Dawson's Creek - 320 - The Longest Day

Original air date: May 3, 2000


I'm so excited for this ep because this marks the start of Dawson's decline into the super villain of Capeside. I mean, maybe super villain is a stretch but he's definitely the villain of this arc and you will soon see why. This is his breaking point though so let's all just sit back and try to pin point the exact moment that his heart breaks as well as his brain.

We're going to pinpoint the exact moment Dawson's brain bursts
forth from his five-head giving birth to Capeside's douchiest villain:
Love-killer, the killer of love.

The basic premise of this episode is that it takes place in one day but from different character perspectives. It's a neat concept and honestly it's a favourite storytelling element of mine because I'm endlessly fascinated by how things can be viewed differently based on the person or context you're getting it from. Rashomon is the best example of this but I also highly love Courage Under Fire for using this technique too. Let's see how Dawson's Creek fares with this narrative.


Joey starts the episode off by asking us if we've ever had one of those days that we wish we could start over again and oh my god, yes. There are so many days...so many. Andie points out Dawson and his dad's arrival to the docks. She asks where Joey is and Dawson says she wanted to stop by the library to research a history assignment but NOPE. She's actually furiously making out with Pacey.


Joey says they should go because people are at the docks for his boat christening and Pacey doesn't even care because PACEPHINE ARE MAKING OUT!!! Joey says that they need to tell people because they've been doing this for a week and yes, they definitely should tell people that they're dating but I hate that they're scared to because Dawson is the worst.


Pacey and Joey agree that they keep trying to tell him but that they see him and remember that he's so annoying and fragile and is going to get butt hurt over his two friends discovering they have feelings for each other and will somehow make it all about him and how hurt he is. Pacey offers to tell him for Joey and honestly the way they talk about this is kind of depressing. Like, Pacey says he feels bad for getting her into this situation and I'm like, that's not how feelings work you two. No one is at fault here, you spent time together and developed feelings for each other, end of story. I hate that they feel like they've done something wrong but also, I totally get how they feel that way because shit is complicated sometimes. They agree to do it in one day.


Cut to the theme song because our episode set up is complete.


Pacey is then freaking out on Buzz and complaining that "she" is not late because it's been an hour and late is like fifteen minutes. Dougie, Pacey's older brother, strides in to inform them that the "she" is Nora, Buzz's mom and she got stuck at work which means that Pacey is stuck with Buzz until the evening. Pacey tries to pawn Buzz off on Dougie but he's not having it and honestly I can't blame him here. Pacey begs because he has a very important thing he needs to do today and it has to be sans annoying child. Pacey ditches the kid with Dougie and heads off to do his thing.


Now we're with Jen and Grams, who is freaking out about how she's going away and doesn't want to leave Jen un-chaperoned with Henry. Jen says that she's perfectly capable of handling Henry's sexual impulses but with a smile that says she is not needing to be chaperoned because she actually wants the D. Grams is unimpressed but leaves anyway.


Jen spots Pacey staring up at Dawson's room and checks to see if he's ok. Pacey laments that he used to just walk right in and make himself at home and while he doesn't say it, it's obvious he's uncomfortable doing that right now. Jen assures him that Joey wants to be with him which is odd because we already saw them making out so of course she does. Jen says that Joey told her this and I'm really here for these two becoming friends. Anyway, Pacey is not the most happy to hear this news and Jen points out it's because he's about to walk into Dawson's house and tell him that the only girl he can't live without is the same one Pacey can't live without. Um, Dawson's been living without her for a while now, I think he'll be fine guys. Can we just not cater to what he wants? They're not dating, he doesn't have a claim on Joey, ffs.  Pacey says that in his wildest dreams he'd hope Dawson would give him his blessings and say that he had his shot with her already. Jen humours him and says it could happen but that's a bold face lie and she knows it. Dawson is never cool with news that disrupts his pleasant life. Case in point: slut-shaming Jen upon learning that she wasn't the perfect virgin angel he'd envisioned. This will not go well.


