VC Andrews’ Dawn Part 2 Review: Secrets of the Morning

Well, it gets better. VC Andrews’ Dawn Part 2: “Secrets of the Morning” improves the first film’s story. However, it still isn’t one of the best Lifetime and VC Andrews movies.

However, Dawn’s story and these characters are a lot more interesting in this part. This is mainly because of Dawn’s New York journeys. They ground the story and add some interesting layers that make it more unique than just a copy and paste of the other VC Andrews’ stories.

The New York chapters really embraces the 70s setting and gives this film a more playful feel.  It’s nice to see Dawn enjoy her youth and all that comes with it.

Seeing Dawn so happy and in her element helps demonstrate the tragedy of her losing her life in New York. The city is as much of a home for her as her life with the Longchamps.

It may even be more so because it doesn’t have the stain of her tainted kidnapped past.  

You can’t help but adore Dawn’s friendship with Tricia, who is a dream bestie. She’s the type of friend that Dawn deserves, and everyone needs. It’s just sweet to watch Tricia and Dawn interact.

Additionally, it gives this story more good guy characters, because it needs them. Tricia humiliating Clara Jean may be the best part of the limited series. It’s nice to see someone deflate her ego.

With so much good comes a few not-so great elements, like Dawn and Michael Sutton’s romance. 

Despite the ick factor, the romance does serve several purposes. First, it highlights Dawn’s naivety. Second, it gives Dawn an heir. Lastly, this bad romance acts as a way to introduce a new villain to the story: Emily Booth.

The romance between Michael and Dawn is important because it forces Dawn to grow up more, but it just takes some unfortunate turns that make it hard to watch, especially Michael’s speech before they have sex.

Ladies and men, if a guy gives you a whole speech before having sex, get dressed and leave. It’s not going to be worth the time and effort.

The chemistry between the two characters also isn’t there. This is nothing against the actors, but the obvious direction makes it hard to believe and invest in this not-so true love story. 

On the other hand, the uncomfortableness of their romance could have been a deliberate choice by the production team to clearly show that Michael and Dawn are a power imbalance romance that’s also very manipulative.

“Secrets of the Morning” is so interesting until Dawn leaves NYC. Her time with her aunts feels like an unnecessary detour. The main purpose seems to be to further traumatize Dawn and to get Christie away from her mother.

Emily proves that wickedness runs in this family as she’s just as horrible as her sister Lillian.

Thankfully, the Yikes romance and the “not this again” abuse only represents a small portion of this second part of Dawn, because the rest of the story works very well.

With Dawn Part 1, Jimmy and Dawn feels like an unnecessary romance just to have some sort of positive incestuous element, but in “Secrets of the Morning,” their romance feels a lot more natural.

They are each other’s support system that has grown into a trusting and sweet romance. Jimmy telling Dawn to experience life and not wait for him is A+ behavior.

He’s really making almost every other man, except Ormand, look like trash in this world.

Speaking of trash men…it seems like Lillian’s husband definitely sexually assaulted Laura Jean. This sheds some light on why Laura Jean may have not been the best mother possible to Dawn.

It also makes Laura Jean a more sympathetic character. Hopefully, Dawn and her work out their issues before the end of this series.

VC Andrews’ Dawn Part 2: “Secrets of the Morning” is more entertaining, deeper look at the characters, and improves on most of the elements of the first part, especially the Jimmy and Dawn romance.

Stray Thoughts

• Dawn has mastered the art of telling off mean older ladies.
  So, yeah…what happened to the third Longchamp child?
• Fran Drescher’s character could have been more interesting if we got to see more layers of her. 
• Ormand remarrying seems kind of fast. It’s been what at most 2 years since his wife died
• Tricia needs to appear in the final parts. 

What did you think of this episode of Dawn? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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 VC Andrews’ Dawn airs Saturdays at 8/7 c on Lifetime. 

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