Original airdate: November 8, 2000
Last time we checked in with the Creek, the Leery's were expecting another child but might not want to keep it and Dawson acted like a spoiled brat as per usual. This time we embark on a "drugs are bad, m'kay?" narrative that marks the beginning of the end for poor Andie. Let's go.
Andie is helping Jen out with college admissions and they are in a library. Apparently, there is a college-bound section that they need to check out and I'm lost. I just went to the websites and applied to the ones I wanted, I didn't know there was library research involved in this. Yikes. I guess I fucked up and should've tried harder.
Andie thinks it would be fun to check out New York schools since Jen thinks she might want to return there. Jen is like "I what now?" and we find out that Andie has been chatting with Drew about Jen and how they hung out in New York and for starters, I hate Drew the more we learn about him. Secondly, what the fuck, Andie? I guess she might not know that Jen really fucking hates Drew but Jen tells her this right now and that he lies a lot so please, trust her.
Jack comes in just then with an envelope from a certain college that Andie has been obsessed and determined to get into if you'll recall from last season where she got sage advice from an admissions person. Andie is nervous because the letter is small but she got early acceptance and everyone is super excited for her. Roll credits.
We come back to a record store where Dawson is looking for new music to listen to. Gretchen comes in to give some pretentious music advice. I kid, I honestly have no clue if her tastes are good or not because I'm pretty basic myself when it comes to music. I get confused when she recommends Morcheeba and says that they are a combination of Herbie Hancock, Biz Markie, and Poe. That's quite the mix and I cannot picture what that would sound like. Herbie is pretty jazz/experimental I thought and the only thing I know of Biz Markie is this:
So I cannot take this seriously but then again, there are a lot of Biz Markie fans out there who will probably tell me that he's done tons outside of this song and he's amazing but I'm just confused about what sound Morcheeba took from him and I hope it's not the chorus of this song because woof. A singer Biz Markie ain't.
Anyway, Dawson is as clueless as me and I resent that we have that in common because I don't want anything in common with him. Some guy passes Gretchen a flyer and it's for a rave. Dawson and her have a back and forth about whether or not he should go with her to this rave but ultimately, Dawson decides not to. Ugh, another thing we have in common because yeah, raves aren't my thing either and I would have noped out too. Damn, I'm lame. Gretchen insists that he tries to at least listen to her recommendation so they go off to try out the CD.
Pacey and Joey walk past the record store chatting about what they can do to alleviate their boredom. Joey suggests pulling a Bonnie and Clyde since it would solve two of their issues: money and boredom. I would advise against it lest they both want to end up super gunned down in a bloody mess. Joey looks in the record store window and sees Dawson and Gretchen together. Pacey asks if she wants to go in but she quickly nopes that idea and moves him along before he sees that his older sister is hanging out with Dawson now.
In the McPhee household, father McPhee is being delightfully sweet about how proud he is that Andie got into Harvard. He gives her his old Harvard sweater and it's just incredibly wholesome. Did I mention how much I now love Mr. McPhee? Andie seems uncomfortable with the showering of attention. Jack lightens the mood by making a few jokes and Mr. McPhee excitedly talks about the course books coming and how they can go over them together and look at the summer sessions and gushes about how proud he is of Andie. Jack insists he gets the same speech when he gets into clown college. They all laugh and it's just the best seeing the McPhees so happy together.
Mr. McPhee leaves to go brag to his fellow Harvard alums. Jack tells Andie not to let their father get to her or get too freaked out or pressured. Andie confesses that she doesn't feel anything. Jack is concerned but Andie chalks it up to her medication leveling her out so she doesn't feel lows but also doesn't feel the highs either. Jack mentions that he got an invite to a rave and suggests they both go so that she can properly celebrate and let herself loosen up.
We next cut to the library where Jen is looking at New York-based colleges when she gets an email invite to the rave from Drew. (Quick note that everywhere I'm reading his name it's spelled Drue but that looks gross and wrong to me so I refuse to correct it like I did with the Leery last name. He's Drew). Jen is not impressed with this invite and tells him to back off but Drew basically shames her for not being the girl she was when he knew her and I hate this so much. This honestly reminds me of Spike telling Buffy how worthless she is and that her friends don't actually like her just so that she would feel shitty enough about herself to be with him and I hate it. He's pushing her to ruin her life again. Look, having some fun isn't bad but it's clear that Jen had a huge drinking and drug problem before she came to Capeside (and relapsed already in season 2) he should not be dragging her into that life again and he is a shitty excuse for a human and cannot call himself her friend if he's going to do this to her. He calls her out for keeping the ecstasy tablets he gave her and then tells her to take one for the rave because he's horrible and the worst.
Dawson comes home to find Mitch and Gail celebrating. He asks them what's up and they break the official news that they are keeping the baby. Dawson is excited for them this time and they all hug. Gail invites him to eat with them but Dawson says he has plans. Mitch is happy that Dawson can take a hint because he wants some alone time with his pregnant wife.
