March 31, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 4.23, Coda: Last Night
It's about to get weird
Summary: Dawson and Joey are watching their old horror movie in his room. He’s disappointed that it sucks more than he remembered. Joey reminds him that he won $2,500 for the film in a festival, though he spent the money on an even worse movie. Dawson can’t believe they’re about to go to college. Joey’s in Capeside for the summer, but Dawson leaves for a summer program in two days. He’s starting to regret the decision to leave so soon. Joey points out that it’s huge that he got in.
Dawson asks if she’s heard from Pacey, but he hasn’t called since he left town. Joey thinks she’s incapable of having a successful relationship. They’re both happy that after everything, they’ve been able to start hanging out together again. Dawson wishes things didn’t have to end, though Joey notes that everything has to eventually.
The next day, Dawson, Joey, Jen, and Jack hang out together and play Would You Rather? Dawson wins by asking if someone would rather have sex with their principal or watch the principal have sex with Grams. He heads off to meet Mitch, solidifying plans to see a movie with the others that night. Mitch takes Dawson to get a new computer, which Dawson claims he doesn’t want, because he is an idiot.
Jen and Grams’ house is packed for their move, which will happen the next day. Jen suggests skipping the movie with Dawson to do something special on their last night in the house. Grams tells her there’s no point in being sentimental but agrees to have tea. Mitch is of the same mind as Jen, wanting Dawson to spend his last night in Capeside at home with his family, rather than out with his friends. He calls Dawson insensitive and Dawson calls him overbearing.
Pacey makes a phone call from somewhere in the Caribbean but can’t reach the person he’s trying to call. Dawson and Jack talk about Joey; Jack thinks her goodbye with Dawson is really important. He thinks Dawson will regret not staying in Capeside to spend the whole summer with her. Dawson admits that he’s thought about it. Even though he made significant strides by having a relationship with Gretchen, he still can’t stop thinking about Joey.
Jen’s talking to Joey about the same thing, and Jen says that Dawson would stay if Joey asked him to. Joey asks why Jen thinks she wants him to stay: “Am I supposed to feel good, knowing I have the power to change somebody’s life?” Jen says they all have that power; it’s just a question of using it. The friends go to the movie theater, where American Graffiti is playing (of course it is).
Afterward, Jen decides to go see Grams, encouraging Dawson and Joey to keep hanging out. It doesn’t work, so they all walk Joey home. Mitch and Gail spend the evening looking through pictures of their children. Gail tries very hard not to pick on Mitch for being insecure about the future, then denying it.
Dawson walks Joey to her door as they make awkward conversation. She thinks one day he’ll run into Spielberg, though he doesn’t know what he’d say if he did. Maybe just “thank you.” Joey isn’t sure it sounds like enough. She tells Dawson she’ll see him at Christmas, then hugs him goodbye, trying not to cry. She says she’ll see him, but he doesn’t say anything, and both of them are left feeling dissatisfied.
At Jen’s, she and Jack give Dawson a cell phone, because I guess otherwise there’s no way to make phone calls from California. Jack leaves, and Jen jokes that Dawson’s stuck with her on his last night in Capeside. Dawson notes that he, Joey, and Pacey were always afraid of Grams’ house (well, Grams, really), which Jen thinks makes her the Boo Radley of the situation. She hugs him goodbye, then tells him to leave so they can get started falling out of touch.
At the Leerys’, Mitch tells Dawson that he knew he would be sad to see him go, but he didn’t know he wouldn’t want Dawson to go. “You’re one of my favorite people,” he says. He then makes sure he and Dawson have had all the important conversations they were supposed to have had (about drugs and sex). Mitch asks what it was like saying goodbye to Joey, telling Dawson that “it ain’t over till it’s over.”
Jen has tea with Grams, telling her that she felt like she was being punished when she first moved in. They discuss Jen’s mother, who Grams says spent her whole life chasing the happiness she had in high school. She knows that won’t happen to Jen; things can only get better from the supposed unhappiness Jen and her friends have. Jack comes back to spend Jen and Grams’ last evening in the house with them. Grams assures Jen that she’s not sad to leave – they’re about to have an adventure.
Jen asks if her grandparents always lived in the house. Grams tells her they lived with his parents for a while, then an apartment downtown. They would go up to the roof on summer nights to look at the stars and the lights in the summer houses. The people who lived in those houses would have parties on their lawns and dance to old standards. Grams and her husband decided to buy a summer house so they could be that happy all year round.
Pacey calls Dawson to tell him he’s working hard but keeping himself distracted. Dawson tells him Joey’s doing the same. He encourages Pacey to call her, but he’s not ready. Pacey says that Dawson’s the only person in Capeside he regrets not saying goodbye to. For a long time, the only thing he cared about was being Dawson’s friend. Even after everything that’s happened, he still thinks about the way things were. Dawson’s glad to get another conversation with Pacey because he wanted to say he’s proud of him. They wish each other luck.
As “Daydream Believer” plays, Dawson heads out to see Joey, but she’s on her way over to help him pack. They end up watching ET, as they did in the first episode. Joey wishes they could fast-forward their lives four years to see how everything turns out. Dawson tells her she’ll be a professional and he’ll be working the graveyard shift at Kinko’s. Joey’s worried that she’ll never see him again, or at least this version of him.
They start talking about their favorites and most memorable moments. They’re able to discuss some experiences from their ill-fated relationship, and her regret over lying to him about sleeping with Pacey. Dawson realizes that he’s the only one of their group who’s still a virgin. Joey jokes that even the college girlfriend she’s imagined for him won’t sleep with him. Dawson asks for her all-time most life-altering moment, and she names their first kiss. She got her biggest wish that night.
As Dawson takes down one of Mr. Brooks’ movie posters, Joey tells him she wants him to stay, then immediately wants to take it back. She wanted him to know that she was thinking about it. Her best friend is leaving, and part of her wants him to stay, and she doesn’t want him to hate her. Dawson promises that he doesn’t. Joey doesn’t regret anything that’s happened over the past few years, but she’s glad they’re over because she likes the way things are now.
Dawson says that if he thought staying was the right thing to do, he would. He knows it’s time for him to go, and it’s time for both of them to find out who they are without each other. Joey starts crying and asks if he believes in magic. She never did, but she thinks it’s magical that someone out there is thinking about her.
Joey decides to go, wishing the ladder were still there for her to climb down. They say “see you” instead of goodbye, and Joey asks for Dawson’s most life-altering moment. He thinks it’s the one they’re experiencing right now. Then they kiss.
Thoughts: And I’m done with season 4, and two-thirds of the way through the series. Time for Dawson’s Creek: The College Years! In other news, I will NEVER BE DONE WITH 90210. Ten seasons is A LOT. And it doesn’t help that there are more than 30 episodes in each season.
I liked the Would You Rather? scene. It was so cute and angst-free.
These people have email, right? I understand them being sad not to see each other much, but they can still keep in touch.
This would have made a good series finale. And yet….
March 27, 2012
BSC Mystery #25, Kristy and the Middle School Vandal: “You Guys Need Me. I Keep You from Becoming Complacent”
Cary isn't cute enough. NOT CUTE ENOUGH
Summary: The school year is almost over (allegedly), but the teachers at SMS are talking about striking if they don’t get an acceptable contract in place for next year. On top of that, the BSC girls are also dealing with some vandalism around school, which seems to be the work of the Mischief Knights, specifically Cary. Except the Mischief Knights usually sign their work with a red MK, and the recent vandalism has been signed with a green MK. The girls think the Mischief Knights are either trying to throw the scent off of themselves or someone’s trying to frame them.
Cary and the BSC girls get into it about whether the girls are capable of figuring out who’s behind the vandalism, and Cary challenges them to a mystery war. He’ll plant eight clues and they’ll have six days to solve them all. If they do, he’ll leave them alone. If they don’t, Cary gets Kristy’s watch.
