December 26, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 6.23, All Good Things…: The Beginning of the End
Say goodbye to this, because you won’t see it again
Summary: Two Dawson- and Joey-ish teenagers have a Dawson- and Joey-ish conversation in a room that looks a lot like Dawson’s. The guy’s name is Colby, and he wants to make sure the girl, Sam, is only friends with his best friend, Petey. Joey’s watching this on TV, on a show Dawson executive produces. When it’s over, a guy happily turns off the TV and complains about the writing. Apparently he’s a writer and Joey is his editor. He hates that she watches the show, but she thinks he secretly likes the show, too.
Dawson talks to someone about an episode they’re working on, then goes into a meeting with the writers, who are trying to figure out if Sam should be with Colby or Petey. They think putting her with Petey would be a good way to break the idea of “destiny.” As Dawson heads off to another task, we get exposition that he’ll be going to a wedding the next day. In Capeside, Doug pulls Jack over for speeding on his way to school. Jack asks if there’s something he can do to keep from getting points on his license. Doug kisses him, because they’re dating, because Doug is, in fact, gay after all. Uh-huh.
Pacey runs the rebuilt Icehouse and is still sleeping with older women, this time a married menu designer who totally looks like Gail. From her office, Joey calls whoever’s getting married and says she hopes the person liked the curtains she sent. She won’t be able to make it to Capeside for the wedding. Instead, she’s going away with the writer, Christopher. Her coworker approves of her decision to skip the wedding.
Jack’s class is one he teaches at Capeside High; he has his students reading Whitman and tries to get a jock to be comfortable reading about homosexuality. Jen shows up with her baby daughter, and contributes to some exposition – Jack and Doug have been dating for six months, but Doug is still in the closet, so they have to pretend they’re not together. Joey packs for her weekend with Christopher and finds a ring in his drawer.
The next day, Doug eats at the Icehouse, which he helped Pacey get. Pacey bugs him about Jack, encouraging him to be more comfortable with himself. Doug counters by bugging him about his not-so-secret girlfriend, Maddy. He also exposits that Pacey is 25, so five years have passed since “Joey Potter and Capeside Redemption.” Pacey wishes he could still be the bad boy he used to be. Dawson’s in Capeside, though he still hasn’t resolved the season finale of his show. Then he randomly runs into Joey at a gas station, because she’s in Capeside for the wedding after all.
The two have been emailing but haven’t seen each other for a while, and haven’t been great about keeping in touch. Dawson has to take a phone call from one of his actors, so Joey leaves. Dawson ends up at the Leerys’, and we learn that Gail’s the one getting married and Lily is now a film freak. Also, his show is called The Creek, because he’s just that creative. Over at the bed and breakfast, Joey tells Jen, Bessie, and Grams about the ring she found. Grams notes that if she decided to run instead of get engaged, Christopher probably isn’t her Mr. Right.
Bessie and Grams leave the room, and Jen admits to Joey that Grams isn’t doing too well. Joey offers to watch the baby, Amy, while Jen takes a nap. Doug and Jack go work out together and discuss the fact that they keep spending weekends together out of town. Jack wants to stay in Capeside since the only people who should care that Doug is gay don’t have a problem with it. Jack feels like they’re having an affair. Doug shoots back that he wasn’t a [gay slur redacted] at 15 like Jack. Jack points out that Doug was, he just couldn’t admit it.
Joey shows up at the Icehouse, and it’s clear that Pacey’s still in love with her. He points out a poster over the bar for The Creek and exposits that it came out of the film they all helped Dawson make. Speak of the devil, Dawson appears, but before things can get awkward, Jen and Jack join them. Reminiscing commences, and Jen learns that no one else is ready yet to laugh about Abby Morgan. Joey exposits that Audrey is singing backup for John Mayer and is dating a guy who’s completely different from Pacey. Also, Andie’s a doctor.
Jen’s a little drunk, so Jack decides to take her home before she can spill too many secrets. But first she lets us know that Amy’s father is an ex-boyfriend who left after Jen got pregnant. Joey decides to exit as well, leaving Dawson and Pacey alone. They ask each other if they’re really happy with their lives, and the fact that they both still want Joey remains unspoken. But at least they’re talking and not trying to kill each other with boats!
Jack finds pills in Jen’s bag, but Jen says they’re Grams’. Jack thinks Jen has changed the most out of all of them, considering she’s a mother now. He doesn’t know why he moved back to Capeside or why he puts up with Doug’s refusal to leave the closet. Jen understands his fear over changing. At the Leerys’, Dawson tries to write his season finale, then hears someone coming up the ladder. For some reason, he thinks it’s an intruder and not the obvious visitor, Joey. Meanwhile, Pacey closes up the restaurant, then gets his own visitor: Maddy’s husband and some thugs, who beat him up.
Joey and Dawson talk about their lives, including Joey’s relationship with Christopher and Dawson’s lack of a social life. She thinks he should wait to worry about that sort of thing since he’s living his dream right now. Dawson, however, isn’t sure why he’s slumming in TV when he always wanted to make movies. Joey points out that “dreams come true, not free.” She starts to go back to the bed and breakfast, but Dawson invites her spend the night (no, not like that).
In what’s clearly a dream, Joey (in a wedding dress) and Dawson (in a tux) recap the whole series in front of a bunch of wedding attendants. After they kiss, they turn into Colby and Sam, and Dawson wakes up. He’s in bed alone. After the real wedding, Gail and her new husband cut the cake. Pacey avoids Maddy and finds Jen taking pills, which she says are for anxiety. She compares him to George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life because he has everything before him but doesn’t want to be happy. He needs to realize that his life is fine and make the most of it.
Gail finds Dawson writing and accuses him of trying to hide from his friends. She caught Joey climbing down the ladder that morning. Dawson admits that he feels like he’s falling back into his past – his former life has become his present. Gail points out that since he’s the writer, he gets to tell his life however he wants. He goes to talk to Joey, but Pacey gets to her first and asks her to dance. Jack apologizes to Doug for their fight but says they can’t stay in their little bubble forever. Neither can be on the other’s schedule, so Jack thinks they should end things now.
Joey tries to get Pacey to tell her where the cut over his eye came from, but he avoids the subject. Jen cuts in to dance with Pacey and gets Dawson to dance with Joey. Joey tries to explain why she left that morning, and Dawson teases her for rambling. Jen asks to change partners again, so when Maddy comes back out to the dance floor, she sees Pacey dancing with Joey. Joey catches her watching them and puts the pieces together. Pacey asks her to help him out, then kisses her. Before the kissing can continue, Jen collapses.
Grams tells someone to get Jen’s pills, but Pacey says he just saw her take one. Grams announces that they need an ambulance – Jen is sick with some sort of heart ailment. Everyone ends up at the hospital, and Grams tells Jen’s friends that she’s had an abnormality her whole life but it didn’t come to light until she got pregnant. She doesn’t think this is anything serious. However, Jack didn’t even know there was a problem. Once Jen is stable, Grams sends everyone home, then goes off to call Helen.
Pacey drives Dawson and Joey home, and though the guys are optimistic, Joey thinks something’s really wrong. Christopher calls and Joey uses Jen’s illness as an excuse to stay in Capeside longer than she’d planned. Jack’s still at the hospital, where Grams is suddenly not so hopeful. Jack visits Jen and she admits that she didn’t tell him she was sick because she wanted to avoid dealing with it. Things started out all right, but now there’s nothing the doctors can do for her. Jen wants to do things right now, and that includes finally asking for help. Jack spreads the word about Jen’s condition and Joey ends up looking for comfort from Dawson.
Thoughts: Christopher is played by Jeremy Sisto. I know, weird, right?
Also weird: Maddy is played by Virginia Madsen. If it makes you feel any better, this was pre-Sideways Virginia Madsen. If it had been post-Sideways Virginia Madsen, it would be a lot more embarrassing for her.
After all those years of Pacey’s gay slurs, Doug is actually gay? I can’t believe it.
’90s music alert: Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be.” Which is weird, since this episode was filmed five years after that song came out and takes place five years after that.
So Jen was just, like, “I’m dying but I’m not goingt o make sure my daughter’s taken care of”? Um, okay.
December 18, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 6.22, Joey Potter and Capeside Redemption: About a Girl
There’s something so familiar about this…
Summary: Joey voices over something about how she can’t swear this is how things happened, but this is how it felt. Meanwhile, Grams and Jen hold a yard sale in preparation for their move to New York, Jack and Pacey move out of their apartment (still no sign of Emma). Audrey studies, and Dawson works at the Leerys’ restaurant. Joey rows over to the Leerys’ house and climbs the ladder, finding Dawson taking down all his movie posters. She still wants him to make his movie even without any money.
Joey continues that Dawson’s money problems aren’t Pacey’s fault. Dawson says that it’s just par for the course for them. He’s also upset that she’s choosing Pacey’s side, though she says she isn’t. Joey tells him that if he gives up now, everything will be a waste. Dawson says he doesn’t believe in it anymore. The movie was supposed to be “a celebration of friendship,” but he doesn’t want to tell the story anymore. Joey refuses to let him give up.
The next day, Joey gathers Jen, Jack, and Audrey at Grams’ and gives them assignments to make the movie happen. For example, Audrey will be playing Tamara. Jen suggests that she could play Eve, but Eve isn’t in the movie. Audrey asks who Eve is. “Long story. Ambiguous ending,” Jack replies. (So I guess Jen just never asked her mother about that, huh?)
Next Joey goes to Capeside to retrieve Pacey from Doug’s place. Pacey’s been filling his time by watching soaps in his underwear. Joey tells him they’re making Dawson’s movie for “$10 and a dream.” Pacey thinks he would just screw things up, but Joey insists that they need his help. He says things between him and Dawson will never be the same – and neither will things between anyone in the group.
Audrey and Joey bust Harley and Patrick making out, and Joey promises not to tell Hetson if the two of them do her a favor. Meanwhile, Jen and Jack try to get some film geek interested in the movie; Jen even offers to go out with him. He’d rather go out with Jack. Dawson comes home from the restaurant to find Joey, Jen, Jack, and Audrey in his room with all his movie equipment and posters. They tell him they’ve cast the movie for him and will help him make the film. And he doesn’t have to worry about work because Gail is firing him.
Production begins in downtown Capeside, starting with a scene between “Pacey” (Patrick) and “Tamara” (Audrey) at the video store. Joey and Gail have worked something out with Doug to get Pacey to make a delivery. Patrick and film student George start the scene where Pacey and Dawson met Tamara, but Audrey has problems showing skin. Patrick asks if she can just go naked. He narrowly escapes a beating at the hands of Joey. Meanwhile, Pacey tries to charm a dentist into doing a cameo in the movie.
The video-store owner isn’t happy about how long the filming is taking, so Doug (who’s blocked off the street for Dawson) takes him outside to distract him for a few minutes. Joey’s freaking out about how many things are going wrong, but Dawson likes the chaos because it leads to “happy accidents.” Speaking of happy (or at least things that make me happy), Todd arrives to lend a hand, having been told about the movie by Gail. Joey ends up as his errand girl.
Dawson tries to film the scene just before Jen’s first appearance on the show, but Harley (playing Joey) won’t let Patrick pull her into the water because she can’t swim. Joey makes Audrey tend to Todd while she splashes water and makes it look like Harley’s in the water when she isn’t. As Pacey keeps trying to round up townspeople, Joey assures Harley that her character isn’t a lesbian, so that’s not the reason she hates Jen.
Pacey ends up at a restaurant and runs into his old crush Kristy. She’s stunned that he doesn’t remember her. Grams watches the filming from the Leerys’ porch, enjoying that the kids are having fun with each other again. She’s ready to begin the next part of her life in New York. She says she misses Capeside every day but isn’t sorry they left. The two of them and Jack say goodbye to everyone and head off to New York.
Pacey and Kristy catch up, and she gives him her phone number and encourages him to call. As she leaves, Joey arrives and Pacey boasts that the girl who represents every girl who ever thought he was a loser is now interested in him. Joey notes that plenty of girls have told him over and over that he’s not a loser. Pacey still doesn’t want to go to the set, but he gives Joey a bunch of money, so apparently he’s spent all day taking donations. She tells him it’s not her fight.
Dawson wraps the first day of filming with a Joey/Dawson scene from the pilot. The day on the set has made Todd want to produce instead of direct. He also totally wants Audrey. She tries to resist his charms, but ultimately gives in. Dawson and Joey wind up back in their traditional spots on his bed, and he invites her to spend the night. He wonders what she would do if she woke up 15 again. Joey says watching the filming makes her feel like a weight has been lifted. He agrees, saying the movie will save him a lot of money on therapy.
The two talk about what a great day they had, then discuss what the movie is about. Dawson says it’s about a girl who had to grow up to realize she already had everything she wanted. He tells her he’s afraid that if he closes his eyes, she’ll leave. She doesn’t, but when he wakes up in the morning, he’s alone. Joey’s left him a note asking him to meet her by the fountain in what I guess are the ruins.
Dawson’s there at the appointed time, but instead of Joey, he meets Pacey. The guys aren’t sure how to get past their recent fight, since they both meant everything they said to each other. Pacey isn’t sure it’s possible to move on since they’re so different from the people they used to be. He thinks the only thing they still have in common is their love for Joey. The guys confirm that neither regrets the time he spent with Joey. Pacey thinks they’re both lucky that she would want to be with either of them.
Dawson notes that they both wanted Joey so much, they destroyed their friendship, but Joey only ever wanted them to be friends. Pacey asks if it’s possible for them to repair their friendship. After a long pause, Dawson says that anything’s possible. Pacey gives him the money, plus the news that the dentist will need a cameo. Dawson’s very touched and thanks him.
Joey voices over again as Dawson films the last scene, Harley rowing Joey’s boat. Jen and Jack walk through New York as Joey walks down another street in a city she’s finally gotten to visit: Paris. She talks about how her friends have shaped who she’s become, and how she loves them more every day. Bad things happened, but she’s able to remember the good times. She can’t swear this is how things happened, but this is how it felt.
Thoughts: Of course Joey’s the hero here. After all, the show is called Joey’s Creek, isn’t it?
Kristy isn’t played by Ali Larter this time around, so maybe that’s why Pacey doesn’t recognize her.
Joey’s very cheerful in this episode, and it’s a little scary.
So I guess we’re not supposed to be sure if Joey ever really made it to Paris? To quote Jack, “Ambiguous ending.”
November 24, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 6.18, Love Bites: Dance Dance Revelation
YOU IDIOT! LOOK WHAT YOU’RE GIVING UP! AHHHHHHHH!
Summary: Joey and Eddie are staring at each other at Hell’s Kitchen. He starts the writing workshop in the fall, and he’s come back to Boston to thank Joey for helping him get in. He appreciates that she did something so great for him even after he hurt her. If he’s going to be a writer, he wants her around. Joey reminds him that he walked away, and Eddie reminds her that he came back. She tells him she moved on. She tries to apologize but he’s already out the door.
The next day, Harley looks through Joey’s closet, trying to find Joey something to wear when she chaperones Harley’s school formal. Joey doesn’t remember agreeing to chaperone. Harley’s still a little worried about Patrick’s obsession with Joey, but Joey promises not to do anything with him. Over at Grams’, Jen and C.J. have worked out their sex problems and have moved on to talking about Grams, who apparent broke C.J.’s Uncle Bill’s heart. Jen says she’ll find out what happened.
Pacey calls Joey, who apparently never let him know the previous night that she wasn’t coming over after all. He wants to go out that night, but she’s going to Harley’s dance. Pacey realizes Joey will be dressed up and looking pretty, so he invites himself along. Dawson shows up at Pacey’s office with all his money from Todd’s movie – he wants Pacey to help him turn it into more money so he can finance his movie. Pacey’s hesitant to mix business with friendship. Dawson’s instincts are telling him this is a good idea, though.
Jen confronts Grams about ending things with Bill, noting the irony of Grams acting like a teenager while Jen is embarking on a real adult relationship. Grams doesn’t want to talk. Joey looks at pictures of her various exes before Pacey arrives with a couple of corsage options. One is for the fun-loving Joey and one is for the romantic, classical Joey. She picks the radish/carrot “fun-loving” corsage. She also has a rose for him.
Five seconds after getting to the dance, Harley starts complaining, since apparently Patrick isn’t going to dance. Joey says she knows how she feels, since Pacey isn’t a dancer either. Also, he broke up with her at their senior prom. Pacey offers to dance with Harley while Joey tries to fend off Patrick.
Dawson heads to Capeside and puts all his old movie posters up in his bedroom, for “inspiration.” Gail would like to know what he plans to do for money (and not just because she would like rent). Dawson thinks his movie will bring in enough to finance the next one. Gail asks if he has a plan B. He doesn’t know what that phrase means. She points out that making a hit movie is kind of a long shot, so he needs to be practical.
Harley dances with another guy, trying to make Patrick jealous. Joey and Pacey discuss their past prom disaster, and he says he’s glad he got a second chance. Joey completely fails to tell him about Eddie. Patrick gets in a fight with Jamie, the guy Harley was dancing with, and Joey has to remind Pacey that they’re supposed to be the adults there, so he needs to break it up. Harley ends up crying in the bathroom, wondering if Patrick said anything to Pacey about her.
Not really, but Pacey’s giving him a lecture about being an idiot. He tells Patrick to just ask Harley to dance. Joey assures Harley that she’s going through the same thing many girls have gone through, including Joey herself. Harley says that if her high school experiences are the same as Joey’s, she’s doing something wrong. Patrick tells Pacey that he does like Harley; Pacey tells him that having real feelings for a girl will make him a better person. He needs to be nice to her and tell her he likes her.
Joey admits to Harley that she’s had a bad experience at every dance she’s gone to, except this one. She heads to the boys’ bathroom, where Pacey and Patrick are goofing around. Patrick isn’t sure why he should take advice from Pacey, since he’s not exactly the greatest with girls. Pacey points out that he got Joey to go to a dance with him.
Jen relays a message from a doctor to Grams, wondering why she’s seeing a doctor Jen has never heard of. Grams tells her to stop digging for drama. Jen notes that Grams always makes her talk when she’s feeling mopey, so Jen’s repaying the favor. Grams confides that she has a malignant tumor in her breast. She’ll be starting radiation next week because the cancer has spread too far for surgery. Jen is shocked, but Grams doesn’t offer any comfort.
Pacey and Joey agree that the night has been nice, but Joey quickly ruins it by announcing that being with him doesn’t feel right. It’s not him, it’s her, basically. Pacey thinks she’s just scared about where things will go; he is, too. Joey feels sure that it’s not going anywhere. He thinks she’s just pushing him away the way she always pushes people away. He knows his feelings for her are the greatest thing he’s ever felt. He’s sure he can love her again. Joey silences him by announcing that Eddie’s back.
Dawson keeps trying to write something, eventually turning on the TV to watch Creek Days. Gail checks on him and he mentions that he appreciated the support he got from his family and friends when he worked on that piece. He admits that he doesn’t have a plan B, and never will. Gail suggests that he go back to film school to make sure he’s really committed. Dawson points out that he spent a year as a gopher; if that didn’t kill his dream, nothing will. Plus, school costs money. He wants Gail to believe that he’ll fulfill his dream.
Gail launches into a story about the time Mitch tried to make gum in their kitchen. Dawson was five and served as sous chef, but something happened that resulted in his parents having to shave his head. Gail thought Mitch’s dream was based on his love of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Even though the experience drove Gail crazy, she also admired it, and the way he was willing to do crazy things to make his life the way he thought he could be when he was a kid. In other words, she supports Dawson.
Jen finds Grams in the kitchen, baking, and tells her it’s okay to be scared. Grams doesn’t think it will do any good. Jen asks what she can do to help, and not just in the kitchen. Grams wants to deal with it on her own. Jen thinks they both need someone to take care of them. Grams tries to assure her that she could go into remission and live a long time. She promises that she’s not going anywhere because she’s not ready to die yet.
Patrick finally dances with Harley, promising that he didn’t come just to get in her pants. He didn’t want to have to think about her coming there with another guy. Pacey and Joey dance, but it’s pretty depressing. Joey ends up at Eddie’s house, kissing him, so I guess they’re back together or whatever. Hooray.
Thoughts: You guys, I’ve been spelling Gail’s name wrong this whole time. Oh, well, too late to change it.
Pacey wonders what kind of school dance has a punch bowl. What kind of school dance doesn’t have one?
Dreams are great, Dawson, but you MUST HAVE A PLAN B. Otherwise you end up living in a cardboard box.
Joey, you’re an idiot. I don’t care how cute or charming or talented Eddie is. You’re choosing him over PACEY. Unacceptable.
Once again, no Kerr Smith. Poor guy.
September 22, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 6.10, Merry Mayhem: Would You Please Pass the Bitterness?
Who sat the cop next to the ex-con?
Summary: Joey voices over some lame story about how happy she is while she and Eddie wander around downtown and talk about their likes and dislikes. She notes that they have nothing in common. He doesn’t care since the sex is awesome. Joey asks him to come to Capeside with her for Christmas, immediately realizing she’s jumped over a few relationship steps. But she still wants him to come and help her convince Bessie to get a real tree. Eddie also thinks they might be moving too quickly.
Later, as Joey packs for break, Audrey returns to the room, having missed her flight home. Joey knocks her for drinking in the airport lounge, commenting that Audrey could spend next semester in rehab. Audrey can’t get another flight until the next day (which happens to be Christmas), so Joey invites her to come to Capeside. Everyone will be at the Leerys’, which Joey predicts will be disastrous. Audrey doesn’t want to be a charity case or go back to boring Capeside. Joey won’t take no for an answer, winning Audrey over with the offer of getting to meet her father.
Pacey makes a surprise visit to Doug’s house and presents him with both gifts and gay jokes. Todd and Natasha are at Gail’s with Dawson, and Gail is very curious as to where Dawson and Natasha’s relationship is going. Dawson himself doesn’t know, noting that this is the first relationship he’s been in that he couldn’t define or predict. In other news, Todd wants to sleep with Gail. Also, Lily is suddenly blonde, but no one else is concerned, so I won’t be either.
Everyone does Christmas Eve things, and then Alexander wakes Joey up early on Christmas morning. Before they can open presents, Mike tells Joey that she has a visitor – it’s Eddie, and he’s brought a tree. Later, a tipsy Audrey tells Mike that Eddie is a combination of Dawson and Pacey’s best qualities, making him “the T-1000 of love interests.” Then she asks for stories about Mike’s time in prison.
Joey teases Eddie about changing his mind about coming to Capeside, then goes in to help Bessie in the kitchen. This is mostly so Mike can have a man-to-man talk with his daughter’s boyfriend. Eddie has to admit that he’s uneducated and unemployed, so maybe he has more than just Pacey and Dawson’s good qualities.
Speaking of Dawson, he’s wistful about Joey but stuck with Natasha, who wants to have sex in his childhood bedroom. He’d rather talk about Max Winter. Specifically, he wants to talk about how she told him she’d spend the evening alone, but wound up entertaining Max instead. Dawson wants to know where their relationship is going. Natasha says they’re just having fun.
Dawson notes that she was pretty jealous of Joey, which doesn’t fit with “just having fun.” She accuses him of bringing her home for Christmas to show her off. She warns that one day he’ll regret not having sex with her in his childhood room when he had the chance. But that’s what he gets for thinking with his brain instead of parts more southern.
Eddie and the Potters head to the Leerys’, Eddie trying to assure Joey that he won’t be getting into anything with Dawson. They agree to get through dinner and then go spend time with Eddie’s family. He promises that his family is less intimidating than hers, leading Joey to ask if Mike was rude. (She should probably be more concerned over whether he tried to recruit Eddie to sell drugs with him, knowing Mike’s past.)
Pacey and Doug arrive next, discussing the expensive presents Pacey got for their family. Doug’s worried that his brother’s new job isn’t completely legit. Pacey says Doug could just be proud of him for once. He thinks Doug’s jealous of his new wealth. Doug says he’s just worried. Before dinner, Audrey takes some pills from the medicine cabinet and shows up blitzed as Jen and Grams arrive (Jack’s in Europe with Andie and Mr. McPhee).
Todd (also drunk) says grace, refining his British accent to make a good impression on his fellow dinner guests. He finds Jen familiar and she reminds him that they met on a plane. (She assures everyone that they didn’t sleep together.) “Where was I?” he wonders. “Oh, yes, the birth of Christ.” He thanks God for Gail, then sings Dawson’s praises, declaring his love for him.
Todd continues that Dawson’s gotten himself involved in a sexual relationship with Natasha; this reminds Todd of his first movie, when he slept with an underage girl. Dawson finally gets Todd to shut up. Mike also praises Dawson, then asks Todd if he could find Eddie a job. Joey tells her father to shut up. Audrey asks Mike why he doesn’t think Eddie’s good enough for Joey. “This isn’t going to end well,” Pacey remarks.
Audrey isn’t happy about Pacey butting in, and Jen gets yelled at as well when she tries to get Audrey to quiet down. Jen says she thinks Audrey has a problem. Audrey asks if Jen’s still upset that she slept with C.J. She admits to being high, so Gail tries to get her to go lie down. Audrey would rather stay and blast everyone for being hypocrites.
For starters, Dawson and Pacey still hate each other and should stop trying to pretend they’ll ever fix things. Joey and Dawson keep acting like they’re okay with the other’s new relationships, but the truth is that they finally slept together but never dealt with it. They need to deal with everything before they can really move on. Audrey blasts Pacey for never being able to commit because Joey (“Audrey Hepburn”) broke his heart, telling him to grow up.
Audrey wishes the “scumsuckers” a Merry Christmas, grabs some keys, and leaves. Despite the fact that she’s clearly under the influence, no one even attempts to stop her as she gets in Pacey’s new BMW and promptly crashes it into the house. (And I mean she drives it right into the living room.) “I kind of think I zagged when I should have zigged,” she says.
Outside Pacey begs Doug not to arrest Audrey; he wants to try to help her on his own. Doug thinks it would be better for Audrey to get in trouble. Pacey pleads with him to “make it go away” and blame Pacey for what happened. Doug remarks that Pacey has made himself over but is still the same person, looking for a quick fix. He warns that Audrey’s now free to drink and drive again. Doug continues that he was proud of Pacey when he was a chef because there was something honest and noble about it. “Guess it didn’t suit you, did it?” he asks.
Jen offers to call Audrey’s parents, but Audrey is adamantly against that idea. Jen asks why she’s so angry. Audrey taunts that Jen can stop trying to impress C.J. “Pretend that I’m too far gone,” she says. She’s tired of people saying they want to help because it took them until tonight to realize how far gone she is.
Dawson catches Natasha trying to sneak out, and she admits that she slept with Max. Again, she thought she and Dawson were just having sex and having fun. She didn’t think they would make it long after the movie wrapped anyway. Dawson realizes he doesn’t love her either, which Natasha already knew. She thinks they’re both too young for such a serious relationship. She heads back to L.A., advising Dawson to check on Todd, who’s passed out in the bathroom.
Eddie’s also on his way out, but he doesn’t want Joey to come with him anymore. He thinks she needs to stay in Capeside and deal with everything that happened at dinner. He knows Mike has a point in not thinking Eddie’s the best guy for Joey. Eddie wants to stay in the present, not deal with issues from past relationships. Joey promises that they’ll do that from now on. He says that if she met his family, they’d wonder why she’s with him, too. They’d think she’ll wind up breaking his heart.
Joey and Dawson end up together by the water, much more lighthearted about the evening’s events than they should be. She admits that she keeps trying to forget that they were ever close. They both think the evening put things into perspective. Joey knows that Dawson will always be there for her if she needs him, but she can’t figure out why they keep hurting each other.
Dawson notes that they’re not hurting each other right now. Joey says it’s just a truce – an illusion. But she’ll take it, if it means she can temporarily forget what happened to get them where they are. They can go back to hating each other in the morning. Dawson agrees, but both of them admit that they don’t really hate each other.
Thoughts: Alexander is adorable. And he calls Joey “Auntie Joey,” which makes him even cuter.
So suddenly the Potters are all one big, happy family? Why didn’t we get to see Joey and Mike work through their issues? I feel cheated.
Who invited Doug to the Leerys’? It’s not like he’s friends with Gail or anything. And I’m sure he and Mike were thrilled to have to hang out together.
In Todd’s defense, Gail does look very pretty in this episode.
So Audrey’s drunk and high, but when she leaves, no one goes after her or at least makes sure she doesn’t drive. Scumsuckers indeed.
How disappointing that Bessie, Grams, and Bodie are all in this episode but don’t get to say or do anything.
August 6, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 5.23, Swan Song: She Got Off the Plane! Oh, Wait
I know it looks like I have the wrong show here, but just go with me on this
Summary: Dawson’s at the airport (where there are awesome giant hot-air balloons as decorations), about to fly to L.A. Joey’s also there, but they haven’t seen each other for five years, so obviously this is a dream/fantasy/something like that. Dawson says he thinks about Joey a lot and would like to spend some time with her before he flies out. Too bad she’s engaged to someone else.
They make awkward small talk before she starts to leave. Joey says that they had their shot, but Dawson blew it, so she moved on. He needs to do the same because “this is getting sad and ridiculous.” Yep, it’s Dawson’s nightmare. If only he’d stayed asleep longer so we could see Joey rip out his heart a few more times.
Joey and Audrey hang out by the water in Capeside; Audrey wants Joey to come to L.A. with her, but Joey plans to spend the summer in Capeside. Pacey shows up, wearing a security uniform, and Audrey takes off. Joey encourages him to talk to her, but Pacey doesn’t want to revisit his recent humiliations.
Dawson’s trying to get Lily to talk, worried that she’ll say her first word while he’s in L.A. Gail asks if he’s said goodbye to Joey yet. He’s made plans to get together with her, and Gail wonders if this social meeting is really a date. He won’t tell her, claiming he and Joey have nothing to say to each other anyway. She finds that hard to believe.
Jack got his grades back: four C’s and a D. Now he can focus on their summer in Costa Rica, though he’s not sure Jen is still on board. He’s gotten her a copy of Moby Dick to read on the plane so she won’t talk and keep him from sleeping. Joey, Audrey, and Dawson finish up dinner at the Leerys’ restaurant, and Audrey decides to give the other two some time alone to talk. Dawson asks Joey to promise she’ll never marry a lawyer.
Joey reminisces about the last time she and Dawson said goodbye, just before he left for L.A. the first time. They thought it was all epic and dramatic, and then he showed up in Boston just a few months later. She’s not sorry at all about the way things turned out. Finally Joey asks Dawson why he came to Florida. She promises that there will never be a time she doesn’t want to hear what he has to say. He announces that he went to tell her he loves her.
Joey asks why he didn’t say something sooner. Dawson reminds her that she’d moved on by the time he got there; it wouldn’t have been fair to ask her to drop Charlie for him. She wonders when things changed. Dawson names Lily’s birthday party, when he saw Joey’s sketches. He realized that he hates it when Joey isn’t around. She’s worried that he just keeps coming back to her when things are uncertain. Dawson moves in for a kiss, but she rejects him.
The next morning, Dawson takes a cab to the B&B to pick up Audrey. Audrey doesn’t know about the near-kiss the night before, since Joey refuses to talk about it. Audrey drops it, telling Joey that this was the best year of her life. Joey and Dawson only wish each other a good summer, and Joey’s left behind in Capeside.
Patrolling the marina, Pacey runs into Danny, who’s been dumped by his wife. He’s surprised to see Pacey as a security guard but isn’t sympathetic about him losing his job at the restaurant. They’re both screw-ups, but it’s okay because they never have to grow up or conform. Danny says Pacey has a great future ahead of him. Somehow, Pacey isn’t comforted.
Jen and Jack rush to make their flight to Costa Rica, but it’s delayed. Fortunately, they have Dawson and Audrey to hang out with. Also coincidentally in the same gate area: Eric, who went home to tell his parents he’s gay but couldn’t do it. He offers to wait with Jack until his flight leaves. Jack rejects the offer.
Joey’s supposed to start work at the yacht club again for the summer, and she’s not that happy about going back instead of moving forward. Dawson runs into Grams at a newsstand, and she admits that she and Clifton are taking a trip together that Jen doesn’t know about. She doesn’t want Dawson to tell Jen she’s there, partly because she doesn’t want Jen to think she’s going to pressure her into spending the summer with her parents.
Bessie drops by the yacht club with Joey’s passport, reminding her that she’d thought about spending the summer in France. She has something special that came in the mail for Joey. Dawson bugs Jen about her parents, telling her it’s time for her to grow up. She tells him that not everyone is as strong as him; they don’t always do the right thing. He gets her to lie and say she’ll think about it.
Jen asks Jack about Eric, saying he’s a nice person for trying to help a person who wasn’t nice to him. He doesn’t see the big deal in being a friend to someone who needs one. She wants him to stay in Boston to help Eric, and he wants her to go to the Hamptons. Jen says that she needs to help herself for once.
In case Dawson hasn’t run into enough people he knows, next he encounters Todd, who recognizes him but can’t remember from where. He thinks Dawson’s opinionated but gutsy, and he’d like him to keep in touch. Back in Capeside, Joey reads her mail at the marina and confides in Pacey that she feels trapped. She thinks he might be the most adult person she knows – he never looks back. She encourages him to believe in himself more.
Joey brings up Audrey, asking if Pacey misses her. He won’t answer the question. She says Audrey changed her life, and she misses her. Pacey suggests that she might have changed on her own. He thinks that whatever she’s thinking about, she wishes she could change it. Joey says no, then announces that she and Pacey are going after Audrey, and possibly another person, to say what they need to say.
Cue the typical movie/TV rush to the airport. Joey goes off to buy a ticket and stop Audrey, but Pacey has another idea. Jen’s trying to get on a plane to New York but can only get a first-class ticket. (Oh, you poor girl.) She runs into Joey, telling her Dawson changed her mind about her summer plans. She’s sure he’s the reason Joey’s there, too.
Pacey has Audrey paged so he can tell her over the phone that he’s sorry. He knows that might not be enough, but they’ll never know if she gets on the plane. He tells her to meet him downstairs so they can talk. “That is your pitch?” she exclaims. “You are a lazy romantic, Pacey!” She hangs up on him, so he runs to a security office to try to use the intercom.
For some reason, the security officer lets Pacey make a big speech about how he didn’t have the best year, but it got better when he met Audrey. Joey’s energized by the gesture and eagerly tries to get a ticket so she can go to Dawson’s gate. She has to pick a destination, so she randomly picks Milwaukee. “That’s boring,” the ticket agent says. Heh. Joey picks Paris, because apparently money is no object here.
Audrey finds Pacey, who suggests that their next move is to drive to California, “stopping for only food and sex.” (Audrey makes a plea for a visit to the world’s largest ball of yarn.) She tells him he’s lucky because she “kind of” loves him. He thanks her for giving him a second chance. As they leave, he asks if she has any money for gas.
Dawson’s just about to get on the plane when Joey arrives, asking why he didn’t say goodbye. He replies that it was when he tried to kiss her and she turned her head. She admits that she was scared of going backwards and never growing up. At the beginning of the year, she thought they would have to say goodbye, but she was wrong. He’s in her past, her present, and her future. He makes her life better, not worse.
He asks her to go to California, but Joey says she can’t. Dawson’s journey is to California, but Joey’s isn’t. They don’t need to worry if they say everything they need to say to each other. She thinks she knows what the kiss meant, then smooches him. Once again, Dawson doesn’t want to get on the plane, but Joey tells him he has to since it’s his dream to go make movies. If he gets lost, he just needs to remember that she loves him, too.
After some more kissing, Dawson gets on the plane. On her way to New York, Jen enjoys the benefits of first class and chats with her highly improbable seatmate, Todd. Elsewhere, Eric and Jack hang out. Lily says her first word: “Dada.” Audrey and Pacey happily drive to California. Dawson’s seatmate is a woman who hates flying, and he assures her she’ll be okay. Joey goes to refund her ticket to Paris, debating actually using it.
Thoughts: Five seasons down, one to go! I can’t believe I’m in the homestretch already. It seems like just yesterday I was cringing in embarrassment at the pilot.
Pacey’s a security guard and we didn’t get to see Doug make fun of him? I feel cheated.
I don’t think I’ve ever run into someone I knew at the airport, let alone everyone I knew all on the same day.
No way are Joey and Jen close enough to say they love each other. Maybe Joey was just thinking about what she was going to say to Dawson, and it slipped out?
Why the urgency to stop Audrey? She’ll be back in Boston at the end of the summer, right? I always hate those cliché scenes where someone runs through the airport to stop/say goodbye to someone else. You can’t pick up the phone and call the person once the plane lands?
I shouldn’t have laughed at Pacey ending his intercom speech with “free the West Memphis Three,” and yet…
July 14, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 5.17, Highway to Hell: Cheer Up, Charlie
A few years ago, it would have been a lot of girls’ dreams to be stuck in a backseat with Chad Michael Murray
Summary: Charlie tracks Joey down at her dorm to ask her to sing with his band again. They’re opening for another group upstate, and they’ll pay her $500. Joey tries to turn him down, but Charlie begs her and gets her to change her mind. Audrey and Pacey make out on her bed, but she’s distracted by the possibility of Joey walking in and catching them. She’s also tired of them not having a private place to do their thing. She orders him to get an apartment.
Joey arrives as Pacey leaves, and Audrey tells her that Charlie called yet again to bug her about the gig (which she turned down). Joey notes that the performance is that night, and she doesn’t have a ride upstate. Audrey tells her she’ll help her get ready. Dawson wraps a present for Lily’s first birthday, which Jen is nervous about. Grams comes in, pleased to see that they’re both dressed. Dawson admits that he feels “old and boring” since they weren’t doing anything. Jen thinks he doesn’t want to have sex with her right now.
Joey gives Dawson her present for Lily, telling him she’s going to the gig instead of Capeside. Inside the house, Jen shocks Jack by announcing that she’s thinking of breaking up with Dawson. The three of them and Grams head to Capeside, where Gail has organized a big party for Lily. Dawson is immediately uncomfortable when he meets Nathan, a friend of Gail’s. Audrey begs Pacey to drive her and Joey upstate, though Pacey hates Charlie and doesn’t want to be involved with him. Charlie overslept and missed the band’s ride, so he tags along as well.
On the road, Pacey and Charlie pick fights with each other, and Charlie teases that Joey’s already picturing herself as a big rock star. Jack questions Jen about wanting to dump Dawson, and she explains that her conversation with Steve opened her eyes. She doesn’t want to be the girl who wishes her life were different. Nathan tries to make conversation with Dawson, who makes it clear that he’s not interested. He’s also disturbed by how comfortable Nathan is with Lily.
Pacey gets annoyed with Charlie’s insults about his driving and pulls over to kick him out of the car. The two start to get physical, so Audrey pulls Pacey away to get physical in a different way. Joey blasts Charlie for being a jerk while Pacey was doing something nice for him. Charlie somehow jumps to the idea that Joey might have a crush on him.
In Capeside, Jen tells Dawson that he should prepare himself for the possibility that Gail and Nathan are dating. She says that sometimes people need to act on their impulses. They argue and Dawson senses that something’s off with Jen. She tells him she just needs a little break, so she and Jack are going to go off somewhere.
The road-trippers arrive at the venue for the band’s gig, a biker bar called the Drunk and the Dead. There’s no time for the band to practice, but Charlie doesn’t think the audience will care much about their musicality. Pacey wonders why Charlie was so adamant that Joey come there. Audrey takes Joey to the back to get ready, and Joey admits that she cares more about the gig than she let on. She’s nervous about winning over the audience.
As Joey takes the stage to mixed greetings (negative and sexual), Dawson finally talks to Gail about Nathan. She tells him that life sometimes comes down to choosing between moving on and fitting into the shell of the person you used to be. Gail thinks Dawson’s mad that she didn’t tell him she was dating again. He just tells her that it was nice meeting Nathan. He opens the present Joey got for Lily, an album of her sketches of the Leerys.
The band’s gig starts off weak but improves when Joey and Charlie duet on “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” Suddenly the audience loves them. Afterward, Pacey complains about Charlie’s popularity, and Audrey finally tells him to cut it out already. Pacey says Charlie’s “that guy,” and he didn’t enjoy watching him and Audrey make out during the movie. Audrey finds his lack of self-assurance and sudden violent impulses cute.
Everyone wants to stay in a hotel for the night except Joey, who expresses her distaste by moping by the pool. Charlie asks about her past relationship with Pacey and how weird it is for her to see him dating Audrey. Joey notes that Charlie also dated a friend of hers. He wants to have a serious conversation for once, asking why Joey doesn’t want to make a new friend: “All the rest of your friends are sleeping together.” (Heh.)
Charlie starts talking about sex, telling Joey he’s only slept with two girls, Jen and someone from high school. Joey asks about the girl he was seeing while he was sleeping with Jen. He gives her a key to their room, then tells her she was great on stage. She credits him for helping with her. Charlie says he was glad to “be close to something that amazing.”
On his way to his room, Charlie runs into Pacey, who calls a truce. Charlie notes that Joey and Audrey are both high-maintenance, but Pacey was able to “wrangle” both of them. Pacey corrects that “high-maintenance” really means “high-quality.” He appreciates what Charlie did for Joey tonight, which is why he’s easing up. However, if Charlie ever hurts Joey, Pacey will kill him. He tells Joey the same, though he’s sure she can handle herself.
Pacey returns to his and Audrey’s room with what she thinks are condoms, but what are actually cupcakes to celebrate their first private evening together. He puts a candle in a cupcake and lights it so she can make a wish.
Dawson finds Jen and Jack on the steps of Capeside High, where Jen tells him that when she first met him, she thought he was the right one for her. She still thinks he’s great, but they’re not right for each other. She thinks he can see it, too. Dawson agrees that their relationship was right at the time, but now things have changed. Meanwhile, Joey goes to her and Charlie’s room and gets into bed with him.
Thoughts: Yeah, if your band heads to a gig without you, you might have a problem.
Joey, don’t ever wear a white T-shirt on stage. You never know what the lighting will allow people to see.
I can’t believe someone remembered that Joey was an artist for, like, five minutes.
Stop letting Kate Holmes sing. Please.
What did we learn this week? Bikers like ’80s music.
We also learned why you shouldn’t live with someone you’ve just started dating. Things at Grams’ house are going to be awkward…
May 26, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 5.11, Something Wild: Where the Lame Things Are
Joey’s sweater looks super comfy
Summary: Joey’s home in Capeside for winter break, waiting impatiently for her grades to come in. Bessie can tell that something’s bothering her, but Joey doesn’t want to talk about it. (Hint: It’s Jen and Dawson’s relationship.) Bessie encourages her to do “something wild.” Hey, just like the episode title! Pacey shows up, saying he’s in town to pick something up, and Joey pretends she’s having a very relaxing vacation. But when he offers her a ride back to Boston, she jumps on it.
As the two of them leave Capeside for Boston, Dawson and Jen make the opposite journey, on their way to visit Gail. He notes that this is the first time he’s brought a girl home, and she replies that it’s the first time she’s been brought home. Usually guys take her to a hotel, which she and Dawson have already covered.
Joey tells Pacey that she thinks it make sense for Dawson and Jen to be together. Not that she thinks about them a lot or anything. Pacey tells her there’s an opening for a waitress at the restaurant, and he thinks Danny would love her. Joey doesn’t think Mrs. Valentine would give her a good recommendation. Pacey asks if her grades have come in, and Joey pretends she doesn’t care about them. He doesn’t believe she’s changed as much as she leads on.
Dawson and Jen arrive in Capeside, and she’s really nervous about interacting with Gail as Dawson’s girlfriend instead of just his friend. It’s no less awkward when Gail notices that Jen’s shirt is inside out. Pacey drops Joey off at her dorm, where she plans to enjoy being alone for a few days, but Audrey is also back from break early. She fought with her parents about money and lost her job giving campus tours, so now she needs a place to work. Joey can think of one.
Audrey thinks she’s perfect to wait tables at Pacey’s restaurant, since it’s all fancy and she has a great personality. Danny finds her amusing. Pacey and Audrey flirt, and Danny even thinks they’re dating. He hires Audrey immediately since he loves the way she talks to Pacey and puts him in his place.
Jen and Gail make awkward small talk, and Dawson gets all man-of-the-house about Lily and a leak at the restaurant. He leaves to meet the plumber and Jen confirms for Gail that she and Dawson are dating, which apparently she didn’t know. At Worthington, Joey looks up her grades, all of which are good and all of which are posted except for the one for Professor Wilder’s class. He comes along to post his, and of course Joey got an A. She hugs Wilder, who tells her she deserved it.
Joey and Audrey go out and party, and Joey tells Audrey about the hug, joking that it led to sex. Audrey wants them both to celebrate by kissing boys. She grabs someone random to make out with Joey, who isn’t interested. At the restaurant, Danny tells Pacey that he’s learned enough to earn a promotion and raise.
Audrey spots another cute guy for Joey, but it’s Charlie. He starts eye-flirting with Joey, who tries to ignore him. Pacey joins the girls at the club, and he and Joey watch Audrey sing with the band. Jen helps Gail put up a baby gate as they talk about Dawson. Jen wonders if he’s holding back from moving forward with his life. She and Gail both want Dawson to be happy. Jen brings up the idea of Dawson moving into Grams’ attic and attending film school in Boston. Gail’s on board and tells Jen to push him to do it.
The random guy from earlier, Tom, tries to chat with Joey, who blows him off. Charlie approaches next and doesn’t appear to know that Joey’s friends with Jen. She lets him flirt and asks why he’s interested in her. He says he likes the way she tucks her hair behind her ear and how she listened when the band played. He adds that he’s not like the other guys there (the same thing he said to Jen) and has never done this before. Joey lets him know that she’s on to him.
Dawson returns from the restaurant wanting sex, which is totally appropriate in your mother’s house. Jen says she and Gail talked about Dawson moving to Boston, living in the attic, and studying at film school. Dawson doesn’t think it’s the right time, though Jen and Gail do. Jen tells him he doesn’t have to be the man of the house. He doesn’t think she’s qualified to give advice about his mother when she doesn’t even talk about her own. Jen decides not to talk to him either.
Pacey and Audrey play pool as Pacey teases Joey about how he knows she ran to check her grades as soon as she got back to school. He knows she’s capable of letting loose; she just doesn’t let herself. He reminds her that she once got on stage and sang at a beauty pageant. Basically, Pacey wants Joey to prove that Jen and Dawson’s relationship really doesn’t bother her.
Pacey gives Joey money for drinks, but Charlie already has one for Joey. He wants a second chance – not with Jen, with Joey. She blasts Charlie for being a jerk, though he says his compliments toward her were all true. At least he’s not afraid to take a chance. Joey doesn’t want to talk about her own past risk-taking (or lack thereof).
Gail joins a mopey Dawson by the water and tells him he needs to start thinking about himself. Otherwise he’ll never be in a relationship or have the life he needs to have. She’s liked having him around, but it’s not fair to him. He needs to go to Boston and be with Jen. Gail’s proud of Dawson and knows Mitch would be, too.
Audrey and Pacey go looking for Joey, who’s on stage with the band, singing “I Want You to Want Me.” Apparently this passes for “something wild.” For some reason, everyone finds this really impressive. Charlie meets Joey backstage and she kisses him, then runs back out for some more applause.
Back in Capeside, Dawson begins to apologize to Jen, but she doesn’t think it’s necessary. She admits that she doesn’t have any idea what he’s going through, so she can’t pretend she does. He tells her he’s moving into the attic. Jen notes that it’s weird how things work out – they used to live next door to each other, but they didn’t get together until they moved away.
Audrey and Pacey lose Joey again, but Audrey spots her waiting around the stage for Charlie. She tells Pacey that Joey left early to study (despite not having any classes). Charlie offers Joey a ride home on his motorcycle. Dawson and Jen hang out naked in the living room and talk about how they don’t know where their relationship is going, but they’re interested to see.
Pacey drives Audrey back to her dorm, and she tells him she’d rather hang out with him than a hot guy she’d like to date. He calls her bluff about only being back from break for a day, guessing that she never went home. Audrey confirms that she and her parents did fight about money, but it was a bigger argument than she let on. She doesn’t want Joey to know, so Pacey promises to keep quiet.
Pacey admits that the car he’s been driving came from Capeside’s impound lot, and his father gave it to him, telling Pacey he’s proud of him. He’s just not sure how long that will last. Audrey promises to keep his secret. She kisses his cheek, saying it’s just because she and Joey made a pact to kiss guys that night.
Charlie follows Joey on his motorcycle as she walks home, bugging her to take a ride. He thinks a part of her is dying to take him up on the offer. Joey admits that she might have another side who wants to be wild every once in a while. However, if Charlie mentions that side of her or what she did tonight, Joey will deny it.
Thoughts: Hi, Bessie! ‘Bye, Bessie!
Who hires a waitress with no experience and no references? Oh, right – the kind of guy who uses an employee’s boat to cheat on his wife with another employee.
Lily was born in April and takes her first steps in January? No. Not likely.
Dawson and Jen have been dating for, like, a month, right? Yeah, they should totally live in the same house. Which her grandmother also lives in. That won’t be awkward at all.
If singing with a band is wild, then I’m an animal.
Jen appears to have Dick and Jane pajamas. Are those supposed to be sexy?
Freaking A, who has sex and lies around naked in his mother’s living room? Especially when he has a bedroom?
I still like Joey and Pacey as a couple, but Pacey and Audrey are pretty cute together.
April 29, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 5.7, Text, Lies and Videotape: Blue I.V.
Hey, Karen, you know you're crazy for wanting Danny over Pacey, right?
Summary: Dawson and Jen are in downtown Boston, where he’s about to meet with the therapist he previously skipped out on seeing. Jen tells him therapy isn’t that bad. Dawson thinks he’ll feel weird talking to a stranger. Jen points out that she talks to strangers all the time on the radio (so apparently she’s been doing that).
Audrey has borrowed a video camera so she can film an audition tape for The Real World: Ibiza. She hasn’t decided who to be: “vamp, vixen, or all-out slut?” Joey’s getting ready for a meeting with Professor Wilder and the other students working on his estate project. She feels self-conscious because the other students are upperclassmen. Audrey thinks Wilder chose her for the project because she’s hot.
Danny works with Pacey on crepes for a big party at the restaurant the next night. Pacey listens while Danny and Karen chat, then asks if Danny’s wife will be at the party. Dawson meets his therapist, Dr. Rachel Weir, who quickly puts him at ease. She wonders whether his panic attacks are really the result of Mitch’s death.
Dawson admits that his life is completely different from how he thought it would be six months ago. He’s also not sure he wants to continue studying film. Dr. Weir tells him that the human brain isn’t set up to deal with trauma. If he’s lying to himself about his life, that’s okay. He just has to keep himself from believing those lies.
Wilder and his students discuss the letters written by Rose Lazar, the woman whose estate they’re dealing with. The letters are to someone named I.V., but no one knows who that is. Rose obviously cared about this person and was at her most honest when writing to him or her. Wilder asks the students to brainstorm ideas of who I.V. is.
Karen asks Pacey if he wants her to set him up with one of her friends. Pacey’s not in the mood for their usual banter and flirting now that he knows about Danny and Karen’s affair. He asks if Karen’s boyfriend’s coming to the party, noting that they’ve worked together for months and Pacey has never met him. He asks if the boyfriend ever takes her to a sailboat in the harbor.
Karen’s surprised that Pacey knows about the affair, since she didn’t know they were using his boat. She tells him it’s none of his business. Pacey disagrees, since he had to lie to Danny’s wife for Karen. Karen shoots back that in the real world, some people have to do things they don’t want to, and if Pacey isn’t mature enough to deal with it, he should stay out of it.
Back in Capeside, Gail asks Dawson about his therapy session, telling him that sooner or later, things will have to start going back to normal. He wonders what normal is. They meet with a lawyer about Mitch’s will, which he didn’t rewrite to include Lily after her birth. He suggests that Gail and Dawson look around the house for anything Mitch might have written down.
Wilder thinks Joey’s bored with the Lazar project, and she tells him she thinks the letters are boring. She’s in disagreement with a classmate who suspects they were to a secret lesbian lover. Joey says that if they were love letters, they wouldn’t be as honest as they are. People are more open with their friends. Wilder guesses that this means she doesn’t think people can be both friends and lovers. He helps Joey get to the idea that I.V. was a friend from Worthington.
Dawson searches the Leerys’ house, despite having told Gail that he was done. She’s starting to worry about his obsession. Also, she found an updated will, but Mitch never signed it. Joey goes to the Worthington library to look at Lazar’s yearbook, which her classmate, Cassandra, is already studying. She jokes that she’s only part of the project to be near Wilder.
Karen goes by Pacey’s boat and apologizes for putting him in the middle of her relationship with Danny, then being mean when he called her on it. Pacey reminds her of Danny. She excuses their affair by saying that Emily had left Danny when he and Karen first got together. He went back to Emily because he thought they could work things out. His optimism is the similarity she sees between Danny and Pacey.
Dr. Weir wants to see Dawson three times a week, which Jen thinks is a good idea, especially since it means she’ll get to see him more often, too. He tells her about the will and what Gail sees as a technicality that excludes Lily. Jen agrees that it was a mistake that Dawson shouldn’t read too much into. She’s worried that he’ll let Mitch’s error change him.
Audrey shows Joey some possible clips for her audition video, including one where she talks about having to forgive her mother before she can become the person she needs to be. She thinks she’s turning into her mother in some ways, and though she might not like her, she knows who that person is. If Audrey tried to change, she wouldn’t know who she might be. Joey has an epiphany and praises Audrey for being herself and not being afraid to look bad.