Mitch comes out and says that Dawson isn't at home. He went to the library. So, off Pacey goes to the library where he bumps into Andie. She's looking happy and she tries to pass it off as nothing but then Kruddy Krudski comes in from behind the stacks. Oh jeez, how did I forget that he was around for two whole episodes before his "spin-off"? He's super forgettable and I didn't remember him being in this episode at all is how. Yikes. It's clear he's made a date with Andie and she looks nervous about Pacey knowing but he quickly gives her his blessings. She looks a little disappointed about it because maximum drama needs to happen.


Dougie is dealing with an annoying Buzz. Pacey finally returns to find Dougie stressing about Buzz breaking his answering machine. Remember answering machines, kids? Anyone? They were all the rage in the 90s...I feel old. Pacey apologizes to Doug but says that he and Joey made an important decision today. Dougie questions this and Pacey tells him that he was right, Joey was into him and now they're kind of together. Then Dougie asks if he's told Dawson and I hate that everyone in this godforsaken town cares what the hell Dawson thinks of this. Like, be happy for your brother, Dougie, you don't have to care what Dawson thinks unless Pacey brings it up that he cares. I hate that everyone around these two is always like "But what about Dawson?" I feel like Richard Dreyfuss for sobbing out loud.

Me, when every character asks "What about Dawson?"
I'm way too proud of this right now

Anyway, Pacey says that he was never able to tell Dawson and Dougie actually chastised him about sneaking around with Joey behind Dawson's back and like really?? They are not dating, Pacey and Joey have done nothing wrong! Please refer to the above gif for my exact feelings on the matter. Dougie tells him that Joey and Dawson will remain friends or whatever they are and Pacey is going to be completely alone, no friends and no girlfriend and that is so fucking rude. Worst brother ever.


Pacey goes to Dawson's house with renewed resolve to tell Dawson but Joey runs up dramatically to stop him. She says that she has to tell him the news and Pacey tells her that he's fine with whatever she wants to do. Then he admits that he was in the process of chickening out the whole way here to which Joey thinks it's a sign that they just shouldn't do it because he's her family blah, blah, blah, this will kill him, la-di-da-di-da and more moaning about "what about Dawson?"


Obviously, Pacey is hurt by this because who the hell wouldn't be? She's giving up on her own happiness because her friend's feelings might get hurt?? That's so...wait, am I talking to a mirror? Dammit, the point still stands! Anyway, their argument is interrupted when Dawson steps outside and asks what they're arguing about. Joey waffles but Pacey says directly that they were arguing about "us" because he and Joey are an "us" now.

Dawson is most displeased. Look at that furrowed brow and...
do I detect a moustache beginning to grow?

Starting the day over with Joey's question and we're back at the dock when Andie asks about where Joey is. Moving on from the same scene, Jen tells him that she got through a movie she borrowed of his All the President's Men. Not sure why the Watergate scandal keeps being brought up in this, a teen show about relationship drama but here we are. Jack points out Pacey arriving at the docks to christen his boat. Dawson presents him with champagne.


This is Joey's version of events though so while Dawson and Pacey talk in the background, we cut to Joey, who just arrived herself. Joey asks for a ride to the library that she was supposed to be at this morning which Joey explains as she just got busy but Jen totally gets it because Jen knows all. Joey confesses that the unrequited feelings that Pacey has for her are very much requited as she feels the same way. However, she says her feelings are clouded by her fear of what Dawson will do or say when he knows and excuse me while I rage again. I want to be clear, I'm very mad on Joey's behalf because she's acting very much the way I did in a similar situation, we'll get to that later though. Jen says that if she's asking if she should tell Dawson then her answer is a big fat yes and yeah, I agree but is no one concerned about the emotional manipulation Dawson has managed to garner over her?? Just me?


Joey says that Pacey is going to tell Dawson today and that she's tried many times before too but that she knows that when she tells him that he will be hurt. I get it. I so get this feeling and it's taken me so long to finally come to the conclusion that preserving someone else's feelings at the cost of your own is completely not worth it. Joey is in an impossible situation right now where no matter what she does, someone gets hurt and I've been there and I know it is a shitty place to be but this is a situation where you really need to focus on your own feelings first and foremost. Joey complains that either way, she's the villain and says that women are always the villain and my God, the feels. This is super opening up old wounds right now and it sucks but my girl Jen dishes some real solid wisdom that I wish I'd taken more to heart when I was younger.