As the girls work on the mystery (clues below), the vandalism continues, so they really have two mysteries to solve. At various times they suspect a school board member who’s really angry about the strike; Brad, the guy who sold Abby her “study guide” and got in trouble for it; and a guy named Troy who was mysteriously suspended for two weeks but keeps turning up on campus. Cary looks less and less like the culprit as time goes on, though at one point Kristy thinks he’s guilty and trying to set them up.
Cary’s last clue instructs the girls to figure out who the vandal is, which is kind of weird, because they were trying to do that anyway. Mary Anne figures out that since the vandal has been using green instead of red and mistook a green car for the vice principal’s red car (which he keyed), the culprit must be colorblind. Claudia’s knowledge of fashion helps her realize that it’s Troy, as his clothes never match.
The girls want to break into Troy’s locker to see if he has any green paint or chalk in it, but this requires asking Cary for help, which requires them to forfeit the war (and Kristy’s watch). But it’s worth it, as they prove Troy was the vandal and somehow get the strike called off. Cary will still be allowed to bug them, but for me, that’s a plus.
The B-plot involves BSC sitting charges doing scavenger hunts. It’s dull.
Thoughts: This is my favorite BSC book. It reminds me a tiny bit of another awesome book, The Westing Game.
Cary has nice handwriting and is sarcastic. Just two more reasons I adore him.
Claudia has mint chocolate M&Ms. Do those really exist? If so, I need some.
During a scavenger hunt, one of the Hobart boys sees a garden gnome “among the bushes at one side of Kristy’s old house.” The ghostwriter says that Claudia doesn’t know who it belongs to. Okay, I know Claudia isn’t the brightest, but she would know that the Perkinses live there, especially since she lives right across the street.
Here are Cary’s clues, which are mostly pretty clever:
- “Get Your Mother (understands).” GYM, under the bleachers.
- “a drop of golden sun = re (as in the song from The Sound of Music)
just short of failing = D (the grade before F)
a skater’s figure = 8
not him, you see, but = her
(where does it all come from?)” Re + D + 8 + her = radiator. “It all” (heat) comes from the boiler room. - “Toasted gloves or barbecued bats, anyone?” This refers to the supply shack Kristy thought she burned down in Kristy and the Copycat.
- “Cafeteria hamburger + A Theory of Man and Woman – SMS on Street = a fly on the wall of…”
A cafeteria hamburger costs $1.69. A Theory of Man and Womanis a book with the library call number 305. The school’s street address is 358 Elm Street. 169 + 305 – 358 = 116, a biology classroom with a giant picture of a fly on the wall. - “Nothing personal, Claudia, but check your spelling.” Claudia has to take a spelling test on a computer she used when she wrote her personals column.
- “B2 or not B2…that is the question. (Are you sitting down?)” The next clue is under seat B2 in the auditorium.
- “Hey Abby. IPA2tFotUSoAand2tR [picture of four witches] (look up)” The letters and numbers are an abbreviation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Four witches stand = “for which it stands.” Abby is instructed to look up at the flag in her and Cary’s homeroom.
- “Bring me the head of the False Mischief Knights!”
March 26, 2012
BH90210 3.13, Rebel With a Cause: Don’t Let the Door Hit You On the Way Out, Broody McKay
Rick deserves so much better than all the crazy people on this show
Summary: Word has spread that someone hacked into West Beverly High’s computer system and tampered with grades. However, no one knows who the guilty party is. Brenda and her completely-inappropriate-for-school boustier tell Donna that she and Rick have a date set up, even though Brenda’s only been single for 48 hours. Steve’s totally calm about his recent computer escapades – he’s more interested in booking David for a Battle of the Bands – but Herbert is freaking out since the police are now involved.
Brandon gives Dylan some articles about a kid accused of cheating on his SATs so Dylan can prepare to defend himself. Ms. Teasley is also on his side. Brandon is surprised to hear that Dylan and Brenda broke up partly because of the whole debacle, though Dylan says it’s about more than that. Namely, it’s about Kelly, who’s hesitant to do anything remotely similar to a PDA with Dylan when someone could see them. She wants to tell Brenda that they’re together, but Dylan says they don’t need her permission.
Andrea’s back at school but frustrated with having to use a wheelchair. She wants to do a story on the break-in, thinking it’ll be award-worthy. Brandon has already gotten started but Ms. Teasley won’t give him any information. Brenda asks Dylan about his SAT issues, but he’s short with her, so they’re clearly not in the friend stage. Brandon mentions to Steve that Andrea’s investigating the break-in, and after she talks to the police, she tells Steve and Brandon that the police are going to keep looking into it until they find the culprit. Steve’s a-scared.
Donna bugs Brenda about her date with Rick; she thinks Brenda’s moving on too fast. Brenda tells her and Kelly that she got sick of Dylan’s brooding. Hutch the shady janitor threatens to tell the police that Steve had access to the school; Steve reminds him that he accepted a bribe. Hutch notes that the police would be more likely to believe an adult than a teenager. Steve shuts him up with some more money.
There’s something dumb about Jim’s temporary secretary, Dottie, calling him a lot, and then Rick comes to the Walshes’ to pick Brenda up. He tells Jim and Cindy about his interest in business economics, then realizes that Jim wrote some article he enjoyed. Kelly and Dylan go to the planetarium, which is where all the cool teenagers hang out, and talk about a field trip they took there when they were younger. It’s dark, so of course they make out.
Meanwhile, Brenda and Rick have their date at the Peach Pit, though she’s nervous that they’ll run into Dylan. Donna and David show up and make really awkward conversation with them. After the show at the planetarium, Dylan waxes philosophical about stars and the cosmos and such. Kelly confides that people see her as a screw-up because she’s screwed up a few times, and she wonders if it’s worth it to try to change. They’re better at making out than at the deep stuff, so they do that instead, but Kelly wants to move slowly.
Steve and Andrea wind up at the Peach Pit, where he offers to put up a reward in exchange for information on her hit-and-run driver. She tells him the school’s offering $250 for news on the break-in. Steve thinks that’s ridiculous since people will just make something up. Andrea tells him the detective on the case told her the trail is getting cold. She thinks that since there was no sign of an actual break-in, the culprit was hiding in the school or had access to keys. Herbert tries to pull Steve aside for a conversation, but Steve wants to avoid him.
Dottie calls for Jim, who asks her to bring some papers by for him to sign. This plot is stupid. Dylan and Kelly go out to dinner, and she says the next meal is on her. He’s pleased that she thinks there will be another date. There’s more making out, and then Dylan asks Kelly to spend the night with him. She seems to have completely forgotten about taking it slowly. As they leave the restaurant, all over each other, they run into Brenda and Rick. The three friends start fighting, and Rick is too dumb not to try to play peacemaker. Kelly ignores him and tells Brenda, who called her a bimbo, to go to Hell.
Dottie stops by the Walshes’, and she’s hot. (Brandon certainly thinks so.) Jim seems clueless to her level of attractiveness. Cindy thinks Dottie has the hots for Jim, and that Jim made himself look nice for her visit. He accuses her of being jealous. Jim promises that when he’s at work, he only thinks about work. If he’s not thinking about work, he’s thinking about his family and the Vikings. Rick takes Brenda home, and she tells him she feels betrayed by Dylan and Kelly. He encourages her to move on and look to the future. She says he sounds like Jim. Rick promises to make Brenda forget about Dylan.
Kelly goes home with Dylan but yells at him for encouraging her not to tell Brenda about them. She feels horrible for the way things ended up. Dylan really doesn’t care, since he got the girl he wanted. Kelly mentions that Dylan reminded Brenda that she broke up with him. She wonders if Dylan’s using her as a rebound. He points out that they were kissing on the beach before he was single (yeah, that’s the way to make this look better). Kelly declares the evening unsalvageable and leaves.
At school the next day, Andrea asks Brandon if he’s heard of the legacy key. Jay (her summer fling) thinks students have used it for years to get access to their grades. Andrea believes they’re looking at a conspiracy. Brandon goes straight to Steve to warn him that Andrea knows about the legacy key and could easily figure out his connection to it. He’s figured out that Steve was probably behind the break-in. Steve denies this, so Brandon asks him to turn in the person who gave him the key. Steve challenges him and Andrea to figure it out on their own.
