November 28, 2011
BSC #90, Welcome to the BSC, Abby: Thanks for Depressing Us All
If Abby's Jewish, why is she dressed like Santa?
Summary: Abby, who joined the club in the last book, jumps right into club activities, going on sitting jobs and helping out with the cause of the month, a carnival to raise money so school arts and music programs don’t have to be cut. While sitting for the Papadakises, Abby has an asthma attack that gets worse when Hannie runs into the street and almost gets hit by a car. She winds up going to the ER, but she’s fine after that. Kristy, however, thinks she’s a liability as a sitter.
Abby has bigger problems to deal with, as she feels like her family is disjointed. Her mom is working a lot, Anna doesn’t really have any friends in Stoneybrook yet, and they don’t spend a lot of time together. It all stems from Abby’s father’s death three years ago. Abby and Anna find a box of their father’s things while they’re unpacking, and they think their mother put it aside and forgot about it, which makes them mad.
During the carnival, which the Stevensons planned to work at together (selling cake and cupcakes with arts and music themes), Abby hears about a train that derailed in New York. She’s pretty sure her mom was on it, and when she and Anna don’t hear from her for hours, they think something horrible has happened to her. Fortunately, their mom was on a different train, but the experience gets them all to talk about their sadness over losing their father/husband and how they don’t want to forget him. But it’s all bittersweet because, you know…he’s still dead.
By the end of the book, Abby feels more at home in the club, Kristy has calmed down about her asthma, the Stevensons are making more of an effort to spend time together, and Anna has become friends with Shannon. So at least things are looking up there. And I guess they saved the arts and music programs because no one mentions that again.
Thoughts: Abby really is a bit of a tragic character. Her father’s dead, her mother’s not around much, and she feels like a seventh wheel, I guess you’d say, in the club because the other six girls are three pairs of best friends. Her humor is obviously a defense mechanism because she’s rarely serious. …Okay, I’ll stop psychoanalyzing.
What is with the series’ obsession with Elvira the goat?
Carnivals are fun. Reading about people getting ready to put on a carnival? Not so much. But now I really want a cupcake.
Mrs. Stevenson has a cell phone in 1995. I hope it’s Zack Morris-sized.
November 27, 2011
Dawson’s Creek 4.1, Coming Home: I Know What You Didn’t Do Last Summer
I'm not sold on that haircut...
Summary: Joey and Pacey are about to return to Capeside after their summer-long sailing trip. Joey’s not looking forward to going home, so Pacey suggests delaying it for a few hours. In fact, he wouldn’t mind skipping their whole senior year; he’d rather not deal with the drama. Joey can’t believe he survived three months without her throwing him off the boat.
Dawson, Jen, Jack, and Andie are at the beach, but only Dawson’s swimming; the others are playing a sort of Survivor game, deciding who they would kick off the island first. Dawson and Jack have spent the summer painting houses together. The girls suggest seeing a movie that night, then check out some cute guys. Andie complains that there have been no eligible guys in Capeside all summer, but Jen thinks she’s just picky.
Pacey and Joey finally dock, discussing what they’ll say when people asked if anything sexual happened on the boat. Joey denies that anyone will care. She plans to say nothing since it’s no one’s business. Then they split up to spend the last few hours of summer vacation apart. At a hardware store, Dawson runs into a college student named Gretchen, who says she’s home for a little longer than just the summer.
Bessie proves Joey wrong by bugging her about what happened between her and Pacey on the boat. She’s also rented out Joey’s room for the summer. On the plus side, the B&B has become very successful. Andie chats up the two guys on the beach; they’re French and spending the summer backpacking through the East Coast. They ask her for a tour of Capeside. At Doug’s, Pacey learns that his room has also been given away – to Gretchen, his sister.
Joey lets herself into the Leerys’ house but no one’s home. She sees that Dawson has put some movie posters back up, as well as photos of Jen, Jack, and Andie. Dawson and Jack paint a house as Dawson talks about Gretchen and some of their childhood antics. She was his first crush, and it became a running joke in the family. Gretchen tells Pacey she’s taking some time off of college but won’t explain why. Doug tells Pacey he can live on his boat or sleep on the couch at their parents’ house. Gretchen notes that Joey would probably be willing to share her bed.
Joey visits Jen, who tells her that Henry got a scholarship to some academy and won’t be returning to Capeside. Grams disapproves of their long-distance relationship since she thinks Jen should be having better dating experiences. The conversation turns to the boat trip, and Joey first won’t talk about anything she and Pacey did. Then she tells some obvious lies. She asks about “everyone else,” and both girls know she means Dawson. Jen invites her to the dive-in (a drive-in with boats instead of cars) with everyone else.
Andie gives the French guys a tour and tells them how much she wants to visit Paris. Dawson and Jen develop pictures in a darkroom and awkwardly discuss Joey. Jen admits that she invited Joey to the drive-in, so Dawson will have to see her whether he’s ready or not. She assures him that Pacey won’t be coming along, which means Joey and Dawson can talk and make peace. Jen admits to feeling responsible for the way things went down, but Dawson isn’t mad.
Mitch and Gail are making out on the couch, which apparently has been happening a lot. (They forgot to check the darkroom to see if Dawson was home.) Pacey goes by the B&B to see if he can sleep on the couch, but Joey has already claimed it. He thinks no one in town missed them. Joey says it’s like “the reverse of It’s a Wonderful Life.” Pacey wants to see a movie, but Joey tells him she already has plans without him. She suggests going together, saying it would be “healthy” to see everyone. Pacey claims he’s fine with that.
At the dive-in, Andie tells her friends that she’s working on hooking up with one of the French guys. Joey and Pacey arrive together, and Dawson is immediately on edge. Jen asks him to stay and talk to Joey, but he won’t. Jack and Jen split up, her to talk to Dawson and him to talk to Joey. Gretchen’s also there and tells Pacey that he gets the last laugh – she may have taken his bed, but Doug is annoying to live with. She admits that she thought Joey and Pacey would wind up together. They’re both underdogs.
Jack wants to know what everyone else wanted to know about Joey and Pacey on the boat. Dawson tells Jen he’s fine and isn’t talking to Joey because it’ll be predictable. Jen finally makes him go over to her and they make awkward but civil small talk. Andie spots Pacey and decides to avoid him. Then she learns that the guy she was interested in has a girlfriend. She rants to the other guy, who she thought didn’t speak English. Not only does he speak English, he seems to be American.
Pacey decides it’s time to leave and thinks Joey wants to go, too. She doesn’t, and she calls him arrogant and immature for trying to make her leave. Joey says that dealing with Dawson is reality for both of them. Pacey hates that Joey wanted to see him so soon after getting home. He tells her to stop being preoccupied by thoughts of Dawson. Joey got off the boat long before Pacey did. He ditches her, so Dawson offers her a ride home. The non-French guy is a bit of a charmer and kisses Andie.
Joey tells Dawson she’s sorry for everything that happened last year, and for how she went about doing what she had to do. He admits that it was hard to think of her and Pacey together all day and night. She notes that he’s the only person who hasn’t asked if anything happened on the boat. He worries that the answer would kill him.
Joey gives him a brick from Ernest Hemingway’s home in the Florida Keys as a “diplomatic artifact representing the foundation of a new friendship.” Dawson says it’ll take more than that for them to go back to what they had, if he even wants that again. As he leaves, Joey tells him that the answer to everyone’s question wouldn’t kill him.
Next Joey goes to Pacey’s boat and tells him that every time her car stalled on the way over, she thought of him. She told herself she would never admit to him how good thinking about him makes her feel, but she wants to score some bonus points with him. Joey explains that she wanted to see Dawson tonight because he’s her friend and she’s felt guilty for months because she hurt him. Her mind may wander, but her heart is “a fixed point.” They make up (and out), then lie in hammocks on the boat and read The Little Mermaid.
Thoughts: Gretchen is played by Sasha Alexander, who is now the Isles of Rizzoli & Isles.
