Dawson's Creek - 201 - The Kiss

Original air date: October 7, 1998

Welcome back dear readers. In case you forgot, we last left off with Dawson kissing Joey and I fully expected to move on to the first episode of the second season and find them in Dawson's room arguing about the deeper meanings behind Stephen Spielberg's Indiana Jones series while avoiding talking about having kissed and pretending nothing happened between them. So I was very pleasantly surprised to see actual continuity. Last season ended with a kiss and this season opened with that same kiss.

Thank you writers for finally continuing a story!

Unfortunately, this happy moment doesn't last long and they eventually fall into their usual argument mode. Joey, I think alludes to them having sex but chickens out before saying it (and she thinks Jen moves too fast?), which leads to Dawson thinking she was going to say that it was a mistake that they kissed, which then leads to Joey getting mad at Dawson because if he said that he thinks she thinks they made a mistake, he must obviously be thinking they made a mistake.

I don't even

After some more back and forth drama about who wants to forget what happened more, Joey storms off.



Running away solves everything!!!!


But then Dawson stops her again by kissing her.



Oh, it did again



Next we cut to Gail watching Mitch sleep because apparently, she's turned into Edward Cullen. Mitch is understandably freaked out but then Gail explains that she has a free morning and she's been waiting for him to get up because she can only think of one way she wants to spend it. This apparently freaks Mitch out too because he stops her before she can get very far and says he has to shower because he has a meeting.

Denied!

We then cut to a, for once, cheery Joey. Bessie is suspicious of her non- scowliness and I can't blame her. She finds out that Joey was at Dawson's the previous night and puts two and two together and wants Joey to give her details. I know that Bessie isn't technically Joey's mom, I know that. I also know that sometimes sisters do talk about these things but for some reason, it just weirds me out that Bessie is so into her teen aged sister gettin' some.



Weirdest guardian ever?


Because so much time has gone by between episodes but this show is playing off like this stuff happened the previous day, Dawson and Pacey are hanging out at a salon, getting their hair cut. Nice cover, writers. Except that in Pacey's case, his hair has gotten longer and last I checked, hair cuts don't work that way but still, nice cover.



Just two dudes gettin' their hair did


What follows next is an inter spliced conversation between the girls and the boys regarding the Dawson/Joey kiss a la Summer Nights from Grease.



Sadly, minus the singing and Travolta

So the weird thing about this scene is that they've kissed, once. Once! After spending God knows how long denying their feelings for one another so the fact that they finally got through their whole deal and kissed, you'd think that Pacey and Bessie would be like, great so you two should go on a date but instead they are both weirdly like:



Sadly again, minus the song and dance


How weird is it that Joey's sister wanted to know if Dawson touched her? Whether she meant boobs or pussy, it's still freaking weird. I know when I got a boyfriend, my sister wasn't all "OMG! So, did he touch your pussy yet?" Because that would be weird.

Anyway, once we are done talking about Joey and Dawson, Pacey claims that because Dawson finally acted instead of sitting back and examining the situation, he can change too. He is now determined to change his image and be a stud. His first conquest will be senior cheerleader, Kristy Livingstone and to attract her attention, he decides to "frost his tips" And just..



Noooooooo!!!! What did you do to your
gorgeous brunette locks?


But here is where, even though I said I'd go down with the ship that is Joey/Pacey, I abandoned my thinking for a long while. Because, ladies and gentleman, I just could not in good conscience ship Pacey with someone who chose Dawson of all people over him. Especially not when we are introduced to the marvelous-ness that is Andie McPhee:

Team Pandie begins!

They also have their very own "meet cute" where Andie accidentally runs into his car as he pulls out. They play it like it's her fault but I think it's because he's driving his dad's or his brother's cruiser and usually hitting a cop means you're in trouble regardless. Except that Andie totally had the right of way because Pacey was pulling out of a parking space and should have yielded to traffic. But, I digress. She thinks he's a cop because he's driving a cop car and is kind of dressed like one:

Hot...except for the frosted tips

So, Pacey plays along and pretends to be a cop so that she won't report the accident and he won't get in trouble.

Meanwhile, Joey is just finishing talking with a teacher when she bumps into Dawson. They act all shy and cutesy with each other and then Joey claims that she might have made the biggest mistake of her life. Dawson, of course, thinks she is talking about him and is all serious face. Then Joey finally reveals that she told the teacher that she just wasn't going to go...to France, in case you guys forgot about that blip of a sub plot.

