WWDD: S1E9 “THE PUPPET SHOW”

Buffy, Dawn, and Joyce are eating breakfast while Buffy gleefully talks about how Mr. Giles was put in charge of the school talent show. Dawn wonders if they even had talent shows when Mr. Giles went to school since he’s so…old. When Buffy comes home the next day, her attitude has changed dramatically after a day’s worth of dummy investigation and involuntary talent show entry. Dawn, however, is excited about the talent show, especially when she learns that Willow and Xander are part of it. She practices lines with Buffy in Buffy’s room (which is why Buffy had a better performance than Xander and Willow at the end of the episode), and Dawn takes the opportunity to scan for Buffy’s potential diary hiding spots. Dawn also takes the opportunity to ask questions about Buffy’s friends, like, “what kind of music does Xander like,” “what’s Xander’s favorite color,” and “do you think Xander believes in soul mates?”

That night, Dawn is startled awake by the sound of Buffy screaming. Joyce dashes into Buffy’s room and Dawn peers around Buffy’s doorframe, keeping outside of the threshold, afraid for what she might see. Buffy frantically tells her mom that there’s something in her bed, more afraid than Dawn is used to seeing her. Buffy tells her mom that it must have been a nightmare, but Dawn remains in the doorframe, skeptical. Buffy reiterates to Dawn that it was a nightmare and tells her to go back to bed, which Dawn does begrudgingly.

The next day, Joyce and Dawn attend the talent show, which opens with a weird scene that Buffy didn’t even tell her about. Typical—Buffy never tells her anything! Dawn, who loves magic, leaves disappointed that she didn’t get to see the magician who was supposed to be in the show, but all is redeemed by Xander’s soulful, passionate, and captivating acting. That night, distracted from searching for the diary, Dawn writes about how Xander is just so much deeper than the boys in her grade.