I can’t imagine spending three months with the guy you just started seeing would be a good idea. What happens if you break up? You’re stuck on a boat together.
The scene with Dawson, Jen, Andie, and Jack on the beach is the first time I’ve felt like Andie was really part of the group. The way she and Jen banter sounds like real friends talking.
Bessie is way more okay with Joey being gone all summer than I expected, especially considering Joey left without warning and ran off with her boyfriend. She’s also way too relaxed about whether or not they had sex.
I know I’m a huge dork, but the dive-in sounds like a lot of fun.
Poor Andie always gets the bad plots.
November 26, 2011
BH90210 2.19, Fire and Ice: Toe Pick!
Brandon is no D.B. Sweeney
Summary: Brandon’s playing ice hockey, so we can see how awesome Jason Priestley is. Dylan and Steve are also playing; Steve has been enlisted as a goalie, though he’s not very good at skating. As their team leaves the ice, some figure skaters start practicing. One of them accidentally knocks Brandon and Steve over, and Brandon blasts her for coming onto the ice before they were off. They banter about skating vs. hockey as sports. (If you were expecting this episode to be like The Cutting Edge, you will be disappointed.) The girl, Tricia, challenges Brandon to a six-lap race, which ends in a tie.
Tricia’s coach breaks up the fun, but Brandon wants a rematch. Tricia tells him she’s on the ice by 5:30 a.m. At home, Brenda gives Cindy a makeover, trying to get her to buy something. At 5 the next morning, Brandon drags himself out of bed to meet Tricia. She tells him she likes this part of the day the most because it’s when she gets to be herself. Brandon asks her out, and though Tricia says she’d like to accept, her coach probably won’t go for it. She asks him to stay and watch her practice.
Brandon chats with someone at the rink who tells him Tricia has “the fire and the ice.” She’s the kind of skater who comes along rarely. He also warns Brandon that her coach might not like it if he knows he’s there. Brenda gets up early for breakfast with Deidre; Cindy gives her some pointers for becoming better at sales. She isn’t that helpful, though, since she only buys $20 work of makeup. Deidre tells Brenda to think more like a shrink so she can tailor her sales pitches to each customer. She thinks Brenda has the right instinct to be good at sales.
Tricia’s coach meets Brandon, telling him this has been her worst practice in a long time, probably because Brandon’s there. Tricia could be a world-class skater, but she doesn’t focus on skating as much as she should. Brandon says he could walk out and never come back, but Tricia invited him, not the coach. He thinks someone should ask her what she wants. Brenda tries to sell Kelly and Donna some perfume, telling them they’re “buying self-image” when they balk at the $190 price tag.
At home, Brenda drowns her sorrows in ice cream, telling Brenda she worked eight hours but probably made less than $2 in commissions. She’s impressed by the way Deidre reads people. She also thinks their parents blew it by raising them to be nice rather than teaching them how to succeed in the real world. Brandon admits that he felt the same way when he saw how determined Tricia was. He could be a skating champ if their parents had put more pressure on him. The twins think they could “make up for lost time” if they worked hard enough.
Brandon sits in on another of Tricia’s practices, much to her coach’s dismay. Deidre sizes up David when he comes into the boutique, telling Brenda to sell to him. David’s looking for a belated birthday present for Donna, so Brenda pitches him the perfume she wanted to buy earlier. Tricia’s coach agrees to let Brandon drive her home, and Brandon notes that he’s overprotective. Tricia tells him she lives with him because her family’s back in Texas. Brandon praises her for her motivation and accomplishments; he feels like he’s wasted his life. She’s jealous of his freedom.
Brandon asks Tricia what her plans are after she’s done skating. She’s considering law school. Then she asks him where he would be if she weren’t with him. Probably at the Peach Pit, where David’s giving Donna the perfume. Kelly pulls Brenda aside to chastise her for selling David something so expensive. Brenda tells Dylan she’s feeling powerful for being able to convince people to buy things they didn’t even know they wanted.
Tricia and Brandon stop by the Peach Pit, where Tricia invites the gang to come see her at sectionals. Brenda invites her to the boutique to get some leotards. Everyone goes to sectionals, and Brandon proves that he’s learned a lot about figure skating. Brenda’s skipping out to work. Tricia falls during her routine, ending her season before the finals. Her coach encourages her to go home for a little while and decide whether she wants to try for the ’94 Olympics. Brandon blames himself for the screw-up. Tricia says her coach noted that she might not have wanted to win.
Brenda tries to sell Cindy more makeup, but this time she’s not successful. Brandon notes that she’ll say anything to make a commission. Brenda argues that she’s trying to put into practice what Deidre’s taught her. Brandon brings Tricia to West Beverly, where she meets Andrea, who admits to having a figure-skating phase as a kid. She thinks Tricia’s there for an interview, not a date. They run into Dylan, Steve, Kelly, and Donna, and Tricia tells them she’s enjoying the real world. They consider junk foods for her to try, finally settling on burritos.
Brenda makes some sales at the boutique, but loses her commission to Deidre when she takes over. Tricia takes Brandon to the skating rink so they can ice dance on their first date. The coach interrupts and tells Tricia she’s received a waiver to compete at sectionals. However, she has to be in Salt Lake City in five days, and they’ll have to start working tonight. Brandon reluctantly encourages Tricia to go for it. The next day, he goes back to watch her practice but learns that Tricia has requested a closed session.
Cindy learns about Deidre stabbing Brenda in the back and encourages her to get even. This involves Cindy pretending to be a customer at the boutique. Brandon, Dylan, and Steve go to hockey practice and Jim notes that Brandon’s distracted. He figures it has something to do with Tricia. Brandon asks why Jim and Cindy didn’t encourage him to skate competitively. Jim says they did encourage him, they just didn’t pressure him. Brandon thinks they believed he couldn’t take the pressure. Jim says Cindy met with a coach who asked if they wanted a superstar or a son.
As Cindy slips out to feed her parking meter, Deidre tells Brenda what great taste she has. She thinks Cindy will provide her biggest commission ever. Cindy returns and announces that she doesn’t need everything she was going to buy. Then she blasts Deidre for kissing up to her while treating Brenda badly.
Tricia stops by the Peach Pit to apologize to Brandon for closing her practice. He’s mad that he was just a brief distraction for her. He was willing to show up early in the morning to take what he could get. Tricia notes that that wasn’t fair to either of them. Then they make out. A few days later, Brandon, Brenda, and Dylan watch Tricia’s semifinals performance on TV. After her successful performance, she tells a reporter that the performance was worth all the hard work, but she does miss burritos.
Thoughts: Tricia is played by Gabrielle Anwar, who at the time was just coming off of one of my favorite ’90s movies, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. She’s best known now for playing Fiona on Burn Notice.
Brandon, stop chomping your gum with your mouth open. It makes me like you even less than I already did.
The coach comes across as a jerk in the beginning, but he turns out to be a nice guy. He doesn’t get mad at Tricia after sectionals, and he’s actually very encouraging.
While the kids are suggesting junk food for Tricia to try – Donna: “Gum.” Brandon: “Donna, gum is not food.” Donna: “I don’t care. Gum.” Love her.
I can’t see Cindy advocating, much less participating in, a revenge scheme. Not that her idea of revenge is very vengeful.
SVH #106, Beware the Wolfman: Boys Becoming Men, Men Becoming Wolves
Someone got a manicure!
Summary: So Robert is now a fugitive, and Jessica’s mad at Elizabeth for thinking he’s a killer (and possibly a werewolf). They both start investigating on their own, Elizabeth to prove that Robert’s the killer and Jessica to prove he isn’t. They wind up at the murdered doctor’s house at the same time, without knowing it. Jessica finds a file with Annabelle’s name on it while Elizabeth takes Robert’s file and gets the address of his childhood nanny, thinking he might be hiding out with her. Seconds later, the murderer arrives and gets the idea to go see the nanny.
Elizabeth still has the anti-werewolf pendant Luke gave her, which has the initial A engraved on it. She figures A was Luke’s mom, who died when he was a child. (To quote Shannon on this subject: “Pat, I’d like to solve the puzzle.”) Since Elizabeth thinks the silver bullet Luke also gave her will be enough protection, she puts the pendant in Jessica’s bag to protect her.
Jessica forgets her bag as she’s leaving for work the next day, and when she goes back to get it, she thinks that someone has been in her, Liz, and Portia’s room. She thinks it’s Robert, even though he’s supposed to have left London. Luke confirms to Elizabeth that the pendant was his mother’s, but says her name was Ann. Before they can talk more about this, the twins’ boss, Tony, announces that there’s been another murder. Elizabeth goes with Tony to investigate, and they find out the victim is the nanny.
Meanwhile, the murderer breaks into the twins’ room and finds the stolen files. When the twins come home, they find the files gone, and Elizabeth realizes her silver bullet is also missing. Jessica finds the pendant and at first thinks it belonged to the mysterious Annabelle, but Elizabeth tells her it was from a woman named Ann, so Jessica drops the subject.
The killer’s next victim is Robert’s father, though he survives the attack. Jessica visits him in the hospital, and when he sees the pendant, he tells her he gave it to Annabelle, who he loved. Oh, and who he had a secret kid with. Elizabeth and Tony go back to the Pembrokes’ place and find love letters Annabelle wrote Robert Sr., which mention their child. They think the secret son might be responsible for the murders and Robert Sr.’s attack.
Liz tells Luke about the Annabelle investigation, and he gets more worried about her safety. Rene is also acting a little weird, turning up at a tube station when he should be at work and not being at home when Elizabeth thinks he should. (The nerve!)
Jessica tries to talk to Lady Pembroke, who hates her (thanks to Elizabeth’s twin switch in the last book), and gets nowhere. Portia tells her that Lady Pembroke loves Portia’s father, the famous Shakespearean actor, so they get him to drop in for a visit with Jessica and Portia tagging along. Jessica blurts out that she knows about Annabelle, and Lady Pembroke tells her how much she hated Robert and Annabelle’s son, Lucas. Jessica puts it all together, because sometimes she’s the smarter twin.
Jessica tries to track Elizabeth down, eventually learning that she went to Annabelle’s old house with Luke. It’s there that Elizabeth also puts everything together, with some help from Luke, who’s now wearing a werewolf mask and totally wants to kill her. Before he can attack her, a homeless guy the twins kept spotting through the book shows up with a gun. It’s Robert, who’s been hiding in plain sight. Rene (who’s been following Elizabeth to protect her) and the inept Sgt. Bumpo are also there. Sgt. Bumpo ends up killing Luke, so in terms of dead boyfriends, Elizabeth now has one to Jessica’s two. But at least she has Todd waiting for her back in Sweet Valley.
The mini-series gets wrapped up with info Elizabeth reads in Luke’s journal: He had a Jekyll/Hyde thing going on and didn’t realize he was the killer. He knew he was Pembroke’s son and he killed everyone he blamed for his mother’s death. Except Joy, who he thought was Jessica. Cheery!
Thoughts: I’m hugely surprised Jessica doesn’t look at Robert’s medical file in the doctor’s house to make sure he doesn’t have some icky condition he’s hiding from her.
Elizabeth hears something in the doctor’s house and tries to calm down by reminding herself that she doesn’t believe in ghosts. Yeah, believing in ghosts would be ridiculous. Believing in werewolves, however…
I seriously, seriously don’t buy Jessica not thinking a woman named Ann could not also be named Annabelle. She’s kind of dumb, yes, but she’s not a complete idiot. And later she figures out that Luke and Lucas are the same person, so why not Ann and Annabelle?
What are the chances that two long-lost brothers would wind up dating twin sisters at the same time? Yes, this is what I’m having trouble suspending my disbelief over, not the werewolf stuff.
November 25, 2011
Dawson’s Creek 3.23, True Love: “You Got What You Wanted”
Yes, it's the episode where he makes this face
Summary: Dawson and Mitch run into Gail and Joey downtown as they get ready for Mitch and Gail’s second wedding. Joey will be the maid of honor, and Dawson’s happy that she’s agreed to be part of the ceremony. She heads off to find something blue, and Dawson notes that there’s a lot of that going around. Pacey is getting ready for his summer sailing trip, but Doug thinks he should tell Joey how he feels about her before he leaves.
Jen tries to get Jack back in their Bitter Club now that both of their boyfriends have left or are leaving. Henry shows up and he and Jen try to get Jack to do their talking for them. Jack tries to translate their comments as apologies. Henry finally tries to apologize to Jen himself, but she wishes they’d never met.
Andie stops by Dawson’s house to get him to sign her yearbook, specifically on a photo of him and Pacey. She tells him about Pacey’s sailing trip and a send-off they’re having for him the next night. Dawson tells her it’s the same time as the rehearsal dinner. Andie points out that one of them will have to make the first move. She admits that she’s not past what happened yet either, and “letting go isn’t a one-time thing,” but something that has to be done every day.
Doug pulls Joey over for driving too slowly, telling her he’ll let her off with a warning, but not about driving. He tells her that Pacey’s leaving for the summer in a couple of days, in case she wants to see him before he goes.
Joey tracks Pacey down and blasts him for skipping town because things have gotten difficult. Pacey argues that he’s not going to sit around and watch Joey and Dawson try to revive their friendship. He figured a “goodbye scene” wouldn’t work either since he wouldn’t get what he wanted – her asking him to stay. Joey tells Pacey that at least she’s not giving up. He turns her around to look at her wall, which she never painted. He notes that it’s unfinished, just like they are. He may not like the ending they’ve wound up with, but at least it’s an ending.
At the wedding rehearsal, Dawson notices that Joey doesn’t seem completely present. He tells her that if she wants to go see Pacey, she should go. She says she’s doing the best she can and asks him to cut her some slack. Dawson points out that she’s acting like she’s stuck with him, which he doesn’t deserve. He tells her again to go, but Joey is determined to stay.
Pacey, Jen, Andie, Jack, and Grams give Pacey his going-away party, and the kids all complain about how bad their summers will be. Grams tells them about spending a day with a man who was about to leave for Korea. He asked her to wait for him, but she was too scared to do anything, including kiss him. The next day, Grams flew to San Diego and kissed the man in front of his whole crew. He wound up dying in Korea. She had one perfect kiss with him, 46 years with her husband, and no regrets.
Dawson tells Joey he doesn’t want to fight anymore. She tells him that if they’re going to have an honest relationship, he needs to know that part of the reason she broke things off with Pacey was so she wouldn’t lose Dawson. He’s been part of her entire life, but if she’d thought he would forgive her, she might have made a different decision. On their way home with Jack and Andie, Grams decides that Jen needs to see Henry and tell him how she feels before he leaves.
Joey goes downtown to run an errand for Bessie and sees that someone has painted on her wall, “Ask me to stay.” Pacey shows up and admits that he got Bessie to get her to come downtown. He’s realized that leaving would be giving up, and he’s not ready to do that. But he also wants to know that Joey’s not ready to give up either. Pacey spent an hour and a half staring at the wall the previous night, and now he wants Joey to spend some time staring at it.
The next day, Mitch and Gail get remarried with Dawson and Joey as their best man and maid of honor. Their vows talk about loving each other forever and being best friends. Dawson’s happy but Joey’s a little distracted. At the end of the ceremony, they spot Pacey at the back of the crowd. Grams drives Jen, Jack, and Andie to wherever Henry’s bus is leaving from, and Jen goes looking for him. She tells him she’s had sex before but not with anyone she really loved. Then she kisses him in front of his whole crew team.
Back in Capeside, Joey tells Pacey that she can’t give him a reason to stay. She has too much to work through. He replies that she’s made her choice. It would have saved everyone a lot of time and energy if she’s just made it a few months ago. Dawson interrupts, leading Joey to make an excuse to leave. Pacey asks if she’s even going to say goodbye. She does, and Pacey tells Dawson that he won: “You got what you wanted.” He knows things won’t be the same between the two of them. Dawson agrees.
Jen sends Henry off and Jack tells her she has to leave the Bitter Club. Grams congratulates her granddaughter for showing so much courage. She’s pleased to see Jen so happy. Jen thinks they need to continue their “carpe diem road trip” in Boston so Jack can see Ethan. At the wedding, Dawson and Joey dance and she babbles about spending the summer together. She’s about two seconds from losing it.
The road-trip crew makes it to Boston, where Jack tells Ethan that he wants to show him he’s not afraid. He tries this by kissing him. He’s too late, though, as Ethan’s gotten back together with his ex. Dawson gives his best-man speech, talking about how happy he is to be part of what his parents have now, where everything is forgiven. Part of love is forgiving. Later, Joey asks Dawson if he meant what he said. He did, and he wants her to go to Pacey.
Dawson reminds Joey that she gave up going to Paris for him, and he should have made her go. He was selfish and wanted her to stay with him. He doesn’t want to make that mistake again. Joey says it might be her choice to stay, but she’s not fooling anyone. Dawson wants her to see for herself that this is the right decision. He can tell her that she’ll come back to him eventually, but they’re just words. Joey needs to find out.
“You want him like I want you,” Dawson says, the only difference being that Pacey wants her back. “You’re free. You can do whatever you want.” Joey tells him she wants them to be friends. Dawson repeats what he said about words just being words. He tells her again to walk away and go to Pacey. As she leaves, he cries and makes the iconic crying-Dawson face we’ve all come to know and love. Just then, the road-trip crew returns and Jen sees Dawson devastated.
Jack goes home and tells his father that he kissed Ethan, then found out he got back together with his ex. He tries to get Mr. McPhee to admit that the thought of two men kissing disgusts him. He spent a whole year working on his relationship, and now it, the entire year, and his life are a wash. Mr. McPhee says that’s not true – Jack had the guts to go out and work for what he wanted.
Jack says he has the same problems as other teens, but there’s another level. He had more anguish than most over one kiss. He didn’t ask to be gay. Mr. McPhee replies that he didn’t ask for a gay son, but he’s glad he got one. He holds Jack as he cries. Speaking of crying, Dawson goes home to mope, but finds Jen, Andie, and Jack in his bedroom. They want to cheer him up with a movie night, refusing to listen when he says he wants to be alone. Andie says their pain makes them real, but no one can handle it alone.
Joey runs to the waterfront, where Pacey is about to leave. He tells her it’s too late for him to ask her to go. She tells him she doesn’t want to stop him any more than she wants to be stopped. Pacey has challenged her all year, as well as been there for her. He tells her she has 30 seconds until the end of the episode he leaves. Joey hesitates, then announces that she thinks she’s in love with him. On second thought, she knows she is. And she doesn’t want to run from it anymore.
Pacey asks Joey what the next step is. She tells him she wants to go with him. She’s done standing still. Pacey points out that Bessie and the B&B need her, but Joey thinks Pacey needs her more. She starts to board the True Love, but Pacey makes her ask permission first. Then he helps her onboard and they make out. Moments later, they’re off on their summer adventure together.
Thoughts: How am I already halfway through the series? That’s just crazy!
Why does Joey go looking for Gail’s something blue? Her dress is blue!
Jack should have known Ethan was trouble when he saw his horrible hair.
The Jack/Mr. McPhee scene was sweet, but it felt really tacked-on and out of place in the episode. They should have stuck something into the episode earlier, maybe Jack calling his father from the road to say he was going to see Ethan.
I would totally want to be there when Bessie found out Joey had left for the summer without telling anyone.
November 24, 2011
BH90210 2.18, A Walsh Family Christmas: Merry Christmas, Saint Nick
This is what happens when you wind up on Santa's naughty list
Summary: Steve is in New Mexico after a 16-hour bus ride. Back in Beverly Hills, Brenda has gotten a job at a boutique, making her the first of Kelly’s friends to have a real job. Kelly and Donna are worried about Steve, who’s been gone for four days and hasn’t gotten in touch with anyone back home. Kelly admits to missing him; he always buys her something nice at Christmas even after their breakup. Brenda invites them over to decorate their Christmas tree, which the Walshes always get two days before Christmas.
Brandon and Jim go get a tree but don’t have many good ones to choose from. Cindy’s annoyed to be stuck in 90-degree weather while it’s snowing back in Minnesota. Jim and Brandon come home with a dead tree, leading Cindy to wish they’d gone to visit her mother. Brandon tries to salvage the tree with green spray paint. Brenda’s pleased with the money she’s making at her new job, since she’ll be able to buy some nice presents for her family.
The gang comes over to decorate the tree and Jim suggests to Cindy that they start a new tradition by inviting the kids over for Christmas Eve. She’s on board, telling the kids to bring their families along, but they all have plans already. Brandon tells his parents about Steve’s quest for his birth mother as Steve goes to the hospital where he thinks he was born. He tries to get a copy of his birth certificate, but it can’t be released to him without a parent’s permission since he’s not 18. He’s allowed to look at it and gets his mother’s address.
Brandon asks Nat to give a free meal to a seemingly homeless man at the Peach Pit. Nat reveals that he always serves free meals on Christmas, and Brandon tells him he’ll come help serve. He shows off the Santa suit he wears every year. The man takes an interest in it. Steve goes to the address he got, but the houses that used to be there are now a strip mall. Andrea tells Brandon that her family doesn’t celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, so he invites her over. She tells him she has plans with her grandmother.
Nat realizes his Santa suit is missing – the man from earlier has taken it and is handing out candy canes around town. He winds up near Brenda’s boutique, which bugs her boss, Deidre. Brenda asks her to be nice, but Deidre calls the man crazy and makes him leave. Steve makes a bunch of calls, looking for someone who knows his mother, but doesn’t have any luck. Dylan visits Brenda at work before leaving to see his father; he complains about consumerism, then gives her half of one of those heart pendants that fit together.
Steve finally makes a breakthrough, contacting a man who’s suspicious about his questions about Karen Brown. Kelly helps Jackie cook, but neither is very good at it. Jackie considers cooking more often anyway, since she and Mel are getting more serious. Their relationship is the first healthy one she’s ever been in. Mel shows up and tells Jackie he and David can’t come to dinner – David’s mother, who Mel is in the process of divorcing, wants them at home for Christmas. (Aren’t they Jewish?) Jackie’s upset that she got so invested in something that isn’t going to last.
Steve goes to the diner he made his call to and meets the man he spoke with, who doesn’t want to talk to him. He’s Karen’s father. Steve introduces himself to his grandfather, who finally agrees to talk. Kelly tells Brenda about the Jackie/Mel situation and looks for an extra present to make her mother feel better. She’s worried that Jackie will get depressed and start drinking again if it’s just them on Christmas Eve. Brenda invites her to the Walshes’ celebration. Santa returns to the boutique and Deidre kicks him out again. (Someone’s getting coal in her stocking.)
Brandon goes to visit Emily at the facility where she’s been staying. She’s supposed to be released soon but she’s nervous about going back to school. He’s brought her his favorite shirt and a card signed by all his friends. David goes to the Taylors’ house to bring Kelly a present, but she’s mad about how Mel treated Jackie. David’s not happy either, since he’s caught in the middle. He still wants his parents to get back together, but he doesn’t want Jackie and Kelly to be unhappy. They agree that they’re still friends.
Steve’s grandfather, Al, tells him Karen was still in high school when she got pregnant. She wanted her baby to have a family who could take care of him. After Steve was adopted, Karen went to college and got married. Al says that Karen never discussed Steve with her family. Steve asks for her phone number, but Al tells him the adoption was meant to be final. Also, Karen’s dead. (Maybe you should’ve led with that, Grandpa.)
Brandon and Jim discuss their Christmas plans, hoping they don’t make Cindy feel more homesick. Samantha shows up to see if any of the Walshes have heard from Steve. She’s so worried about his lack of contact that she’s called the police to file a missing-persons report. She feels bad about trying to stop him from looking for Karen. Cindy’s sure that Steve will call on Christmas. Samantha thinks she spoiled him as a child and it’s backfired. Cindy insists that she stay for dinner so she won’t have to be at home alone.
Al takes Steve to Karen’s grave. Steve admits that he thought meeting his birth mother would make everything different. He notes that he never had a grandfather and asks Al to be his. Al agrees, promising to stay in touch. As Brenda leaves the boutique for the night, she spots two cops interrogating Santa. She gets them to back off, then invites Santa to the Walshes’ for Christmas Eve. Jim isn’t too thrilled to have a stranger in the house, not like Cindy doesn’t invite random people to spend the night all the time. Kelly and Jackie show up next.
Steve tries to charter a plane from a guy who’s supposed to be heading off to play Santa. Steve’s so desperate to get home that he gives the guy a bunch of money. The pilot can’t refuse the gift and happily shouts out reindeer names on takeoff. Andrea shows up at the Walshes’ after all and is starstruck to meet Samantha (and apparently Steve’s talked about her to his mother).
Dylan goes to see Jack (who’s magically been transformed into a completely different person) and complains about all the Christmases his father has missed. He thought about getting him back by making him know what it’s like to be lonely on Christmas, but he knew it would be too painful. Jack tells his son that he’s started meditating and often thinks about how strong Dylan is. He tells Dylan he’s already making things better. Dylan wants to share the food he brought for Jack, but Jack encourages him to go see Brenda and make himself happy.
Santa hands out presents at the Walshes’, and they’re definitely pricey. Jim and Cindy worry that he stole them. David and Mel arrive, and David eavesdrops as his father apologizes to Jackie. He thought his ex was in trouble and he owed it to her to be there for her, but now he knows they really need to be apart. He never actually went to her place; he drove around until he realized that Jackie’s who he wants to be with. Kelly joins David, who recaps the situation for her as Donna arrives, having cancelled her ski trip due to lack of snow.
David and Donna smooch under the mistletoe as Samantha decides to go home. Suddenly Cindy calls Jim upstairs to tell him her engagement ring is missing. She starts to call the police on Santa, blasting her and Jim for being too trusting. Jim hangs up and gives her her present – he got her ring reset. Cindy decides to spend the rest of the evening naïve. Samantha comes home to find Steve there waiting for her. He tells her about his mother and how wonderful she is, but he’s talking about Samantha, not Karen.
Donna sits on Santa’s lap and complains that she doesn’t like Christmas because it’s also her birthday, but no one ever remembers. The gang sings her “Happy Birthday.” Dylan shows up as Andrea asks Santa for presents. Everyone wonders who Santa really is; he tells them he wanted to find out if anyone still has Christmas spirit. His elves grew up and had their own families, but Mrs. Claus would still make wonderful dinners. She died last year, and Santa didn’t want to celebrate Christmas anymore. This year, he decided to look for it anyway. Brenda made him believe in the spirit of Christmas again.
Nat shows up with some carolers, who all get invited in for drinks. He meets Santa and tells Brandon that he found his Santa suit. Everyone sings as Jim plays his keyboard, and Cindy looks out the window to see snow (Brandon’s spraying it in the yard). Samantha returns, this time with Steve, who Kelly is very happy to see. Then there’s more singing and only the slightest hint of cheesiness.
Thoughts: Watching a Christmas episode on Thanksgiving was really weird.
At first I thought this episode was only going to feature Steve. Then I saw Christine Elise was a guest star and I got even more worried.
Donna wears the shortest jumper I’ve ever seen during the tree-decorating scene. She looks like a little kid who outgrew her outfit.
Brandon and Andrea are just friends, huh? I don’t kiss my friends on the lips.
There’s a funny moment where Samantha’s walking through the Walshes’ kitchen, sees Santa, is a little surprised, and says, “Oh, hi,” like, “Oh, of course you’re here.”
November 23, 2011
Dawson’s Creek 3.22, The Anti-Prom: Define the Relationship
And then Jenn went, "Squee!"
Summary: Dawson awkwardly reminds Joey of a deal they once made to go to the junior prom together if neither had a date. Joey thinks they should agree that it’s a meaningless event, but Dawson sees it as a rite of passage. She gives in, on two conditions: no corsage and no ruffly blue tuxedo shirt for Dawson. Just when things are no longer awkward, Mitch and Gail send it back the other way by stumbling out the door, making out.
Joey makes an excuse to flee, and Mitch sends Gail away so he can discuss the situation with Dawson. Dawson notes that his parents’ relationship has always been “dramatic” and he’s just been a passive observer. Mitch tells him they’re maybe, possibly back together. Dawson confirms that Mitch hasn’t actually discussed that with Gail, but Mitch is pretty sure about this. Pacey and Andie study at his and Doug’s place, and she encourages him to go to the prom, possibly with her. She claims she’s trying to pick from her numerous offers. He declines.
Joey tells Bessie that Dawson asked her to the prom and she thinks she made a mistake by saying yes. Not only will it probably give Dawson the wrong idea, but she’s worried about how Pacey will feel. Bessie tells her she has a problem without a solution. At school, Andie complains to Jack about her lack of a prom date, though Jack thinks it’s better for her to go alone than with an ex she isn’t over yet. She says going with Pacey would be safe. Jack is going with Ethan, but he’s nervous about letting everyone know he’s bringing a guy to the prom.
Jen rants about how stupid prom is, though Henry notes that she’s never been to one. He also figures out that she’s trying to invite him. Jack tries to get his tickets but is informed by an annoying girl named Barbara that he can’t bring a guy as his date. She says she’ll bring it up with a teacher. Pacey overhears Dawson getting his tickets and learns that he and Joey are going to the dance together.
Joey and Andie take up Jack’s problem as their own pet project, though he’s resigned to just skip the dance. He hates that something that’s normal for everyone else has to be political for him. The girls decide that if he’s not going, they won’t either. Dawson announces that they should hold their own prom, “where it’s not about who you bring, it’s about who you are.” Everyone’s on board with this.
Dawson brings up the prom to his parents, who agree to let them use the restaurant and announce that they’ll be chaperoning. After Dawson leaves, Mitch tells Gail that their son is handling their reunion remarkably well. He, however, wants to discuss whatever their relationship is. She’s not paying attention. Jack and Andie sell tickets to their own prom, laughing off Barbara’s attempts to trash-talk them.
Grams alters her late husband’s tux for Henry, and when she leaves the room, Jen tells Henry it’s time for the “prom sex talk.” She thinks post-prom is an unromantic time for their first experience. He just wants to make sure it’ll happen eventually. Pacey stops by the McPhees’ and Andie admits that she didn’t have any other prom offers. He asks her to go with him.
The night of the anti-prom, Bessie makes Joey and Dawson take pictures and asks where Joey’s corsage is. He’s loaning her a pair of Gail’s diamond earrings instead. Jack is clearly uncomfortable at the restaurant, and Ethan promises that he won’t make him dance. When Pacey arrives with Andie, Dawson and Joey quickly go elsewhere. Meanwhile, Jen and Henry are thinking way too much about sex.
Ethan tells Jack that he’s never gone to a dance with another guy before; he thought it was something they could go through together. Jack’s upset that Ethan acted like a sage when he had no idea what he was talking about. Jen tries to get Henry’s (and her own) mind off of sex by discussing the summer. He tells her he’s going away to football camp for two months. Now she’s ticked and definitely not having post-prom sex with him.
Joey asks Dawson if he asked her to the anti-prom to throw it in Pacey’s face. She’s seen the way Dawson has been shooting looks at Pacey all night. She feels like he’s parading her around like a prize. Dawson says it’s not his fault if people want to look at them. Joey joins Jack outside and he admits that he’s hiding from Barbara. He doesn’t feel like he belongs at the anti-prom. Joey wants things to go back to the way they were with all their friends. Jack tells her to set the example.
Gail and Mitch dance, and she invites herself to spend the night with him. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea since they haven’t defined their relationship. Joey asks Pacey to dance, which Andie sees. He asks where she got her earrings, saying they’re too gaudy and aren’t her, unlike her bracelet, which is, because it’s simpler. Joey tells him the bracelet was her mom’s, and he reminds her that she told him the day she found it. She’s surprised he remembers. “I remember everything,” Pacey says. Andie’s not happy, and neither is Dawson, who’s also seen them together.
Joey follows Dawson as he stomps outside and blasts her for her actions. She says she’s trying to get things back to the way they were. He tells she can’t put things back together. He also admits that he organized the anti-prom for her, not Jack. Joey tries to get Dawson to admit that he wanted to get her to pick him over Pacey. He tells her they’d be missing a lot by not getting back together. He kisses her, telling her that was how the evening was supposed to end.
Henry takes Jen home and asks why she made a big deal about them not having sex when she was planning on it all along. He hates that she gets “extreme” about their relationship but lets everything fall apart because of her insecurities. Jen’s upset that she let herself be vulnerable with him. Henry assures her that his decision to leave has nothing to do with her. She gets it, but she knows that if they had a real relationship, he would have kept her in mind when making his decision. Henry says that if she goes inside, he’s not going to try to win her back. Jen goes in.
Jack chases down Ethan, who’s at the train station to go home. Ethan notes that Jack isn’t ready for a relationship, but Jack wants to figure out what they have before they figure out who’s ready for what. He doesn’t get why there are so many hurdles when Ethan just has to kiss him. Ethan says he’s not sure if Jack’s ready, so Jack will have to make the first move. No one’s around, and there’s nothing to interrupt them, and he dares Jack to do it. Instead, Jack leaves.
Pacey walks Andie home, telling her he honestly believed he wanted to go to the prom with her. As soon as he arrived, he realized the real reason he wanted to go. Andie says she’s sorry things didn’t work out for him, but at least he got to dance with Joey. Pacey wants to make things up to Andie, but she tells him he can’t.
Pacey changes the subject, telling her he’s going to spend the summer sailing True Love to Key West. He’s leaving right after finals. Andie asks if he’s told Joey how he feels. Pacey replies that Joey already knows, but Andie wants him to tell Joey he’s leaving. She urges him to tell Joey he loves her and try to get her back, or he’ll regret it.
The next day, Joey returns Gail’s earrings to Dawson and admits that she felt something unexpected when he kissed her. She thinks that feeling will probably always be there. But she can’t keep hurting people, and she can’t choose between Dawson and Pacey, so she doesn’t want Dawson to make her. He tells her he’ll wait. He’s spent the whole year feeling like he’s on a journey, and now he’s come to the end, and Joey’s there.
Gail goes to Mitch and Dawson’s, sitting him down and kneeling in front of him as Dawson and Joey come in. She wants to make any mistakes they might remake together. Mitch is up for that, too. Dawson and Joey watch their reunion, stunned but happy.
Thoughts: Whoever did Andie’s hair and makeup for the prom is in the wrong line of work. I love her dress, though.
I didn’t realize until this episode that Jack and Joey haven’t had a conversation since right after he came out. It’s hard to remember that they ever dated. Though that could be because they have no chemistry.
Joey, asking Pacey to dance isn’t setting an example. It’s doing the same thing to Dawson that you accused him of doing to Pacey – throwing someone in his face. Though kudos for doing something for yourself instead of making everything about Dawson and tiptoeing around him as usual.
Henry’s totally right about Jen. She’s overreacted to so many things in their relationship that it’s ridiculous.
November 22, 2011
BSC #89, Kristy and the Dirty Diapers: The Cult Recruits Another Member
Crap, Kristy kind of looks like me on this cover
Summary: Kristy accepts a sponsorship for the Krushers from a guy named Mr. Davis who has a diaper service. She doesn’t quite know what she’s getting into when she agrees; she really just likes the idea of new equipment and uniforms. But the uniforms say “Davis Diapers,” so the kids are embarrassed to wear them (and who wouldn’t be?). Plus, Mr. Davis thinks he now has a say in things like coaching, but he’s horrible at it, yelling at the kids and almost making them cry.
Kristy is also facing issues with a new girl in her neighborhood, Abby Stevenson. Abby and her identical twin sister Anna have just moved to Stoneybrook from Long Island, and Kristy and the BSC girls quickly become friends with them. Despite the fact that Abby’s more like Kristy (mainly athletic and loud), Kristy feels like she has more of a connection to Anna (who’s quieter and loves music).
In truth, Kristy finds Abby kind of annoying, but it’s totally because they’re so much alike. The twins and their mother spend the night with the Brewer-Thomases when they learn they don’t have electricity in their new house, and Abby is pretty much the center of attention because she’s such a ham. Kristy thinks she’s clamoring for that attention.
Abby winds up helping Kristy at a Krushers practice, which allows Kristy to see how good she is with kids. Anna has also been working with kids, helping out Kristy’s neighbor’s granddaughter, who’s staying with her while her parents are going through a divorce. The club is getting overwhelmed with calls, and Shannon can’t replace Dawn full-time, so it’s easy to see where this is going.
But first, Abby out-Kristys Kristy by standing up to Mr. Davis after a particularly cringeworthy encounter in which he treats the Krushers like dirt. Kristy has been treading lightly, not wanting to sever their deal (even though it would obviously be best for everyone), so Abby does it for her. Kristy realizes that she does like Abby after all, so she asks her to be her assistant coach.
Kristy then decides that the twins would be great additions to the BSC. The other BSC girls agree, so Kristy brings the twins to a meeting and asks them to join. Abby says yes, but in a shocking twist, Anna declines. One out of two is good enough for the BSC girls, though, so Abby is the newest member of the cult club.
There’s a whole subplot with Dru, the granddaughter, and how the BSC girls want to help her make friends, and how she joins the Krushers but sucks, so she forms a band, but it’s dumb, so I’ll skip it.
Thoughts: Abby was a very polarizing character, but I, for one, loved her. She became my favorite right away.
Kristy notices that the guest bedroom is really dusty, so she, Sam, and Charlie quickly clean it so the asthmatic, allergy-suffering Abby can sleep there. I thought that was really nice for teenagers who probably don’t willingly clean their own rooms.
This is actually the nicest thing Kristy does in the book. She spends a lot of it complaining, mostly about Abby but a little about other people. She’s even snottier than usual.
There’s no way the Bashers are scoring 30- and 40-something runs in a single game.
Stacey thinks Abby’s asthma could be a problem because she could have an attack while she’s babysitting. For someone with an illness that requires monitoring and possible emergency intervention, Stacey is a little unrealistic.
Shouldn’t Kristy have talked to Abby and Abby about joining the club before she extended the invitation?
Also, I love how Abby’s response is, “Sure! I guess.” You guess? Poor girl, you have no idea what you’re casually saying yes to.
I’m kind of surprised the girls ever talk to Anna again after she turns them down.
November 20, 2011
BH90210 2.17, Chuckie’s Back: The Two Sons of Samantha Sanders
Wait, Steve is the best-dressed person in a scene? You're kidding, right?
Summary: The students at West Beverly are taking finals and getting ready for the upcoming winter formal. Kelly and Brenda tease Donna about how close she and David are getting, though Donna insists they’re just friends. David ruins this by playing Ritchie Valens’ “Donna” on the radio. Brandon tells Steve he’s not going to the dance since he doesn’t have a date and hates dancing. Steve confides that he’s thinking of giving Kelly a second chance, as if she’s earned the privilege. But when he asks her, she tells him she’s going with Chuckie Wilson. Steve takes this personally.