As the restaurant staff prepares for the party, Danny dances playfully with Karen, stopping suddenly when Pacey lets him know that Emily’s there. She’s oblivious and takes Danny away to dance for real. Pacey asks how Karen is, and she lies that she’s fine; what does he care anyway? He tells her he wants to be her friend – obviously she doesn’t have any or they would have told her that her affair is a horrible idea. Karen already knows Danny won’t leave Emily for her.
Dawson tells Dr. Weir that he’s mad about Mitch’s will but won’t allow himself to be. She points out that Mitch was mad at him. He wanted Dawson to go back to California, but that could have been because of his own expectations and reasons. Dawson feels angry about the last night he and Mitch talked, and Dr. Weir tells him it’s okay for him to feel that way. He just needs to decide what to do with his own life. Dr. Weir thinks he already knows what’s right for him.
Pacey spots Karen moping at the party and tries to cheer her up. She asks if he’s ever wanted to be someone else. (Yes, he’d like to be Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark.) They pretend to be other people, then dance. Karen loses her cool and announces that she wants to talk to Danny, but Pacey won’t let her, asking what she would say anyway.
Wilder and his students meet again, and Cassandra says she thinks the letters were to another writer, since Lazar talks about writing so much. Joey shares her theories that Lazar wrote the letters to herself as a sort of journal. She was the only person she felt comfortable sharing her fears and insecurities with. Wilder and the other students agree. After the other students leave, Wilder and Joey talk about Kafka and his fiancée, Felice, who had a “will they/won’t they” relationship (as Wilder describes it). “Ultimately, nothing happened,” he foreshadows.
Joey asks if Wilder really thinks she’s right about I.V. being Lazar. He says that as a freshman, her mind is more open than the other students’. Joey’s slowing down to learn rather than racing to keep up and pretending to know things she doesn’t. If you’re comfortable not knowing, you can learn anything. Joey admits that she felt insecure for a while. She thanks Wilder for picking her for the project, and he thanks her for sticking with it.
Dawson gets in his car to head back to Capeside and hears Jen play a song for him. Joey tells Audrey that she figured out the mystery of the letters from Audrey’s tape. Audrey thinks something happened between Joey and Wilder after the others left. Joey claims not to care that she impressed Wilder or that he thinks she’s special.
Pacey visits Karen at her house, bringing food from the party. She thanks him for all of the advice he’s tried to give her. She’s upset that Danny was all loving with Emily, as if Karen wasn’t even there. She knows she needs to end the relationship. Pacey tells her to change her dating pattern, and she asks if that means the two of them should get together. Just then, Danny leaves a message on her answering machine apologizing for putting her in the middle of his complicated life. Pacey leaves.
Back at home, Dawson gets a letter informing him that he won a film festival in New Hampshire, even though he never entered one. Gail tells him that Mitch entered him. Dawson announces that he’s not going back to USC, and his mother says that fine – she doesn’t want him to do something he doesn’t want to because he feels an obligation to Mitch. She assures him that Mitch always knew the decision was up to Dawson. They start sharing memories about Mitch and admit how much they miss him.
Thoughts: In the Strange But True category: Dr. Weir is played by Pauley Perrette from NCIS.
Audrey to Joey: “How come your film geek looks like Tom Cruise?” Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Also, if Audrey thinks that’s what Dawson looks like, she needs glasses.
Danny’s not that awesome. How did he get two women?
I’d rather watch the rest of Audrey’s tape than anything involving Joey and Wilder.
Joey says “Derrida” and I have ‘Nam-like flashbacks to my college lit-theory course. I have to go lie down now.
April 21, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 5.5, Use Your Disillusion: Sleeping Dogs Lie
"No, I will not wait to be seated! Coffee needs to be poured on laps NOW!"
Summary: Gail is straightening up Lily’s nursery while Dawson does other house-related chores to solidify his position as man of the family. His mother encourages him to spend some time with Joey instead. She assures him that he can leave Capeside for a couple of days; she can take care of Lily on her own. At Worthington, Joey and Audrey go for a jog and discuss Dawson’s visit. Joey’s overthinking everything, feeling a lot of pressure to comfort Dawson. They won’t be discussing anything deep.
Professor Wilder finds the girls and chats with Joey about how the school just received the estate of a famous writer. He’s been chosen to go through all of the writer’s works and see if there’s anything worth publishing. He wants Joey and some other students to help. Joey accepts but can’t attend the party Professor Wilder is throwing to celebrate because of Dawson. Wilder tells her to bring Dawson along.
Jen hangs out in Charlie’s room and asks him to see a play with her the next night. He’s working at the radio station but invites her to stop by afterward. Then there is making out. Danny helps Pacey with his quarter-playing skills at the restaurant; they’re interrupted by Karen, who taunts them for their form of male bonding. Danny asks to borrow Pacey’s boat the next night so he can take his wife, Emily, out for a date. In exchange, Pacey gets the night off.
Jack plays pool with some other Sigma Epsilon pledges, discussing the tasks they might have to undergo before they can join the frat. Tobey arrives for a surprise visit as a pledge gets a call to participate in a hazing task. Jack’s happy that Tobey’s there, but he’s worried that they won’t have much time to spend together.
Dawson’s now at Worthington, and Joey’s all awkward. She gives him a book called How to Deal With Your Parents [sic] Death. She suggests watching movies all day, and though Dawson seems like he wants to do something else, he agrees that that’s probably a good idea. Jen has convinced Pacey to go to the play with her, though he’s not that excited about Shakespeare. Tobey comes to Grams’ house, confused about where he was supposed to meet Jack. Jen thinks Jack ditched him for the frat brothers.
Joey and Dawson watch movies on her tiny TV, and Joey panics when a scene shows a car accident. She thinks she’s “robbing” him of his time to freak out by making it about her. Dawson assures her that he doesn’t feel that way. Joey thinks Audrey was right and they should have gone out. Dawson jumps on that idea, and Joey tells him they could go to the party at Wilder’s.
Downtown, Jen and Pacey chat about Karen, who he definitely has a crush on. He’s all excited to have Danny as a mentor. Jen finds it funny that Pacey thinks of Danny as an older version of himself. As they pass by a restaurant, they see Charlie inside with another girl. Pacey tries to rush Jen off, but she wants to go inside and confront him. Pacey tries to convince her to wait until the next day so she can calm down. Jen pretends to agree, then starts to run inside, so Pacey throws her over his shoulder and runs off with her.
Jack and Tobey are at another restaurant, and Tobey’s upset that Jack didn’t tell him he would be late. (Tobey doesn’t have a phone because he’s worried about brain tumors.) He also can’t tell Tobey what he was doing as it’s against the frat’s rules. Jack tells him not to act like a girl, which Tobey finds offensive. Just as they’re working things out, Jack gets summoned for another task. Tobey tells him to go do it.
Jen grumbles her way to the play, which is, appropriately enough, Othello. She storms out before it starts. Joey and Dawson go to Wilder’s, and Dawson makes it clear that he doesn’t need her to be with him every second. He’s clearly not ready for this, though. Jen takes Pacey back to the restaurant and pretends they’ve just stumbled upon Charlie and his lady friend. Then she spills coffee on him. Charlie introduces her to the other girl, his sister, as Pacey cracks up.
Jack and the other pledges are stuck waiting around for instructions; they think their initiation is the next day. Jack’s worried that he’s hurting his relationship with Tobey. The other guys are in the same situation with their girlfriends and encourage Jack to set boundaries. They think Tobey’s there to make sure Jack doesn’t get involved with any new people. They tell Jack to dump him and move on.
Dawson hides out in Wilder’s kitchen as Joey talks with her classmates. A girl comes in to talk to him, but he seems to be having a kind of anxiety attack. He pulls Joey out of the party and tells her about a similar experience he had days earlier at the grocery store. Dawson doesn’t like feeling out of control or where the feeling came from. He really did want to go out, but as soon as they went, he changed his mind. Joey tells him that’s allowed. She agrees to go back to her room, clearly concerned about him.
Jen and Charlie walk home together and he explained that he wasn’t working because his shift was switched. His sister called before Charlie could let Jen know. She offers to do his laundry for a month to make things up to him. He tells her he needs to learn to trust her. He points out that he didn’t jump to conclusions when he saw her with Pacey because he trusts her and knows they have something special.
Jack finally makes it home to Grams’ and apologizes to Tobey, who’s really angry. He asks Jack to admit that the frat is more important than Tobey is. Jack points out that he’s going to be in college for four years and needs to have a social life, especially when he and Tobey can’t see each other all the time. He wants to be himself with his friends, rather than compartmentalize his life.
When Jack first moved to Capeside, he was Andie’s brother, then Joey’s boyfriend. When he came out, he was Jack the gay guy. He came out to the frat so he wouldn’t have to hide who he really was, and they didn’t care about his sexuality. He figured Tobey would understand.
Jack says under his breath that the other guys were right. Tobey’s angry that Jack talked to someone else about their problems. Jack accuses him of being jealous. Tobey says that he wants to be Jack’s main priority. Jack comes first to him no matter how far apart they are or what he’s doing. He’s always thinking about Jack and how to make him happy. He can see that Jack doesn’t feel the same about him.
Pacey flirts with Karen at the restaurant and she wonders if he’s arranging his schedule so they always work at the same time. A woman comes in looking for Danny; she’s his wife, Emily, and she spent the last night home sick. Pacey realizes that that means Danny and Emily didn’t spend the night on his boat. Dawson packs to go back to Capeside, thanking Joey for helping him out. He leaves the book behind.
Tobey and Jen wait for Jack to come back and make up with Tobey before he leaves Boston. Jen says Jack will regret not trying to make things work. Tobey says everyone gets hurt in a breakup, encouraging her to stay with Charlie. Danny thanks Pacey for the use of his boat, saying Emily had a great time. Pacey says nothing.
Jack comes home in his new frat blazer, happy to have been inducted. Jen tells him he sucks and broke Tobey’s heart. He should think about what he gave up today. Jack already knows. Jen admits that she feels like she and Jack don’t know each other that well anymore. He blames that on her new relationship with Charlie, which Jen finds unfair.
Jack continues that they’re all growing apart, and he wanted to spare Tobey some pain. He wants to meet new people without having to worry about hurting someone else. Jen says he should have said something to Tobey, but Jack is telling her instead. Jen heads off to take Charlie a basket of fruit and flowers, but when she starts to turn the corner to his dorm room, she catches him making out with another girl.
Joey confides in Audrey that she feels relieved now that Dawson’s gone. She only got him the book because she wanted him to know how she felt but didn’t know how to say it. She wrote a message in the book but Dawson will never read it. Audrey tries to cheer her up with coffee and glitter lipstick. After Joey leaves the room, Audrey reads her message to Dawson, which talks about keeping loved ones close after losing someone. She loves him and is always here for him.
Thoughts: The Pacey/Jen scenes are awesome, especially their exchange when he tells her Danny’s like him. Jen: “When you grow up, you basically want to be yourself?” Pacey: “Yeah. I’m very well-adjusted.” Hee.
If I were Tobey, I’d be less annoyed by Jack telling me not to act like a girl and more by him calling me a “friend” when the frat brothers call.
The other girl was Charlie’s sister? What a shocking twist that has never, ever been used on TV before! It’s worth it for Pacey’s reaction, though.
Tobey’s upset that Jack talked about their problems with a neutral third party, but doesn’t everyone do that? It’s called venting, Tobey.
April 15, 2012
Dawson’s Creek 5.4, The Long Goodbye: So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Just start crying now. It's okay
Summary: A couple goes to Leery’s Fresh Fish for dinner, but it’s closed due to a death in the family. At home, Dawson washes dishes and takes care of Lily. Later, he picks out a coffin for his father. Joey visits Pacey on his boat to tell him that Mitch is dead. Pacey is stunned and asks how Dawson is. She invites him to come to Capeside with her so they can attend the funeral and be there for Dawson.
At the B&B, Jen and Jack help Grams and Bessie prepare food, and Jen admits to Jack that she’s nervous about seeing Dawson and trying to figure out what to say to him. Jack (who reminds us for the first time in three years that he lost a brother) tells her that Dawson is alone in his grief. Jen will have to figure out her own way to be there for him. Dawson tends to his mother and sister, then reimagines a conversation he and Mitch had on his 12th birthday. It’s when he got his first video camera. “Let the things you love be your escape,” Mitch says.
Joey arrives and Dawson asks her to watch Lily while he goes to the funeral home. She can tell something is off with him. Sometime later, the funeral is held, followed by a reception at the Leerys’. Grams offers to take care of Lily, but Dawson wants to keep her as a buffer for people’s condolences. Gail has sequestered herself upstairs. Dawson waits for Grams to tell him that God “works in mysterious ways,” but Grams admits that she and God aren’t talking right now.
Outside, Joey looks up at Dawson’s window and remembers the first time Mitch set up the ladder for her. In her memory, Mitch tells her that Dawson will eventually figure out how he feels about her. Jen admits to Dawson that she doesn’t know what to say to him; relationship advice is more her speed. Instead, she’s going to give him a big hug, tell him she loves him, and hope it all helps.
Joey goes up to Gail’s room, and Gail tells her she’s worried about Dawson. Joey says that Mitch isn’t really gone since Dawson is so much like him. Even when she was young, she knew Mitch and Gail had something special. Dawson thanks Pacey for coming and they make small talk about their lives. The two reminisce about Mitch catching them smoking when they were in middle school.
A friend of Gail’s asks Dawson how he’s dealing with his grief, pushing him to take the time to channel his feelings. Dawson politely tries to end the conversation as he gets more and more anxious. Suddenly the answering machine clicks on, and it’s Mitch’s voice on the outgoing message. Dawson rips the machine out of the wall, insists he’s fine, and leaves the house.
Joey finds Dawson on a pier and tells him about coming across something of her mother’s a few months after her death, and how much it saddened her. She wants him to let himself be a wreck. Dawson thinks he needs to keep things together so he can take care of Gail. Joey says he can do that and she’ll take care of him.
Dawson says he felt bad for Joey when her mother died, but he never understood what she was going through until now. Everything feels surreal. Dawson also thinks Mitch’s death was his fault. He went to the store to replace the milk Gail used to make Dawson breakfast that morning. Joey tries to convince him that he’s wrong. Dawson remembers that the last thing Mitch said to him was that he was disappointed in him for making a big mistake.
Joey reminds him that Mitch also said he loved him. Dawson knows Mitch loved him, but he hates that his father was disappointed in him the day he died. Dawson agrees that he was acting like a brat. If he’d listened to Mitch, Mitch would have been taking him to the airport instead of going to the store, and he would still be alive.
Grams finds Gail outside the house and tells her she prayed that she would die before her husband; she didn’t think she could live without him. It’s difficult, but she gets by. Until then, there’s a reason for antidepressants. The two women talk about the insanity of loving someone but risking the possibility of being destroyed after losing that person. Grams offers to stick around for a while, but Gail thinks she and Dawson will have to get through their grief on their own.
After the reception, Joey also offers to stay in Capeside, but Dawson wants her to go back to school. Later, Joey and Pacey hang out at the B&B, talking about how he wants to die in a funny way. (Possibility: being run over by a car full of clowns.) Joey tells him how Dawson blames himself for Mitch’s death. Pacey doesn’t get why Dawson wants to drop out of film school, though he quickly figures out the reason. He thinks the two of them should get their shot.
Gail remembers Mitch putting together Dawson’s crib and talking about what he hopes their son will be like. She tells Dawson that she hates that Lily will never know her father. Dawson promises to tell her all about him. Gail breaks down, then assures Dawson that he’ll be able to go back to his life soon. He tells her he doesn’t plan to go anywhere for a while. Gail replies that he doesn’t have to keep himself together; he’s allowed to fall apart. Dawson admits that he doesn’t feel anything.
The next day, Pacey comes back to the Leerys’, remembering getting a driving lesson from Mitch. (He told Mitch his father couldn’t teach him because he had to work.) Pacey wishes his father were around more, and Mitch says he can come to him if he wants to practice some more. Pacey invites Dawson to go for a drive, and they go to the spot where Mitch was killed. Pacey walks Dawson through the accident, which was caused by the other driver, who fell asleep.
Pacey continues that Dawson can grieve, but he shouldn’t blame himself because the accident wasn’t his fault. He should be glad that he got his father for 18 years, which is more than some people get. Mitch made him into a wonderful person who people care about and respect. Pacey’s doing this because he and Dawson used to be best friends. That means Pacey will always be there for him. Dawson almost cries but hides it.
At Worthington, Joey tells Audrey a little about Mitch. She wishes Dawson had let her help, since she understands what he’s going through. She thinks Dawson just wanted her to go away. She cries and Audrey tries to comfort her. Back in Capeside, Dawson and Gail have a silent dinner together, though neither of them eats much. She sees that they’re out of milk and starts to ask Dawson to go get some, then breaks down.
Dawson goes to the market, where the owner gives his condolences. He chatted with Mitch right before his death, and tells Dawson that his father was clearly proud of him. He said Dawson was brave and had a romantic streak, and Mitch was proud to know him. Dawson tries not to react, but once he’s in his car, he starts to sob.
In Boston, Audrey makes Joey leave the dorm, Jen and Jack try to get on with their lives, and Grams looks at old photos. In Capeside, Gail plays with Lily. Joey, Jen, Jack, Pacey, and Audrey have dinner at Pacey’s restaurant, and Joey notes the empty chair at the table. Dawson’s still in the market parking lot, crying, but he pulls himself together and heads home.
There’s one last memory: Mitch taking a family photo before everyone separates for the evening. He’s left alone for a minute, and he takes in everything around him, smiles with satisfaction, and goes inside to be with his family.
Thoughts: I know James Van Der Beek gets a lot of flak for this show and this role, but he’s excellent in this episode. So is Mary-Margaret Humes (Gail), but JVDB is even more impressive since he can only let the feelings show on his face.
If someone came up to me at a funeral, let alone one for a parent, and asked how I was handling my grief, I’d be a lot less polite than Dawson was.
It would have been nice if they’d brought Gretchen back for this episode. I mean nice for Dawson. I couldn’t care less about her.
'90s Flashback 