I have to admit, I never liked Dawn… and I have a bias against her. But this rant is not just about not liking her… it's about seething hatred. As it usually is with me, it's not entirely her fault that I am so aggravated with her, but that doesn't stop me from feeling this way.
Okay, like I said, never liked Dawn. From her first episode, I found her to be an incredibly immature (and that's keeping in mind the fact that she was fourteen), spoiled brat who got on my nerves and was only good for getting into one mess or another for her big sis to clean up. She couldn't even be left home alone! It wasn't just that Joyce was overprotective… if left unsupervised, Dawn was apt to get into serious trouble. Now, this wasn't entirely her fault. I blame Joyce a whole lot for the way Dawn turned out and, I suppose, it's Buffy fault too (although without her mother always telling her to do this or that for Dawn, Buffy would have never coddled her so much). She was always treated like a baby and whenever she did something wrong, well, it was Buffy's fault for not watching her closely enough. But still… there comes a time where you can't blame your parents for everything.
There were times when she was bearable. It seemed to me that once it was revealed that Dawn was the key, she suddenly became less obnoxious. It's like, before we were supposed to feel like she was this invader that we didn't want around and then after, we were supposed to go "Oh, okay, she needs to be here" and to accept her. I didn't go quite that far, but I wasn't itching to throttle her quite so much. She pissed me off a few times, but for the rest of the season (with the exception of her little 'tude when Buffy tried to be firm about school) I was cool with her. I was ever saying "I am so glad Dawn is around," but I wasn't jonesing for her to die. In the beginning of this season, I almost liked her. Like, when Buffy first came back and all her friends were crowding her, Dawn was protective and made them give her space.
But, of course, she had to get bratty again. I understand that Dawn is going through a hard time and she is young and it would be wrong to expect her to be the completely mature. But still… it seems like she's no more mature than Buffy was at her age (we saw a fifteen-year-old pre-slayer Buffy in "Becoming," if you'll recall) and is perhaps even less mature. I am not saying that Dawn needs to be as mature as Buffy was once she started slaying… but don't you think that since she has had to go through her mother and sister dying and seeing, even if not up close, lots of slayage, she should be more mature that most kids her age? I wondered for about 3.5 seconds if I ever acted like Dawn…. but then I remembered how much mother despises Dawn (even more than I do) and I know that if I had acted like her, I probably wouldn't have lived to ever watch BtVS. I was never especially immature, but I wasn't overly mature either. So, I compare her to me (and my sister and brother and all the other teenagers I know) and I say Dawn needs to grow up.
Is Dawn getting all the attention she needs? Probably not. But I have more than a little difficulty pointing a finger at Buffy and calling her bad. She's twenty-one. She shouldn't have to raise her sister. She shouldn't have to worry about bills. But she does, that's a fact… part of life not being fair. Well, how come so many people are quick to blame Buffy for all her mistakes… yet make Dawn an innocent. It's not fair, but she is going to have to miss out on some stuff too. She is going to have to lose some innocence and accept that Mommy is dead, her sister has to learn real fast how to do everything and Buffy has serious issues because of her death. Buffy isn't perfect and neither is Dawn.
This brings me to another problem, definitely something that pushed me towards writing this review. Hating Dawn is not a popular stance. Most people just feel soooo sorry for her (although it was nice to read reviews for "Older and Far Away" and find some of the critics are getting annoyed by her… they don't hate her like I do, but she does get on their nerves). I am constantly being called insensitive and unsympathetic for holding Dawn responsible for bad behavior… I am supposed to understand that she is going through hard stuff… and in the same breath, they complain about Buffy, brushing off the fact that her mother died too and that she died. As Dawn pointed out herself, she can do anything. She can be a lawyer or a doctor or whatever she wants…. but odds are that Buffy will spend her life working for low wages at crappy jobs. So what the Hell is up with the poor Dawn routine?
I know that Buffy has made mistakes. I freely admit that. She needs to get herself together and make a lot of changes in herself and her life. But that doesn't mean Dawn doesn't need to do the same. The girl has a definite self-pity streak that she needs to lose. I mean, she gets all upset because people don't want to sit around with her day after day, but instead they have to go to work and school and home. She is fifteen… she knows that people have responsibilities.
