Buffy the Vampire Slayer Talk || s5e02 "Real Me" 

Alley: "Who? What? Who?" Giles: "Three excellent questions."

A subtle world-building point: the fact that Dawn is able to invite a vampire into the Summers house 'proves' that, according to the magical laws of this universe, she does officially live there as part of the family.

There's such a strong older sibling energy in this reaction.

'she frustrates me' - description of basicly every little sister out there 😄

During Buffy's dream in last season's "Restless", Tara told her "Be back before dawn". Probably just a coincidence.

"Can I trade in the children for more cash?" will remain one of my fave Anya moments XD Harmony is such a great character like, she's just so Harmony & I love her

Buffy's laugh at 9.13 is everything 😂 I'm not sure we've ever seen her more radiant

I get that she's kind of the "annoying little sister" but after five seasons you should be used to her already.

FINALLY a Dawn-centric episode. Michelle is great actor but so tragically underused. 👍

I think part of why Dawn is still so innocent because in a world where Joyce has two daughters, one of whom is saddled with the huge responsibility of being a Slayer and could die any day, Joyce probably coddled the hell out of Dawn as a reaction to dealing with all of... That.

Buffy maniacally laughing at harmony is one of my favorite things in the whole world and I love that it can be applied to any situation-including your pandemic underestimation. :)

"I would beat up 14 year old me in an alley." - So Alley would face Alley in an alley?

21:00 I figured. It's always funny to see, older siblings always hate Dawn while younger ones tend to ike her a lot.

Dawn is a teenager , she is supposed to frustrate you. This is THE greatest season of Buffy. Have a little patience, all will be revealed.

Dawn just never got over Xander after Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered.

"I hope my questions are answered in this episode". 😆

"I sound like a sociopath". More like a crazy person. Like a very specific one. Thats why I'm a cat.

I love Dawn. I was a little kid when Buffy was on TV so Dawn was the closest character in age to me- I get that people find her annoying but I think she's a pretty good portrayal of an average 14 year old, although as Passion of the Nerd pointed out sometimes her maturity range is different depending on the writer (dribbling ice cream like a 5 year old for instance)

Harmony arriving at Buffy's to kill her as though it all were a neighbourhood-y gang reckoning... I love how this show depicts violence, in both the light-hearted, fun moments, and in the tragic, heart-breaking turning points.

season five is one of my favourites! I hope you’ll like it

I love watching you go crazy over Dawn. Your reaction to her is so funny. Stay tuned for more hijinks.

I actually watched Spinal Tap just to get the context for the “life expectancy of a Spinal Tap drummer” joke in this episode.

So about that Real Me rating on imdb. The Buffy fandom initially had the same reaction to Dawn as you did and had given the episode a lower rating (6.4) and in fact it stayed that way for years even though the Buffy fandom had come around to Dawn and the episode itself. It wasn’t until last year when Passion of the Nerd did his episode guide to this very episode and called out the rating and on how it was lower than Go Fish and voila, the fans rallied and gave it a much better rating of 7.3. I still think it could be a little higher as it has the wonderful Harmony and plays with the “introducing a child family member to boost rating” trope that was popular in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Also Sarah and Michelle just have the perfect sister chemistry.

I hope you grow to appreciate Dawn. She's an underrated character, and Michelle Trachtenberg plays her really well.

The death stare you were giving Dawn at the beginning was hilarious

i love how frustrated you are 😭😭 i remember going back and watching the last episode of season 4 over and over again cuz i thought i skipped a episode or something-

All good things to those who wait! The explanation behind Dawn is killer. Love watching your reactions and analysis, Alley! Keep up the good work.

Shout out to Tom Lenk who played Cyrus, one of the minions.

alley "f*** them kids" box meets the new kid. It goes about how one would expect. You're in for quite a ride. For me, this is the season that really kicked Buffy up to a 12/10 status and the stuff with Dawn was a fascinating part of it, but ymmv.

I love the way she "hates" Dawn. LOVE IT

Buffy turned 17 halfway through season 2 (the night she gave Angel "perfect happiness"), and she turned 18 partway through season 3 (when Giles secretly removed her powers as a Watcher test). Now that we're in season 5, Buffy is almost 20. There's six years between sisters; Dawn was 9 when Buffy was called.

"I hate this show. Literally." - Alley and every other Buffy fan at some point

“Is that the plot for Angel season 2” 😂😂😂

"So, slayer. At least we meet..." Ha!!!

Dawn is my favorite part of seasons 1 - 4, IDK why you're acting like she hasn't been a huge part of the show.

Me, knowing Alley is ahead: I guess you could say patience is the KEY to figuring out the Dawn situation…

"2020 2021 2022" "me" "come here to kill". GENIUS

Michelle (Dawn) is such a good actress! An excellent addition to the current cast!

Given where Alley is on the show on Patreon, it's worth commenting on all this Dawn setup, and how she picked up on the Jonathan episode from season 4! I swear that was meant to be a primer for what has happened here. Dawn also feels like the writers' twist on how shows introduce a new family member to a TV show seemingly out of nowhere to boost ratings. It was a common thing back in the 80s for sure.