Joey and Pacey are getting ready with Gretchen to go to the rave. Joey snarks about it but is actually excited to go and try it out. Pacey is less than enthused because he thinks they're like high school dances but ten times longer and I agree with Pacey that this sounds like hell. It's not that I hate to dance but I'm not a group dancer and I have the whitest of white girl moves. Like I can pretty much only dance like this:
So I've never liked dances, clubs, any place where the only thing you can do is dance to music because it's all you can hear. Not a good time for me but kudos to them for trying. Anyway, they are getting ready to go when surprise! Dawson shows up, deciding that he did want to go for some reason. Pacey and Joey look uncomfortable but Dawson offers to drive so they all go together in what I assume was the most painfully quiet and awkward car ride of all time.
Andie and Jen are getting ready together and both are stressing. Andie wants to be able to go meet Jack because his meeting ends soon and Jen is trying to find directions to the map point. This is apparently a buffer zone for undesirables and this makes Andie freak out that she'll get turned away which honestly, same. I feel like they'd smell the lame on me and bid me good-day. Jen assures her that as long as they have money, they will get in. Andie leaves to go to the bathroom and Jen goes to her drawer to look at the ecstasy tablets. Andie, of course, walks in on her and asks what they are.
In the car, Gretchen is reminiscing about the last time they were in the car together was when the went to Cohasset. She says they were all babies and apparently Dawson remembers that they were 11 and she was 14. I don't know why that weirds me out but it does. 14 and 11 are worlds apart. However, they are now 18-ish and 21-ish which doesn't feel as bad. Pacey seems very uncomfortable.
Jen and Andie are walking along the pier to meet up with Jack and she tells her about her experience with ecstasy and raves. Andie seems extremely fascinated by it. She asks Jen all about it and how it makes her feel. Jen explains how happy she felt on X but also warns about the crashing when it's over. Andie is intrigued by the happiness effect though since she isn't really feeling it these days. Jen points out that she just got into Harvard but Andie says she hasn't really felt a thing so Jen asks if she wants to talk about what she's feeling. Andie doesn't want to talk though because she's sick of talking and wants to have fun.
She asks to see the pills and Jen obliges, reluctantly. Just as she asks for them back, Jack turns up and they both scramble to hide them. Once they set out to leave, Jen tries to get the box back again but Andie puts it in her pocket, insisting that she can't give them to her yet since Jack is right there.
At the map point, Dawson and Gretchen get out to get the actual location of the rave. Pacey asks Joey when Dawson and Gretchen became going out buddies. Joey says she thinks this is their first outing which is a weird lie since she saw them at the record store together and I'm not sure why she would hide that? Anyway, Pacey is upset that of all the people in Capeside, his sister befriended Dawson but Joey points out that it makes sense since they work at the restaurant together and are around the same age. Pacey asks if it bugs her but Joey says it doesn't. Pacey insists it does but Joey corrects him and says it bothers him and he just wants it to bother her too. He then asks her what is bugging her and she replies "you" and then motions for him to smile, implying he's being a grump and they laugh together. Yay for them being an actual couple this episode and not just having a big fight all the time.
Outside the car, Dawson and Gretchen get the tickets to the raid and she asks him how he feels about Joey and Pacey being with them. Dawson says it's awkward but he's in too good a mood to let it bug him and then he tells her that his parents are keeping the baby. She's happy for him and he gushes about how excited he is and how he wanted to share it with her. He thanks her for sharing her perspective because it helped him understand what his parents were going through.
At the rave, Jack is super excited to get to raving and Jen asks Andie discreetly if she still needs to talk or if she is feeling ok. Andie is remarkably chipper and assures Jen that she is totally ok and feels great. Jen asks for the pills back but Andie admits that she took one. Jen is not impressed and says that they are not good for her. Andie offers to pay Jen back, thinking she's mad about how expensive they are but Jen is an awesome friend who doesn't care about the money, only Andie's well-being. Andie assures her that she feels super fine but asks her not to tell Jack since he wouldn't approve.
Dawson, Gretchen, Pacey, and Joey run into Drew who makes a big deal about them not being squares or something. He then says that he hasn't met Gretchen yet and she says she doesn't have a problem with that so I like her a lot more now. Joey congratulates Andie for getting into college and Pacey gives her a big hug. Of course, Drew is an asshole and tries to stir shit between Pacey and Joey about how long the hug lasted. I can't remember if we're stuck with him the whole season but I really hope not because I hate him. I'd rather have serial killer Henry back, at least he was just boring. Everyone else is annoyed with him too and Gretchen asks who he is. Dawson asks her if she remembers Abby Morgan and oh, hell no. Abby was awesome and not anywhere near as gross as Drew. Do not besmirch her memory like this, Dawson.
Andie comments on how beautiful the rave looks and then starts petting Joey's hair. Jen pulls her aside and tells her that petting people is not exactly keeping a low profile. Andie assure her that she's totally fine which Jen doesn't buy. She wants to keep an eye on her but needs Andie to stick by her. Andie is super gone and giddy about how great a friend Jen is, she really is. Andie pets Jen's hair and Jen points out that this is not in the realm of maintaining so she has to try harder. Jack is super excited and stupid Drew comes up to ask who wants to dance. Andie is super excited to get to dancing but like, please don't Andie. He sucks. Jen warns Jack about leaving Andie alone with Drew because he sucks.