Well, I feel better. Chances are, nobody agrees with me, but I got to vent and get this off my chest. It's… cleansing…
Responses
Ryan
I absolutely agree with you about Dawn. I can't stand her. She acts
like she's 4 not 14! How do you grow up in a house with a slayer
(not that she really did but, she still has memories of growing
up in it) and do stupid things like invite vamps in or make wishes
to people she doesn't know? I also hate the way she talks to Buffy.
She acts like it's Buffy's fault that she can't spend time with
her. Well, if Dawn likes to be able to eat than she should shut
up about Buffy not being home!
Jenah
WELL - you and I are on the same page girly! While I don't know
if I HATE her..I have been irritated with her for quite some while
and have been talking about it throughout my rants..I can't help
myself. She is annoying, bratty, stupid, selfish..etc.! It isn't
exactly popular to feel that way about her, but I can't help it,
and I too, have been noticing that its being noticed in reviews
and/or articles! Thanks for your rant!
Black_Kaat
i have to say first off that i TOTALLY agree with everything you
said. ive found Dawn annoying from the START and i have NO idea
how anybody could feel sorry for her when all she does is get them
into trouble. i especially hate the fact that everytime buffy tries
to be nice to her, she brushes it off, then turns around and complains
about buffy not paying attention to her. i think buffy could stay
home more and watch her, but still, Dawn needs to realize how lucky
she is to have a sister who puts her first and protects her from
everything, instead of always whining and crying how nobody ever
pays attention to her!
FutureSlayer
I COMPLETLY aggree! Dawn is such a spoiled little brat!! I mean
its not enough that she complains about Buffy being the slayer,
but she has to add on by being little miss clepto at the magic shop.
The scoobys completly welcomed her even when they found out who
she really was. She's got to realize that the world dont revolve
around her!!
Dawn
I'm surprised that you feel in the minority about disliking Dawn;
from what I've seen, it's quite common. My own personal feeling
is that the writers are displaying their usual incompetence at writing
anything that doesn't involve sex. Dawn, by definition, excludes
sex and shipper storylines and for romance-crazed Mutant Enemy,
it's just more than their little brains can handle. So they relegate
Dawn to an annoying damsel-in-distress who makes Buffy's life harder.
It's too bad, because I think Michelle Trachtenberg is pretty talented
and could handle a much more mature, complex role.
Piper
dawn just is annoying the hell out of me too. her sister died, FOR
HER, and she can't even take out the garbage? Please! it is time
for her to go, really it is. she served her purpose, but it is just
a slap in the face for long time fans. I shudder every time I remember
dawn's quote about buffy chasing her around when they were younger
saying "I'm the slayer, I'm gonna get you". that is just so wrong.
that changes EVERYTHING, whch is just not fair ofr the fans who
have been with the show since the beginning. And now we aresupposed
to understand that Dawn is stealing because she isn't getting any
attention? Wow, that's funny because I remember Dawn being the center
of attention ALL of last season, and stealing Anya's earrings then.
Perhaps it's just more continuity errors on the writers, but it
really is time for her to go.
Leigh-Anne
oh, thank you god! I so agree with you, Dawn is such a spoiled,
selfish little brat. Everytime I start to feel sorry for her, she
opens her mouth and ruins it all. She complains that Buffy doesn't
spend time with her even though its because Buffy has to work to
pay the bills and put food on the table. She needs to shut her cake
hole and be glad anybody still cares at all!
Sonja
I'm so glad that there are others who dislike Dawn. I actually HATE
her and I was glad that someone finally (Willow) told her off in
the season finale. She told her how she's always whining and I was
so glad that someone did although I felt that Willow did go too
far with that whole turning Dawn back to the ball of mystical energy
that she used to be.
Lisa
OH WOW!! I'm so glad to see that there are some sane people out
there who realize how badly Dawn needs to be shot! She's a whiner
who doesn't appreciate any of the sacrifices her sister has made
for her. Thank you SOO much for opening peoples eyes about the annoyance
that is Dawn.