Ms. Teasley informs Dylan that his SAT appeal has been denied; the proctor doesn’t remember his arrival and there’s no evidence to back up Dylan’s side of the story. He can either take the SAT again or take the case to court, but he’ll probably lose. Dylan doesn’t like either option. Kelly tells Brenda that she wanted to tell her about the two of them, but Dylan didn’t want to hurt her. Brenda blasts Kelly for lying under the pretense of protecting her. Kelly calls Rick boring, and Brenda says that at least she wasn’t someone’s second choice. “Neither was I,” Kelly replies. Before she can elaborate, they’re distracted by Dylan storming out dramatically.
Dottie calls the Walshes to let them know that Jim will be late for dinner. Cindy isn’t pleased. At the office, Dottie and her inappropriately bared cleavage ask Jim to put in a good word for her at the employment agency if she’s offered a permanent job. Then she tries to seduce him in what is obviously a fantasy. The real Dottie tells Jim there’s no rush to make a decision, and he tells her, “I’ll sleep with you – sleep on it.” Kelly tells David all about the Dylan saga, lamenting that she looks like the bad girl. David doesn’t think that’s how Dylan sees her. She calls Dylan, who doesn’t pick up.
Jim and Rick have a stimulating conversation about tax law and keyboards as Steve meets with Hutch for another payoff. Brenda has realized that a relationship with Rick isn’t a good idea; they don’t have anything in common. She was caught up in the romantic part of their fling but isn’t ready for the commitment he wants. Rick thinks Brenda is “the one.” Brenda tells him the timing isn’t right but claims it has nothing to do with Dylan. Rick asks her to hold on to his number.
Dylan winds up at the Peach Pit and fills Brandon in on the SAT developments. He thanks Brandon for his support and tells him he’s taking off for a while. Brandon’s worried that he’ll do something self-destructive, but Dylan’s leaving to avoid that. Meanwhile, Brenda calls him but can’t bring herself to leave a message.
Thoughts: Dylan, shut up. Why do you even care about the SAT? You don’t even want to go to college, remember?
You can tell Jim is all, “I LOVE RICK. HE IS NOT DYLAN.” It’s pretty funny.
Who takes a date to a planetarium? Is Dylan secretly Ross from Friends?
Is $250 a good reward for a school full of rich people? I’m going to say no.
Of course Cindy doesn’t like that Dottie’s pretty. Cindy’s a woman and that’s how women always act on TV.
Who dumps Dean Cain?? Honestly!
You know what would have been a good ending? Rick and Dottie end up together.
March 25, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 4.22, The Graduate: I Will Remember You
I look like a dork, but I'm a dork with a high school diploma! Whee!
Summary: The Capeside High seniors (minus Pacey) are gathered at the school for a run-through of their upcoming graduation ceremony. Joey won an award and gets to give a speech, which she hasn’t finished yet. Principal Peskin warns anyone thinking of pulling a prank (cough Drue cough) not to: “Security will be tighter than Ricky Martin’s pants.” Pacey arrives late for rehearsal, but Mitch tells him his graduation depends on how well he does on his last final. Since he might not be walking, he has to leave the rehearsal.
Doug follows Pacey as he heads home and expresses genuine sympathy over his situation. He offers to help Pacey study for his lit final. Pacey thinks the school should just let him graduate so they don’t have to put up with him anymore. Joey laments to Dawson that she and Pacey aren’t friends anymore; she knows he needs help but isn’t sure how to offer it. Dawson encourages her to let Pacey know she cares.
Tobey wants to have A Talk with Jack about what they mean to each other. He’s a little hurt that Jack won’t call him his boyfriend. Jack promises to say it at the appropriate time. Tobey’s also worried that “she” won’t like him, though “she” isn’t named. That night, Drue pulls a Joey, climbing a ladder to Jen’s bedroom window. He and his mother had a fight stemming from the news that his father won’t be attending his graduation. Jen lets him spend the night on her floor.
Pacey’s lit final is the next day, and it starts off badly with his pencil breaking. His teacher, Mr. Kasdan, taunts him for being unprepared. Pacey calls him on the comment, saying that his pencil breaking doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. He’s been working hard to graduate, but Mr. Kasdan hasn’t been helpful. Pacey’s not even sure why he’s bothered to try so hard for someone who doesn’t appreciate it. Instead of taking the test, he leaves.
Joey finds Pacey after school and asks what he plans to do. Pacey’s resigned to not graduating, but Joey wants him to figure things out. He points out that she’s no longer in his life to help him. He adds that he still loves her and probably will for a long time, but he can’t just be friends with her. Pacey wants to move on, which means not being around Joey. Joey asks about being friends after some time, but Pacey doesn’t want to think about the future.
At home, Joey works on her speech with no success. She tells Bessie about her unsuccessful attempt to help Pacey. Bessie gives her a letter their mother wrote to Joey just before she died. Joey needs some time before she reads it. Tobey accompanies Jack to the airport to pick up Andie, who has no idea who Tobey is. Jack picks this time to refer to Tobey as his boyfriend.
Jen comes home to find Drue in the kitchen with Grams, who’s invited him to spend another night if he’ll help them pack for their move. Drue wants Jen to take a “detour” with him that night before they go to a senior party. Joey stops by the Leerys’ with her mother’s letter, which she hasn’t been able to open. She can’t forget how her mother was in the last days of her illness. Dawson agrees to read the letter for her.
The letter congratulates Joey on graduating from high school and asks her to be proud of her family. She’s sure Bessie will take good care of her. Lillian knows that Joey will be a woman just like the girl she was as a child. Wherever Joey ends up, she should have happy memories of her life in Capeside, and she should always remember how much people from her childhood love her. After Dawson finishes the letter, the two of them sit in silence. That evening, everyone heads to the senior party, where Dawson and Joey reunite with Andie.
Mr. Kasdan goes to Pacey’s house and asks if he studied for his lit final. Pacey confirms this. Mr. Kasdan assures him that he’s not an idiot or a punchline – he’s why Mr. Kasdan teaches. The honors students will forget Mr. Kasdan as soon as they leave school, but Pacey won’t. He gives Pacey the exam and allows him to take it at home. Jen and Drue head to the school and reset the sprinklers so they’ll turn on during the graduation ceremony. They’re caught red-handed by Principal Peskin and a security guard.
At the party, Andie tells Dawson she’s sorry he and Gretchen broke up. He’s okay, which surprises him, since his last breakup didn’t go nearly as well. Dawson says that Joey was his first love but Gretchen was his first relationship, and she showed him what it’s like to truly love someone. Andie hopes someone will look back on her like that, and Dawson’s sure someone does. In fact, that someone has just arrived at the party after taking his last exam. Principal Peskin takes Jen and Drue to his house and makes them listen to him play the cello (badly).
Andie tells Pacey she’s sorry about what happened between him and Joey, but he assures her he’s okay. He wants to know what it was like for her to live on her own. She says that after some time in Italy, she realized that leaving Capeside wasn’t an end. Pacey tells her about his offer to spend the summer on a yacht, which he’s thinking about taking. He adds that he passed his last final but doesn’t feel like he needs to tell his friends about it to feel good. He wanted to share the news with Andie because she was the first person in his life to tell him he could be more than he was.
Joey and Pacey finally meet up, and he tells her he was “thinking about tomorrow.” He thinks he needs to go off and life his own life for a while. However, he doesn’t want things between them to end here. Pacey wonders what would happen if he one day asked a hypothetical woman he loved to come sailing with him. “You wouldn’t have to ask,” Joey replies. He tells her he’ll see her later.