Loving the self referential quote of the day!

We were all confused about Dawn when the show first aired. Love the Magic Box becoming a thing this season. It gives Giles something to do after being lost during S4 without the library.

**Crazy Guy:** That's why I'm a cat Alley: ~nods seriously "Finally, someone who understands." 5:57 6:07

Back in the 70's, 80's and 90's it was a troupe to bring in the little brother, cousin, sister. Whenever a show was on it's last leg. The last time i remember this was in Married With Children, when a little cousin was used, and then he's kicked off as a joke. So i'm sure the writers......well. I'll leave it there

Dawn reminds me of MY sister... I love her. (Dawn, not my sister.)

I like that Xander and Harmony can joke about their EPIC fight last year

She's the classic little sister. But I wonder if we also are frustrated because there's this character suddenly up in the middle of our group that we have gotten to know so well? I loved having her narrate this episode. There was some very well-placed humor. I think the actress did a well done job

LOL just rewatched this now and the frustration over Dawn's mystery is really funny

To say I'm excited is an understatement because you're entering the best phase of the whole buffyverse. Let me explain. For me, we can divide this incredible experience into 4 blocks. First we have the first 3 seasons of Buffy, this is high school, this is the beginning of everything (big nostalgia 😉 ). Really a whole era. Then there is the S4 of Buffy and the S1 of Angel. There it's the BIG transition, maybe even an unpleasant experience for some because we are shaken up, we rebuild everything to bring what will follow . Then we arrive at the absolute joy: the S5,6,7 of Buffy to watch at the same time as the seasons 2,3,4 of Angel. We arrived at a stage where we know the characters well enough and to see them... doing what they do in these season 😅 is just orgasmic! And I put in last phase the S5 of Angel which, for me at least, is a little bit apart and sounds the death knell of the farewell. I had a different mindset depending on which block I was in and OK after re-reading my comment I realize that I'm WAY TOO HYPED 😭😂

Real Me is where we get to meet Dawn properly. Ally too much hating on her!, of course she is a stroppy teenager, and causes Buffy all sorts of problems, but it will all make sense shortly. Dawn is a pivotal character for the this Season. The writers were just laying the groundwork. Dawn's story will again make sense shortly as the arc of the Season develops. Great scene when Dawn thinks it's just Xander who is going to babysit, then Anya turns up. The sibling rivalry well portrayed too, with Buffy being as annoying as Dawn when they both talk about each other. Comedy gold again from Harmony, possibly the most underrated character in The Buffyverse, from High School Airhead to Vampire Airhead. 'Ah Slayer at last we meet'.

It is great to see Dawn finally acting like a normal teenager again, after the whole Angelus fiasco. That kidnapping really did some longterm damage 😔😥

Your reaction to Dawn in the Intro was priceless.

“They’re living together!” Oh Alley, I love your excitement for Willow and Tara getting serious. I think you have already seen the next few episodes and posted them on Patreon so I’m not worried about what I’m gonna say spoiling anything for you. Tara still has her own dorm room so they’re not officially living together yet. There’s a certain point in the season where that changes and you never see her room again. She spends most of her time in Willow’s room until that point. Which makes a change from last season when it was Willow cooped up in Tara’s room. If you pay attention you’ll notice in the next episode that they swap out the two single beds Willow and Buffy had for a double or queen size bed. It’s actually the same room. It’s just Buffy’s not there anymore so Willow needed a new roommate to dorm with. Who better than her girlfriend? But like I said,… it’s not official yet. It will be very soon :)

The fact that you’re mad than confused is really funny you’re a definitely a impatient person and Kinda a pantomath always wanted to know everythin

Sooo if you identify with Buffy, having a little sis thrown in, she should frustrate you. 🤣🤣

Yeah, I felt the exact same way you did when Dawn first showed up...so I was kinda shocked when season 5 went on to become one of my favourites.

I was eight when I saw that episode I am 29 your must be babies LOL

Lol at the extra sound effects @7:18 :D

I really love your reactions. When this crazy dude shows up, talking nonsense and you said "oh finally someone who understands" I literally lmao. If this would happened in real life you know you have serious problems, but in the buffy world it makes total sense. Sorry if my English isn't that well, not my mother language.

I hope you're not reading the comments because some nutter is posting very explicit spoilers.

This season has one of my fav villians

07:58 - 08:20 *YES!!!!* 💕💕💕💕And...I'm *SO GLAD* you didn't miss Tara's look...you made me worry for a second,there!! 08:44 - 08:48 That's the most Anya thing you will ever hear in the entire show!!🤣🤣🤣🧡 09:20 - 09:24 OMG,so reletable!😅Also..that laugh scares me a bit.😬 11:18 - 11:44 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭 12:07 - 12:19 (Nods multiple times) SPOILERS(?) 14:28 - 14:42 Trust me...SHE DOESN'T KNOW what she means...!!!🤭🤭🤭She has NO IDEA...!!! 23:03 - 23:10 Yeah... _why_ would someone want the Slayer to have a sister??🤔🤔

Now is when Buffy get really good. Get ready for a real ride.

