Little Sister Sums Up Years on 'Buffy'

Of the three seasons Michelle Trachtenberg's been on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as Buffy's younger sister, Dawn, last year "was the most stressful." It's because Trachtenberg says she "wasn't a fan of her whininess." A lot of Buffy-ites agreed.

"Dawn's three years on the show have been basically, you know, her first year which is like she was the kid. There was also this this stuck-in factor. Everyone worried she was the cute factor," she said. "Everyone's worked hard to dispell that thought, and I believe we did.

"Dawn's second year was I think the most stressful for me because I wasn't a fan so much of her whininess. I know the fans weren't either. That was not a me choice. It was a year that everyone goes through in life. It's something that's very important.

"Finally, the third year is her going in and fighting and being by the side. She's finally been accepted by the Scoobies."

Trachtenberg said her character has grown a lot. Her favorite episodes are 'The Body' and the musical episode called 'Once More With Feeling.'

"I think 'The Body' was just wonderful because it was very straightforward. It didn't sugar-coat anything. It didn't sugar-coat death. You just saw everything as realistically as possible. And it allowed for the audience to attach their own emotions and their own feelings about the situation. And the musical was really fun because I've never done something like that before. It was a challenge. I love challenges."

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" ends its seven-season run with tonight's finale on UPN.