The next morning, Pacey arrives at the school before everyone else to celebrate his graduation on his own. Bessie puts lipstick on Joey and asks if she read the letter. Joey doesn’t want to go into details since both of them will end up crying, so she just says that Lillian was right about Bessie doing a good job of taking care of her. Bessie’s sorry that Joey didn’t get to have a mom, but Joey says she had two.
Mitch and Gail give Dawson a watch inscribed with, “If you will, it is no dream.” Mitch’s friends have warned that Dawson is in for a tough road if he wants to make movies, but Mitch always tells them that they don’t know his son. Dawson thanks his parents for being awesome. Doug congratulates Pacey on his graduation and upcoming summer adventures. Pacey admits that he’s always looked up to Doug and thinks that one day he’ll make a woman very happy (though not sexually).
As everyone gathers for graduation, Andie tells Jack that for the first time in a long time, she’s very happy. He guesses that that means she’s planning to stay in Italy. She confirms that she’s deferring Harvard for a year to continue the life she’s made for herself. Grams laughs at Jen over her musical punishment, which she thinks was bad enough that Jen doesn’t need anything else. Besides, she’s too proud of Jen to do anything negative.
Dawson gets Joey to loosen up by making jokes about everyone’s graduation robes. Sometime into the ceremony, it’s time for her speech, which starts off talking about how everyone there feels the same right now. Joey continues that there are people in her life who are now gone but still with her in her heart. In time, they’ll only be memories to each other, either good or bad, and those memories will make them who they are. They need to remember each other and take Capeside with them.
Drue checks his watch, and the sprinklers go off right on schedule. The kids toss their caps early as Pacey heads off for his summer early.
Thoughts: Hey, everyone, it’s Andie! Remember Andie? Who used to be on this show? And who’s been mentioned maybe twice since she left? Yeah, that girl!
This is Drue’s last episode, which makes me very sad. But I will keep my memories of him in my heart, and he will always be with me.
I love that Joey told Dawson that her mother wrote the letter before she died. Otherwise this would be a very different show.
I can’t believe that with all the talk in this episode of people remembering people, they didn’t play Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” during the ceremony. On the other hand, I can’t really complain about them playing Eva Cassidy’s version of “Fields of Gold.” I love Eva Cassidy.
So Peskin and the security guard caught Drue messing with the sprinkler system but didn’t check to see what he did? Nice securing, security.
March 24, 2012
SVH Super Thriller, A Stranger in the House: Stranger Danger
This might be my favorite SVH cover. Doesn't he look like a soap villain?
Summary: Ten years ago, when Ned was an ADA, he put a man named John Marin in prison for kidnapping and killing two women. As he was taken away, Marin vowed revenge on the twins. Now Marin’s out, and he’s coming to collect.
(That summary sounds a lot more interesting than what actually happens.)
The twins are working as waitresses at a marina café for the summer. There’s a contest for tips, but that’s not important. Also, their boss keeps calling them the wrong names, but that also isn’t important. What’s important is that Ken is away and Elizabeth is once again bored with Todd, and both girls fall in love with new guys. Jessica’s guy is Scott, who’s interning for a TV mini-series to be set in a California high school. He starts hanging out with Jessica under the auspices of getting her input on the show. Elizabeth’s guy is Ben, a writer with a boat.
Unbeknownst (I have to use big words in this recap to make up for the brain cells I lost reading this book) to the twins, Ned keeps finding notes and various other clues indicating that Marin has been in the house. For example, Jessica’s lavaliere disappears, and Marin sends it to Ned to let him know how close he can get to the girls. Ned gets more and more freaked out, even though he has a private investigator watching the girls at work. He asks the twins if they’ve met any new people, but neither wants the other to know about her new guy, so they both say no.
There are also some red herrings other strange people hanging around the marina, like a creepy guy who keeps staring at the twins, and a sailor who always orders a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast. Since Ned hasn’t told the girls what’s going on, they have no reason to think that anyone’s a threat. Then one night Jessica sees someone with a knife in the storage room, and when the twins ID him as the creepy marina guy, they’re told it’s Marin. Only he’s been in lockup since the previous night. Oh, and he’s not really Marin, but a guy Marin hired to watch the twins, then planted the lavaliere on to frame him.
Ned goes to see the PI to find out about the mixup and instead finds him dead. Jessica heads home while Elizabeth goes out with Ben. The police go to the Wakefields’, and Ned finally tells Jessica about Marin. When she sees his mugshot, she realizes he’s Scott. But at least Elizabeth’s safe, since that means Ben is the real deal. Except he’s not, as another waitress IDs him as the same guy Jessica was seeing. Yes, both twins were dating a murderer who wanted to kill them. Neat!
The ending is the only good part of the book. The Coast Guard takes Jess, Ned, and some cops out to the boat Elizabeth and Ben are on. Elizabeth realizes her new man is no good and starts to jump overboard. She gets knocked out, but Jessica saves her. Marin jumps in a dinghy, which the police find shredded; they believe he was killed by sharks. The Wakefields go home…and are greeted by Marin, who escaped and was hiding in the basement. He knocks out Ned, but Ned eventually overpowers him and Marin goes back to prison. Supposedly…
Thoughts: It kind of makes sense that both twins would fall in love with a killer. We already knew Jessica was a horrible judge of character, and Elizabeth is totally the kind of person who would write letters to a serial killer.
Elizabeth: “Somehow I’m going to find a way to have a summer full of adventure, risk, and life experiences!” Didn’t you have that last summer, when you went to London and almost got murdered? Wasn’t that enough for you? Maybe you should stop dating killers.
Someone needs to write a book where Marin and Margo team up. It would be the best SVH book ever.
“He’s a writer, for heaven’s sake. What could be duller than that?” I’d say something mean about Jessica for that, but I’m too busy deconstructing Proust so I can experience his work through a post-modern lens.
I liked the horror movie-ish twist toward the end, with Marin coming back, but they should have ended the book with him escaping, not getting arrested. They needed a cliffhanger to lead into the next book.
March 18, 2012
BH90210 3.12, Destiny Rides Again: Danger! Danger!
Sorry I couldn't find one of Dean Cain's face. Or abs
Summary: Brenda, Kelly, and Donna are at the video store (remember those?), trying to find something to watch. David’s wandering around in the adult section. As Donna pulls him away, they run into her priest, Father Chris, who jokes, “So I see you’re looking for musical comedies.” He suggests that she stop by for a talk sometime. Suddenly another familiar face appears: Rick. Brenda can’t leave the store without encountering him, so she asks her friends to play along with whatever she says and does.
Rick has transferred to UCLA, and Brenda tells him she’s visiting a relative. He tells her he waited a long time for her in Paris. He wants to give her a tour of L.A., but she says she’s only in town for a couple of days. Rick thinks it’s fate that they’ve run into each other. Brenda says she’s staying with her aunt and uncle, the Walshes. He calls her there that night, and she has to play French in front of Jim, Cindy, and Brandon.
Kelly paints her bedroom black, leading Jackie to think something’s wrong. Kelly admits that she feels alone since she’s single. She adds that she keeps falling in love with the wrong guys. Jackie notes that she’s been married five times and knows you can’t control who you fall in love with. David and Donna make out on her bed, and the discussion turns to taking things further. Donna still isn’t sure if she’s ready for sex. She always thought she would wait until she was married, but her body feels differently. David warns that he probably won’t be able to wait that long.
Everyone discusses their SAT scores at school, and Steve admits to Brandon that he did really badly on his and probably won’t be able to go to USC. Brandon isn’t all that sympathetic. Steve spots his freshman buddy Herbert fixing a computer and offers him a ticket to a Raiders game. They start talking about computers, then the grade banks at school, then the possibility of Herbert breaking into a grade bank. Herbert would only need an active server, which would mean breaking into the school. Steve notes that he can make that happen (thank you, legacy key).
After putting in some time on the Blaze, Andrea walks home. Or she would walk home if she weren’t hit by a car that then drives off. She winds up in the hospital with casts on both legs. Brandon visits and surprisingly doesn’t arrange a posse to go after the hit-and-run driver. Steve bugs Herbert about helping him, noting that he could be the next recipient of the legacy key. Herbert gives in, so Steve uses his ultra-’90s cell phone to get the password he needs, then runs off laughing hysterically.
