Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"Real Me"

Airdate: October 3, 2000

Whining annoyance, thy name is Dawn.

Over the years, Buffy has really hit on all of those things that you expect from an entry in the horror genre. It's got the murders, the giant insects, blood-sucking fiends and crazed animals, not to mention the occasional bout of syphilis. It also has those typical hero types: a cute blond, a couple of heroic geeks, and a stuffy old English guy. But there was always something missing before, always an essential character type that was present only in temporary doses from the regulars and the occasional guest star. It was the kind of character you see in most horror films -- and mostly the B-grade kind -- but Buffy never had one of these to call its own. Until now.

I'm speaking, of course, about that one character who behaves like a brain-damaged five-year-old. The one whose actions can only be described as stupid, and whose dumbassed antics do nothing but get others killed. The one who, instead of hitting the killer with a hammer or even pummeling him with hummus, tries to climb out through the doggy door.

I'm very unhappy to say that Buffy is no longer lacking in this particular character department since the addition of Buffy's little sister, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg). The fact that Buffy suddenly has a little sister whereas she was previously an only child has yet to really be explained on the show, though I have it on good authority that all will soon be revealed. She was introduced in the tail end of last week's episode, "Buffy vs Dracula", and immediately takes center stage in "Real Me", which begins with little Dawn scribbling inanity into her diary, complete with voice-over. As it turns out, Dawn resents how Buffy always seems to have everything handed to her, and Buffy resents that Dawn gets to have a normal teenaged life.

Mmm, gratuitous James Marsters photo...

Harmony's formed herself a "gang" consisting of several really moronic vampires, and they're trying to kill Buffy, but they're extremely inept. Through her voiced-over journal entries, we're showed how Dawn fits into the Buffyverse: she resents Buffy, she thinks Giles doesn't like her (And who can blame him, really?), she's got the hots for Xander and therefore doesn't like Anya, but she thinks Willow's cool because they both like school. Giles, meanwhile, decides to buy the local magic shop when they find yet another shop owner dead. Dawn does a series of really stupid things, like inviting Harmony into her house and running out into a night full of lurking vampires, and ends up used as bait to draw Buffy out. Buffy saves the day, hurrah, and the two siblings -- who are constantly at each other's throats -- seem to reach an uneasy truce.

With a whizz-bangin' opener like "Buffy vs Dracula", and next week's festival of hot twins, I still have high hopes for the season, but once again I'm forced to wonder why (Oh why, God?!) we constantly have annoying new characters foisted upon us when we've already got an underutilized cast of well-developed and interesting people to watch instead. An overdose of Dawn, who has already proved herself to be exceedingly whiny and annoying, could very well ruin the season. Therefore I propose an all-Spike, all-naked hour. You know... just to balance things out.

-- Lisa Kincaid

Buffy the Vampire Slayer airs at 8/7c, Tuesdays on the WB.

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