Gretchen apologizes to Joey for Dawson showing up out of the blue. She said he originally said no and was surprised he changed his mind. Joey is fine but brings up Dawson's crush on her and that she's worried that if Dawson thinks he has the slightest chance with her that his crush would start back up. Gretchen thinks that if Dawson is waiting for a crush to come back, he's not waiting on her. Oops, Joey has been called out.
Drew has figured out that Andie is super high even though she tries to say she isn't because she super is and it's super obvious. He touches her neck and she gets a happy look on her face so I'm immediately uncomfortable. Andie says she's supposed to be maintaining and that Jen is looking after her. Drew tells her that he's a far better guide and I really, really don't like this.
Joey finds Pacey sitting by himself outside and he says that he lacks the dance moves necessary to enjoy the toneless music and that is 100% me. Joey agrees that she feels out of place too so Pacey asks why they're here. Joey says to try something new but they both agree that they like the old. Joey gives Pacey a glow stick for his thoughts and he puts it on his head so she comments that he's channeling his Julius Caesar look again. He admits that he really misses True Love and Joey agrees that she does too. They cuddle together and oh my god, this is all I've been waiting for all season. Just them being cute together and not because they're in a fight but because they're good together. My god, was I getting sick of the fighting drama.
Gretchen confronts Dawson about his feelings for her. Dawson is confused because they are just friends and Gretchen feels silly for even bringing it up. I feel bad that Joey almost messed up this friendship because she planted that idea in Gretchen's head. Dawson assures her that he's not ready for anything else and that he values her friendship. She seems fine with this and asks if he wants to dance or bounce. Dawson is confused but picks bounce.
Pacey and Joey are walking together when they bump into Drew and Andie. Everything is light and fun but then Andie says this:
And I have to just rage for a second here because excuse you? I'm going to have to start Annie Wilkes raging here:
THEY WERE NOT TOGETHER. They had not been together for a year and Dawson showed no interest in her until she started having feelings for Pacey. I'm gonna call utter bullshit on this crap revisionist history that the writers are pushing here and forcing Andie to say them so that people turn on her. This is all bullshit. It's bullshit! I'm fed up with this world. Ok, maybe not that far but this is pretty uncool to change the narrative like this since that is entirely not what happened here.
Anyway, the confession of her undying feelings for Pacey, while legit is totally uncalled for too and I feel bad for Joey because she had no idea she felt this way. I'm sad because I want them to be friends. Let Joey have girl-friends! Pacey asks Andie if she's feeling ok since she's super over-sharing and making everything awkward. She insists she's fine and asks if they want to bounce but Pacey declines the offer because of the aforementioned awkwardness.
Jen comes back with waters to find Jack dancing with two randoms. She asks where Andie is but he lost track of her. Jen says that they're going to go find her and Jack asks her what's up because she was supposed to be this big raver but all she wants to do is monitor Andie. Jen promised Andie she wouldn't tell though so she just insists they need to find her. I mean, she could just say she's worried about what Drew will do but I suppose he'd still assume Andie is capable of handling herself (though it's legit to be worried about a friend hanging out with someone bad at a party because even if they aren't drunk or high that person could slip them something).
Dawson and Gretchen are bouncing in a big bouncy castle which admittedly looks like a lot of fun. I could get down with bouncy castles because you don't have to know how to dance. He lands on top of her and there is a moment of will they won't they that Gretchen shuts down. They get back up and Andie and Drew join them. Andie starts to feel dizzy though and Dawson asks if she's ok. He suggests sitting down but it's too late, she collapses in his arms.
Jack shows up with Jen right at that moment and he demands to know what happened. Dawson, having only just seen Andie is confused and just knows that she collapsed. Jack is panicked and after a non-existent commercial break, he carries Andie to the infirmary tent. The paramedics ask what she's on and Jack gives them the name of her anti-depressant but the paramedics are like "no, what is she on?" So, Jen finally pipes up that she took a tab of ecstasy. The paramedics are freaked out that she's on X mixed with her anti-depressants and now need to get her to the hospital like yesterday. They ask if someone wants to ride with her and of course, Jack jumps up. Jen wants to go with him to make sure they're ok but Jack is pissed and tells her she can't come. Jen tries to say that she didn't realize Andie was on her medication but like, yes you knew. She told you she was earlier and that's why she didn't feel anything plus you know her mental health history. Don't lie, Jen. I mean, what really happened is that she didn't realize Andie would take or took the pill. Jack doesn't think it matters because Jen gave her the drugs and thinks she should be the one in the ambulance. Ouch.
Ooops, there goes my heart shattering into a million pieces because my soul mates are going kaput before my very eyes. I hate this. It really isn't Jen's fault. I mean, yes she had the drugs and shouldn't have kept them in the first place but Andie chose to take it, Jen kept telling her it was a bad idea to. I know, she said it made her feel great but she also said the crash was horrendous. I really hate that Jen is going to get blamed for this.
Dawson offers to give Jen a ride to the hospital but she knows she wouldn't be welcome and decides to go home instead. They leave and Drew walks up to Jen to offer her a ride home. Ugh, don't go home with Drew, Jen.
Jen and Drew are walking together and Jen is beating herself up for what happened. Drew insists it wasn't her fault but Jen disagrees saying she could've gone down for any number of reasons, even if she weren't on anti-depressants and it still would've been her fault. Poor Jen. Drew again tells her that Andie made her own choice and while I agree, it doesn't mean Jen should feel nothing about it, obviously she's going to feel guilty, she supplied it and Andie might not have gotten it had Jen not made it accessible. Of course, she feels guilty. Drew doesn't want to hear it and points out that she should feel bad about her friends icing you. Jack did, sure but that (while hurtful) was understandable given the situation. Dawson offered her a ride that she turned down. So, he's clearly trying to isolate her from her stable friend group and I hate it.
Jen tells him off which is good but I know she's going to get worn down. I can feel the writers wanting to put her through hell just because Michelle Williams is the best actor on the show and can handle the emotional weight of hard scenes but I hate it. I want better for Jen.
At the hospital, the gang waits for news until Jack emerges with the good news that Andie is now stabilized. She could have died though and that terrifies everyone. Jack tells them that she needs rest and they should go home but Pacey wants to stay. Joey offers to stay with him but he tells her to go home and that he'll be fine. He feels guilty for not noticing that she was super not acting like herself but, honestly, when he saw her it was super too late to do anything anyway.
Dawson drops Gretchen off first and they chat about how weird the night was but Dawson is still glad he went to the rave. Gretchen thanks him for his friendship because the past year was hard on her and coming home was even harder but he made the transition more enjoyable than she thought it was going to be. They say their goodnights and he walks back to the car where Joey is waiting. Awkward. Joey is not even tired so Dawson asks her if she's hungry and she agrees to get a bite with him.
At the hospital, Andie is awake and apologetic but Mr. McPhee isn't angry, just glad that she's ok. Jack is angry though because he needs her to be around and to take better care of herself. It's a good angry that turns into a sweet moment, even if the first thing a person should hear when they wake up from almost dying is that people are mad at them. Like, I think they've been punished and feel shitty enough but still, it ended nicely with Jack saying they need each other. Andie agrees she was stupid but she just wanted to feel something, anything and my heart breaks for her. Mental health is so fucking hard, you guys. Nothing is right for a long time and sometimes, in order to not feel the really shitty emotions, they have to level out your feelings so you don't feel joyful emotions either. I can't speak from personal experience but I can't imagine it would feel good to walk around and just feel nothing. I want to give Andie all the hugs, even if she said a horrendous lie about how last season went down. We all know Dawson was the villain.
Pacey comes in with coffee for everyone (excluding Andie) and she tries to apologize for the things she said. Pacey doesn't care about that though because he only cares that she's ok. My god, can you blame a girl for not being over him? I sure can't. She's still wrong about the Dawson being dumped for Pacey thing though. Fuck that.
Speaking of Dawson and Joey, they are walking along the docks and talking about the crazy night they just had and the fact that they've faced a lot of death this year already. Joey thinks it's crazy that any one of them could go just like that for the stupidest of reasons and future me glowers knowingly.
Joey laments that this is the last year they'll be together before they head off to college and no one rows their boats anymore. Dawson tells her to not dock their boats just yet because she should give her boat to Alexander and he will give his to his new brother or sister. Joey is super excited for him that Gail is pregnant and they go on about how Leerys and Potters will always be rowing their boats to each others' houses or something like that. Joey says that it will be hard to imagine life without him and Dawson pithily replies that she managed fine for 3 months. Why does she want to be friends with him again? She ignores his rudeness and tells him that he knows what she means and he agrees that he does so I guess we're ending on a happy note.
That was Great Xpectations and I am further cemented in my hatred of Drew and what he's going to do to Jen. I'm also sad because I know this is almost the end for Andie and she had a lot of potential to be really interesting this season. I am also really happy with how positively they handled Joey/Pacey relationship this episode. No fights, just super strong and solid couple. Joey didn't even hesitate or get jealous when Pacey wanted to stay at the hospital, she just understood that it was important to him and offered him her jacket for comfort. That is a beautiful amount of trust and understanding and I've been waiting for this solid side of them to come back, their constant bickering was getting tiresome and was not at all what I was promised from how season 3 ended.
Next up, we bid farewell to Andie in You Had Me at Goodbye. I'm sad already.
Last time we checked in with the Creek, the Leery's were expecting another child but might not want to keep it and Dawson acted like a spoiled brat as per usual. This time we embark on a "drugs are bad, m'kay?" narrative that marks the beginning of the end for poor Andie. Let's go.
Andie is helping Jen out with college admissions and they are in a library. Apparently, there is a college-bound section that they need to check out and I'm lost. I just went to the websites and applied to the ones I wanted, I didn't know there was library research involved in this. Yikes. I guess I fucked up and should've tried harder.
Andie thinks it would be fun to check out New York schools since Jen thinks she might want to return there. Jen is like "I what now?" and we find out that Andie has been chatting with Drew about Jen and how they hung out in New York and for starters, I hate Drew the more we learn about him. Secondly, what the fuck, Andie? I guess she might not know that Jen really fucking hates Drew but Jen tells her this right now and that he lies a lot so please, trust her.
Jack comes in just then with an envelope from a certain college that Andie has been obsessed and determined to get into if you'll recall from last season where she got sage advice from an admissions person. Andie is nervous because the letter is small but she got early acceptance and everyone is super excited for her. Roll credits.
We come back to a record store where Dawson is looking for new music to listen to. Gretchen comes in to give some pretentious music advice. I kid, I honestly have no clue if her tastes are good or not because I'm pretty basic myself when it comes to music. I get confused when she recommends Morcheeba and says that they are a combination of Herbie Hancock, Biz Markie, and Poe. That's quite the mix and I cannot picture what that would sound like. Herbie is pretty jazz/experimental I thought and the only thing I know of Biz Markie is this:
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| But you say he's just a friend...yeah you say he's just a friend |
So I cannot take this seriously but then again, there are a lot of Biz Markie fans out there who will probably tell me that he's done tons outside of this song and he's amazing but I'm just confused about what sound Morcheeba took from him and I hope it's not the chorus of this song because woof. A singer Biz Markie ain't.
Anyway, Dawson is as clueless as me and I resent that we have that in common because I don't want anything in common with him. Some guy passes Gretchen a flyer and it's for a rave. Dawson and her have a back and forth about whether or not he should go with her to this rave but ultimately, Dawson decides not to. Ugh, another thing we have in common because yeah, raves aren't my thing either and I would have noped out too. Damn, I'm lame. Gretchen insists that he tries to at least listen to her recommendation so they go off to try out the CD.
Pacey and Joey walk past the record store chatting about what they can do to alleviate their boredom. Joey suggests pulling a Bonnie and Clyde since it would solve two of their issues: money and boredom. I would advise against it lest they both want to end up super gunned down in a bloody mess. Joey looks in the record store window and sees Dawson and Gretchen together. Pacey asks if she wants to go in but she quickly nopes that idea and moves him along before he sees that his older sister is hanging out with Dawson now.
In the McPhee household, father McPhee is being delightfully sweet about how proud he is that Andie got into Harvard. He gives her his old Harvard sweater and it's just incredibly wholesome. Did I mention how much I now love Mr. McPhee? Andie seems uncomfortable with the showering of attention. Jack lightens the mood by making a few jokes and Mr. McPhee excitedly talks about the course books coming and how they can go over them together and look at the summer sessions and gushes about how proud he is of Andie. Jack insists he gets the same speech when he gets into clown college. They all laugh and it's just the best seeing the McPhees so happy together.
Mr. McPhee leaves to go brag to his fellow Harvard alums. Jack tells Andie not to let their father get to her or get too freaked out or pressured. Andie confesses that she doesn't feel anything. Jack is concerned but Andie chalks it up to her medication leveling her out so she doesn't feel lows but also doesn't feel the highs either. Jack mentions that he got an invite to a rave and suggests they both go so that she can properly celebrate and let herself loosen up.
We next cut to the library where Jen is looking at New York-based colleges when she gets an email invite to the rave from Drew. (Quick note that everywhere I'm reading his name it's spelled Drue but that looks gross and wrong to me so I refuse to correct it like I did with the Leery last name. He's Drew). Jen is not impressed with this invite and tells him to back off but Drew basically shames her for not being the girl she was when he knew her and I hate this so much. This honestly reminds me of Spike telling Buffy how worthless she is and that her friends don't actually like her just so that she would feel shitty enough about herself to be with him and I hate it. He's pushing her to ruin her life again. Look, having some fun isn't bad but it's clear that Jen had a huge drinking and drug problem before she came to Capeside (and relapsed already in season 2) he should not be dragging her into that life again and he is a shitty excuse for a human and cannot call himself her friend if he's going to do this to her. He calls her out for keeping the ecstasy tablets he gave her and then tells her to take one for the rave because he's horrible and the worst.
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| Also, the obvious villain 'stache has been passed on to Drew |
Dawson comes home to find Mitch and Gail celebrating. He asks them what's up and they break the official news that they are keeping the baby. Dawson is excited for them this time and they all hug. Gail invites him to eat with them but Dawson says he has plans. Mitch is happy that Dawson can take a hint because he wants some alone time with his pregnant wife.
Joey and Pacey are getting ready with Gretchen to go to the rave. Joey snarks about it but is actually excited to go and try it out. Pacey is less than enthused because he thinks they're like high school dances but ten times longer and I agree with Pacey that this sounds like hell. It's not that I hate to dance but I'm not a group dancer and I have the whitest of white girl moves. Like I can pretty much only dance like this:
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| It's not good, I'm a giant dork |
So I've never liked dances, clubs, any place where the only thing you can do is dance to music because it's all you can hear. Not a good time for me but kudos to them for trying. Anyway, they are getting ready to go when surprise! Dawson shows up, deciding that he did want to go for some reason. Pacey and Joey look uncomfortable but Dawson offers to drive so they all go together in what I assume was the most painfully quiet and awkward car ride of all time.
