Buffyverse question--Dawn?

OK, I was taking a class this week and must have missed something.

At the end of Buffy vs Dracula all of a sudden Dawn is there? Where the hell did she come from? Don’t tell me she just popped up out of nowhere?!?!

Thanks…

That’s exactly what happened. At the end of Dracula is the first we see Dawn. And the next episode picks up just like she’s always been there.

I assume you know how Dawn came into being? I’ll give a brief synopsis just incase. Dawn was originially a energy source that could open up different (demon) dimensions to this one. The monks who had custody of The Key needed a way to hide her from Glory and made the Key flesh and sent her to the Slayer.

They created memories for her as well to make it seem like she’d always been a part of the Summers’ family. I don’t remember what episode Buffy finds out about Dawn.

Wow. Crazy!

Yep…she “just pops up”. No explaination is given at first. But don’t worry…much of Season Five deals with the orgin of l’il Dawnie.

Now, we could explain it all to you…but do you really want to find out that way? Part of the fun of Buffy is the way the writers tease you, and gradually reveal what’s going on.

Wouldn’t you rather watch the show to find out? You’ll find out what the deal is with Dawn next week…I’d suggest just watching…it’s more fun that way!

Ah…never mind…

S’alright Mr. Frink, trying to participate in Buffy season 6 episodes sorta forced me to know a bit about Dawn’s background… I was just worried I missed some crucial episode when it looks like I didn’t miss squat.

Yeah, 'sgreat. In the first half-hour of “Buffy vs Dracula”, Buff is an only child. In the last scene, she isn’t–and hasn’t been for 14 years!

But I have this weird memory of a line spoken by Faith in season 4, seven episodes earlier, which at the time I took to be metaphorical, odd, & well, just Faith. Something about “you [Buffy] & little sister.” Can anyone back me up on this?

Yep…I can back you up. There’s actually been two dream references to Buffy’s future sibling. The first was from Faith’s dream in This Year’s Girl:

This second reference is a little iffy, I’ll admit. But I still think it’s legit. It’s from Buffy’s dream in the Season Four finale Restless

**
So that’s all a pretty good foreshadowing in those dreams. And now that Spike’s got his soul back…it won’t be much longer until the Restless tease of him following in Giles’ footsteps to become a Watcher comes to fruitition…

Is Dawn still the Key? If she is, do they know about it still? If not why is she still around? I mean its not like she is needed anymore if she isn’t the key.

She’s “needed” the same way you need a sibling or friend.

Regardless of the memories being fake, everyone has them and Dawn is and “always” has been a part of their lives.

I guess that Dawnie is still the key…but a key that unlocks nothing.

I believe that after the events in The Gift, Dawn is now pretty much a regular human being.

Why is she still around?
Well, where exactly should she go? Seriously, I think she’s around because Buffy has lost her mother, and I believe the writers wanted Buffy to still have family around.

Joss Whedon admitted in several interviews that Buffy was supposed to have a sister from the beginning. An error of omission was rectified in the usual Joss fashion.

Right, Dawn’s Watcher-- she is supposedly part Buffy. So, IMHO, it looks like they are setting up Dawn as junior-Slayerette for next season.

Of course I could be completely wrong, but you saw the season finale. . . .

-me

Yeah, but Dawn’s definitely still the Key. That much was made clear by “Two to Go” and “Grave.”

Willow was going to turn Dawn back into energy and then somehow use that energy to add to her own power. Or something. I wasn’t all that clear about it…

Yeah, it can be wierd tuning in to Buffy when you haven’t watched the show from the beginning. I’ve never seen any of the first 2 1/2 seasons (counting on the FX reruns for that, they show two episodes most weeknights, so catching up shouldn’t take long.) The show has a remarkable continuity to it that, aside from soap operas/serials, I’ve only seen in the Conspiracy Episodes of The X-Files. There are threads that will start early in a season, go underground, resurface, disappear again, and show up again in the next season…

I like Dawn, although several Dopers have complained that she is an annoying whiner. Well, what do you expect, growing up in the shadow of the Slayer, then finding out you didn’t, then having your mom die, then your big sister, then having Sis get resurrected, and basically having to question the reality of your own existence. 'Course, I’ve only seen about five episodes that she’s in. But I’m getting fond of the kid.

I’m also watching Buffy’s relationship with Riley start to unravel. And Spike coming to the edge of realizing he’s in love with the Buffstress.

The big question in the Buffyverse, IMHO, is, will William the Bloody (Awful Poet) be a vampire with a soul and a chip in his head, or has he become human again?

My vote goes with the former, just 'cause I like the idea of the Slayer having a vampire for a lover.

I can’t imagine they’ll make Spike a vampire with a soul. It’s kind of a been there, done that thing. I think he’ll be human again.

But, he still has a chip in his head…

And Spike, even with a soul, is a far cry from being Angel.

Angel had that happiness-even-for-a-moment curse thingy and no chip restraining him from harming the living.

Spike has that chip-in-the-head thingy, but no curse, so if he experiences happiness for a moment, he won’t lose his soul.

And the two guys have radically different personalities, chips and curses aside.

But the demon or whatever who’d been testing him didn’t say “Okay, back to being human,” he said (something along the lines of), “Okay, here’s your soul back.” I took that to mean vampire-with-a-soul.

Of course, it could be that getting your soul back normally means you become human again, and Angel’s some kind of exception.

Either way, I’m wondering what the story will be re the chip. Will it stop effecting him once he has a soul? (Being intended to prevent violent acts by a souless vampire.) Or will he still be unable to harm any human?

And I’m wondering what Spike’s actual intentions were.

Shoot, even if they give Spike the exact same lines they gave Angel, it would still be different, just because Spike’s whole worldview is so radically different from Angel’s. (Also, IMHO, James Marsters is by far the superior actor.)

Since so many Buffy fans wanted Spike & Buffy together in the worst way, they got their wish.
Now many Dawn haters would love to see an episode directed by Tobe Hooper having Dawn dissected by a leather masked demon with a chainsaw. I get the feeling Joss will make me feel bad about that too.:rolleyes: