The Buffy-Willow-Dawn Triangle (Issue # 4 Spoilers)

[nerd4hire]

I haven't heard this mentioned too much yet, but to me this Buffy-Willow-Dawn thing is the most affecting relationship issue in Season 8 so far.

After the death of Joyce Buffy took on the responsibility of Dawn. She didn't shirk. In spite of what Dawn might think, she didn't compromise. One gets the feeling Dawn doesn't appreciate it. Did she even notice?

In Season 8 Dawn is waiting for Willow so she can discuss her situation concerning her (Dawn's) relationship with Kenny the Thricewise. Buffy seem perturbed about this. She thinks she's better qualified in such matters. She's right of course.

When Willow is taken captive by Amy and Warren, Dawn is visibly shaken up. When Buffy is preparing to rescue Willow Dawn seems more worried about getting Willow back than any danger Buffy might encounter.

She says to Buffy "Willow is like a mother to me". One gets the feeling this hurts Buffy's feelings. Only Xander appears to get that.

Here's another interesting curve ball though. Buffy is this girl who doesn't like other people messing with her stuff. It's one of the core quirks of her character. At the same time however this whole thing with Dawn doesn't appear to affect her affection for Willow. The two are connected on an emotional level as strong as ever.

It's all very interesting, and kind of moving I think.

 

[Ronin]

Man, I agree with you completely, on everything you said. I've always been fascinated with the Buffy/Dawn relationship, and had wished Joss had done more to explore it more deeply. Perhaps now that's going to start happening.

When I read that line about Willow being like a "mom" to Dawn, it felt like I got punched in the gut. I mean she says that she isn't trying to "slam her" but didn't she know that that would hit Buffy hard.

Dawn has always appeared to me as kind of a fragment of Buffy. Buffy has life friends in Willow and Xander a mentor in Giles. And she is blessed (or cursed) with this amazing gift. Dawn never seemed to have any real friends, and in "Forever" she even tells Buffy that she (Buffy) had Willow and Xander, but that she (Dawn) had no one, therefore needed to bring Joyce back, even in zombie form.

Conversely, to all Buffy's specialness, Dawn, by comparison, is remarkably un-special. She was made from Buffy, yet had to watch so many other girls become potential slayers and then slayers, but she even being "of" Buffy, was not among them.

I wonder if Dawn's fate was to die in season five one way or the other, but Buffy through her love for Dawn reprieved her of that fate, but by doing so took away her purpose in life. Abandoned. Abandonment always seems to be the issue with Dawn. Maybe Dawn's nature is to feel abandoned. I mean what if that part of Buffy that was used to make Dawn makes her feel so abandoned being cut off from Buffy? Maybe Xander was right, maybe Dawn knew what would happen to her by having sex with the thricewise, and believed that if she were a giant then Buffy would need her. But, as it seems to be with Dawn it just made her feel more useless and even more isolated than before.

 

[CharmedSlayer85]

I still feel like that whole storyline of Dawn feeling alone and stuff is getting kind of old, because I mean they did it virtually through ALL of season six and then even some of Season Seven. I think they need to figure out something to do with Dawn or else realistically she's gonna become a worthless character. I mean she is 16 now which is the age Buffy was when she came to Sunnydale so she needs to get into more action. I mean Xander and Willow were fighting demons at 16 when they met Buffy so really it's her turn. I also think they need to do something else with this whole key storyline, cause I still find it highly unbelieveable that this key has been around for many eons, but for some strange reason it could only be used once and that once was May 2001. If that's the case how come the monks tried to use it for the forces of good, obviously there has to be some other power there and I think it's about time they start tapping into it. I mean what if by some fluke accident Dawn is returned back to key form, you mean to tell me that energy would be useless?

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Actually what age is Dawn now? She's not 16, she was what 15 in season 5, so does that make her 18?

I like this storyline, I think it makes sense that Dawn would see Willow as a mom cuz she would see Buffy as a Sister, and it's hard to switch your perspective of someone to something else.

But you also get where Buffy is coming from, with Joyce gone she would think dawn needs a mom not a sister, whereas Dawn would want Buffy to be her sister, to laugh and joke around with. She's probably trying to force her into that role by saying things like she sees Willow as a mom figure.

And CS85 I don't think this is a Dawn feeling all alone storyline, she just wanted Willow back.

 

[CharmedSlayer85]

Yeah actually Dawn would be 17 now cause this is taking place a year and a half after season seven so actually she'd be 17

 

[alexa]

She's atleast 18. oi lol.
She's in college (so if in season 7 she was in year 10, that's 2 years gone).. oh well.

I was never really comfortable with Dawn.. sort of gradually got used to her being there, but still seems out of place to me. When I watch 'No Place Like Home' I'm so happy when Buffy sees Dawn shouldn't be there and she pushes her 😛 I know, she's innocent and you can feel bad for her up to a point.. but I don't know, she needs some more dimension.. All I feel about Dawn is annoying, whiney, and not real.

 

[Caramelo]

Dawn, I also didn´t like her, but then I kind of got used to, and then...she is just as annoying as my brothers used to be...so she is typical "little sis" that always has her nose into grown-up´s affairs.
I think it is like this, when Buffy was Dwan´s age she formed a group with Willow and Xander, and she was taking them as friends, and they all was getting in the same demon-fiting adventures, and Buffy had her own troubles with grown-up world and mother (just like Dawn has it now), but she had her THING, her sicret life...Dawn, no metter how old she would get will always be treated by Buffy and her close circle as a "baby". It´s a family thing. Down needs to take care of herself, get a distance, a space, find her own way. Have a slayer-sis it is like have a super-hot-model sis, hard to outshine...Down is a BIG girl right now, but she needs to grow up in her head, to see what does it mean when a "weight of the world" is on her shoulders. . .I don´t really know if what I wrote is any good at all. Hope "angry mobs" will skip reading my comment.

 

[nerd4hire]

Do you remember that bit where Dawn is having trouble with one of the girls at school and she says something like, "My sister could so kick her ass"?

In spite of the fact that assertion is obviously true, I think it says something.

When it comes right down to it Dawn's faith in Buffy is unshakable. When Glory has Dawn captive she's certain Buffy will have the power to come rescue her in spite of all evidence to the contrary. Not just that she can but that she will.

So when she wants Buffy to rescue Willow, and she seems more concerned about Willow than her big sister, is she really showing lack of affection for Buffy, or is she just certain Big Sis can do anything?

 

[wehappyfew]

I think Dawn's an ungrateful little bitca.

I had my last straw with her when she told Buffy to leave her house because it is "her house too." Who the hell does Dawn think she is? Everyone else made good points...the annoying ass Kennedy, Faith, Anya...but Dawn...ugh. Spike should have really beat the hell out of her instead of fighting Faith.

 

[Mortal]

I always found Dawn to be one of the most annoying characters in Buffyverse and still do. She probably made the "Willow is like a mother to me" remark just to get under Buffy's skin.

 

[Tranquillity]

It's interesting that in the comic we are learning that what Willow did for Dawn in those 147 days that Buffy was dead means more to her than just about anything. Dawn had lost her Mum, then Buffy and in their absence Willow (and Tara) must have provided security, support, comfort, safety and love. When Buffy returned she saw Dawn as a big old load of responsability that she didn't want. It is no coincidence that Willow maintains her occupancy of Joyce's room, she is still symbolically in the maternal role, despite her abuse of magic throughout season six. When Buffy finally comes to grip with life and adulthood and responsability she moves into Joyce's room and is ready to embrace the maternal role - and is doing a good job at the beginning of season seven - only to be beset by potential slayers who she also must mother and mentor. Suddenly Dawn has a boat load of unwanted 'sisters' who are more 'special' than she is. It is natural that she would secretly resent this and so remember the time she did feel loved and safe and special even if it was attached to one of the saddest times in her life. We know just about nothing of what happened between the destruction of Sunnydale and where the comics pick up although it is a safe bet that Buffy was very busy, consumed with new responsabilites and commitments. Dawn would have been side-lined yet again. Anf in the first issue we see that Buffy wants Dawn gone, yes, to college, but still gone. and Dawn has managed to make herself really big and hard to ignore and deliberatly taunts Buffy as to looking on Willow as a mother. Yes, there is more to be explored in this relationship triangle, it is not simple but ultimately, i don't think Buffy and Dawn will ever have a maternal relationship - they need to learn to be sisters.

 

[alexa]

I have to agree with Caramelo. Dawn needs to find her own identity, she is a 'big girl' now, and needs to act like it. There are issues between her and Buffy that need resolving but I think Id respect her more if she had her own corner of the sky, instead of sitting in Buffy's shadow.