Andie and Jen are getting ready together and both are stressing. Andie wants to be able to go meet Jack because his meeting ends soon and Jen is trying to find directions to the map point. This is apparently a buffer zone for undesirables and this makes Andie freak out that she'll get turned away which honestly, same. I feel like they'd smell the lame on me and bid me good-day. Jen assures her that as long as they have money, they will get in. Andie leaves to go to the bathroom and Jen goes to her drawer to look at the ecstasy tablets. Andie, of course, walks in on her and asks what they are.
In the car, Gretchen is reminiscing about the last time they were in the car together was when the went to Cohasset. She says they were all babies and apparently Dawson remembers that they were 11 and she was 14. I don't know why that weirds me out but it does. 14 and 11 are worlds apart. However, they are now 18-ish and 21-ish which doesn't feel as bad. Pacey seems very uncomfortable.
Jen and Andie are walking along the pier to meet up with Jack and she tells her about her experience with ecstasy and raves. Andie seems extremely fascinated by it. She asks Jen all about it and how it makes her feel. Jen explains how happy she felt on X but also warns about the crashing when it's over. Andie is intrigued by the happiness effect though since she isn't really feeling it these days. Jen points out that she just got into Harvard but Andie says she hasn't really felt a thing so Jen asks if she wants to talk about what she's feeling. Andie doesn't want to talk though because she's sick of talking and wants to have fun.
She asks to see the pills and Jen obliges, reluctantly. Just as she asks for them back, Jack turns up and they both scramble to hide them. Once they set out to leave, Jen tries to get the box back again but Andie puts it in her pocket, insisting that she can't give them to her yet since Jack is right there.
At the map point, Dawson and Gretchen get out to get the actual location of the rave. Pacey asks Joey when Dawson and Gretchen became going out buddies. Joey says she thinks this is their first outing which is a weird lie since she saw them at the record store together and I'm not sure why she would hide that? Anyway, Pacey is upset that of all the people in Capeside, his sister befriended Dawson but Joey points out that it makes sense since they work at the restaurant together and are around the same age. Pacey asks if it bugs her but Joey says it doesn't. Pacey insists it does but Joey corrects him and says it bothers him and he just wants it to bother her too. He then asks her what is bugging her and she replies "you" and then motions for him to smile, implying he's being a grump and they laugh together. Yay for them being an actual couple this episode and not just having a big fight all the time.
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| Look at the cute couple making each other laugh! |
Outside the car, Dawson and Gretchen get the tickets to the raid and she asks him how he feels about Joey and Pacey being with them. Dawson says it's awkward but he's in too good a mood to let it bug him and then he tells her that his parents are keeping the baby. She's happy for him and he gushes about how excited he is and how he wanted to share it with her. He thanks her for sharing her perspective because it helped him understand what his parents were going through.
At the rave, Jack is super excited to get to raving and Jen asks Andie discreetly if she still needs to talk or if she is feeling ok. Andie is remarkably chipper and assures Jen that she is totally ok and feels great. Jen asks for the pills back but Andie admits that she took one. Jen is not impressed and says that they are not good for her. Andie offers to pay Jen back, thinking she's mad about how expensive they are but Jen is an awesome friend who doesn't care about the money, only Andie's well-being. Andie assures her that she feels super fine but asks her not to tell Jack since he wouldn't approve.
Dawson, Gretchen, Pacey, and Joey run into Drew who makes a big deal about them not being squares or something. He then says that he hasn't met Gretchen yet and she says she doesn't have a problem with that so I like her a lot more now. Joey congratulates Andie for getting into college and Pacey gives her a big hug. Of course, Drew is an asshole and tries to stir shit between Pacey and Joey about how long the hug lasted. I can't remember if we're stuck with him the whole season but I really hope not because I hate him. I'd rather have serial killer Henry back, at least he was just boring. Everyone else is annoyed with him too and Gretchen asks who he is. Dawson asks her if she remembers Abby Morgan and oh, hell no. Abby was awesome and not anywhere near as gross as Drew. Do not besmirch her memory like this, Dawson.
Andie comments on how beautiful the rave looks and then starts petting Joey's hair. Jen pulls her aside and tells her that petting people is not exactly keeping a low profile. Andie assure her that she's totally fine which Jen doesn't buy. She wants to keep an eye on her but needs Andie to stick by her. Andie is super gone and giddy about how great a friend Jen is, she really is. Andie pets Jen's hair and Jen points out that this is not in the realm of maintaining so she has to try harder. Jack is super excited and stupid Drew comes up to ask who wants to dance. Andie is super excited to get to dancing but like, please don't Andie. He sucks. Jen warns Jack about leaving Andie alone with Drew because he sucks.