Asmoday
Darn, The Gift was on television here in the Netherlands for the
first time (never saw it before). What a bad episode, I reaally
wanted Dawn to die. Stupid stuff with Buffy being all traumatised
etc with that annoying brat who isn't even her real sister (part
of me yadayadayada). I surely hope she won't take Buffy's place
one day (season 6?).
Jen
i agree. i'm 16, so basically the same age as dawn and i think the
writers need to backtrack a little and remember what they were like
when they were that age. Dawn is ditzy and irresponsible, i don't
entirely hate her but i heard someone call her "shiny mcwhiney"
and i thought it an apt description.
Katie
More so than I hate Dawn is Michelle's total lack of acting skills.
I shudder to think if I have to watch another "crying sequence."
I just hope in the 7th season that there is not a special show dedicated
to Dawn losing her virginity.
Fate
I like Dawn. I'm one of the few, few, few. You spoke of a 'minority'
of Dawn haters, but just take a look at the message boards, or the
50 so replys, and it'll become clear that the ball is in your court.
I'm 15, so mabye it's the age thing, and I'm a little sister, so
mabye it's the birth order thing, but Dawn was the first character
who came around that I felt I could relate to. Which is why I'm
surprised when I read about her whining, immature, trouble making
ways. I don't see it. My sister hates her too, but can't seem to
specify a reason. Anyway, I just wanted to say that, mostly cause
no one else seems to be. Rock on, Dawn.
Emma
I totally understand where you're coming from, and all you reasons
are accountable, but you do have to take into consideration what
i like to refer to as the "bang-up" job of writing for BTVS this
season. Yes, she is at times immature, but it seems to me that the
writers are not paying enough attention to what they're writing
for dawn- it seems like they're just having her whine to take up
space. alas, I have faith that her character will get better this
coming season.
Karine
I CAN'T belived it. I mena, okay it's your right to don't like Dawn.
I can accept that...But I read some poeple saying Michelle was a
bad actress??? Please! The girl's sixteen! She has so MUCH talent!
Of course, she's not Julia Roberts, she still got a lot to learn,
but give her a break. She's young, she'll learn, and so far, she
is holding her own! She's able to cry adn to drama, she can also
be funny and serious. She can do it all! Personnally, I reconize
Michelle talent and I hope Dawn will take more place is season 7.
Alissa
who DOESN'T hate dawn?? i feel sorry..for her stupidity. ugh. if
i were buffy, at the season 5 finale, i would push dawn off the
tall building thingie and save the world. and then make-out with
spike..but that's just me.
Laura
I think the majority opinion is that Dawn sucks. I'm happy for the
people who can find it in themselves to like her; it's just that
I do NOT. She annoys me. She is a walking plot device. And cripes,
the whining is just too friggin' much. I think the writers probably
finally realized that too, as evidenced by a particular speech they
gave Willow in the S6 finale (or maybe the episode before that).
Anyway, I like Michelle Trachtenberg. She is doing what she can
with what she's been given, so she's not the problem. The crappy
writing is. I see positive signs for S7, and I live in the hope
that Dawn may yet evolve into an interesting character who doesn't
just drag down the terrific "Buffy" ensemble. But at the moment
I type, I can't stand the little snot.
Slayergirl
god dawn, its like she is the most annoying little *^#@ under the
sun, I wish that Glory had killed her, i mean who cares if the rest
of the world went in to chaos ,shes a pain,, I watch every week
just hoping that someone will kill her and that my misery will be
over...
Megan T.
dawn annoys me, ecspecially in the 5th season, i think Joss interperted
her as to be this "sweet little girl" but then they chose Michelle
(ugh) and she makes the part into a very annoying and disturbed
charector that should either be killed off or shold just leave,
but thats my opinion.
Marisa
I completely agree! dawn is very irratating and whiny and what is
up with that scream? am i the only one whose ears practically blead
when she screamed in older and far away? it was horrible! i understand
joss is probably just trying to make her seem like a teenager who
is being babied, which in all fairness to dawn she was, but honestly!
i really think hes exagerating it a bit! hopefully in season 7 she
will not be so whiny since buffy said she isnt going to baby her
anymore... ive got my fingers crossed!
