Dawn Atwood
Encyclopedia
Dawn Atwood is a fictional character
on the FOX
television series The O.C.
, portrayed by Daphne Ashbrook
. She is the mother of Trey
and Ryan Atwood
. She has a history of alcoholism
and of forming relationships with abusive men who also drink. Her husband Frank Atwood is both abusive and an alcoholic. It is not clear if Dawn and Frank are still married or if they ever actually divorced. Dawn is an expert card sharp
, and has passed on this knowledge to Ryan.
area courthouse to collect Ryan, who had just been released after he and Trey stole a car. Back at their house, Dawn proceeded to argue with Ryan and her then-current boyfriend A.J. about the theft. Eventually, she threw Ryan out of the house. When he returned later with Sandy Cohen
, the house was empty. Dawn and A.J. had moved out, and Dawn had only left a note for Ryan. Sandy and Kirsten Cohen
hired a private investigator to track her down. When they found her, she seemed genuinely regretful about having abandoned Ryan and returned to the Cohen household to try to repair her relationship with him. However, at a charity casino evening she got drunk again and caused a scene. Realizing she was unable to look after herself, let alone Ryan, she left him with Sandy and Kirsten, knowing they would take better care of him.
SUV which her new boyfriend had restored. At the end of the episode, the vehicle was destroyed in the car crash caused by Kevin Volchok
, which also killed Marissa Cooper
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television series The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, portrayed by Daphne Ashbrook
Daphne Ashbrook
Daphne Lee Ashbrook is an American actress.-Personal life:Daphne Ashbrook was raised in the San Diego, CA area. Her parents are San Diego theatre actress D'Ann Paton and late actor/Director Buddy Ashbrook...
. She is the mother of Trey
Trey Atwood
Trey Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., first portrayed by Bradley Stryker during season one and then by Logan Marshall-Green from season two onward...
and Ryan Atwood
Ryan Atwood
Ryan Francis Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Benjamin McKenzie. A troubled teenager from Chino, California, he is considered the protagonist of the show, beginning as an outcast and is brought to a lifestyle of luxury by the Cohen family and is...
. She has a history of alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and of forming relationships with abusive men who also drink. Her husband Frank Atwood is both abusive and an alcoholic. It is not clear if Dawn and Frank are still married or if they ever actually divorced. Dawn is an expert card sharp
Card sharp
A card sharp is a person who uses skill and deception to win at poker or other card games...
, and has passed on this knowledge to Ryan.
Season 1
Dawn first appeared in the pilot episode, where she arrived at a Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area courthouse to collect Ryan, who had just been released after he and Trey stole a car. Back at their house, Dawn proceeded to argue with Ryan and her then-current boyfriend A.J. about the theft. Eventually, she threw Ryan out of the house. When he returned later with Sandy Cohen
Sandy Cohen
Sanford "Sandy" Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX series The O.C., portrayed by Peter Gallagher.Sandy, a lawyer, raconteur, and son of Sophie Cohen, is married to Kirsten Cohen. Their eldest child, Seth, is something of a social misfit. Sandy's father left his mother when he was young and...
, the house was empty. Dawn and A.J. had moved out, and Dawn had only left a note for Ryan. Sandy and Kirsten Cohen
Kirsten Cohen
Kirsten Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Kelly Rowan. Kirsten is the wife of Sandy Cohen, mother to Seth Cohen, and the adoptive mother of Ryan Atwood...
hired a private investigator to track her down. When they found her, she seemed genuinely regretful about having abandoned Ryan and returned to the Cohen household to try to repair her relationship with him. However, at a charity casino evening she got drunk again and caused a scene. Realizing she was unable to look after herself, let alone Ryan, she left him with Sandy and Kirsten, knowing they would take better care of him.
Season 3
Dawn reappeared in the third season, when she had been in trouble with the law for writing bouncing checks. Sandy visited her in jail and got her out and she was supposed to attend Ryan's 18th birthday party. However, she ultimately felt unable to do so and did not show up. Ryan later visited her in Albuquerque, where she was working as a waitress, to invite her to his graduation. When he heard that she had a new boyfriend, Ryan initially feared that this man would be another abusive alcoholic and retracted the invitation. However, after one of Dawn's co-workers explained to him that Dawn's new boyfriend was a recovering alcoholic and that together he and Dawn were staying sober, Ryan relented. In the season finale, Dawn came to Newport to attend Ryan's graduation, and gave him a present of a Toyota Land CruiserToyota Land Cruiser
The is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. It is not related to the Studebaker Land Cruiser car produced in the US from 1934-1954....
SUV which her new boyfriend had restored. At the end of the episode, the vehicle was destroyed in the car crash caused by Kevin Volchok
Kevin Volchok
Kevin Volchok, more commonly referred to as simply Volchok, is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Cam Gigandet.-Background:...
, which also killed Marissa Cooper
Marissa Cooper
Marissa Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Mischa Barton. Marissa was among the original "core four" characters on The O.C. until her death in the season three finale, "The Graduates."...
.