After his history final, Steve complains to Brandon about Chuckie, who was a child actor on Steve’s mom’s TV show. Apparently he’s as rebellious in real life as his character was mischievous. He would bully Steve as a child, but Steve would get in trouble. Everyone gave Chuck what he wanted so he would do his scenes. Brandon notes that Chuckie has probably changed in the past decade. Steve replies that when Chuckie first came to West Beverly, he warned Steve, “Chuckie’s back.” He adds that the show, Hartley House, might do a reunion.
Samantha arrives and confirms the possibility of the reunion, saying it’s only on if Chuckie agrees to it. Chuckie is coming to dinner, and Samantha wants Steve to be on his best behavior. When Chuckie arrives, he taunts Steve about going out with Kelly. Kelly’s over at the Walshes’, and everyone’s talking about Chuckie and Hartley House. Kelly’s known Chuckie and Steve since they were kids, and she doesn’t think their rivalry means she has to choose between them.
After dinner, Samantha blasts Steve for being rude throughout dinner. Steve is mad that she’s on Chuckie’s side once again. She reminds him that the reunion will only work out if Chuckie agrees to it. She adds that she worked to support the family since she was a single mother. Steve says she loved being the star of a TV show. His mother tells him that the reunion will bring in a lot of money, which will pay for college for him, since they can’t rely on Steve’s father to take care of that. Samantha thinks Steve was always the mature one (I bet) and encourages him to be nice to Chuckie.
At school, a newspaper staffer named John encourages Andrea to do a story on the Hartley House reunion and Chuckie’s troublesome past. He thinks they should write about “the two sons of Samantha Sanders.” Brandon is worried that John will dig up dirt on Steve and asks to do the story himself. Andrea reminds him to be objective. Brandon approaches Chuckie, who treats the interview like a real press interview. He also claims that he and Steve were like brothers.
Steve interrupts the interview to apologize to Chuckie for his behavior at dinner, making it clear that he’s only doing so because Samantha told him to. Chuckie tells him he’s a jerk because he’s insecure, as many adopted kids are. Steve is furious that Samantha told him and hits Chuckie. Chuckie threatens not to do the reunion if Steve doesn’t take the whole blame for the fight. Steve gives in and could get suspended, which means missing finals and failing the semester. Brandon notes that he has the fight on tape and could clear Steve, but Steve isn’t interested.
At home, Steve wants to talk to Samantha, but she’s still trying to get Chuckie on board for the reunion. He admits that he got suspended for hitting Chuckie. Samantha blames him for Chuckie’s hesitance, saying she was counting on Steve to help her out. Steve assures her that Chuckie will do the show. At school, Donna wistfully hopes that someday two guys will fight over her. Kelly and Brenda wonder if she wants one of them to be David.
John loves how the fight could fit into the newspaper story, telling Andrea that kids will want to read about it. Brandon refuses to tell what really happened, saying the public doesn’t have a right to know. John notes that he’ll never be able to succeed on a college paper if he thinks that way. After John leaves, Andrea asks Brandon what happened, but he still won’t spill.
Steve watches a Hartley House reunion in which Chuckie’s character asks Samantha’s character where he comes from. He falls asleep and dreams about being on the show and asking the same character. Chuckie taunts that he must have a real mother somewhere. TV Steve tells his dreaming self that he needs to go look for his birth mother.
In the morning, Samantha’s cheerful because the reunion is a go. Chuckie told her that Steve was responsible for him agreeing to the show, so Samantha rewards Steve with a new car. Steve confronts her with the news that Chuckie knows he was adopted. Samantha denies that she told him. Steve reveals that he got suspended because he took the blame for the fight so Chuckie would do the reunion. He accuses Samantha of becoming a mother because she thought of it as a role. He adds that he’s going to find his birth mother.
Steve goes to Cindy for advice, asking her if she would have told the twins if they were adopted. He asks how she would feel if they were adopted and wanted to find their birth parents. Cindy admits that she would be afraid of losing them. She notes that birth parents don’t always want to be found. At school, David asks Donna to drive them to the dance, since he’s not old enough. Her friends wonder what she sees in him. Dylan asks if she’s worried about getting a reputation as someone who dates younger men. Donna insists again that they’re just friends.
Brandon pulls Kelly aside to chastise her for keeping her date with Chuckie. She thinks his fight with Steve was over her. Brandon tells her the fight was really about Chuckie giving Steve a hard time about being adopted. Kelly isn’t sure what to do. Chuckie and Samantha go to their old soundstage to solidify their deals for the reunion. Samantha brings up Steve, asking Chuckie what happened between them. She asks how he knew that Steve was adopted. Samantha’s agent admits that he spilled the beans because Chuck was jealous.
Samantha blasts her agent for betraying her trust to make a spoiled brat feel better. Chuck notes that he’s the reason the show stayed on the air, adding that he only agreed to the reunion for her, since he knows how important the show is to her. Samantha says she’s put up with the situation for too long and she’s not doing the reunion.
Steve mopes and plays Gameboy at the Peach Pit. He tells Dylan he’s adopted and he wants to find his birth parents. Dylan isn’t sure that’s a good idea. He warns that Steve might not be able to have a relationship with his biological mother just because he wants to. Samantha may not have given birth to Steve, but she’s always been there for him.
When Steve goes home, Samantha tells him she’s not doing the reunion. She apologizes for making him be nice to the little twerp for so long. Steve asks her who his birth mother is. Samantha admits to being scared the way Cindy predicted she might be: She doesn’t want to lose Steve. Donna and David go to the dance together, her still insisting that they’re not dating. She tries to make him feel better by saying she’s proud to go to the dance with the best dancer at West Beverly. David tries to kiss her, but she doesn’t see him as that kind of friend.
Samantha tells Steve that all she knows about his birth mother is her name, Karen Brown. She was very young and from a small town outside of Albuquerque. Steve decides that’s where he needs to go – tonight. Kelly skips the dance to get even with Chuckie and goes to Steve’s house instead. They go for a drive and he tells her about his trip to New Mexico. Kelly offers to drive him there, but Steve wants to take the bus and leave his California life behind. She insists that he at least say goodbye to their friends before he goes.
At the dance, Brenda tells Dylan he’s spending Christmas with the Walshes. He’d like a promise that Jim won’t dress up as Santa. Andrea tells Brandon that he was right about the Steve/Chuckie story being gossip, so she won’t run it in the paper. Kelly and Steve arrive at the dance in time to see David become the star of the dance floor. Everyone’s also watching when David and Donna start making out. Donna admits to her friends that she likes David and it’s too bad if anyone has a problem with it.
Kelly blows Chuckie off and dances with Steve. He’s busted for being at the dance after being suspended, so he decides to just head to the bus station. Chuckie taunts him for taking the bus, and Steve replies that Chuckie’s a has-been. The gang leaves the dance to take Steve to the bus station, learning along the way that Steve was adopted. Kelly promises that no matter who or what he finds in New Mexico, the gang will always be his family.
Thoughts: The kid version of Chuckie is played by the same kind who played hellion Aaron on Full House. (He was also in Pet Sematary and Kindergarten Cop.) I always thought he was so adorable.
Teenage Chuckie looks like the love child of Colin Farell and Zac Efron. If only he wouldn’t wear such aggressively ’90s clothes. (Colorblocking, ahoy!)
“The best dancer at West Beverly”? Donna, why must you lie?
People, we have to stop telling brandon he’s right. No good can come of it.
We also have to stop encouraging David’s dancing, because…seriously.
November 19, 2011
Dawson’s Creek 3.21, Show Me Love: I’m On a Boat (Which is a Thinly Veiled Metaphor for My Feelings for You)
Seriously? You want the one on the right? What is wrong with you?? Also, it looks like Pacey's the killer from "I Know What You Did Last Summer"
Summary: Dawson studies Gwen’s painting of him and Joey while Joey looks at her wall and Pacey works on his boat. Henry comes to Jen’s house with a sign asking for forgiveness, but she won’t talk to him. In fact, at school, none of the friends will talk to each other. Later, Dawson finds Joey back at the wall and says they need to talk. He wants them to salvage their relationship, preferably by rebooting their Joey-climbs-through-the-window-and-they-watch-a-movie tradition. Joey would rather paint her wall.