Kaylyn
I actually like Dawn. I am a younger sister and know for a fact
it is our duty to annoy our older sisters. They just need to evolve
her charactor. I mean, if Buffy had let Dawn start slaying a long
time ago and started letting her help, people wouldn't hate her
so much. Personely, I don't think Dawn complains half as much as
Buffy does.
Petpluto
I completely agree with you. Dawn needs to get over herself and
realize that in the real world, things don't always happen the way
one wishes. I alternatively love and loathe her, mostly because
she reminds me of my own siblings. She is constantly whining that
Buffy's not around and that the others aren't taking care of her,
but in the next breath she is demanding to be treated like an adult.
Adults don't lie to their friends or family just to sneak out and
have some fun. Adults don't blame others for mistakes that they
themselves have made. Adults realize that others are doing the best
they can in situations. Dawn knows about the money situation, she
was sitting right there at the meeting. Well guess what kid, in
order to get money, ya have to work! And in order to work, most
people have to leave the house. It's incredable. She also doesn't
understand why she shouldn't be allowed to be part of the "Scooby
Gang". Duh, that's for responsible people. And almost more importantly,
Buffy has never allowed her family into the Slaying aspect of her
life, and her family has never really wanted to be a part of it.
Joyce hated the idea, and Dawn hated having a freak for a sister.
Buffy also might be trying to respect Joyce's decision to keep Dawn
out of constant danger. An adult would know this. Someone who wasn't
feeling sorry for themselves would accept it.
Dixe
You know who I hate? Riley.....Dawn? I don't think she's the one
to hate. She's the regular everyday annoying little sister. I really
like what they've done with her character in the seventh season.
All though am I the only one to notice she was a freshman LAST YEAR?
I think I might be missing something.....she's cool at times, and
annoying as hell at other times. But I think it is pushing it a
bit to say she's bad actress, I think she's an OK actress, but she's
very photogenic! Cuz that has a lot to do with the subject right?
hehe
Buffygrl
thank you, thank you!! i really thought i was one of the few people
who wish Dawn had died in the gift. i am also 15 and am definetly
not the immature. at time i can be but jeez, she takes it too far.
ugh i knew i hated her from the very first time she appeared on
Dracula. i don't know im watching the 7th season and im getting
worried that there making Dawn be all mature now cause shes gonna
be taking SMG's place in season 8. god i hope not. and for anyone
who wants to know allyson and nick have signed on for and 8th season,
emma has not and neither has SMG.
Brittney
I am so glad other people hate Dawn! a lot of people i know watch
Buffy, and they *like* Dawn. i personally can't stand her. I couldn't
stand it in Season 6 when she would get all upset because hse thought
that Buffy didn't want to be near her. Buffy just came back from
the dead!!! is Dawn stupid???? i think you can all agree with me
here, that she most definitely is, and should have died in The Gift.
(although, when she didn't die, and Buffy did, it made a seriously
good hour of television, and an agonizing rerun season). And now
that Dawn is going to be come kind of mini-slayer??? i dont think
i'll be able to take it. her one line, "you don't think that i've
watched you?" on the season Finale, URGH. all her dialogue makes
me skin crawl. she just grates on me like no other television character
ever has before, and i can's wait till Dawn gets hers.
Wicca
Aah. Good rant. I have had dawn hatred for a long time. I agree
with what you're saying - it's exactly what I think. I have a younger
sister aged 14. Dawn is very immature for her age. We have suffered
loss and it FORCES you to grow up. Just when i think - hmm dawn's
done a lot of growing recently - she does something stupid to make
me hate her again. She just messes up the whole Buffyverse in my
opinion. She could be a good character, if it was written differently.
I never liked that she was 'the key' i'd have preferred her to be
just a regular sister. We're supposed to dismiss seasons 1-4 ? The
entire cast of characters have different memories to mine and I
don't like that!
Catherine
Dawn isn't my fave character, but I don't hate her either. I like
her a lot better this season (7) than any other season. You have
some valid points in the Buffy is not at fault and should not be
totally blamed when something goes wrong with Dawn. Now I have to
say that, yeah, Dawn is supposed to be a 15 yr old girl, but she's
really only like 3 years old, she has memories, but not a whole
lot of real life experience. And the Buffy shouldn't have to worry
about bills and such at 21, well, I know a lot of people her age
and younger, including myself that have to worry about bills and
stuff, actually most of us do. Although, most of us don't have to
raise a little sister or fight evil and save the world.