Oh look, it's hypocrite Joey

She asks Dawson what he thinks of her not going and he says he's extremely happy and, apparently, aroused. This leads Joey to wonder once again if they've made a mistake and I'm left wondering if this is what their entire relationship is going to be like. Cutesy conversations mixed with overwrought angst over whether or not they should be together. In which case, this will be me whenever they interact as a couple:

I don't know how long I'll last before
I pull the trigger though

So, Dawson asks her out on a date and Joey pretends like she wants to watch TV instead because Luke Perry is back on 90210 but also because nothing can ever be simple with Joey, she always has to be clever. Always. Thankfully, Dawson ignores her TV comment and tells her that the Rialto is closing and that he'd like to take her to the last show on Saturday. She then asks him if he'll still be aroused on Saturday. Guys? These two are really nauseating together. I mean, they are that annoying couple that most people hate. I think I preferred Dawson with Jen. At least he could just hang out with her like normal and not talk all gushy romantic with her every second.

This picture adds nothing, it just amuses me

Speaking of Jen, she bumps into them and informs them about her Gramps' passing. They are concerned for her which is nice. Jen tells them that she is going to head home because she doesn't think that she can stick out the day. Speaking as a girl who had to go to school the day after finding out that her Grandpa passed away, which was when the school remembrance day ceremony was being held, which had a guy playing drums, which my grandpa used to love to play, I can attest that it is, indeed, hard to hold yourself together for a full day of class. Surprisingly, Joey tells Dawson to go after Jen to see if she's OK. I guess she can afford to be nice to Jen now that she won.

Side note: I love that they've tried to cover up Michelle Williams' obviously way shorter hair by pretending that she's just pulled it back.

Short hair cover up fail

Pacey is bragging to a group of random extras about what he did to Andie earlier which is a bonehead move because Andie overhears him. She calls him out on his bullshit and threatens to call the cops. Pacey acts like an entitled ass by daring her to because his daddy is the sheriff. I don't like Pacey in that moment. He also claims the accident was her fault and just no, Pacey. You were parked and pulling out into traffic, she had the right of way. You pulled out without looking so quit with the misogynistic "females are terrible drivers" crap.

I will correct you because you are wrong

Then Kristy Livingstone, the object of Pacey's affections, walks past them and says "hi" to Andie. Pacey is shocked that Andie knows Kristy and then says that she probably didn't recognise him because he just got his tips frosted. Andie is amused and offers to set up a meeting with him and Kristy. Pacey is surprised that she would be that nice to him.

Those are some good questions

At the Lindley household, Jen comes home to find that Grams is packing up all of her husband's things. She asks Jennifer how school was which confuses me because I thought Jen said she was taking off early. I guess she could have taken her time getting home but then, I also thought Dawson was supposed to be checking up on her. I see the writers are once again saying a big "fuck you" to time lines.

Anyway, she gets pissy at Grams for packing up her Gramps' things but Grams just looks her in the eye and tells her that she loved her husband dearly but that she watched him waste away in bed for two years so whether she packs his things today or next week he's still gone and has been gone for a while.

A little harsh but she's right

We next see Gail running up to her house and pleading with Mitch not to be mad at her for being late and that she definitely wasn't sleeping around on him this time. Mitch says that he believes her and she breathes a sigh of relief. She tells him that it's important that he believes her and then he says that he's got to go to an appointment that came up suddenly and leaves her.

Sucks when your spouse has mysterious
night time meetings, doesn't it?

Meanwhile, Andie has set up the meeting between Pacey and Kristy. Before Pacey goes over to her, he sings a little limerick about her which is both shitty and creep-tacular. Here it is:

Pacey: There once was a girl name-a Kristy, the thought of her nude makes me misty, a night on the town, we'll both go get down, by the end of the date she'll have kissed me.



Pacey, Petey, same diff

Pacey asks Kristy on a date and I guess she didn't hear his little limerick about her being nude because she agrees.

We then find out that Mitch's appointment is with a lawyer that specialises in divorce.

Dun, dun, DUN!

Dawson finally meets up with Jen. Except that I think we're supposed to forget that he supposedly followed her right after she left school as per Joey's suggestion because he acts like the only reason he is over there is because his mom sent him over with a casserole.

