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Date Posted: 21:23:29 08/03/05 Wed
Author: Eurydice
Author Host/IP: 141.154.23.82
Subject: Dawn would have been a better character if she'd been written better
In reply to: Kashmanik 's message, "Would Dawn have been a better character if she'd been younger?" on 17:08:03 08/03/05 Wed

I know, it's sounds snarky, but I'm serious. The problem started when they changed the character's age to accomodate MT but didn't change the way they'd written her - that pretty much established her as an immature whiner. And once the Glory arc was over, the writers didn't seem to know what to do with Dawn. She continued being "the burden" with everybody having to watch out for her and feed her and babysit her and worry about her grades and her kleptomania.

The whole thing became even more ludicrous as MT grew to be about twice SMG's size. After a while the natural question became "Why doesn't that big strapping girl get off her ass and do some chores?" Given the writers earlier neglect, I think season 7 was too date to develop Dawn, whatever her age. MT had some beautiful moments, but then there was the idiocy of Dawn suddenly going mini-Watcher and being able to read Sumerian or Ancient Turkish or whatever, and when that didn't work, they made her content with just being normal.

So I guess, yeah - if the writers were going to use Dawn as they did, it would have been best if she'd been a lot younger.

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[> [> Which begs the question "why didn't he kill her off in season 5"? -- Christian, 22:10:37 08/03/05 Wed [1] (209.240.205.62)

Still could have wrote his "depression" storyline and it is not like he doesn't re-use plots ie: Resurrecting a "dead" character.


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[> [> [> Well, if he resurrected Dawn, then she'd just be back again ;-) -- Eurydice, 22:54:32 08/03/05 Wed [1] (141.154.23.82)

That would have been another way to take the story - to have Buffy follow Giles' judgement and let Dawn die for the greater good. Then Buffy would have been depressed and felt guilty, and resented Giles and the whole Watcher/Slayer culture, and been angry and who knows what. Or more likely, she'd have gone catatonic and never come out of it. I wonder what that would have done for Buffy's likability ratings...heroes don't look so heroic if they're willing to let their baby sisters die.

Or maybe Glory or the knights could have killed Dawn, but since Buffy was ready to kick the crap out of them for even threatening Dawn, I don't think there'd have been any more story mileage out of having her dead.

But I think the main reason for Dawn not dying in season 5 is that her job as "the burden of adult responsibility" didn't really start until season 6. Before that, she was the Key and the target of the Big Bad, which was more about Buffy's responsibility as a Slayer rather than a sister/mom. I don't think there's a problem with a character representing a concept like that, I just think the character should be written as a 3-dimensional person at the same time - for me, they didn't do that with Dawn.


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[> [> [> [> Very true! -- Christian, 08:06:23 08/04/05 Thu [1] (209.240.205.62)


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