violent assaults upon our preconceptions, Corwin is a comfortingly human presence, demonstrating that even in the midst of a struggle for life itself, the inconsequential heartaches of romantic confusion and work-related stress can still exist. There is however, one more facet to his appeal. Corwin is always open to interpretation - as we know so little about him, it's extremely easy to ascribe to him whatever attributes of temperament and personality we find appealing. Myself and another Corwin fan set about compiling a list of what exactly is known about this character. This is what we managed to produce:
1) He has been stationed aboard Babylon 5 since at least 2258 (Signs and Portents)
2) He has served as executive officer to both Susan Ivanova and Elizabeth Lochley
3) He received a promotion to the position of full Lt in 2260 (Exogenesis)
4) He finds working with Ivanova a less than enjoyable experience. (And Now for A Word)
5) By his own admission, he doesn't get out much. (Exogenesis)
6) He is prepared to economical with the truth when dealing with the media. (And Now For A Word)
7) He apparently has quite a wide circle of friends - the majority of which appear to be civilians (Exogenesis).
8) He dislikes being the centre of attention (Exogenesis)
9) He is either brave, or imprudent enough to make a humorous remark at Ivanova's expense - in her presence. (A Day In The Strife)
10) Judging by the expression on his face when he's charged 40 credits for a bunch of artificial roses, his pay packet isn't that substantial. (Exogenesis) (According to JMS, 1 credit is roughly equivalent to £1 Sterling - approx $1.50 US)
11) Despite his professed belief in loyalty and obedience to the chain of command, he is prepared to remain at his post when Sheridan announces Babylon 5's secession from the Earth Alliance. So, he either sympathizes with Sheridan's position, or considers that his primary allegiance is owed to his Commanding Officer. (Severed Dreams)
12) He possesses a bowler hat, and admires Rebo and Zooty enough to both attend their reception on Babylon 5, practise their trademark hat trick while on duty. (Day of The Dead)
13) He can become mildly irritable when someone asks him a pointless question in the midst of a febrile situation (A View From The Gallery)
14) He doesn't appear to like cockroaches much (can you blame him?) (A View From The Gallery)
15) Despite his military training, he's still moderately distressed by the sight of a corpse (No Compromises)
16) He fully comprehends the unorthodox nature of business aboard Babylon 5. (No Compromises)
17) He likes whatever it was Lochley was eating at the end of Strange Relations.
18) His presents are usually both thoughtful and well intentioned, although they do have a habit of being misused or passed on to others. (Exogenesis/ River of Souls)
19) He enjoys the occasional cup of freshly prepared coffee. (Exogenesis)
20) He is prepared to question superior officers when they appear to be violating orders (Severed Dreams)
21) He frequently gets stuck with night shifts (GROPOS, Day of the Dead)
22) He can maintain a straight face when a senior officer pokes fun at Ivanova (A Day In The Strife)
23) He suffers from stress related headaches and employs a love bat as a means of combating them (River of Souls)
24) He's sufficiently diplomatic to be entrusted with sensitive information - such as an admission of having been a client at a holo-brothel (River of Souls)
25) He's accommodating enough to allow someone to sleep in the Observation Dome if they are absolutely desperate - provided of course it's a quiet night. (Day of the Dead)
26) He's experienced and competent enough to be entrusted with the running of C and C in the absence of more senior members of the command staff. (River of Souls)
27) He's a thoroughly unconvincing liar.(Exogenisis, And Now For A Word)
There you have it. In the space of 5 series, and 4 films, you are given twenty-seven pieces of solid information about a character who is widely admired, and held in a fair degree of affection by fans. He has inspired a very respectable collection of fan-fic, an enormous amount of debate in various B5 related forums, and a put a broad grin on the face of Babylon 5's female audience. As far as I'm concerned, his appeal is obvious. For those with literary inclinations, this scarcity of hard information makes Corwin an ideal subject for fiction - for what can be more attractive than a character you can manipulate as you please, without too much prior knowledge impeding your creative juices? He will naturally provide a focus for discussion, being both fairly prominent, and fairly enigmatic, and finally for us saddos…Corwin is someone you can fantasize about at your leisure, without too many inconvenient facts getting in the way.
Did I say that last bit out loud?
Home | Corwin Images | Dialogue Extracts | Video Clips | Email
Babylon 5 is the creation of J. Michael Straczynski (All hail the Great Maker!), and is a trademark of Warner Brothers, TNT, PTEN and Babylonian Productions. All copyrights and trademarks are implied and aknowledged. This site is operated on a strictly non-commercial basis and exists for the purpose of comment and review. It is neither endorsed by nor affiliated to any of the companies or individuals listed above and no infringement of copyright is intended.