Jen asks him if he's going out and he says he is going to the Rialto for its last night. Jen then asks if he's going with Joey to which he stupidly replies "Yeah, who else?"

Not intentionally but still a burn

Seriously Dawson? I know she dumped you and you have every right not to get together with her again and to move on but this girl is obviously an emotional wreck after losing her grandfather and confessed that she still had feelings for you a few days ago. Maybe spare her feelings a bit. He then gives her advice to not sit around being sad and get out because it's nice out. He then leaves quickly.

Sucks that you're feeling bad, 'kay bye!

Joey is nervous about her date because she and Dawson haven't kissed since the first time which was apparently yesterday...except that it was clearly night time when you kissed, then you clearly went to school the next day and you said your date was on Saturday so...either Capeside has classes on Saturdays or the writers have no concept of time. I'm going with the latter for obvious reasons.

Bessie gives Joey a pep talk about second kisses being more meaningful than the first kiss and assures her that she will get her second kiss.

We then cut to Dawson, picking Joey up for their first date. He gives her a flower that he plucked from her lawn right in front of her which she, for some reason, finds charming. I would be like, "Bitch, you for real?" if he pulled that shit with me. Don't get me wrong, flowers are nice and a guy taking the time to pick you flowers is extremely nice BUT a guy showing up at your door and then going "Whoops, was I supposed to bring something?" and stooping down to pick one of your flowers to give to you? That is beyond lazy.

you, Dawson

Joey immediately makes the situation more awkward when she makes jokes about renting a motel room. Seriously, this is the bitch who thought Jen Lindley moved fast. Jen didn't talk about sex all the time but somehow, she's the slut and Joey's the virginal goddess. Whatever show, whatever. Dawson cuts through her sexual bravado by saying that he just wants to hold her hand.

This shuts her up, thankfully

Pacey waits for Kristy outside of the Rialto and is singing that awful limerick again except whistling for most of it and singing only parts of it and somehow, that makes it worse. Stop, Pacey! I'm begging you! Anyway, he's basically frustrated because she hasn't shown up yet.

Dawson and Joey are holding hands in the movie theatre when an usher comes down the aisle with a flashlight. Jen then appears and moves to sit next to Dawson. Uh oh, I smell...


Yes, I do


In fact, this plot point is now mirroring the pilot episode of the series but instead of Joey ruining Dawson's first date with Jen, we have Jen ruining Dawson's first date with Joey. Except that, I have to say, Jen's only crime is third-wheeling them. She isn't bitchy to Joey, asking her if she dyes her hair or asking if she's still a virgin or anything. She just joins them. Since Joey effectively ruined Jen and Dawson's first date, I think it's only fair that it's reciprocated. In other words,

Dawson proceeds to question why Jen is there, which is valid but kind of cold. She quickly picks up on the fact that she is not welcome and leaves, causing Dawson to chase after her and leave Joey behind. Hey, much like when he took Joey outside to talk to her and left Jen behind. Sorry, Jo but this is karma, you're going to just have to deal with it.

Dawson finds Jen in the lobby where she asks him point blank if he wanted to be with Joey the whole time he was with her. He says he didn't and I believe him because he was so absolutely clueless about Joey's feelings in the beginning and it wasn't until he and Jen broke up and Dawson saw Joey in an evening dress that he started to like her as more than a sister. Jen then has a mini freak out about how she was stupid to push him away and asks that Dawson not jump Joey right away because she doesn't think she could handle it. She turns a little emo too, suggesting that she would turn to razor blades so I guess we've entered into the beginnings of Jen spiralling out of control this season.

I'll totally cut myself, I swear!

Dawson goes back into the theatre but finds Joey gone. She has left in another one of her tantrums because, say it with me now "running away solves everything!"

Pacey is still waiting for Kristy when she finally shows up. However, she can't stay long because, big surprise reveal, her boyfriend is waiting for her. Ain't that a punch to the nuts. But wait, why did she agree to go on a date with him then? Well, she explains that she thinks he's really brave to try and live a normal life despite being under the constant cloud of death and that she knows that he didn't want anyone to know but his friend Andie told her all about it and it finally clicks in with Pacey. Andie set this whole thing up as retaliation for the prank he played on her and I just love Andie for this, OK?

