Babylon 5introduced a minor character in season 2 because the network demanded it — and then quickly found a way to kill them off. One of the things that makesBabylon 5stand out from other sci-fi shows of the era was that it began with a very firm plan in mind. While some characters and elements of the plot had to be changed over time due to real world conflicts and events, series creator J. Michael Straczynski retained a lot of creative control over the overarching plotline of the show.
However, one ofthe most infamous secrets ofBabylon 5being altered to adhere to network requirements came during the show’s second season. Looking to add a little action to the politics-driven show, network executives demanded that Straczynski introduce a new character that he killed off as soon as he could. This inadvertently proved exactly why one kind of classic sci-fi archetype wasn’t aboard theBabylon 5 space station, even underscoring the show’s intended arc in undercutting a certain character fantasy that comes with the genre.
TV Executives Wanted Babylon 5 To Have A Han Solo-Type Character
Babylon 5Only Introduced Warren To Appease A TV Exec
The character of Warren Keffer was only created forBabylon 5at the insistence of television executives, and was promptly killed off after only a few appearances. Introduced in season 2’s “Points of Departure,” Warren Keffer is a hotshot pilot who flies a couple of important missions for Babylon 5 and becomes a reoccurring figure in the season’s early episodes before being killed off in a confrontation with the Shadows. The reason Warren has such a throwaway death compared to the grandiose fates of mostBabylon 5characters is because he was never meant to be in the show.
The character of Warren Keffer came about because of a request to make a “Han Solo-type” character for the show in an attempt to “spice up” the show’s focus on politics and lore building
The character wasn’t included in the original pitch forBabylon 5, and was actually the result of a note from a TV executive. As explained by J. Michael Straczynski on the DVD audio commentary forBabylon 5: The Complete Second Season, the character of Warren Keffer came about because of a request to make a “Han Solo-type” character for the show in an attempt to “spice up” the show’s focus on politics and lore building. Despite Straczynski’s initial protests against the concept, he eventually acquiesced and added Warren to season 2.
Why Warrren Keffer Was Killed Off
Warren Only Appeared In Season 2 And Died In The Season Finale
The problem with Warrren is that Straczynski never had much interest in the character archetype that character was meant to represent. One of the things that madeBabylon 5stand out from other sci-fi of the era was a keen focus on the challenges faced by taking diplomatic approaches to intergalactic politics. This was a key element of Sheridan’s character arc in season 2, with the seasoned soldier forced to adapt to the limitations of politics. Warren was a direct contrast to that, a character whose continued successes would have undermined the core themes of the show.
Robert Rusler was credited as a main cast member for all ofBabylon 5season 2, even though Warren Keffer only appeared in six episodes before being killed off.
This is why Warrren didn’t last long. After realizing that the executives who insisted on Warren were no longer “paying attention,“Straczynski killed Warren off in the season 2 finale. Despite his frustration with the character, Straczynski found a way to tie Warren’s death to the overarching storyline. During the events of “A Distant Star,“Warren became one of the first characters to encounter the Shadows. Obsessed with proving the ship’s existence, Warren chased after another Shadow ship in season 2’s “The Fall of Night” and got proof of its existence sent back to Earth before being shot down.
Babylon 5Subverted The Singular Heroic Anti-Hero Trope
Classic archetypes can’t simply be slotted into any story and met with success. The Han Solo archetype works well in sci-fi stories where the pilot can move through the lines of bureaucracy and military plans. Those two elements are central toBabylon 5, which takes a much more macro approach to world building than most sci-fi shows. There’s a focus on politics, diplomacy, and fate that wouldn’t fit with the kind of hot shot action hero that the executives clearly wanted.A cocky anti-hero would only aggravate the orderly but dedicated main cast members, making the character frustrating instead endearing.
Babylon 5’s Best Trick Was Hiding The Show’s Real Villain In Plain Sight
Babylon 5’s big cosmic war arc was a stand-out storyline, but quietly helped hide the show’s true big bad in plain view of the characters.
Ultimately,Babylon 5isn’t a show where the single anti-hero can save the day. Sheridan experiences this first hand during seasons 3 and 4, which focus on the consequences of a major figure acting unilaterally for the fate of a war on his own impulses.Babylon 5never had thematic room for someone like Han Solo, who would have been another one of the smugglers moving behind the scenes on the space station. There simply isn’t room for that type of character amid the more high-minded intentions ofBabylon 5, proving that archetype doesn’t fit everywhere in the sci-fi genre.
