Why Michelle Trachtenberg’s Arrival as Dawn Was Pivotal for ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
QUICK LINKS
- ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Season 4 Was Disappointing
- Dawn’s Arrival on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Was First Met With Confusion
- Dawn’s Arrival Signalled Buffy’s Biggest Sacrifice to Date
In the wake of Michelle Trachtenberg’s tragic passing, fans are looking back at her wide range of contributions to the film and television industry with a fresh lens. She managed to cross over into various pop culture fandoms, something most actors or actresses would dream of, but she’s perhaps best known to many genre fans as Dawn Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her arrival as Buffy’s sister, who had seemingly been there the entire time based on the narrative of Season 5, was a bold move by the show’s creative team because it could easily have been a “jumping the shark moment.”
Was she added to attract younger viewers? Did they feel the show slipped a bit creatively after Season 4? All of these things could’ve easily been true, but as Season 5 unfolded, Dawn’s presence in Buffy’s life and the lives of her friends became clear, and it ultimately became one of the series’ best story arcs while also becoming pivotal for the show moving forward.
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Season 4 Was Disappointing
Even though the most lackluster season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was better than most anything network TV had to offer at the time, Season 4 of the series was met with some criticism from fans and critics. The show was coming off of a spectacular third season, and the character of Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her friends were transitioning from high school to college, something rocky for any teen series. The show had lost Angel (David Boreanaz) and Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) to his spinoff and the show tried to give Buffy a new love in Riley (Marc Blucas), but it was met with a mixed response, considering how epic the love story was between Buffy and Angel, it was always going to be a tough act to follow.
There was a military on-campus storyline with The Initiative that had its moments (neutering James Marsters’ vampire Spike with a chip so he couldn’t kill anyone proved to be entertaining), but it all felt like it was meant for another show. Season 4 certainly started rocky, but it did improve as it went along with episodes like the Emmy-nominated “Hush”, which is considered one of the best episodes of the series ever, and the season finale, “Restless.”
It was a season finale that didn’t come with the typical epic fights and world-ending stakes. It was all character-driven, with a cryptic message from The First Slayer hinting that death would be Buffy’s gift. At the time, fans didn’t know what to make of it, but as Season 5 geared up and its arc took shape, it would prove that the Season 4 finale was a sign of life-altering things to come for Buffy.
Dawn’s Arrival on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Was First Met With Confusion
Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer introduced Dawn (Trachtenberg), who mysteriously appears in Buffy’s life as her younger sister. Dawn was a new character who had never been seen before, but to all the characters involved in her life, she had been there the entire time. It was a jarring addition, at first, for fans because no explanation was given to the viewers either. This was before the time of constant story updates via social media. Viewers had to take in this mystery in real time and accept it with the hope that it would be given a proper explanation.
The thought of most was that Dawn was added to provide the show with a more youthful energy, something the series did poke at in her first full episode, “Real Me.” Everyone seems tasked to take care of Dawn, and Buffy herself is having issues getting along with her sister in a typical big sister/little sister fashion. It played with the tropes of having a younger sister and how that would affect Buffy’s role as The Slayer moving forward, albeit in a more superficial way.
As subsequent episodes aired, Dawn’s presence still wasn’t explained, but Buffy was becoming more and more suspicious of her bond with their mother, Joyce (Kristine Sutherland). This becomes more pivotal as time goes on and with the arrival of Glorificus aka Glory (Clare Kramer), a goddess from Hell who was banished from her dimension after a war. She has now arrived on Earth and can only remain here when connected to her human form, Ben (Charlie Weber). To maintain her powers, she has to drain people of their sanity to survive, with her main objective being to find “The Key,” which will allow her to return to her dimension but with the consequence of bringing Hell to Earth.
As Buffy’s mom begins experience debilitating headaches, she suspects that Dawn has something to do with it before learning that her mother is suffering from a brain tumor. In the midst of this, she learns that the protectors of “The Key” turned it into a human related to Buffy and all of her friends, meaning her sister Dawn. They implanted memories of Dawn into everyone in Buffy’s life, to make it appear that she had been there the entire time because they knew that Buffy would protect her blood with her life.
Giving Buffy a sister proved to be a significant story point once all was revealed because it led to some of the show’s best character moments. Once Buffy discovers the truth, she’s conflicted about what it means because she has all of these feelings and love for Dawn, but is ripped apart by the notion that none of it is real. However, in a moment that proves that she’s already embracing her as her real sister, Buffy decides to protect her from the truth, know what it might do to her. Eventually, Dawn learns of her true origins, and she’s even more devastated to realize that she’s not a flesh and blood human and some object put in Buffy’s life to protect out of obligation.
Dawn’s Arrival Signaled Buffy’s Biggest Sacrifice to Date
The episode “Blood Ties” proves to be a real turning point in Season 5 for both characters as they both have to confront the truth about who Dawn is and what that means for everyone involved. What is discovered for Buffy is that part of that purpose hinted at in Season 4 was to take the initiative to protect Dawn and that Dawn learns that Buffy loves her because they want to love her and not because they have to. At this point, Buffy has known for months about Dawn, and it hasn’t changed how she treats her. The same goes for her mother, Joyce, who also learns the truth and vows to love and protect Dawn as her own. It’s the notion that proves that family isn’t always bonded by blood.
| “It doesn’t matter where you came from, or how you got here. You are my sister… There’s no way you could annoy me so much if you weren’t” |
The season finale episode, “The Gift,” is given an extra layer of emotion because of the bond forged between Buffy and Dawn. Glory has learned that Dawn is “The Key,” and, after kidnapping her, she uses her blood to open the portal between our dimension and hers. With the portal open, Hell can be unleashed on Earth, and Dawn wants to sacrifice herself to stop it, but Buffy, now realizing what The First Slayer meant by “death is your gift”, realized she has to sacrifice herself to save her friends, family, and the world. Since she’s related to Dawn, her blood can close the portal, and that’s what she does in true heroin fashion, but not before leaving her sister with a message that fans still hold onto.
| “Dawn, listen to me, listen. I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work I have to do. Tell Giles… tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I’m okay. Give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world.. is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me.” |
Arguments have been made about Dawn’s relevance in Seasons 6 and 7, something that can be debated among fans, but her arrival served a big purpose in Season 5 because it raised the stakes for Buffy as a protector, and it led to her making what proved to be her biggest heroic sacrifice as The Slayer. Season 5 has a running theme of family throughout and what that all means. In any good season of TV, you want to see characters experience growth and change. That wouldn’t have been possible for Buffy and her friends without the arrival of Dawn, and that’s why she’ll forever be an important part of the series and why Michelle Trachtenberg will be forever remembered for bringing this character to life. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is streaming on Tubi and Hulu.
Original article at MovieWeb
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