Yep, you just got served

Grams is leaving the theatre when she spots Jen. Jen accuses her Grams of wanting to date right away because she's obviously over her Gramps. Jen then says that she thinks her life is pathetic and that Grams is probably the best friend she has except that she doesn't think Grams likes her. Grams tells Jen that she's her whole world and Jen says that if she's all her Grams has, she feels sorry for her. Jen is really falling into her emo role nicely. Grams then reveals that she had her first date with Jen's Gramps at the Rialto and that she came to the last screening, not to see a movie but to be with her husband one last time.

Bet you feel like a tool now, don't you?

Pacey runs into Andie at the store and confronts her about her lie about his life threatening condition. Andie admits that she made it up and that Pacey is deluded if he ever thought he could get Kristy to dump her hot, football champ boyfriend for him. Pacey then explains that he was trying to change himself but that he now sees that he can't and he has to go back to old Pacey, the black sheep Pacey, the brunette Pacey. Andie says that she thinks he should die his hair back.



I love you, Andie


Meanwhile, Gail confronts Mitch about his visit to the divorce lawyer. Mitch says that he doesn't think he can be married to a woman that he loves and hates in equal measure. Gail then says that he has two options, he can either give her another chance, wholeheartedly or he can go to the divorce lawyers, write a big cheque and make their marriage another statistic. She then asks him if he likes one of those options and Mitch says he does but he doesn't know which one yet.

Can you really blame him?

I don't really get this, are we supposed to sympathise with Gail now because Mitch isn't trying to fix the relationship she fucked up for no good reason? Because that is some bullshit, guys. How the hell do you fix a relationship that was perfect and had no problems other than Gail was bored. Mitch doesn't need to work on anything here, he was honest, he was a loyal husband, he was romantic, he was trusting and she cheated on him because she was bored of how perfect her life was. He can't fix that. Why would he want to? If they fix their relationship and everything goes back to normal again, won't Gail just get bored and cheat on him again? What I'm saying is that I understand his reservations and I'm still on Team Mitch.

Dawson finally catches up with Joey and even though they don't show it, I imagine him going through about 10 of her "thinking" spots, missing her by mere minutes at each one, before finally finding her here and it amuses me. Anyway, Dawson starts to apologise to her even though she pulled the hissy and ditched him. But, to her credit, Joey reveals that she wasn't mad about Dawson talking to Jen. She bailed because she was worried about how complicated their relationship is.

I can't be the only one annoyed with this

She explains why she chose not to go on that trip to France and she gives a reason that is laughably lame and transparent. Joey, it's not that France would have been "easier" and staying in a small town is "harder" and would "make you stronger", you didn't go because you wanted to be with Dawson. You are just as shallow as that girl who also opted not to go to France because of her boyfriend, deal with it. You were scared of actually realising your dreams and getting out of Capeside, of experiencing something new and different. So you stayed where you felt safe, with someone you felt safe with. I have no problem with that either, I just wish she'd own it and not be so damn pretentious about staying being the harder choice because it isn't and guess what? No matter how many times you say your relationship with Dawson is complicated? It fucking well isn't and just because you say it is, doesn't make it so. Your relationship with Dawson is as simple as, you like each other, therefore you are now dating. That's it. You are friends who are now dating.

Completely missing the point of what Joey is actually saying, that she is hiding from France because new experiences scare her, Dawson starts pointing out the France experience within Capeside. They banter back and forth about other french things they could enjoy and they kiss again.

Joey: French kiss. The 2nd kiss, the rational one. The one that requires thought.

And because, I can only assume, Dawson thinks she's just rambling and has no idea what she's talking about, he comes back with:

Dawson: You know I found out what they're replacing the Rialto with. A movie theatre.

Awkward

But they use the new theatre as a metaphor for their relationship changing for the better because they love to talk about their relationship in metaphors instead of actually talking about their relationship and then they kiss again.

The end.

So, that was the first episode of the second season. I like that they are finally addressing the Mitch and Gail relationship issues that have taken a back seat for a while now. I love the introduction of Andie as a romantic interest for Pacey. Hooray for no more romanticised statutory rape for him. I can't stand the Dawson and Joey relationship though. I still really feel like Dawson is Joey's safety blanket. He poses no threat to her and shields her from actually taking risks in her life. Let's be real here, picking France would have been the harder option for her but she stayed because she was scared to go to a place she didn't know, that spoke a language that she couldn't speak and instead of facing those challenges and bettering herself, she stayed behind with Dawson.

Let's see how that works out for their relationship, shall we? Next time, it's Crossroads.

No, not the Britney Spears movie