Post by tkts on Jul 5, 2010 14:49:02 GMT -5
The Buffy wiki page for "Him" notes that Dawn's lack of coordination when she tries out for the cheerleading squad doesn't line up with the dancing ability she shows in "Once More With Feeling" or her "I love to dance" line when she's introducing herself to her classmates in "Lessons."
It does seem like the writers couldn't quite decide how to write her. On the klutzy side of the ledger, we have her characterization in much of Season 5:
At the same time, "Once More With Feeling" shows that she's a good dancer, something not generally associated with lack of coordination, and there's that "I love to dance" reference from "Lessons."
It seems a little bit like the writers intended for Dawn to be awkward and clumsy, but sometimes ended up writing for Michelle instead, knowing that she's a skilled dancer and wanting to play to her strengths. (Which is generally a good idea; the producers being aware of their cast members' abilities was what gave us the ice skating scene in "What's My Line.")
You could probably explain away the inconsistency two different ways. One: Dawn actually is uncoordinated and a bit of a klutz, and her dancing ability in OMWF is due to the demon's spell (and saying in "Lessons" that she loves to dance doesn't necessarily mean she's good at it). Two: Dawn used to be kind of a klutz but has grown out of it, but Buffy, being her big sister, still acts like she hasn't. (In this case, her disastrous audition in "Him" could be explained by nervousness in front of somebody she has a crush on making her falter at something she'd normally be good at.)
It does seem like the writers couldn't quite decide how to write her. On the klutzy side of the ledger, we have her characterization in much of Season 5:
BUFFY: "Don't break anything." (Exits, re-enters.) "Just don't touch anything." (Exits, re-enters.) "What you're doing right now, not moving? Good. Keep doing that."-- "Real Me"
WILLOW: "I can't help it. I just have all this involuntary empathy for Dawn. 'Cause she's, you know, a big spaz."-- "No Place Like Home"
BUFFY: "You got her a book on spells? The girl who can break things by just looking at them, now has a book to teach her to break things by looking at them?"-- "Listening to Fear"
At the same time, "Once More With Feeling" shows that she's a good dancer, something not generally associated with lack of coordination, and there's that "I love to dance" reference from "Lessons."
It seems a little bit like the writers intended for Dawn to be awkward and clumsy, but sometimes ended up writing for Michelle instead, knowing that she's a skilled dancer and wanting to play to her strengths. (Which is generally a good idea; the producers being aware of their cast members' abilities was what gave us the ice skating scene in "What's My Line.")
You could probably explain away the inconsistency two different ways. One: Dawn actually is uncoordinated and a bit of a klutz, and her dancing ability in OMWF is due to the demon's spell (and saying in "Lessons" that she loves to dance doesn't necessarily mean she's good at it). Two: Dawn used to be kind of a klutz but has grown out of it, but Buffy, being her big sister, still acts like she hasn't. (In this case, her disastrous audition in "Him" could be explained by nervousness in front of somebody she has a crush on making her falter at something she'd normally be good at.)
