“Am I leaving Dawn in danger?” – Giles in OMWF

[rebeccaplant]

Doesn’t this "concern" seem a bit contradictory, considering how willing he was to let Dawn die earlier in the last season? Do you think he had a change of heart? I argue no, because later (when he is alluding to helping Wood in attempting to kill Spike) he tells Buffy she would let Dawn die now, if it was her only choice, to save the world and win the war.

Thoughts?

[Hellbound Hyperion]

I think he was going more along the lines of "am I letting an innocent life suffer because of my selfish desire to see Buffy separate herself from me and grow up on her own". I don't think it had anything to do with Dawn specifically.

[birdandbear]

Well, when Giles was willing to let Dawn die in season 5, the end of existence was at stake. I always felt that he might even have gone so far as to kill her himself, had circumstances demanded it, to save the world. I think Buffy was pretty much speaking directly to him when she said "I'll kill anyone who comes near Dawn."

But in season 6, the stakes weren't so high. There was no world in peril at the moment; it was all about penetrating Buffy's apathy. Giles was pulling his support from Buffy in an effort to force her to stand on her own - a gambit that could get Dawn killed if Buffy failed to step up with enough conviction. If Dawn had died because Giles tried to force Buffy's hand, he would no doubt have considered himself to blame.

[Greer]

Jun 27, 2009 1:20:37 GMT -5 Hellbound Hyperion said:

I think he was going more along the lines of "am I letting an innocent life suffer because of my selfish desire to see Buffy separate herself from me and grow up on her own". I don't think it had anything to do with Dawn specifically.

Agreed.

I think he would've said the same thing if Tara or Anya or Xander(I'm thinkin' people without much power to defend themselves) would've gotten taken. It's obvious in Season 7(during Lies My Parents Told Me) that Giles wouldn't think twice about sacrificing Dawn for the greater good, if need be. Dawn just attracts dangerous events towards herself.

[henzINNIT]

Giles loves Dawn, he's just a little blunt when the entire world is at stake. The circumstances of The Gift and Once More with Feeling couldn't be more different. There's no comparison.

[glorylover]

Jun 27, 2009 13:23:12 GMT -5 henzINNIT said:

Giles loves Dawn, he's just a little blunt when the entire world is at stake. The circumstances of The Gift and Once More with Feeling couldn't be more different. There's no comparison.

Well said, very well said....

I agree with you 100%

[Midnight Butterfly]

I hated Giles at the end of season five, really. He was too Ripper for my liking.
Ofcourse if he didn't kill Ben then the whole Glory thing probably wouldn't have ended but he was a little too eager to let Dawn die.

[Zombierella]

By the time Once More With Feeling came around, The situation had changed. By this time, Dawn was no longer the key, She was no longer a threat to the world. She was just a teenage girl who just got her sister back.

I think to some degree Giles felt that Buffy needed to stand on her own two feet. He felt like it was finally time for her to fight her own battles without him there to catch her. I think once he realized that Buffy might not be able to take out the demon herself he got worried. He thought that if she couldn't vanquish him then Dawn would be in terrible danger and Buffy as well.

That's when he and the scoobies sprang into action...So you see, The two situations are polar opposites. They couldn't be any more different.

[Midnight Butterfly]

This is completly off topic, but your banner is amazing zombierella

[Zombierella]

Thank you. I can't take credit for making it though. I found it on live journal. But your right, It is amazing. =]

[buffyfan21]

I always took it as Giles being concerned about leaving Dawn because Buffy was barely able to look after herself at that point. She was always trying to pawn Dawn's problem's off on Giles, expecting him to deal with them instead of taking responsibility for her sister's issues. I think he was just concerned that it would be too much for Buffy to handle, that she may not be able to be the sister Dawn needed. I think he was worried that both would end up slipping further through the cracks. Buffy was already so overwhelmed by her own grief, and on top of that having to be parent to her younger sister. At least, that's how I always interpreted it. I don't think Giles meant that Dawn was in actual physical danger, but that she would face further emotional/abandonment issues.

And I don't mean to sound like I'm coming down on Buffy because I'm not. She had a lot to deal with and was doing the best she could at the time. But Buffy pawning things off on Giles, expecting him to be the adult, is something she would have continued to do if Giles had not left. So, ultimately, as hard as it was, I think he was right to leave. Buffy was never going to trust that she could be the adult and take charge until forced to do so. Buffy's love and guidance is exactly what Dawn needed to turn her around. Not to say that Giles was in any way a poor substitute, but after experiencing so much loss and grief in her life, what Dawn really needed was her sister, her family. And we see that by S7 Dawn appears to be in a much better place emotionally.

And I just want to say that if I had to face similar circumstances, I'm quite sure I would handle it much worse than Buffy did. Losing your mom, followed by losing your own life and then being brought back from the dead is a lot to deal with! Buffy may have super strength, but she still has the emotional vulnerabilities of any other human being.