Nikki tells Brandon, Donna, and David that she has tickets to a televised AIDS benefit Rosie O’Donnell is hosting that night. They all agree to go together. Dylan goes over to the Walshes’, where Brenda’s finalizing a date the next day with Rick. Dylan’s SAT scores are in, and they’re so good that he’s being accused of cheating. Jim thinks he should just take the test again. Dylan refuses since he has nothing to prove.
Brandon, Nikki, David, and Donna visit Andrea, then go to the benefit, where Rosie gives a little PSA about sex. She asks the teens in the audience to share their first sexual experiences. Brandon and Nikki are put on the hot seat, and they admit that they’ve had sex, just not with each other yet. Donna announces that she’s a virgin and plans to wait to have sex. Rosie asks her to tell her mom that she did a good job raising her (ha! Clearly Rosie has never met Felice), and she shouldn’t let David pressure her.
At Dylan’s, Brenda bugs him about retaking the SAT. He asks if she believes that he didn’t cheat. She does, since he’s always been honest with her. That’s part of the reason she told him about Rick (or part of the truth about Rick, at least). Dylan comes clean that there was “a girl” over the summer. Brenda’s mad that he didn’t tell her sooner. She wants to know who the girl was, but Dylan says it doesn’t matter.
David and Donna wind up back at her house, and since her parents are out of town, he’d like to spend the night (but not do anything). They fall asleep together and she dreams about going with a Communion class to the adult section of the video store. One of the girls tells Donna she can’t go in because she’s “just a little girl.” Donna goes to church with the girls and asks Father Chris if God will still love her if she sleeps with her boyfriend. He says God will love her but her parents will be disappointed. Donna wakes up and tells David he has to go home.
Brenda gets ready for her date with Rick, asking Cindy to play along. She promises she won’t be seeing Rick again after today. Rick wants to go to the Peach Pit, and of course Brandon is working that day. He and Nat play along with Brenda’s story that Brandon’s her cousin. But Brenda finally snaps and tells Rick who she really is. She storms out but comes back a few moments later to apologize for lying to Rick. He apparently doesn’t care and just wants to make out.
Donna goes to church to get some counseling from Father Chris. He asks her what her heart wants her to do. He tells her that love and virginity are gifts; she needs to decide who to give those gifts to. He promises that God will still love her no matter what she does. Donna remembers that he told her the same thing when she was younger.
Rick takes Brenda home and asks to see her again the next day. He doesn’t see Dylan as any kind of obstacle. He thinks he and Brenda have something powerful, and he doesn’t want to lose her a second time. Brenda tries to get him to leave, and Rick guesses that she’s seeing Dylan that night. He tells her to make sure it’s worth bucking the odds.
David’s upset that Donna talked to a priest about their sex life. She tells him she wants to wait until they’re out of high school, then discuss sex again if they’re still together. David promises that he’s not going anywhere and is okay with just making out. Brandon visits Andrea again and learns that the police still don’t have a suspect in her hit-and-run. He assures her that her friends will take care of her while she’s wheelchair-bound.
Brenda bugs Dylan again about retaking the SAT, asking why everything has to be a battle with him. He tells her to leave him alone if she’s not going to support him. Brenda notes that their problems obviously aren’t about the SAT. She tells him Rick came to L.A. and she spent the day with him. She loves Dylan, but they need a “rest.” And just like that, Brenda and Dylan are no more.
That night, Steve and Herbert use the legacy key to get into the school and subsequently the grade bank. Herbert starts to change Steve’s grades, but the computer locks him out, then goes black. Kelly can’t decide on colors for her room, telling Jackie she’s going through some changes. Jackie notes that paint colors aren’t that important.
Brenda calls to tell Kelly that she and Dylan broke up, and that Dylan dated someone over the summer but didn’t tell her who. Kelly wonders if they broke up because Brenda wants to be with Rick. There’s a knock on Kelly’s door, and she thinks it’s David, but it’s actually Dylan (not that she tells Brenda that). He agrees with Brenda that they should start seeing other people, and he specifically thinks he should start seeing Kelly.
Thoughts: The priest is played by Gregory Itzin (24, The Mentalist, Big Love, Covert Affairs, Murder One, The Ides of March). I wouldn’t have recognized him without seeing his name in the credits.
The irony of Dylan insisting “I did not cheat” isn’t lost on me, show.
From what I’ve read, the breakup came about because Luke Perry couldn’t take working with Shannen Doherty anymore. If it’s true, he hid the animosity well in their scenes together.
When the computer freezes, Steve smacks the monitor and all I could think of was Zoolander.
Kelly, I know he’s cute, but a guy who would make a move on you five minutes after breaking up with your best friend is not a guy you want to be with. Not that you were any better for hooking up with him while he was still dating your best friend. I’m just saying, you’re putting a lot on the line here.
March 17, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 4.21, Separation Anxiety: Can’t Let Go
Well, of course this is where they end up
Summary: Jen wants to know all about Jack and Tobey’s love life, as they’re planning to go on another date. Drue gives them their yearbooks and shows them the “class couple” photo of Joey and Pacey. Jen and Jack wonder if they’ve seen it yet and if they’re talking. Drue wonders if anyone other than them cares. (I love you, Drue.) They don’t think Joey and Pacey have even talked since prom, and Dawson and Gretchen probably haven’t either. Jack says the latter couple is less likely to get back together than the former couple. Drue proposes a bet.
Dawson finishes up his Mr. Brooks movie before sending it off to USC. Gail asks if he’s okay with how he and Gretchen left things, telling him she gave notice at the restaurant and is leaving town. Since she didn’t tell Dawson, he figures she doesn’t want him to know. Gail suggests that he ask her to sign his yearbook, which is possibly the dumbest thing she’s ever said. Pacey gets Gretchen’s car ready for her trip and asks if she’s talked to Dawson. They note that they would probably feel better if they dealt with their exes, but that doesn’t mean they’re actually going to.
Jen is stunned to find a Realtor in her house, showing people around. Grams never mentioned that she’s selling the house. At the yacht club, Joey runs into Mr. Kubelik, the advisor from her future college, and he asks after Pacey. He and the dean have an offer for him. This means Joey will have to bring him to a party the next night. Jen confronts Grams about selling the house, which she thinks is necessary so Grams can afford her tuition. Grams confirms this, but announces that she also plans to move to a retirement community.
Dawson stops by the restaurant and actually asks Gretchen to sign his yearbook. He’s upset that she was going to leave without saying goodbye. She’s decided to go back to college, and will leave the day after tomorrow to take a little road trip before classes start. Dawson’s stunned that it’s happening so fast. Gretchen asks to keep his yearbook for a little while so she can think about what she wants to write in it.
Joey goes to the beach house and relays Mr. Kubelik’s message to Pacey. Pacey blurts that he misses her, and she says she misses him, too. He doesn’t think they’re supposed to end up like this. Joey asks him to go to the party with her, and he accepts. The next day, Gretchen advises Pacey not to go, though he notes that a woman who’s running away from her problems isn’t the best source of advice. He wants a sign, and if he gets an offer to go to Worthington, he’ll know he’s supposed to be with Joey. He tells Gretchen how glad he is that she came home this year.
Grams takes Jen to visit the retirement community she wants to move to. Grams gets lectured about not having a pass to get in. Mitch watches Dawson’s movie, which he loves, and says he’s sure USC will beg Dawson to join their film program. Mitch thinks Dawson and Mr. Brooks were alike because of the way they went after what they wanted. He thinks Mr. Brooks was an inspiration, and Dawson starts to see the same thing.
As Pacey picks Joey up for the party, Jen tells Grams there’s no way she’s moving to the retirement community. It’s too big of a sacrifice. Grams sees it as a gift instead. Jen wishes she’d applied for loans instead of letting Grams spend all her money on her tuition. She announces that she’s not going to Boston and she’s not letting Grams sell the house. At the party, Joey and Pacey try to pretend that they’re totally okay being there together.