Jen: Keep in mind those stories were all written by men.

God, I love Jen. Joey wishes she was more like Jen and I couldn't agree more. Jen admits that fearless people are not as tough as she thinks they are and that Pacey's heart can break just as easily as the next guy. This does not help things.


Joey is at the library, where she catches the tail end of Pacey and Andie's conversation from above. She can't hear what they're saying, just sees them happily chatting. She looks upset by this. She's researching the Watergate scandal when Andie comes up behind her asking to use the computer herself. Andie then lets it slip that she has a date and Joey asks if it's with Will. Andie says that she likes him and all but that he's not Pacey. Joey looks suitably extra uncomfortable while Andie gushes about how she thought she was over Pacey but then she bumped into him at the library and she remembered everything she loved about him and realized she was not over him. Awkward.


Next, we follow Joey out of the library where she bumps into Dawson. She is in no mood to be guilted further and tries to nope out of the conversation with an excuse of being late to meet up with her sister, Bessie. Dawson asks her to a movie night and she nopes out of that too and hurriedly tries to escape this conversation immediately. Dawson asks if she's ok and Joey says she's fine it's just she has to not be where he is and walks away. Joey calls Dougie's place and leaves a frantic message trying to tell him not to do what he was going to do because of the whole thing with Andie now having secret feelings for Pacey, complicating things further. (Told you Will was irrelevant).


After this message, we cut to Joey running to Dawson's house, where he's watching The Last Picture Show which is symbolic because it's also about a friendship ruined by two guys liking the same girl. Joey asks if Pacey has been by and Dawson is confused and says he hasn't and she's relieved. Apparently, this is the movie they watched on their first date that Jen ruined thus preventing them from seeing the end. Joey asks how it does end and Dawson says that it ends with everyone alone and everyone hating each other so that is a super great outlook for this situation. Dawson says it's super depressing and wonders why he's even watching it then asks what Joey wants to talk about. Joey again nopes the fuck out of this situation using her nephew, Alexander, as an excuse, saying she promised to baby sit. Not the best excuse but I'm giving Joey all the breaks this episode because being in her situation suuuuuuucks. Dawson looks a little bit sinister as he watches her leave. We'll soon find out why. #DawsonIsTheVillainofSeason3


Cut to Joey seeing Pacey going towards Dawson's house and her running up to stop him. She's super upset and feels really guilty and you can understand even more now with what she went through with Andie confessing her feelings for Pacey and Dawson watching a painfully metaphorical movie about the situation where everyone ends up sad and alone because of a love triangle. (And throwing salt into the wound, makes the woman out to be the villain since she dumped the one guy and moved right on to the next one).


Dawson overhears them and goes outside to confront them. He looks super upset and Pacey admits they were arguing about "us" again. Pacey apologizes and says they didn't want to tell them this way and then Dawson admits that they didn't tell him, he knew all along!! And I think he spontaneously grew a moustache to twirl!

Nyah! I knew all along, see? I got your number and
I'll see to it, you never love again! Muahahahahahahahahahaaa!

Cut back to Joey asking her question about doing the day over again. Dawson and Mitch have arrived at the docks with the champagne. He tells them about Joey being at the library and then we're back to Joey and Pacey making out and not being able to keep their hands off each other.


Pacey heads out first and Dawson gives him the champagne. This time, we stay with them while Joey enters into the background. Jack protests for them to get the show on the road and Pacey asks if Dawson will be home after this so he can keep his promise to Joey.


Pacey makes a little speech about his boat, thanking everyone who helped him out to get it sanded and restored and painted so that it looks good as new. He christens the boat "True Love" because it's the symbol of Pacephine. Jen looks knowingly at Joey because she knows the context. Everyone cheers as Pacey breaks the champagne over the boat.


