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Dawson's Creek Episode Guide
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What would I do if I could write the scripts to Dawson's Creek?
MarchMarch 29, 2000Rerun.March 22, 2000Rerun.March 15, 2000Rerun.March 8, 2000Rerun.March 1, 2000March certainly came in like a lion as evidenced by this 8 Flush episode of Dawson's Creek. The only two downers to this show was the advanced publicity which ruined the episode's ending and the precociosuness of Jonathan Lipnicki which helped and hurt the show at the same time. Where to begin? Pacey is driving Joey to the train station. Joey wants to catch a train to Boston so that she can meet AJ and be beside him when he reads a story he wrote to a bunch of professors at an award's gala. Pacey chides Joey and tells her that her relationship with AJ is just a fantasy...that Joey's whole life is a fantasy, because she cannot accept reality. The fantasy is allowing a long distance relationship and the reality is doing something normal and by the rules. Joey is hurt by Pacey's comments, but not too hurt. She goes to Boston and is greeted by AJ's best friend in the whole wide world...Morgan. Morgan is a beautiful woman who has known AJ his entire life. Actually, according to Morgan, "since we were zygotes." Although I doubt that many English majors know as much about biology as Morgan and AJ. Anyway, Joey gets to know Morgan and AJ, and she asks Morgan if she and AJ ever hooked up. Morgan answers that they kissed once, but that "we know each other too well and have way too many fights....There's way too much history for there to be anything between us." Joey, however, doubts this when she hears the story that AJ reads at the award's gala. She realizes that the relationship between Morgan and AJ was meant to be...that they're bickering relationship is like a relationship that she has with a certain special guy. She tells AJ that he needs to be with Morgan, and that Joey will go home. But it's the middle of the night and the next train to Capeside does not depart until 9am. Who does she call?Before we answer that question, let's consider the February 9 episode where Pacey is punished by Principal Green to become a mentor. This weekend the mentoring begins. He mentors a 9 year old named Buzz Thompson. Buzz is the most intelligent 9 year old I have ever met, but he is quite a wise ass. Pacey actually calls Buzz this term to his face. Buzz is played quite humorously by Jonathan Lipnicki, and he even teases Pacey. He asks how old he is. Pacey responds that he is 16. So Buzz asks him why he has a five o'clock shadow. Buzz, the precocious 9 year old, has trouble bonding with Pacey because he has security issues. Buzz's dad left him and his mom a few years ago for another woman, and Buzz's mom is always at work. In addition, Buzz has gone through 4 mentors in less than a year. Pacey, however, promises to be different. The two have so much in common that they bond. Buzz asks Pacey about his love life. Pacey responds that he desires one girl in particular. Buzz says that he should go after the girl. Pacey says that it is not that easy. Buzz responds, "You have no trouble taking a swing at a guy, but you can't hit on a girl. Man, you're pathetic." I do not think Pacey is pathetic. He goes all the way up to Boston to pick up Joey who is heart broken. The two barely talk on the ride home. Pacey finally asks her what went wrong. She begins to explain that there are only two guys in her life who ever understood her: Dawson and...But then Pacey interrupts and says that AJ did not understand her fully. Joey says that she was going to say the other guy was Pacey. Pacey hears this comment and pulls over the car. He says that he cannot stand "this" any longer. Joey does not understand what Pacey means. Pacey asks why she called him. She says because she did not know what else to do. Pacey asks why can she tell him anything. She says because he is someone to talk to. He says he does not want to talk anymore. He's tired of playing this game. He takes her in his arms and kisses her. Fade out. This scene was done so phenomenally that I hope the producers show it at the beginning of the next episode. Had the WB not advertised this scene ad nauseum for the past two weeks, the show would have been perfect. We have been waiting for this kiss for months and even though we knew that it would eventually took place, we would have been totally surprised. Nonetheless, the WB ruined it. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it. Finally, throughout the episode we see Gale trying to get her new restaurant in shape. Apparently it opens next week, but has no chef or staff. What will Gale do? Dawson helps out, but he cannot run the restaurant so he calls his dad. Gale is upset that Dawson called Mitch, but eventually Mitch helps pull the restaurant together. To make a not-so-long story short: Mitch has been hired to be general manager of the restaurant. Bodie (Bessie's husband) has become a 20% partner in the restaurant and will work at the restaurant at night while working at Bessie's bed and breakfast in the day. Also, Jen will be a hostess at the restaurant.
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: There are worse things than a broken heart, like the love you don't explore. --Joey, explaining to AJ why he has to be with Morgan, but also telling the audience that she loves Pacey.
FebruaryFebruary 23, 2000RerunFebruary 16, 2000I'm not sure about this one. I think that the show exploited the race issue. The episode was about high school students getting off their butts and acting which is something that I have to commend, but the show put forward no message. In creating moral absolutes of X is racist and Y is right, the writers ignored the opportunity for what could have been a serious discussion that could have been helpful for today's high school students. Don't I sound like a critic? 7 Flushes!The episode begins with a school board meeting. Matthew Caufield's father is protesting his son's expulsion. Caufield's dad says that Green's "tactics [of suspending Matt are] better suited for an urban war zone than our community." The implication being that Green is black and does not, therefore, belong in white Capeside. The superintendent, Byron Fielding, agrees with Caufield and presents Green with an ultimatum: lessen Caufield's punishment (for getting in a fight with Pacey and vandalizing Joey's mural) or tender his resignation. The school board meeting is so intense that it is reminiscent of a seventeenth-century, New England town meeting. Joey speaks at the meeting and says that Green's actions were proper. Well, obviously Joey's words had no effect. Joey is down on herself, but Pacey tells her that she can mobilize people to protest Fielding's decision. However, a later phone call from AJ is what convinces Joey that she can fight the school board's decision. AJ even comes to Capeside to help. Joey holds a big rally in support of Green and it is quite successful. She gives all of her thanks to AJ. Pacey hears Joey thank AJ and is so upset that he is not getting the credit. AJ leaves after a little bit of helping Joey, because he says that Joey has good friends...like Pacey. Jen tells Pacey that one day, Pacey will receive his due thanks. Unfortunately, Joey's rebellion does not help Green who still must resign. But the entire student body shows up in support of Green. Of note, with Green leaving, will Nikki leave also? I thought that Nikki and Dawson were going to hook up in the far off future. Anyway, at the end of the episode, Pacey takes Joey to a special place. He says here is your present. Pacey has rented Joey a huge wall in the middle of Capeside so that she can paint a new mural. Joey says thank you to Pacey in a very sincere and caring way. Pacey is happy....Joey will paint her new mural. Throughout this episode, there are some minor conflicts between Bessie and Joey that turn out happy and will have no future effect on the show. Also, the race issue is not played out as I said above. We just assume that it is wrong to dislike somebody because of his race, but there are no speeches about racism and no real message about how even we are racist beings. The gospel song about freedom that played at the end of the episode seemed so out of place because of the lack of a racial message up to that point. If the show wants to preach, then send a message! In the background of this episode are Gale and Dawson who together do a newspiece on the whole controversy. Gale wants to do a newspiece that has integrity, and maybe get her foot back in the door of journalism. Her piece is so successful that the station she used to work at offers her a number of freelance jobs, but Gale decides that she would rather open her restaurant. IN TWO WEEKS: Pacey tells Joey that he's through talking with her (the assumption being that he should kiss her). February 9, 2000This episode was all about setting up things for next week. Six flushes out of a possible ten. Joey is commissioned to paint a mural about possibility at Capeside High, but when the painting is unveiled, we see that it has been vandalized. Oh no, I'm so upset. The destruction of her hard work disturbs Joey. Later that night, Dawson comes by to console Joey. Dawson says that Joey should repaint the mural. She should show that the vandal should not get the better of her. She thinks this idea is absurd. Dawson says that Joey is giving up on her work and her mission and questions whether or not she cares. Joey goes into a discourse on how she cannot afford to be a flake and waste time like Dawson. Joey cannot choose to drop film or travel in any random place or waste time, because Joey has to succeed so that she can get out of her house and into a good college. While Dawson and Joey fight, Pacey goes after the vandal. He asks around and finds out that most people think this obnoxious, rich kid named Matt Caufield ruined Joey's mural. Pacey confronts Matt, and Matt denies it. Later, the two meet in the parking lot, and Pacey says that he thinks Matt destroyed Joey's mural. Matt confesses, and the two get into a huge fight. Principal Green catches the two of them in this fight. Matt gets expelled from school for the rest of the year, b/c he is a cocky bastard who has no remorse for