I don't know if it's a testament to the sweeping-along power of binge-watching or to my own lazy, uncritical nature, but when I was watching Buffy for the first time, I just - didn't even recognize how confused and bewildered I was supposed to be by Dawn's arrival. I had been watching pretty much nonstop in my spare time, one episode after the other, without really thinking about themes or character arcs or anything - just reacting in real time. And when the first episode with Dawn arrived, I just - I don't know. I remember asking my roommate who'd seen it, "Is this just like her half-sister or something who's come to stay?" Assuming it would be explained, but not taking any time to really pause and think about why it hadn't been. I don't know if it's because I was binge-watching - instead of having to wait weeks for the explanatory episode and stew in my own confusion, I got the answer scarce hours later that same day - or if it just speaks to an uncomfortable truth about me as a lazy consumer of media, but it's interesting to think about.