I've never heard that story about Dracula, but the actor who played him did also play him in a made for TV movie. But I'm pretty sure it was another channel. In that movie he's playing the historical figure of Vlad Dracul. It's not terribly accurate, but he's nothing like in this show.

According to Patreon, you're far enough in this season for me to say this...Dawn's introduction is an episode I love and appreciate the more I rewatch, knowing what I know now about how the story will develop.

Joss Whedon threw her in because he wanted Buffy to have an intense emotional relationship with someone that wasn't romantic.

Season 5 is my favourite I hope you love it Alley, a whole lots to come!

😁😂🤣 The intro of Dawn is such a tease! LOL

I loved Dawn.

17:22 I think if you showed someone this episode first they wouldn't know that Dawn was new.

"Be back before Dawn."

Best season of Buffy in my opinion. The 1st time I saw Dawn I was extremely upset. Not that she was annoying, but that from the beginning of the series Buffy was an only child and it was stated in the show at least once. I was so disappointed in the writing because of that fact I almost stopped watching the show. So glad I didn’t. I always come back to Buffy at least twice a year. :)

I never understand why people don’t like Dawn because she’s new idk it’s weird to me and people find her annoying but I felt bad for her more than anything plus Michelle way to beautiful

You're far enough ahead for this not to be a spoiler. One of the main reasons why Superstar, the episode in which Jonathan uses magic to make himself famous, exists is to set up the kind of magic needed for the monks to insert Dawn into the existing reality. That doesn't occur to most people, you're very clever.

All that beating of poor Spike can only lead to love. Hey👍🏻

Best to just sit back and enjoy the ride that is season 5. Of course explanations will come... eventually.

"Uhg! 14 year old's are so dramatic." - alley box "..." - me, a subscriber I do love this channel. And I love Dawn's character too, lol. Thank you for the great reactions Alley!

I can’t wait until you meet the big bad this season. One of my favorites!

I happen to like Dawn, although I will admit that sometimes the writing for her character isn't very consistent. But I find your reaction to her hilarious!

Are we allowed to talk about season 3 & 4 dream sequences yet?

"Dawn frustrates me" Honey you got a big storm comin. 😂

Honestly, I like a lot more your reaction with Dawn than other reactions than even flintch over the fact that a new sister have appeared without any explanation or sense. That annoys me a lot more, ^_^''

Tara definitely isn't a scoobie at this point.

"She still thinks I'm little miss nobody".... Faith season 3 "Little miss muffet counting down from 7-3-0"... The hints dropped in this show is unreal lol

Just to keep things lighter: I'm so glad we got you're reaction to 5:15-23. Also loved 6:52-7:02. Ummm some of it maybe LOL

It's okay, I mean Dawn got the same reaction from you back in Season 3 so it's not like this is new. The difference is that a twelve year old who makes a mistake and has to be rescued is endearing and cute, a 14 year old is annoying.

I love how you right away know somethings off, when I first watched this I just assumed Dawn had been with the Dad in LA, wasn't till the creepy guy said you don't belong here that I got suspicious lol

this is theBEST Buffy season imo

Dawn was a polarizing character... still a polarizing character apparently. :)

11:30 it's hillarious thta you are taking it s personally. Also Dawn is pretty much my favourite character.

Fun fact: Trading in your children for more money actually was something you did in early versions of The Game of Life.

Why don't you do that zoom in with the camera when you say "hi how you doing" anymore? That's such a staple of your reactions 🤔

Are you going to add season 5 of Buffy playlist?

Lol I’m a fan of Dawn’s but I do find it quite funny you’re like “oh Dawn’s in trouble, what ever will we do” 😒😏. Hopefully you’ll grow to like her though!

Alley, I feel that if I was sitting next to you watching this show, I'd receive many punches from you throughout the show. LOL. Either way, you seem like a fun person to watch TV with. I feel I have enough pretend martial arts training to survive a day watching TV with you.

I couldn't wait for the Alley to post the Buffy vs Dracula video so I could see how she was going to react to Dawn. I'm can't remember how I first reacted when I saw these first 2 episodes of season 5 back in the day. I did watch the show in order, but only once it went into syndication. So I think that was as season 5 was starting, so when I actually got to season 5 (which was probably the summer before season 6 started), I think I had already heard about Dawn, so it didn't weird me out as much. Though I'm sure I was also confused at first.

The Dracula thing was not a hijacking it was an attempt to do what is called a "Back Door Pilot", with the success of the spin-off Angle show, there were several attempts to ride that momentum out. It got the show more money for the season and like the "Beer Bad" episode it was sacrificed for the good ot the season... hahaha Because as much as we should despise "Beer Bad" the rumour is, that money got Spike in the main credits.

"Jesus Christ, Alley." -Me nine times during this video.

Yeah, I saw that Dracula movie. It was more about the historical figure than the myth but the ending didn't really work. Can't have hurt the actor though he'd later be major villain Ari Aswari in NCIS.

"That one guy"??? How can you forget Jonathan's name? What a guy...

poor you... I remember the feeling to not understand what the hell Dawn was and where by she come from XD