Sheriff August Corbin was the long-time mentor and partner of lieutenant Abbie Mills as well as father of Joseph Corbin. It was eventually discovered that he also worked with Jenny Mills to hunt down rare artifacts, and to try to get explanations for the mysterious events occurring in Sleepy Hollow. He knew something was going on in Sleepy Hollow and acted to counter it to the best of his ability.
History[]
As a young man, August volunteered for the military where he met Seeley Booth and Atticus Nevins. When he returned from his tour of duty, he joined the Sleepy Hollow Sheriff's department, eventually rising up the ranks. During this time, he fathered a son, Joseph, with whom he had a close bond.
By the time he was sheriff, he caught a young Abbie stealing from a pharmacy. Instead of immediately arresting her, he took her to a diner and gave her a chance to decide whether or not she was going to make better choices.[1] When Abbie made the choice to better herself, he gave her work alphabetizing his files. August introduced Abbie to Joe, and would allow her to babysit him. Over the years, when August made plans with Joe, his time would then be consumed by helping train Abbie, raising a resentment in Joe.[2] August evaluated mysterious and supernatural cases around Sleepy Hollow, eventually learning about Abbie's past and her contact with the four white trees.[3]
Unbeknownst to Abbie, Corbin also had a close bond with her sister, Jenny. With her help, he would obtain rare artifacts and gather information on the supernatural. When Jenny was possessed by Ancitif, Corbin filmed himself exercising the demon free from her, so there would be a record if they did not survive. Before the demon was released, Corbin was told of his death to come at the hands of the Headless Horseman.[4]
He owned a cabin by Trout lake, which he used as his secret base - Jenny knew about it, but her mainstream sister, Abbie did not. After his death, Ichabod Crane used it as a residence until season 3.
Season One[]
While at a diner, August spoke with Abbie about her choice to enter the FBI Academy. When he asked her if it was a way to escape her past, she deflected his question. After leaving, they got a call to investigate a disturbance at Fox Creek Stables. While investigating, August encountered the terrifying entity, the Headless Horseman. Despite his efforts at self defense, he was killed and beheaded by the Horseman.[3] After Corbin's death Abbie saw a vision of Corbin in his office, telling her that she should trust herself and find her sister.[1]
Appearances[]
Saying goodbye
After the Pilot episode, August Corbin appears several times throughout the next three seasons, usually in flashbacks, but in Ragnarok, the finale of season 3, he returns, appearing to Abbie in order to ease the transition for both Joe and Abbie, and explain their parts in the war in which they had been soldiers.
Trivia[]
Etymology[]
- The name "August" is the German, Polish, Scandinavian and Catalan form of Augustus. Augustus means "great" or "venerable", derived from Latin augere "to increase". Augustus was the title given to Octavian, the first Roman emperor. This was also the name of three kings of Poland.[5]
Character Notes[]
- He enjoys apple pie a la mode. He hates when the ice cream melts into a "warm soupy mess" before he can finish eating it.[3]
- He was in the Marines.
- He was also friends with FBI Agent Seeley Booth, and talked with him about Abbie sometime before his death.[6]
Appearances[]
| Season One | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Pilot" | "Blood Moon" | "For the Triumph of Evil..." | "The Lesser Key of Solomon" | "John Doe" | |||||||||||||||
| "The Sin Eater" | "The Midnight Ride" | "Necromancer" | "Sanctuary" | "The Golem" | |||||||||||||||
| "The Vessel" | "The Indispensable Man" | "Bad Blood" | |||||||||||||||||
| Season Two | |||||||||||||||||||
| "This Is War" | "The Kindred" | "Root of All Evil" | "Go Where I Send Thee..." | "The Weeping Lady" | |||||||||||||||
| "And the Abyss Gazes Back" | "Deliverance" | "Heartless" | "Mama" | "Magnum Opus" | |||||||||||||||
| "The Akeda" | "Paradise Lost" | "Pittura Infamante" | "Kali Yuga" | "Spellcaster" | |||||||||||||||
| "What Lies Beneath" | "Awakening" | "Tempus Fugit" | |||||||||||||||||
| Season Three | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I, Witness" | "Whispers in the Dark" | "Blood and Fear" | "The Sisters Mills" | "Dead Men Tell No Tales" | |||||||||||||||
| "This Red Lady from Caribee" | "The Art of War" | "Novus Ordo Seclorum" | "One Life" | "Incident At Stone Manor" | |||||||||||||||
| "Kindred Spirits" | "Sins of the Father" | "Dark Mirror" | "Into the Wild" | "Incommunicado" | |||||||||||||||
| "Dawn's Early Light" | "Delaware" | "Ragnarok" | |||||||||||||||||