We are now in Dawson's version of events so we follow him to the library where he spots the useless insert character, Will. He's looking for some super secret study room where Andie is waiting for him and Dawson says that she probably means the genealogy  room because it's always deserted and gives him a smirk because he knows what's up. Will then asks what Dawson and Joey did on their first date because he wants ideas for what to do with Andie and I wonder why everyone asks Dawson for this advice. He's not going to give you anything revolutionary, dinner and a movie is a standard date idea since the dawn of well, when movies became a thing. Dawson admits it's a bad idea because you can't really talk and then surprises me by suggesting the creek. A moonlight boat ride is actually a decent idea...I mean more for people who know each other better because I doubt any girl would want to isolate herself from land with a guy she barely knows. That's how you end up murdered. Still, it's more inventive than Dawson normally is so credit where it's due. Dawson offers up his boat and tells him to come pick it up anytime. We're priming for super drama now! Dawson then says he plans to meet up with an old friend.


We cut to Jen and Henry hanging out on the porch of Grams' house because Jen is actually following the rules. I'm shocked, not because I'm slut shaming her but because I genuinely thought that she wanted some sexy alone time with her serial killer boyfriend.  She breaks the rules when she sees Dawson coming and ushers Henry inside so that she can console Dawson after hearing the news about Joey and Pacey, or so she assumes.


She asks if he's alright and invites him inside if he wants to hang out with her and Henry. It's a nice, if awkward offer. No one wants to be the third wheel, Jen. Dawson declines and says he's going to watch a movie and Jen is pleasantly surprised because he's taking the news so well and honestly? This should have been a mega red flag to her that he's a Snow because he knows nothing. She commends him for taking the news so well and says that it's great that Pacey told him but Dawson's like..."told me what now?"

And Jen gets "I fucked up" face

She tries to course correct that it was nothing but it's super obvious that whatever she thought Pacey told him would make him upset so he demands to know. He asks if it has to do with Joey, since she was acting weird earlier and Jen says she's so sorry and I don't know why she's apologizing to this loser. She didn't do anything wrong. However, this is Dawson Leery we're talking about and he's nothing if not THE WORST. He gets mad at her for knowing and not telling despite the fact that Jen said it wasn't her place to say anything. Dawson storms off and tells Jen to keep this to herself. Jen is upset.


So, let's sum this up so far, Dawson 100% knew about the fact that Joey and Pacey are a thing and went to purposely rent The Last Picture Show to torture himself. Then when Joey actually showed up, he threw the movie and it's conclusion in her face to purposefully shame her.

Urge to kill: rising....

Cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool. We replay the scene where he shames Joey purposefully and I think we know the moment he turned into an evil genius and it's this moment right here when, with Dawson's full context, he describes the movie's plot to Joey:

Dawson: Jeff Bridges is in love with Cybil Shepherd and she dumps him, breaks his heart. He's completely devastated and turns out she's not. She just kinda moves onto the other guy. It destroys their friendship.

On the nose and awkward from Joey's perspective, downright sadistic from Dawson's. He said this trying to guilt her. Knowing that it would hurt her and with the full intention of hurting her. Dawson is the worst forever and a day and my god did this one scene renew my entire hatred for this character. This is fucked up emotional manipulation. It's just downright cruel. After this quick summary of the movie, he pointedly turns to her and asks what she wanted to talk about. As if daring her to tell him after that heavy guilt trip he just laid on her. I hate him. The show cuts to him crying after she leaves as if we're supposed to feel sorry for him and all the nope to that, writers. Fuck that noise.


Dawson confronts a fighting Pacey and Joey and reveals that he knows and asks if they were planning on telling him or if it was just going to be a secret and just all the fuck yous to Dawson right now. Dawson reveals that Jen told him but that she thought he knew and then whines about how stupid he must be for not knowing. He asks Joey if she's bored, confused, or just malicious and I don't know how many more times I can say fuck you to this character and yet it never feels like enough.


Pacey steps up and tries to take the blame (for liking someone?) but Dawson is having none of it. He basically accuses Pacey of putting sex before their friendship, assuming that Pacey is just using Joey which is a pretty low opinion to have of your supposed best friend, Dawson. Pacey clarifies that the thing between Joey and him is not about sex and Dawson mockingly asks if it's about love.

I hate him so much

Pacey looks over at Joey and Dawson loses his shit. He yells at Pacey to not look at her and then tells him he's going to be alone forever and will have no friends because of this. Why would people choose you over Pacey? Why is this show acting like Pacey is in the wrong? He's not. Dawson is being a colossal douche though.


Andie shows up just at this moment and asks what everyone is fighting about. Dawson tells her to ask Pacey or Joey. Then he clarifies further by telling her to ask them how long they've been going behind their backs and I'm just like. They weren't doing anything behind anyone's backs. Neither of them were dating anyone, this isn't a cheating scandal so why is this being played off like one? There is no betrayal here and I'm about to get even madder, I think.


Cut to not the beginning but back to when Dawson first becomes Love-killer, the killer of love. Jen is begging him to come back but Dawson refuses and storms off like a big baby. Henry pops out like a dumb puppy and wants to go right back to flirting but Jen feels like shit. Jen confesses that she told Dawson something she wasn't supposed to and hurt his feelings in the process and Henry replies dumbly that she didn't mean to do it which is true but she says that it was still her fault. She clearly wants to talk about it but Henry goes in for a kiss anyway which rightfully pisses Jen off. He tries to kiss her again and she again tells him no. He claims he was just trying to make her feel better but Jen calls him out that he was trying to make himself feel better. Henry gas lights her and asks what he even did that was so wrong and I can easily answer that. Come close, Henry and listen real good: she's not mad that you kissed her, she's mad that you ignored her trying to tell you about something that was important to her.


Henry indignantly says that he doesn't care about all the drama around her friends and like, as a meta joke about the show, I get it but as a boyfriend talking to his girlfriend, he basically told her that he doesn't want to hear about her life unless it has to do with him and that is a shithole thing to say. Jen agrees with me and tells him to get the fuck out. He calls her irrational as an added douche bonus and all the women get to take a drink for every time a guy told her this to gas light her when she was validly angry about something. (But seriously don't because we might all die).


We then cut to Will and Andie on their date and I'm bored because this is just an excuse to get Andie to Dawson's house for maximum drama about the Pacephine reveal. Don't try to butter me up with Will talking about Orpheus and Eurydice, I'm not buying into this not-relationship.


Cue them showing up to find Dawson giving his super-villain speech to everyone about how awful Pacey and Joey are. Dawson goes inside and Joey runs after them, leaving Pacey alone to deal with Andie and Will. She asks him if it's true and Pacey confirms it. Andie is angry at him on Dawson's behalf but I think she's hurt because he obviously cares about Joey if he risked his friendship with Dawson and that means her feelings for him will be unrequited but my sympathies don't last when she starts yelling at him. Asking how he could be so stupid and that Joey will never love him the way she loves Dawson and that is a low fucking blow. Even if she's mirroring the Dawson/Joey first love with her own first love, Pacey. She storms off and an uncomfortable Will goes after her.


Cut to Joey and Dawson. She's trying to calm him down and explain things and Dawson asks if she loves him or just wants to sleep with him because sex is what he's going to expect. Excuse me.

This is for you, Dawson

Joey is like dude, WE ARE NOT TOGETHER and haven't been for like a year and Dawson petulantly asks if she's punishing him. She's not, she just developed feelings for someone who wasn't you. Then he throws their first break up in her face about wanting to find herself and asks if Pacey is what she's been looking for. He doesn't get how two people who couldn't stand to be in the same room together are now arguing about the future of their relationship and like, they haven't hated being around each other for a really long time. That was so season one, Dawson. Catch up. And Joey gives us the real truth of this matter, she can't explain it, it just happened.


This may seem like a cop out but it's really not. Let me tell you, you do not always plan to like someone, sometimes it sneaks up on you out of nowhere and lights a fire in your heart for reasons you don't really get. You just kind of click into place and everything feels right and exciting and wonderful and despite all other sense and reason, you just are drawn to them. Nothing is more cruel in this life than finding that person but having a barrier drawn between you both by someone else and their hurt feelings. It gets so fucking complicated, let me tell you. Speaking of, Joey tells Dawson that things between them are complicated and Dawson hurls back that they're only complicated because of her and if you'll excuse me for a second...