his actions. A note here. In real life, no principal can expel a student without a formal hearing of the board of education. In addition, the parents of the student must be notified, and the student must have the right to legal representation. Anyway, Pacey gets detention and has to become a mentor (I'm sure we'll see this mentor story develop in future episodes), because he was trying to do good even though he went about goodness in a bad way. Joey finds out what Pacey did and tells him that it the fight was foolish. Pacey admits that he was only trying to protect her like Dawson asked him. Joey asks what Pacey means. Pacey explains that when Joey and Dawson split up, Dawson asked Pacey to make sure nothing bad happened to her. Joey gets mad at both Dawson and Pacey. While arguing with Dawson over the legitimacy of his protecting her through Pacey, Joey realizes that Pacey has been more than just a protector to her. Joey and Pacey are back on track.Also this week, Andie gets nominated for a National Merits' Scholarship. She begins to feel guilty about having cheated on the test. She tells the principal that she cheated. Green says that he is disappointed with Andie, and she will get in trouble with the Educational Testing Service. Green will also punish Andie, but we do not yet know how. A final note. Pacey moves into Doug's house. Doug is Pacey's brother. QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: I'm white. I'm rich. That's all the possibility I need. --Matt Caufield on why he had the "right" to destroy Joey's painting
February 2, 2000Wow! This was a great episode of Dawson's, but before I get to anything I need to point out that some of the people with whom I saw this episode pointed out..."are these people 16?" as in the emotional development and drama in the lives of Dawson, Pacey, Joey, etc.. is way out of proportion with real teen life. For a more realistic view of teen drama, I would suggest watching Once & Again which is not about teens, but does portray them in a realistic light or catching some reruns of My So Called Life. So, the day is Valentine's Day. Andie's friend, Kate, from another town comes to visit Andie. Kate has just broken up with her boyfriend and needs Andie's company. Jack does not like that Kate is coming to Capeside b/c Kate and Jack used to go out. Andie says that Jack should tell Kate he is gay. Kate shows up and shares that her boyfriend just dumped her b/c he was gay. Jack decides not to tell Kate. Anyway, Jack, Kate, and Andie meet up with Pacey, Joey, and Dawson as they all go to this ultracool party at a local golf course (by the way, the kids are not supposed to be throwing a party in the middle of the golf course). At the party, Dawson acts rebelliously and tries to hit on Kate. She is drunk and lonely and very vulnerable, so this behavior is quite unDawson-like. He almost does kiss her, but she vomits before their lips connect. Andie hangs out with Joey, and Joey is complaining about what a bad influence Pacey is on Dawson. Andie says that Joey sounds just like Andie did before she started dating Pacey. Anyway, the illegal party is broken up by Officer Doug (Pacey's brother) who arrests the gang. They all sit in a jail cell together. Jack ends up sharing that he is gay. Kate says, gosh, I only kiss gay guys. She then asks Dawson if he is gay. Joey now knows that Dawson kissed Kate. She explodes and asks Dawson what kinds of person he's become. Pacey interrupts and says that Joey should stop controlling Dawson's life. He says that he is sick and tired of hearing the never-ending melodrama of Joey and Dawson's love story. One minute they're on and the next they're off. Pacey is sick of the back and forth that leaves no one knowing what is happening. At this moment, Doug releases everyone from jail...everyone but Pacey. Pacey's dad says that Pacey has to spend the night. Pacey talks to Doug for a little. Doug can tell that Pacey is having girl trouble. Pacey shares that the way he feels about a certain girl is like the hellmouth opening up (yes, he really uses the word hellmouth as though this were Sunnydale High School instead of Capeside). Doug says that Pacey has to act on his emotions. The next morning Pacey goes to Joey's house and tells her that he's very sorry for insulting her last night. She apologizes as well. Then Pacey says he has to tell her something else. He moves in close to her and says that he needs to teach her to drive a car that runs on stick (as opposed to automatic). And so he teaches her. Will these two ever hook up?Other things? Mitch is mad at Dawson for acting so irresponsibly (as in getting drunk...this is combined with crashing a speed boat and having strippers in the house from earlier episodes) so now Dawson will have to work at his mom's restaurant when it opens up. Also, Henry and Jen go out on their first date. Henry wanted to buy Jen a really nice present so he gives blood at the local blood drive. However, Henry gives twice as much blood as is legally allowed so that he can get twice as much money for his blood. When the two go out on their date, Henry collapses from a lack of blood. Jen visits Henry at the hospital and says that the two of them have been too serious. They need to lower their expectation of a perfect date and just have fun. The end. QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: You're beautiful in the way that beautiful used to mean something. ---Dawson, in a lamne attempt to hit on Kate
JanuaryJanuary 26, 2000The only saving grace to this episode was lots of Pacey and lots of Joey. Pacey and Joey are rehearsing Pacey's lines for the play which is opening up tomorrow. Pacey asks Joey is she is going to be at the show, but she says that she cannot. Pacey asks why and learns that she has a date with AJ, the guy who went to the fictitious Harvard. Pacey says that AJ is just going to try to get into her pants. Joey doesn't believe this. Anyway, Pacey goes to do a dress rehearsal but can't remember any of his lines. He is scared so he goes to ask Joey to come to the show. She says that she can't, but that she'll try to come to the post-premiere party, and that she'll see the show the next day. How does the show turn out? The director gets sick at the last minute and puts Andie in charge. The director says that Andie has run all of the rehearsal so she should be able to run the actual show. Andie now has to make sure that Pacey is in tip-top form for the show. Well, the show goes very well. Yeah for the show. How does Joey's date go? Well, AJ takes Joey to a professor's house in hopes of seeing the Northern lights which apparently appear in Capeside like every decade. But the sky turns cloudy so the two go for a walk. AJ uses all kinds of dorky lines on Joey like literature is so intriguing, and the Northern lights are like a positive and negative ion meeting. As they talk on the beach, AJ kisses Joey. Joey is startled and says she has to go do something. Flash back to the party where Pacey is having a miserable time. Jen tells Pacey that he is sad because someone special is not here. Jen can tell that Pacey misses Joey. How is Jen doing at the party? She is having an awful time, because she went with Henry. But to prevent their being together from seeming like a date, she brought Grams along. In the end, Henry makes a public gesture of his love for Jen. Jen tells Henry that he's acting foolish, but by the end of the episode the two are locking lips. But anyway, Jen tells Pacey that he wishes Joey were at the party, when lo and behold, Joey shows up. So, Pacey and Joey talk. Pacey sees her and asks how her date went. She says fine, and he says that AJ kissed her. She asks how he knows, and he says that b/c any guy would be a fool not to kiss such a beautiful woman and that her lipstick is smudged. As the two come close to admitting their feelings for each other, AJ comes in. Joey goes and ends her date with AJ. Joey then goes home. She enters her house when Bessie tells her that a boy is waiting for her. Who is it? Pacey? AJ? No, it's Dawson. The two talk about Dawson who has recently quit film class. This has made Nikki very upset b/c she thought that she and he were film buddies. Dawson says that he needs time to discover himself. Nikki says that he should wait until he's 40 to be disillusioned by the film business. Dawson and Joey are just talking about all of this when all of a sudden the Northern lights appear. Joey says that it's typical that she would end up seeing the lights with him. That last line really pissed me off, because she should have seen the lights with Pacey.NEXT WEEK:Henry and Jen go out on a Valentine's Day date, but Henry went out on a physical limb to get the date. January 19, 2000This episode was so pathetic that it seemed more like Saved by the Bell than Dawson's Creek. Joey and Bessie finally open up their new bed and breakfast. The only problem is that no one visits. Pacey invites the New York Times traveler's reviewer to the B&B and hopes that he'll prove to be good advertising. Upon hearing that this guy is coming, Joey freaks out and says that the place isn't ready for a guest so important especially since he'll be all by himself. How to get guests? Pacey invites the entire Leary family as well as Jen, Grams, Jack, and Jen to spend the weekend (how pathetic!). Well, when Frank Fricke, the reviewer, arrives he sees a picture of a normal B & B, but he is so obnoxious in this "I am from the NYT" sort of way (we all know that no reviewer would ever let his identity be known before his review is complete). The weekend is pretty much a bust, especially since one night, the heat goes out, and everyone sits around the fireplace and tells stories about different things they like to smell. Joey's favorite smell is bacon. She wakes up the next morning to the smell of bacon and great pancakes. She sits down to breakfast and loves the food, but knows that Bessie can't make such good pancakes. Who made them? Bodie!! That's right Bodie has returned to be part of Bessie's, Alexander's (the baby), and Joey's lives. At the end of the weekend, Joey confesses to Frank Fricke that the place is not great and that it deserves a lousy review, Fricke smiles and says he had a great weekend, because there was love in the B&B (just like in Saved by