How Michelle Trachtenberg Nearly Saved 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'

In the wake of Michelle Trachtenberg's tragic passing, fans are looking back at her wide range of contributions to the film and television industry with a fresh lens. She managed to cross over into various pop culture fandoms, something most actors or actresses would dream of, but she's perhaps best known to many genre fans as Dawn Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her arrival as Buffy's sister, who had seemingly been there the entire time based on the narrative of Season 5, was a bold move by the show's creative team because it could've easily been a "jumping the shark moment."