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| Andie is super high and vulnerable do not leave her alone with Mustache Drew |
Gretchen apologizes to Joey for Dawson showing up out of the blue. She said he originally said no and was surprised he changed his mind. Joey is fine but brings up Dawson's crush on her and that she's worried that if Dawson thinks he has the slightest chance with her that his crush would start back up. Gretchen thinks that if Dawson is waiting for a crush to come back, he's not waiting on her. Oops, Joey has been called out.
Drew has figured out that Andie is super high even though she tries to say she isn't because she super is and it's super obvious. He touches her neck and she gets a happy look on her face so I'm immediately uncomfortable. Andie says she's supposed to be maintaining and that Jen is looking after her. Drew tells her that he's a far better guide and I really, really don't like this.
Joey finds Pacey sitting by himself outside and he says that he lacks the dance moves necessary to enjoy the toneless music and that is 100% me. Joey agrees that she feels out of place too so Pacey asks why they're here. Joey says to try something new but they both agree that they like the old. Joey gives Pacey a glow stick for his thoughts and he puts it on his head so she comments that he's channeling his Julius Caesar look again. He admits that he really misses True Love and Joey agrees that she does too. They cuddle together and oh my god, this is all I've been waiting for all season. Just them being cute together and not because they're in a fight but because they're good together. My god, was I getting sick of the fighting drama.
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| Look at them getting along and missing True Love together |
Gretchen confronts Dawson about his feelings for her. Dawson is confused because they are just friends and Gretchen feels silly for even bringing it up. I feel bad that Joey almost messed up this friendship because she planted that idea in Gretchen's head. Dawson assures her that he's not ready for anything else and that he values her friendship. She seems fine with this and asks if he wants to dance or bounce. Dawson is confused but picks bounce.
Pacey and Joey are walking together when they bump into Drew and Andie. Everything is light and fun but then Andie says this:
Andie: I just wanted to show you guys how much I love you both. You guys are so good together! And, Joey, you are so nice! Well, except for the time when you dumped Dawson for Pacey. That was pretty cold. But, really, who can blame you? I mean, it's Pacey. [Giggles] I pretend not to care, but I have to admit, pace, you are the love of my life, and I am so not over you! I hope it's ok that I said that. I mean, we're all really good friends, so it shouldn't be that big of a secret, right?
And I have to just rage for a second here because excuse you? I'm going to have to start Annie Wilkes raging here:
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| THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED! SHE DID NOT DUMP COCKADOODIE DAWSON FOR PACEY! |
THEY WERE NOT TOGETHER. They had not been together for a year and Dawson showed no interest in her until she started having feelings for Pacey. I'm gonna call utter bullshit on this crap revisionist history that the writers are pushing here and forcing Andie to say them so that people turn on her. This is all bullshit. It's bullshit! I'm fed up with this world. Ok, maybe not that far but this is pretty uncool to change the narrative like this since that is entirely not what happened here.
Anyway, the confession of her undying feelings for Pacey, while legit is totally uncalled for too and I feel bad for Joey because she had no idea she felt this way. I'm sad because I want them to be friends. Let Joey have girl-friends! Pacey asks Andie if she's feeling ok since she's super over-sharing and making everything awkward. She insists she's fine and asks if they want to bounce but Pacey declines the offer because of the aforementioned awkwardness.
Jen comes back with waters to find Jack dancing with two randoms. She asks where Andie is but he lost track of her. Jen says that they're going to go find her and Jack asks her what's up because she was supposed to be this big raver but all she wants to do is monitor Andie. Jen promised Andie she wouldn't tell though so she just insists they need to find her. I mean, she could just say she's worried about what Drew will do but I suppose he'd still assume Andie is capable of handling herself (though it's legit to be worried about a friend hanging out with someone bad at a party because even if they aren't drunk or high that person could slip them something).
Dawson and Gretchen are bouncing in a big bouncy castle which admittedly looks like a lot of fun. I could get down with bouncy castles because you don't have to know how to dance. He lands on top of her and there is a moment of will they won't they that Gretchen shuts down. They get back up and Andie and Drew join them. Andie starts to feel dizzy though and Dawson asks if she's ok. He suggests sitting down but it's too late, she collapses in his arms.
Jack shows up with Jen right at that moment and he demands to know what happened. Dawson, having only just seen Andie is confused and just knows that she collapsed. Jack is panicked and after a non-existent commercial break, he carries Andie to the infirmary tent. The paramedics ask what she's on and Jack gives them the name of her anti-depressant but the paramedics are like "no, what is she on?" So, Jen finally pipes up that she took a tab of ecstasy. The paramedics are freaked out that she's on X mixed with her anti-depressants and now need to get her to the hospital like yesterday. They ask if someone wants to ride with her and of course, Jack jumps up. Jen wants to go with him to make sure they're ok but Jack is pissed and tells her she can't come. Jen tries to say that she didn't realize Andie was on her medication but like, yes you knew. She told you she was earlier and that's why she didn't feel anything plus you know her mental health history. Don't lie, Jen. I mean, what really happened is that she didn't realize Andie would take or took the pill. Jack doesn't think it matters because Jen gave her the drugs and thinks she should be the one in the ambulance. Ouch.