Dawson goes to the beach house and tells Gretchen he wants to go with her. If he doesn’t, he’ll always wonder what could have happened if they hadn’t let everything else (college, Joey, etc.) get in the way. He wants to go off together and see what happens. Gretchen notes that he hasn’t gone to graduation yet, but Dawson doesn’t see the point. She still thinks the idea is crazy; that’s what appeals to him. He kisses her and tells her to just say yes. She does.
Dawson goes back home to write a goodbye letter to his parents, but he has to stop to watch Lily. Since he has no friends, apparently, he has to talk to a baby about his issues. He’s tired of putting his happiness aside for everyone else. Pacey meets Worthington’s dean of admissions, who’s chartering Mr. Kubelik’s yacht for the summer. The men want Pacey to work as a deckhand. Pacey’s disappointed that that was the offer they wanted to extend to him.
Jen shares her new plan with Jack: go to a state college for a year or two to save up money, then transfer to Boston Bay College to be with Jack. She points out that Grams took her in and took care of her, so Jen can’t turn her back. Jack admires her selflessness, but also thinks it’s pretty convenient since now she won’t have to leave Capeside. He knows she’s scared because she’s leaving the only place where she’s only felt safe, as well as the only person who’s ever taken care of her.
Pacey tells Joey about the yacht offer, and she decides it’s time for them to leave. He thinks she should stay since she’s so comfortable with the people she’s about to spend the next four years with. This is her life now, and she needs to enjoy it. Joey says she wouldn’t be able to enjoy it without him and leads him off.
Gretchen stops by the Leerys’, where Dawson has enjoyed spending the evening alone with his new sister. He wonders if Lily and Alexander will wind up with a Dawson/Joey friendship. Gretchen asks about Dawson’s goodbye letter, but he’s still working on it. She notes that his letter to Joey will be even harder to write. She heads back to the beach house to finish packing and cleaning. He wishes her luck and they kiss goodbye. Pacey takes Joey home, but she wants to spend the night at his house.
In the morning, Grams asks Jen if Jack talked her out of her plans. Jen pretends she doesn’t want to talk about it, then asks Grams if she’d like to move to Boston. Grams doesn’t want Jen to change things for her. Jen admits that she’s scared to go to school away from home, so if Grams is there, she’ll feel better. Grams has no idea what she would do in Boston. Jen says a change of scenery might inspire her.
Joey finds Pacey at the marina and apologizes for making him go to the party. He tells her that nothing that’s happened is her fault, including their breakup (though that’s not what he said at the prom). He feels horrible for blaming her for his insecurities and making her feel guilty for her accomplishments. Pacey’s proud of her and wishes he’d shown it. He admits that at the party, he was jealous of all the people who will get to spend next year with Joey. She thinks what happened was a sign.
Dawson packs but is clearly unsure of his decision. He goes to the beach house to meet Gretchen but instead finds his yearbook, which includes a photo of him and Gretchen, plus her message. She wrote that as much as she needs to leave, he needs to stay. He also needs to say a proper goodbye to this chapter of his life. Gretchen’s already in love with Dawson and doesn’t need a road trip to know it. He’ll never know how much he means to her. Joey and Dawson wind up by the water together and ask about each other’s weeks, but neither elaborates on what happened. She asks what he’s doing this summer. “This,” he replies.
Thoughts: Asking your college-age girlfriend to sign your high school yearbook is about as lame as you can get.
Why are they throwing a party in Capeside for freshmen at a college in Boston? How many Capeside students got into Worthington? Do they do this in every city with freshmen going to Worthington? Why am I thinking about this so much?
Work on a yacht sailing around islands for the summer? Say yes, Pacey.
I take it Mr. Brooks didn’t leave Grams any money? Boo.
March 15, 2012
BSC #97, Claudia and the World’s Cutest Baby: Lynnsanity
I don't know about the baby, but the nursery's pretty cute
Summary: Claudia’s Aunt Peaches has her baby and Claudia quickly loses her mind. It doesn’t help that the baby is named Lynn, Claudia’s middle name, and Peaches and Russ ask her to be the baby’s godmother. She becomes obsessed with the kid, inviting herself over all the time and teaching her aunt and uncle how to parent. Peaches reacts in a way that some would describe as mean but that I would describe as totally appropriate: She tells Claudia to stop being a know-it-all.
Claudia doesn’t realize how nuts she was until she goes on a class trip to Philadelphia. One of her classmates, Melissa, is basically obsessed with her and keeps following her around. Claudia just wants to hang out with Stacey and Abby, but the girls are too nice to say anything to Melissa.
Melissa and Claudia get lost in Philly, pretty much because Melissa’s a know-it-all (are you sensing a pattern here?), and Claudia gets mad at her. Melissa later apologizes for being a pest and Claudia realizes she was being a pest to Peaches. Peaches forgives her and asks her to be a little more considerate and maybe call before she comes over.
In the B-plot, the Arnold twins keep watching horror movies and having nightmares. One night when Mary Anne’s babysitting, they watch a making-of feature on one of the movies, and the twins are fascinated by how all the special effects are done. They get really interested in becoming directors and make a movie with Kristy. It starts out kind of stupid, but I liked the resolution.
Thoughts: No way is Claudia too dumb to know who Bach was.
She does, however, know that “hermano” is Spanish for “brother,” so she’s smarter than anyone with the last name Bluth.
The baby gets Claudia’s middle name and Claudia for a godmother. If I were Janine, I’d be pretty ticked.
I’d love to know where Claudia got the money to buy so much stuff for Lynn and Peaches. I mean, a fully-stocked diaper bag? No 13-year-old has that kind of cash; I don’t care how much sitting she does.
March 13, 2012
BH90210 3.11, A Presumption of Innocence: A Girl Named Sue
If Sue weren't traumatized, I would totally say something about her shirt (Donna's is cute, though)
Summary: It’s Dylan’s birthday, and his friends celebrate with him at the Peach Pit. Blowing out the candles sends him into a coughing fit. Nikki tries to get Brandon to dance, but fortunately for us, he declines. (We aren’t so lucky with regards to David.) Gil comes in and Andrea hassles him about giving her a B+. Sue shows up next with some skeezy guy and chats with Gil, asking if she has to take her clothes off to get a decent grade from him. He tells her to come to class once in a while.
At home, Sue tries to erase all traces of her inappropriate clothing, but her mother (who we met in “The Next 50 Years”) busts her for being late. She tells Sue that her uncle Henry is coming to visit the next day and will be the first person allowed to stay in Scott’s former bedroom, let alone touch any of his things. Sue isn’t happy about it.
In the school office the next day, Donna runs into Sue and confronts her about her behavior with David at the dance. Sue says she’ll stay away from him, but Donna doesn’t want her to feel like she has to. She just wants Sue to remember that there’s a difference between romantic love and affection from a friend who’s as close as a family member. Sue angrily says she knows all about that.
Nikki informs Steve, David, and Brenda that she’s taking Brandon to a dance club. They find that hilarious. Brandon tries to get Brenda and Dylan to tag along, but Dylan isn’t feeling well. Sue rants to Gil about her mother getting on her about her grades, then says that sometimes she feels like she’s the Scanlon who should have died. Instead of immediately taking her to a counselor, Gil tries to cheer her up, telling her she’s special and hugging her. Minutes later, Andrea sees Sue run out of the classroom crying.
The next day, Gil gets a note from the office that shakes him up. He leaves in the middle of class and skips a Blaze staff meeting. Brandon asks David for dance lessons (NOOOOOOO! BRANDON, DON’T DO IT!) as Brenda orders Dylan to see a doctor. His pediatrician tells him the water he’s been surfing in isn’t as clean as he thinks it is.
Gil is still MIA from school, so Brandon considers going to his house to see him. Brenda informs him and Dylan that Gil “has been relieved of his duties pending an investigation.” The charge is sexual misconduct with a female student. Brandon and Dylan drive to Gil’s place, and while Dylan hangs out near the water, Brandon urges Gil to fight the charges. Gil doesn’t want to, since keeping quiet will make his accuser’s mother drop the charges.
Andrea tells Sue she saw her leaving Gil’s classroom, then suggests that she see a peer counselor. Sue tells her no one can understand how she feels. Andrea says she once had a teacher she thought she was falling for. (I completely forgot about that guy until just this minute.) After promising to keep everything confidential, Andrea gets Sue to open up.
Later, Andrea goes to the Walshes’ to see Brandon, but he’s still gone. Brenda knows Sue’s involved in the accusations; it’s all over school. She fills Andrea in on the Scanlons’ issues. She also doesn’t think Sue is completely innocent in the situation. Brandon shows up and tells the girls that he thinks Sue’s charges are bogus; otherwise Mrs. Scanlon wouldn’t just let things go. Andrea argues that there have been no unfounded claims of sexual abuse at West Beverly. She slams Brandon for blaming the victim and thinking Gil’s innocent just because he’s a guy.
After Andrea leaves, Brenda tells Brandon that whether Sue is always truthful or not, she doesn’t seem capable of lying to screw up someone’s life. David arrives for David’s dance lessons, but Brandon doesn’t have time. He tries to use the Gil/Sue situation as an excuse not to go to the club the next night. Brenda promises to keep quiet about David coming over for dance lessons if Brandon agrees to go to the club. She wants him to loosen up and enjoy being with Nikki.
Gil goes to West Beverly to collect his things and runs into Andrea. She rips into him for taking advantage of Sue when she had a crush on him. Gil swears that he didn’t do anything wrong. Andrea doesn’t think kids make up things like sexual abuse. She also thinks he’s doing the wrong thing by running away. He’s protecting Sue even though his teaching career is on the line. Gil says he likes working with young people, and Andrea shoots back that he might like it a little too much. Gil replies that he wouldn’t be able to live with two suicides on his conscience.
Gil elaborates that at his first teaching job, one of his students fell in love with him, but he pushed her away and stayed professional. She killed herself and blamed him in her suicide note. Gil doesn’t want to call Sue a liar; he’s happy enough knowing the truth. Andrea wants Gil to help Sue, but he thinks he’s the last person who can.
Dylan and Gil run into each other on the beach and give us an environmental PSA. Dylan says that he would run away if he were accused of something he didn’t do, so he admires Gil for sticking around. Gil tells him that some things aren’t all black and white. He wonders if he’s to blame for giving Sue the wrong message.
The other kids go to a club (no eggs are exchanged this time), where Brandon lets Nikki dance with other guys because it means he doesn’t have to do anything. She has fun for a while but clearly would rather spend the time with Brandon. She asks Donna and Steve if he’s ever going to get over his dancing issues. Steve tells her to offer him an incentive, in the form of dancing with him to make Brandon jealous. It works.
At school, Sue invites Andrea to dinner at her house that night. Andrea’s confused but accepts. Steve tries to make up with Brandon, who knows Nikki’s really the one he’s mad at. Nikki tells Brandon that there are some differences she can deal with in a relationship, but there are some she can’t. She offers Brandon a private dance lesson (is that what the kids are calling it?), promising to shut up about it if he really doesn’t have any rhythm. Meanwhile, Dylan PSAs some more.
Andrea shows up at the Scanlons’ for dinner, but Sue won’t let her in and tries to disinvite her. Mrs. Scanlon invites her in, happy that her daughter has a visitor. Andrea chats with Mrs. Scanlon and Uncle Henry as Sue stands by uncomfortably. Over at the Walshes’, Brandon turns his dance lesson into a slow dance, and Jim and Cindy should really make him keep his bedroom door open when he has a girl over.
Dinner at the Scanlons’ gets really uncomfortable when Sue tells her mother she doesn’t want to watch home movies featuring Scott. Mrs. Scanlon tells Andrea that Sue hasn’t been the same since what happened with Gil. Henry wants to know exactly what happened and what Sue accused Gil of. He thinks she did something to make Gil think he could make a move. Andrea defends Sue, but Sue admits that she was the one who tried to seduce Gil.
Sometime later, Gil is reinstated at West Beverly and everyone’s happy. Andrea admits to Brandon that for once, she’s glad she was wrong. Kelly makes sure Dylan’s okay, because that sexual tension hasn’t been resolved yet. Andrea apologizes to Gil for jumping to conclusions, though he appreciates that she gave him some things to think about. He asks Andrea to help Sue in any way she can.
Andrea drops by the Scanlons’ but Mrs. Scanlon won’t let her in. Andrea turns to Brenda, who was Sue’s senior buddy, asking her to help get someone in the house. They ask Donna, who in turn asks David to come with her and get her invited in. Mrs. Scanlon invites Donna and David to stay for dinner, telling them that the family’s moving to be near her family in Oklahoma. Donna doesn’t get why everyone’s acting like things are awesome.
Donna pulls Sue aside and offers to listen if she wants to talk. Sue tells her everything’s fine since her family is so great. While they eat, David tells Donna that Henry was once Scott’s favorite uncle, but the last time Scott went to Oklahoma to visit him, something happened and Scott started hating him. Sue also seems to have a problem with Henry.
Donna finds Sue crying in Scott’s room and again offers to listen. She keeps thinking about what Andrea said about kids not making up stories about sexual abuse; the stories have to come from somewhere. Sue tells her she doesn’t know who started it, but there was kissing and touching, and she tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her go. Donna asks why she took back her story if Gil wasn’t innocent. Sue tells her it wasn’t Gil – it was Henry.
Donna takes Sue outside to tell her mother the truth. Later, she, David, Brenda, and Andrea discuss the situation at the Peach Pit. Sue decided to come clean because she was afraid Henry would move on to her little sister. Dylan shows up for some more PSA-ing, and Brandon and Nikki briefly stop by before going to a club. David’s surprised, so Brandon tells him that now that he knows how dancing makes Nikki feel, he’s all for it.
Thoughts: I haven’t seen Nicholle Tom in much outside this show, so I don’t really have a frame of reference for her acting, but she’s really good in this episode.
DAVID, STOP DANCING.
Ug, of course Andrea’s one of those a-B+-is-not-good-enough girls. There were a bunch of them in my high school and they drove me crazy. Some of them would complain about getting an A- and ask if they could do something to get extra credit. People are weird.
They make a big deal about Dylan being 18 now, so why is he still seeing a pediatrician? Though I got to see Dylan hold a stuffed animal in a doctor’s office decorated for children, so maybe I should just shut up.
No way can a high school teacher afford a place on the beach. Does this show just think everyone’s rich (except Andrea)?
There’s never been an unfounded sexual-abuse claim at West Beverly? Um…how many claims have there been?
Dancing as a dealbreaker? I don’t get it.
Hey, let’s end an episode about incest with a stupid Brandon moment! I thought they’d handled the topic pretty well until then. Once again, Brandon ruins everything.
March 11, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 4.20, Promicide: What’s With This Show and Boats?
The calm before the storm
Summary: Bessie’s altering Joey’s prom dress, though Joey thinks prom is a bad idea, considering what happened last year. Pacey asks her to pick up their tickets since he isn’t allowed to buy them due to his poor grades. He wants to make prom night perfect for Joey, who tells him he doesn’t have to go overboard. Then he accidentally rips her zipper.
Over at Jen’s, Tobey tells her and Jack about a past prom experience where he came out to his date and she tried to turn him (quite aggressively). After he leaves, Jen urges Jack to ask him to the prom since they’re getting along so well. She’s sure Tobey wants him to ask. Jack was burned too badly by last year’s drama and doesn’t want to lead Tobey on.