Gail and Mitch have offered to sponsor Pacey in a regatta, partly so they can get publicity for their restaurant, but Mitch thinks that in light of recent events, it’s a bad idea. Dawson assures them that it’s fine and offers to take Pacey their banner. Pacey says that if Dawson wants him to drop out of the race, he’ll have to ask him directly. Pacey’s just glad that Dawson’s angry with the right person. Dawson blasts him for being a martyr.
Bessie and Joey have a food station at the regatta, which Joey doesn’t want to be part of. She’s surprised to see a Leery’s Fresh Fish flag on Pacey’s boat. Bessie tells her to let the guys work out their own problems. Jen, Jack, and Andie help Grams make wreathes for the regatta winners and are interrupted when Henry shows up again with his sign. Jen can’t believe that after she convinced Grams that Henry wasn’t a typical teenage boy, he proved her wrong. Grams encourages her to forgive him since he’s been punished enough.
Dawson asks Jack and Andie if he can borrow their father’s boat. Jack knows exactly what he’s trying to do and vetoes the idea. Dawson wants to show Joey how much he cares, and Andie’s on his side. Dawson tracks down Joey, who thanks him for what she sees as his peace with Pacey, since Mitch and Gail are still his sponsors. He tells her he wants to enter the race with the Potter B&B as his sponsor; he’s even paid the entry fee for them. Joey tries to protest, but it’s no use.
Later, Joey blasts Bessie for giving in to Dawson, telling her that he’s only entering the race to beat Pacey. Bessie’s fine with their competing on the B&B’s behalf. Joey laments that things were supposed to be okay, but Bessie isn’t surprised. She reminds her sister that actions have consequences, encouraging her to accept them and work on making things better.
Will shows up at the McPhees’ to tell Andie he’s gotten a scholarship. He’s worried about Pacey, seeing the situation as him and Joey just acting on their feelings for each other. Andie says that Pacey and Joey broke up their group of friends. She mentions Pacey’s refusal to forgive her infidelity, which destroyed their relationship. (Um, Andie? The cheating was what destroyed the relationship. Keep up.) Will says Andie’s making him pity her, and he knows she’s better than that.
Mitch gives Dawson and Jack some boating tips, offering to help his son during the race despite the restaurant’s sponsorship of Pacey. Joey runs into Pacey and apologizes for Dawson’s entry in the race. Pacey isn’t upset about that, but he is upset that they’re talking for the first time in two weeks and the topic of conversation is Dawson. He guesses that Joey wants him to drop out of the race. Pacey notes that either way, Dawson wins, because even if Pacey beats him, he’s really beating Joey. Joey encourages him to talk to Dawson, but Pacey doesn’t think it’ll make a difference.
Henry shows up at the Leerys’ restaurant with his sign, leading Gail to make Jen do something. She lets him take her to the roof, which he’s decorated romantically. He admits that he’s glad they haven’t had sex yet because he doesn’t want to be like all the other guys in Jen’s life. Henry promises to be the most original person she knows from now on. She tells him he already is.
Pacey tracks down Dawson and asks him what he’s trying to prove. Dawson claims he’s just trying to help Joey. Pacey notes that he’s dragging his family and friends into things, then asks if Dawson really thinks this is the way to prove himself. He thought Dawson would understand how he felt with Joey.
Dawson thinks Pacey is crazy for thinking that there’s actually something there, especially considering what Dawson and Joey have. Pacey counters that Dawson must be crazy for thinking his ultimatum with Joey would work. Pacey continues that Dawson and Joey’s history involves sleepovers and movies, nothing more. They keep pretending to be grown-up but drop each other as soon as trouble arises. Dawson’s mad that Pacey went after Joey, but Pacey notes that Dawson dropped her. Dawson accuses him of going after someone vulnerable to get sex.
Jen comes home the next morning, having spent the night on the roof with Henry. Grams is displeased. Jen’s surprised she’s not happy, since she urged them to get back together. Grams is worried that Jen is returning to her old lifestyle. Jen protests that she’s changed, and she’s angry that Grams can’t see it. Gail and Mitch talk about Mitch helping Dawson in the race; Gail thinks they should be teaching Dawson to fight with his words. Mitch says that sometimes conversations won’t cover it all. He’s obviously referring to their own relationship, but Gail remains silent on the subject.
The race begins, and apparently the show didn’t have money in the budget for extra boats, because it looks like Dawson and Pacey are the only people racing. It’s also the slowest race ever. Dawson aims his boat at the same spot Pacey is heading for, refusing to get out of his way. At the last minute, Pacey gives way, which allows Dawson to win. (Hey, do you get it? Do you?) Ultimately, Dawson winds up disqualified.
Both guys approach Joey, who announces that she’s not a trophy. Dawson yells at Pacey that he went after Joey even though Dawson still had feelings for her, and still has them. Joey replies that she hates both guys, as well as herself. She wishes she could go back, but she can’t. She tells them no one is worth all this trouble, especially not her.
Dawson goes after Joey, telling her he’s glad Pacey kissed her because it forced him to deal with the idea of losing her. Now he knows he can’t. Joey tells him to think about how he behaved today. Dawson knows he can’t compare to Pacey in terms of showing Joey how he feels. He’s trying to show her how much he wants her. Joey argues that he doesn’t want her, he just doesn’t want to lose her. Dawson replies that he wants her more than he ever has. She tells him that she doesn’t want a suitor, just a friend. And apparently she doesn’t want it to be him.
Pacey takes Will to the train station, since his pointless arc is over. Will advises him not to give up on true love: “It always wins in the end.” Grams brings Jen a dress she used to wear and talks about how she knows Jen has matured and grown since she first came to Capeside. She finally believes that she deserves to be loved. Grams remembers what it’s like to not think you can wait to have sex, but she wants Jen to keep in mind all the responsibilities that come along with it. Jen assures her that she and Henry haven’t done anything yet.
Gale closes down the restaurant so she and Mitch can have dinner together. He notes that it’s an important weekend for customers, but she thinks he’s more important. Then they make out. Pacey finds Joey at her wall with a can of paint, wondering if she was hoping he was Dawson. He asks if she wants to keep the wall after the lease is up. Pacey’s surprised that Dawson’s behavior earlier in the day didn’t make Joey love him less. Instead, she seems to love him even more.
Pacey asks if Joey could ever love him like a soulmate if Dawson weren’t in the picture. Joey won’t choose. As he leaves, Pacey says he’ll renew the lease on the wall first thing in the morning. He adds that he understands what Joey’s going through and promises not to give her any ultimatums. Then he goes to the dock, takes the True Love sign off his boat, and throws it in the water. Andie fishes the sign out and assures Pacey she doesn’t hate him, despite her feelings of hurt and betrayal. He appreciates this. She tells him that “hate” is a strong word, as is “love.”
Joey goes through Dawson’s window with a copy of E.T. She thinks it’s time to see it again. Dawson reminds her that she thinks E.T. is depressing, but Joey wants to watch a movie with an ending she knows well. Dawson thinks it’s because she likes how E.T. promises that he’s always right there. They lie down on the bed, but Joey’s mind is obviously elsewhere.
Thoughts: I just don’t get why anyone would choose Dawson over Pacey. In what universe is Dawson a prize? And keep in mind his ultimatum. What kind of a jerk does that?
Did Bessie just happen to have a banner lying around in case someone wanted her sponsorship? Yes, these are the things I think about. It’s that or the qualities that would lead one to want a relationship with Dawson, and thinking about things like banners lets me hold on to my sanity.
Pacey, are you waring camouflage pants with a shirt with fish on it? Dude, you need a girlfriend if only to have someone dress you.
Grams, you rock and all, but trust me, no teenager wants to hear her grandmother talk about sex.
