VC Andrews’ Dawn Part 4 Review: Midnight Whispers

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the limited series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

The conclusion of Dawn without Dawn is an interesting concept, but it’s not out of the norm. Seeds of Yesterday, like VC Andrews’ Dawn Part 4: “Midnight Whispers”, also focuses on the next generation. However, it doesn’t start by killing the original lead characters.

The sudden death of Dawn and Jimmy seems extreme.

Did sweet Dawn and Jimmy really deserve a horrific death just to switch perspectives to Christie? Then did Christie deserve so much torment before getting her happy ending?

No is the answer to both. Nevertheless, Christie becoming the lead opens the door for some interesting storylines and further development of supporting characters. It also manages to make us invest in many characters we only barely know or completely new ones.

The “Midnight Whispers” storylines are fascinating but inconsistent and half-developed.

Let’s start with Christie and Jeffers going to New York. Dawn’s New York life provides some of the most exciting parts of VC Andrews’ Dawn Part 2: “Secrets of the Morning,” so “Midnight Whispers” has a lot of potential when it shifts to the New York setting.

However, it’s short-lived and just shows a touch of remorse from Michael Sutton.

The film then shifts to The Meadows, which is also very thrilling, but then it feels like too short of a journey as well. Just when we’re getting into this new life for Gavin, Jeffers, and Christie, Philip and the writers rip it away.

It just doesn’t feel like we get enough time to enjoy and explore the entertaining parts of this fourth and final part of VC Andrews’ Dawn.

There are also a lot of character inconsistencies in Dawn Part 4. One minute Aunt Bet terrorizes Christie and Jefferson, but then she concludes the film by helping put Philip away.

One can argue that her coldness comes from Philip’s treatment of her and his obsession with Dawn. In the end, she finally releases her pain and resentment and does the right thing.

However, it’s hard to believe that she had all these years to do the right thing, and even leave Philip, or maybe even save Dawn and Jimmy, but only now grows a conscience.

Philip as a whole is a very inconsistent character. He goes deeper into madness but seemingly without reason. One could also argue that mental health issues run in that family, but pride keeps them from getting help. This may be true, but the Dawn series does a really poor job of showing that, especially with Philip.

He doesn’t come off as mentally ill as much as he does as just evil, narcissistic, a predator, and crazy.

The human race is full of complex people with layers, but “Midnight Whispers” doesn’t show the layers of humans as much as just characters not being consistent with their behavior.

The only character who shows layers of bad and good is Michael Sutton. His warning to Christie is a bit of kindness from him but not such a charitable act that it’s far from his norm.

“Midnight Whispers” is all about history repeating itself. Fern, Christie, and Gavin are just copies of Dawn, Jimmy, and Clara Jean. And Aunt Bet is the new Lillian/Emily. Philip switches from an obsession with Dawn to her lookalike daughter obsession.

The repetition has a purpose here: The Cutler family curse makes history repeat itself time and time again. This is why Christie must face the same torment as her mother.

Dawn doesn’t escape the curse; she just helps it continue. Christie is the curse breaker. The film offers some hope for Christie as she gets to pursue her dream and potentially escape the Cutler family.

Overall, VC Andrews’ Dawn Part 4: Midnight Whispers offers a semi-satisfying but abrupt conclusion. This part just doesn’t feel consistent or necessary. We get the same message in the first three parts with Dawn that we don’t really need to get the same message without her.

The entire limited series as a whole isn’t the strongest of the VC Andrews Lifetime collection. Dawn doesn’t offer anything that you can’t get from any of the other Lifetime VC Andrews movies.

Alison Lea Bingeman wrote VC Andrews’ Dawn Part 4: “Midnight Whispers,” and
Jacquie Gould directed it.

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

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VC Andrews’ Dawn is available to stream on Lifetime. 

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