Ooops, there goes my heart shattering into a million pieces because my soul mates are going kaput before my very eyes. I hate this. It really isn't Jen's fault. I mean, yes she had the drugs and shouldn't have kept them in the first place but Andie chose to take it, Jen kept telling her it was a bad idea to. I know, she said it made her feel great but she also said the crash was horrendous. I really hate that Jen is going to get blamed for this.
Dawson offers to give Jen a ride to the hospital but she knows she wouldn't be welcome and decides to go home instead. They leave and Drew walks up to Jen to offer her a ride home. Ugh, don't go home with Drew, Jen.
Jen and Drew are walking together and Jen is beating herself up for what happened. Drew insists it wasn't her fault but Jen disagrees saying she could've gone down for any number of reasons, even if she weren't on anti-depressants and it still would've been her fault. Poor Jen. Drew again tells her that Andie made her own choice and while I agree, it doesn't mean Jen should feel nothing about it, obviously she's going to feel guilty, she supplied it and Andie might not have gotten it had Jen not made it accessible. Of course, she feels guilty. Drew doesn't want to hear it and points out that she should feel bad about her friends icing you. Jack did, sure but that (while hurtful) was understandable given the situation. Dawson offered her a ride that she turned down. So, he's clearly trying to isolate her from her stable friend group and I hate it.
Jen tells him off which is good but I know she's going to get worn down. I can feel the writers wanting to put her through hell just because Michelle Williams is the best actor on the show and can handle the emotional weight of hard scenes but I hate it. I want better for Jen.
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| #Justice4Jen |
At the hospital, the gang waits for news until Jack emerges with the good news that Andie is now stabilized. She could have died though and that terrifies everyone. Jack tells them that she needs rest and they should go home but Pacey wants to stay. Joey offers to stay with him but he tells her to go home and that he'll be fine. He feels guilty for not noticing that she was super not acting like herself but, honestly, when he saw her it was super too late to do anything anyway.
Dawson drops Gretchen off first and they chat about how weird the night was but Dawson is still glad he went to the rave. Gretchen thanks him for his friendship because the past year was hard on her and coming home was even harder but he made the transition more enjoyable than she thought it was going to be. They say their goodnights and he walks back to the car where Joey is waiting. Awkward. Joey is not even tired so Dawson asks her if she's hungry and she agrees to get a bite with him.
At the hospital, Andie is awake and apologetic but Mr. McPhee isn't angry, just glad that she's ok. Jack is angry though because he needs her to be around and to take better care of herself. It's a good angry that turns into a sweet moment, even if the first thing a person should hear when they wake up from almost dying is that people are mad at them. Like, I think they've been punished and feel shitty enough but still, it ended nicely with Jack saying they need each other. Andie agrees she was stupid but she just wanted to feel something, anything and my heart breaks for her. Mental health is so fucking hard, you guys. Nothing is right for a long time and sometimes, in order to not feel the really shitty emotions, they have to level out your feelings so you don't feel joyful emotions either. I can't speak from personal experience but I can't imagine it would feel good to walk around and just feel nothing. I want to give Andie all the hugs, even if she said a horrendous lie about how last season went down. We all know Dawson was the villain.
Pacey comes in with coffee for everyone (excluding Andie) and she tries to apologize for the things she said. Pacey doesn't care about that though because he only cares that she's ok. My god, can you blame a girl for not being over him? I sure can't. She's still wrong about the Dawson being dumped for Pacey thing though. Fuck that.
Speaking of Dawson and Joey, they are walking along the docks and talking about the crazy night they just had and the fact that they've faced a lot of death this year already. Joey thinks it's crazy that any one of them could go just like that for the stupidest of reasons and future me glowers knowingly.
Joey laments that this is the last year they'll be together before they head off to college and no one rows their boats anymore. Dawson tells her to not dock their boats just yet because she should give her boat to Alexander and he will give his to his new brother or sister. Joey is super excited for him that Gail is pregnant and they go on about how Leerys and Potters will always be rowing their boats to each others' houses or something like that. Joey says that it will be hard to imagine life without him and Dawson pithily replies that she managed fine for 3 months. Why does she want to be friends with him again? She ignores his rudeness and tells him that he knows what she means and he agrees that he does so I guess we're ending on a happy note.
That was Great Xpectations and I am further cemented in my hatred of Drew and what he's going to do to Jen. I'm also sad because I know this is almost the end for Andie and she had a lot of potential to be really interesting this season. I am also really happy with how positively they handled Joey/Pacey relationship this episode. No fights, just super strong and solid couple. Joey didn't even hesitate or get jealous when Pacey wanted to stay at the hospital, she just understood that it was important to him and offered him her jacket for comfort. That is a beautiful amount of trust and understanding and I've been waiting for this solid side of them to come back, their constant bickering was getting tiresome and was not at all what I was promised from how season 3 ended.
Next up, we bid farewell to Andie in You Had Me at Goodbye. I'm sad already.
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