Jen and Gretchen try on dresses while Dawson and Jack try on tuxes. Gretchen is excited to revisit her high school years with Dawson before heading to Boston. Joey thinks Jen has been sad since they got back from New York, though Jen claims she feels good about her life. Jack warns Dawson to “be careful” if he and Gretchen decide to have sex on prom night. Joey confides in Jen about her pregnancy scare, adding that she feels like Pacey’s being hands-off.
Dawson and Gretchen run into each other and she tells him she didn’t get the job in Boston partly because she doesn’t have a college degree. Now she’s not sure what she’s going to do. Dawson tells her she can skip prom, but she wants him to have a good experience. Jen tells Tobey that Jack wants to ask him to the prom but is afraid of being rejected. Tobey doesn’t think Jack’s interested, so Jen says that Jack begged her to come talk to Tobey.
Joey and Pacey wind up alone at the B&B, but Pacey’s uninterested in taking advantage of the circumstances. Jack calls Jen, who scrambles to excuse her actions, noting that Jack set her and Henry up. Jack assures her that he’s not upset, though he was a little ticked when Tobey called and said his answer (to an unasked question) was yes. Jack has decided to enact revenge, in the form of telling Drue that Jen wants to go to the prom with him.
On prom night, Mitch and Gail take pictures of Dawson as he tells Lily that their parents may seem weird but they’re actually cool. Joey arrives and Dawson’s parents take pictures of the two of them together. Dawson tells her that he’s glad they’ve wound up where they are after the past year. Gretchen and Pacey meet their significant others, but Pacey feels bad because he didn’t refrigerate the corsages. Dawson takes flowers from Gail’s garden instead.
As Drue joins the others at the Leerys’ house, Jack nervously picks up Tobey. When they get to the Leerys’, Jen complains to Jack about Drue, but he tells her she should have thought about the consequences of her actions ahead of time. Both of them announce that they’re going to have fun tonight no matter what. Jen gives herself a little liquid courage to help with that. Pacey also promises Joey a good night. Then the kids’ limo (arranged by Pacey) arrives, but it’s a piece of junk.
The kids stop at a convenience store, where Drue tries to get Gretchen to buy some alcohol. Jack and Tobey realize they both love Sno-Balls. Jen offers Pacey some booze, but Pacey tells her his dad and brother will make him take a breathalyzer later. He thinks she’s drinking because of Drue; she says she has other things to worry about. Pacey doesn’t get how their friends can be so care-free when their future plans aren’t going to work out. Inside, Joey catches Dawson buying condoms.
Everyone heads to the boat where prom is being held, and Dawson jokes that if anyone questions why Gretchen’s there, she can say she’s a chaperone. Jen snaps at Drue for following her, and he tells her Jack gave him $50 to stalk her all night. Jack and Tobey talk about their exes, and Jack is clearly loosening up.
Speaking of loosening up, that’s what Joey tries to get Pacey to do, since she thinks something’s wrong. He denies this, though she’s noticed that he’s been pretending everything’s perfect since he got back from his “camping trip.” Pacey says he’s trying to be who Joey wants him to be so she can have the perfect prom experience. She reminds him that she hasn’t said anything about wanting things to be perfect. Pacey blasts her for getting mad whether he’s acting happy or unhappy.
Drue finds a drunk Jen on the deck and tries to take her booze. She sits on the railing and tells him she won’t confide in him because he doesn’t care. Drue encourages her to talk, so she tells him about her visit to New York. He’s worried about her sitting on the railing but can’t convince her to come down.
Gretchen goes outside so Dawson can talk to Joey, who’s upset about her argument with Pacey. Joey insists she’s fine and doesn’t want to talk, especially about the condoms. Dawson admits that he and Gretchen haven’t had sex but might tonight. Joey asks if he’s in love with her. Dawson only knows that it “feels right.” Joey’s glad that his first time is going to be with Gretchen. Dawson says he waited so long because he wanted to find someone he loved as much as Joey, then realized that wouldn’t happen. Joey says she’ll probably never love anyone the way she loved him either.
Pacey finds Gretchen trying to drown her sorrows; she’s upset because she graduated high school four years ago and is still at the prom. For the first time since she and Dawson got together, she feels too old to be doing what she’s doing. Pacey says that since he’s technically still a junior, he shouldn’t be there. He admits that he’s been angry with Joey, though he’s not sure why. Gretchen urges him to talk to her, noting that they’re trapped on a boat together, so he might as well try.
Tobey wants to dance with Jack, but Jack’s insistent that everything remain platonic. Tobey thinks he’s trying to fight his feelings, telling Jack to figure things out or risk losing something great. Pacey and Gretchen see Joey and Dawson dancing together comfortably, so of course there’s going to be drama about that.
When the song’s over, Pacey tells Joey that when she was with Dawson, she looked happier than she has in weeks. The problem is that Pacey didn’t feel angry or jealous – in fact, he didn’t feel anything. He just has one question: “Why are you with me?” Pacey feels like a charity project. Joey tries to tell him that it’s not about him, but he yells that it obviously is. He feels inferior when he’s with her, but he’s realizing that that’s not his fault.
Pacey rants that the whole evening almost collapsed because he screwed up. Joey says again that she didn’t ask for anything and doesn’t care about the problems. He yells that he wants her to care. He doesn’t feel like he’s trapped on the boat, but that he’s trapped in their relationship, and he can’t take it anymore. “When I’m with you, I feel like I’m nothing!” he says. Pacey has stopped touching her because it reminds him that he’s not good enough. Joey tells him to go to hell.
Drue keeps trying to get Jen down from the railing, but she still refuses. She almost pulls an Abby, but he catches her and pulls her back onto the deck. Joey cries to Dawson that she doesn’t know why Pacey said what he did since that’s not her. Drue thinks Jen should go back to New York since she’s become a lightweight. She doesn’t want to go back, and she feels like she’s changed but doesn’t want to admit it. Drue tells her not to go backwards when she can go forward. He suggests Boston for college since he’s going to be there.
Jack apologizes to Tobey, admitting that his feelings took him by surprise. When they first met, Tobey was so out that it was all Jack could see about him. Now he’s seen more, and the one thing that turned him off before is just another thing Jack likes about him. They kiss, then go dance.
Dawson finally gets back to Gretchen, who has figured out what she needs to do with her life: go back to college and figure out who she is. Capeside isn’t her place, and Dawson isn’t for her. He’s still chasing after Joey. They need to tie up their loose ends. Dawson isn’t ready for them to be over, but Gretchen says they have an “impossible situation.” He may be good at them, but she’s not.
Pacey tracks down Joey and tells her that he used to think he could give her what other people couldn’t: a wall, a summer on his boat, the night on the ski trip. Now he hates himself, and being with her makes it worse. The more Joey loves him, the angrier he gets. Pacey’s failures don’t have anything to do with her, but if they stay together, he’ll keep taking them out on her. Joey notes that the way he treats her is in his power.
Pacey continues that their senior year is basically over, and they’re different people on different paths. They won’t have a boat trip this summer. Soon one of them will be in Boston while the other stays in Capeside. Joey’s spent her whole life trying to get out of Capeside, but that’s who Pacey is, and she deserves better. She doesn’t like this reasoning and tells him to leave her alone.
As the limo takes the kids home, Jack offers Drue his agreed-upon dating fee, but Drue declines it. No one’s talking to anyone else. The driver asks if they want to go to an after-party, but no one responds.
Thoughts: Yeah, I bet Gail lost the baby weight that fast.
I like Joey’s prom dress. It’s kind of simple, but it makes sense that she wouldn’t want anything too flashy. And I love that shade of purple.
Drue: “Oh, cool, a baby. Can I hold it?” Dawson, Joey, Mitch, Gail, Gretchen: “No.” An easy joke, but I laughed.
I can’t believe none of the girls got her hair done. Maybe there wasn’t enough money in the budget for a hairstylist?
This episode aired in May, but you can see everyone’s breath. Couldn’t they have edited that out in post-production? Maybe they still didn’t have enough money even after not paying hairstylists.
No way would Jen not have been searched for alcohol before getting on the boat, after what she pulled on the ski trip.