the Bell when adults think children messing up is cuter than cute).What important tid bits happened this week? In the falsity of happy families at the B&B, Mitch and Gail temporarily reunite. Dawson is trouble by his parents closeness, but Mitch explains that Mom and he are still friends. Then Mitch shares that mom can't get a job. Mitch then tells Gail that she should open a restaurant. Andie tells Jack how much their dad misses him at home. Jack doesn't believe her, but realizes that he needs to be with his sister. Jack leaves Grams and Jen for Andie. Pacey and Joey come closer together, but nothing intimate yet, just a stare that lasts too long. Jen and Henry are just friends for now, but I think Jen may be falling for good old Hank. NEXT WEEK: It's time for the play that Pacey is staring in, but he can't perform his lines unless Joey is at his side. The thing is that AJ (the guy from the fictitious Harvard) is spending some time with Joey in Capeside. January 12, 2000The impossible may have happened tonight...I missed the opening minutes of Dawson's Creek. I was under the impression that the WB was showing reruns all week long until I flipped to my local WB channel while Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was at commercial. To my surprise, I see Nikki (the film student who is the principal's daughter) talking to Dawson, and I know that something is going down. I'll fill in all the blanks I can. Dawson and Nikki start hanging out because they are the most devoted film students in the entire world. Dawson even goes over to the principal's house to visit Nikki and then the principal suggests that Dawson help Nikki on her new movie whose subject is a secret. The day passes, and Dawson gets his coat to leave. He enters Nikki's room and sees a clean, adult-like room. Dawson fails to understand how her room has no movie posters. Nikki explains, "I love film, but I love it, because it allows me to explore all the other things in my life." The two talk, and Nikki reveals that her new film is about divorce and Dawson discusses his own parents' divorce. That night Dawson is in his room taking down all of his movie posters when Joey enters. She asks him why he is doing this, and he says that he has grown up. She says that he is being false to himself, because the movies mean so much to him. The two get in a huge fight. Dawson reveals that he has spoken with Nikki about his parents' divorce even though he has not spoken about this with her. Joey is upset and jealous, and the two part ways in anger. A day passes, and Joey stops by Dawson's to apologize and to give him a new poster...it's the poster from John Lennon's "Imagine." She says that the two used to sing the song and dream about what could be...maybe Dawson will do that again. She then says that it's OK if Dawson can't tell her everything as long as he tells someone. He hangs the poster.Pacey and Andie both join the school play. Pacey is the leading male role. Andie is the director's assistant. The director, who is a teacher at the school, sucks big time at his position, and Andie tries to improve the show. Every time she improves the show, the director yells at her. One of these times, she is so upset that she leaves. Pacey comes running after her, and the two have a brief moment of bonding. Will these two get back together? Whatever happened to Pacey and Joey? Jen and Jack go on an environmental retreat. At the retreat, Jack sees Ethan...the gay guy that Jack met on the train ride home from the fictitious Harvard. The two talk and bond. Ethan's stuff is stolen so he asks if he can stay with Jack and Jen. Jack says yes, so Jen agrees to go be off somewhere so that Jack and Ethan can "bond." Well, Jack and Ethan go into the tent and Ethan goes off to sleep. The next morning, Jack gets mad at Ethan and says that he was expecting some action. Ethan says that Jack isn't ready for that sexual leap yet. Ethan says that the two should stay friends. Anyway, when Jen left the tent she saw Henry. She hasn't seen him for like a month, and he is so upset when he sees her. Unbeknownst to Jen, Henry has been giving her the silent treatment. His heart was broken in the worst possible way. Jen realizes that it was wrong of her to take advantage of Henry's unrequited love. She sees him as a cool and smart guy now. The two of them may have a romantic future. But every scene between these two was all too melodramatic. It was like every set of dialogue between them was life-or-death and that their love was bigger than the stars...all too much and totally unrealistic. Ditch the story. In one of Henry and Jen's quibbles, Jen says, "I miss the goofy way you used to look at me with passion and intensity." I took this quote to heart. I used to look at this show with "passion and intensity," and now I have no feelings for it whatsoever except contempt. I don't know if my heart can be as forgiving as Henry's.
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: It turns out that the gay version of "let's be
friends" speech is the same as the straight version. --Jack
January 5, 2000Rerun |
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