Shana
Okay. I loved this rant!
Dawn is the very reason I stopped watching Buffy. I went from a
diehard fan to a person who only occasionally catches an episode.
I hated Dawn from the beginning. She was whiny, irresponsible, and
a complete terror. At her age Buffy was dealing with issues such
as fighting vampires, prophecies speaking of her death and having
to kill her one truelove. Dawn meanwhile whines, cries, and screams.
She's the most ungrateful character ever to be written. If your
sister DIED for you, don't you think you would just die to get the
chance for her to have her life back? And if she did get her life
back, wouldn't you want to bend over backward to thank her, to adore
her? But nooo, Dawn won't do that, because she's an F***ing moron!
She is also self-centered. I mean really chick, you whine about
everyone not wanting to stay with you, for god's sake they're stuck
in a house with a monster, of course they want to get out! Dawn
seems to think that everything is about her.
Finally, one of the largest reasons I hate her is because having
her around makes me, a Buffy fan since it began, feel left out in
the cold. All the characters have memories of her, so the things
we saw in the original four seasons aren't the same in their eyes.
I just don't like that. I hate that. What, we should pretend to
remember different things?
Bottom Line? - She was more useful as a blob of energy!
Go Dawn haters! We should form a club or something!
Kait
God, I agree with you! Dawn is SO annoying. Yeah she's been through
a lot but she acts like a complete brat. I never liked her character,
she was tolerable in season 5 but in "Older and Far Away" she made
me COMPLETELY hate her and into the end of the show I still do.
She acts like everything is everyone else's fault, never hers. She's
16 and she can take some responsability for her actions.
Christie
I am so glad someone posted about hating Dawn! She's annoyed me ever since
she came onto the show! She is the most annoying little brat, and I feel sorry
for poor Buffy who had to freakin' die and come back just to save her non-existant
monk-formed sister. And it especially annoyed me when she had that crush on
Spike!!! PLEEAAASE!! Like a hot tart like that would like a whiney poor-excuse-for-a-BtVS-character
like that!
Shell
i hate dawn too. but maybe it's not her fault, she was just ploped down in
the middle of a world by monks, and the last time i checked monks weren't
the most up to date group ever, but is it strange being monks they would have
made her more god like then devil like? buffy should have pushed her in the
thing instead of dieing, butif dawn died they would bring her back and have
an entire season about her which would have been worse. and when dawn thought
she was the slayer, omg i would have been so excited not run away like a brat!
she should have been a slayer-in-training and gotten killed by like a nother
potential, at buffy's hould, target practice- the moving object.
Sia
Thank you very much for that rant on Dawn! She absolutely gets in my fricken nerves. She's a spoilt brat, whiney and her voice makes my ears bleed. She doesn't apreciate the sacrifices her sister makes for her. I mean, personally I would have pushed Dawn off the tower in The Gift then run away with spike <3 but then, that's me. I wished they'd killed Dawn though.
Kimmie
I understand Dawn. Then again, I understand characters like Dawn, Faith, Dana, Darla, Glory, Dru. It's always the characters with the psycho streak that makes me relate. (Perhaps because I'm psycho myself). I like to say that something went wrong with the monks' spell and it screwed Dawn up in the head. :) But I totally get how she annoys you, because she annoys the living HELL out of me!! As she does ALL of my friends. But I still understand her. Also, I've read other rants, and I absolutely love the way you think because I think almost the same way.
Toni
hya i agree dawn is a brat. when she first appeared on buffy i was 14-15 and i was loads more mature than she was, yeah she did lose her mum and i can relate 2 that in a way( mine walked out but i still lost her) but i dont act like a brat who thinks everyone leaves her. buffy had more people leave her when she was 15-16 all her school mates, her dad never had much to do with them, pike merrick, dawn lost her father n mother but so did buffy and buffy had to act all strong after joyce died for dawn trying to be there for her then she throws it bk in her face, ahe deserved that slap buffy gave her after sayin buffy didnt care that joyce died