Dawson can seriously go fuck himself forever

Dawson asks if whatever was wrong with them will be magically fixed with her and Pacey and she says she doesn't know but she just knows that she needs him. Dawson doesn't like this and immediately makes her to compare them by asking if she needs Pacey like she needs him. Can I just give Joey all the hugs right now? She tells him that he can't make her compare them because what she feels for Pacey is separate from what she feels about Dawson and their friendship. Dawson informs her that they have no friendship if she's with Pacey and oh my god, the emotional manipulation!! He tells her to make a choice. She doesn't know what to say so he asks her to leave.


Later, Jen pops by Dawson's room to see how he's doing and he says that he doesn't want to rewind this day and relive it again. I see you and your meta humour, writers. He then laments over the fact that Jen told him because I guess he'd rather be ignorant of the situation? Jen informs him that when two people are on a crash course to each other, getting in between them only drives them closer together. Dawson asks if he's just supposed to accept the situation and Jen is like, uh yeah, basically. However evil!Dawson, Love-killer if you will, has been born and he says he can't let her go. He's going to fight for what he wants and by fight, I'm pretty sure he means emotionally manipulate his best friend into dating him again so that she doesn't choose Pacey. No thank you, please.


Joey finds Pacey and things are now awkward between them. She asks him the same question she asked at most every transition this episode: ever have one of those days you wish you could live all over again? They both agree that yes, they would and everyone else on the planet. They don't know what they'd have done differently but Joey is certain that all roads lead to being miserable because they're friends with Dawson, who is the worst.


Joey compliments Pacey on the boat that is a metaphor for their relationship and they both wonder if it's strong enough and all that but Pacey thinks there are storms ahead and he's not sure if she's sea-worthy. It's very deep with the metaphors. Joey drops the subtext and tells Pacey that they're over and that it has to be because let's all say it together now: Dawson is the worst!


And that was The Longest Day, a truly heartbreaking episode. The first time I watched this, I was a naïve teenager who was so mad at Joey for throwing away this amazing guy just because Dawson got butt-hurt. Watching it now, after all the stuff I went through in my college years, I completely get it. I totally 100% get it.

I was in a similar situation where I was friends with a guy, only friends, but when I met one of his friends it was like lightning struck. Further complicating things: I had a boyfriend at the time. So, that was not a fun situation to be in. It makes you feel guilty, horrible, like a cheater all that fun stuff. I thought making the decision to dump my boyfriend for the new guy would be the hard part but life was like "pfffft! That was too easy, try this out" and the night I was going to ask the guy for his number or ask if he wanted to hang out just the two of us, our friend intervened. He never explicitly stated it like Dawson does here but he made it extremely clear that he thought his friend and I dating was a bad idea and suddenly fresh new guilt showed up to tie my stomach in knots. I felt responsible for making my friend uncomfortable, I felt like I was coming between two friends and I didn't want to be that person. I didn't want to ruin a friendship, one of my only friends in the school I was attending and the prospect of being alone in a tight-knit college class terrified me. So, I made the same choice that Joey made right here, thinking that it would spare everyone's feelings.

Want to know the kicker? That friend that I was so worried about hurting? We're not even friends anymore. Haven't spoken in almost a decade. So, was it worth it? At the time, it seemed like it but now? I don't know, things worked out in the end, I suppose but I still think about that choice every day and I just get mad that I put someone else above my own happiness when in reality, they didn't give two shits about me. And honestly, any friend that does this to you, dating history or no, is not your actual friend. Full stop. Trust me, friends can come and go from your life just as easily as guys can.  Don't let anyone keep you from doing something that could potentially make you happy. If I can leave you guys with anything after this heartbreaking and kind of depressing ending (sorry about that) it's this:

Take chances, explore your feelings, live your life.

Big hugs to my dear readers out there

That wraps up this very dramatic episode of Dawson's Creek. Stay tuned for the recap of Show Me Love where I'm sure Dawson will remain the worst because it's the only thing he's good at.