Michelle Trachtenberg’s best Buffy moments prove how much the show needed her talent

The heartbreaking news Michelle Trachtenberg had died aged 39 saddened the world yesterday, and those of us who love Buffy the Vampire Slayer truly felt like – in the words of Emma Caulfield – “we all lost a little sister”. Michelle Trachtenberg joined Buffy in season five in arguably the show’s bravest and wildest storyline ever: as Buffy’s little sister. Buffy didn’t have a little sister, but the show acted like she did and always had. For weeks. Viewers were confused, and it was a massive risk – one that paid off when we finally learned that some monks had changed everyone’s memories and created Dawn (the Key) out of mystical energy they were hiding from a villain. In order to make sure Buffy would protect the Key with her life, the monks made it human and family. It was an emotional and brilliant story made all the better by Michelle Trachtenberg bringing to Buffy an incredible performance, even after her first season ended. Once Dawn joined Buffy, it so quickly becomes hard to think of it without Michelle Trachtenberg. Here’s a rundown of all the best Dawn moments on Buffy as we remember Michelle Trachtenberg and the legacy her career leaves us with.

Real Me

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Michelle debuts as Dawn at the end of the season five premiere Buffy VS Dracula, but Real Me is Trachtenberg’s first outing in centre stage. It’s the episode that blows your mind as a first time viewer, watching characters act like this jarring teenager has always been there. But what is so amazing is how Michelle and the rest of the cast slot so quickly into the dynamic. She is the perfect levels of hilarious and annoying in this episode, and her dynamic with every character just feels so correct.

Blood Ties

In this hard going episode, Dawn discovers she’s The Key and has only been a person for a few months. Naturally, this causes an absolute spiral for her questioning her entire existence of the terror of Glory hunting her. The self harm scenes are harrowing and Michelle Trachtenberg plays the emotional depth of this episode with utter aplomb.

The Body and Forever

Arguably the best Buffy episode, The Body explores the breakdown of grief of the main characters as they reel from Joyce’s death. The scene where Buffy tells Dawn that their mother has died is one of the most brutal and sad in the show’s history – as Dawn finds out at school. I cannot stress enough how outstanding Michelle Trachtenberg handles these scenes and that harrowing ending with the vampire in the morgue.

On the second part, in the lead up to Joyce’s funeral – Dawn recklessly tries to resurrect Joyce and the agony of the scene at the climax makes me weep to this day. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Michelle Trachtenberg were a casting duo from the gods, their chemistry is so resonant and believable.

The Gift

The climax of the Glory and Dawn storyline comes as Buffy has to rescue her sister from death atop a tall sky tower – and then Dawn has to witness Buffy sacrifice herself to save not only her sister but the entire world. The way her tears fall in these scenes is a gut punch.

All The Way

One of the best Dawn centric Buffy episodes sees Michelle Trachtenberg get to play full on teenager, full throttle – dabbling with her first kiss on Halloween. It is, of course, with a vampire – but the episode is a great bit of light brevity in a dark season and it’s fun seeing Michelle helm a story that feels almost like vintage Buffy as the show got progressively more serious and less teen.

Grave

The warpath that Dark Willow invokes on the world and the gang is clearly hard on Dawn, who is super close to her. But what makes this episode such a great Dawn moment is that she finally gets to fight alongside her sister and it’s a pivotal moment where Buffy takes Dawn seriously as not just a sister but a competent fighter who can help her in sticky situations. It’s euphoric.

Him

Michelle Trachtenberg gets to shine in one of her best Buffy episodes – season seven’s Him. It’s a comedy romance saga where everyone falls for RJ – Dawn’s crush who has a mystical letterman jacket. It’s one of Buffy’s funniest episodes, but Michelle Trachtenberg really shines as the teenage girl finding her place in the school and she’s brilliant at it.

Potential

One of Dawn’s best Buffy episodes gives a moving Michelle Trachtenberg performance – and shows how much the character has grown across her three seasons. When Dawn is mistakenly identified as a potential Slayer, she rises to it and plays the hero – but as soon as she knows she isn’t she takes that step back and is still heroic. The scene with her and Xander is one of my favourites in the entire show, and both play it so beautiful.

What an amazing talent the world has lost with Michelle Trachtenberg’s passing.

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