Dawson's Creek - 503 - Capeside Revisited

 Original air date: October 24, 2001

Hey Creek fans! We are jumping right back into the scandalous college drama of Dawson's Creek and it's time we find out what came of Dawson's rash decision to leave his very privileged film school experience to be with Joey who almost dumped him when another guy hit on her. If that's not true romance, I don't know what is.

The episode starts in a nice restaurant where Joey, Jen, and Audrey are dining together and I live for this type of thing. It's so nice seeing them all be friends. Love this. Joey and Audrey tease Jen about getting a call from Charlie who Jen has kept mostly a mystery to them. Jen confirms she got a booty call from him and says that she may go just for the snuggles. Audrey laments that snuggles are the best and she misses that from when she had a boyfriend. Word. Snuggles rule but also, Joey is so right that guys usually screw it up because it can never just be snuggles for them, it always has to lead to sex in their minds. No, the straights are not ok. The only thing Jen knows about Charlie is that his boxers are from the GAP and Audrey says that at least he doesn't wear tighty-whities. They girls are all grossed out so, sorry to all you tighty-whitey bros out there. Joey gets up to go to the bathroom and asks that when she return, their episode of Sex and the City should be over. I bring this up only because Audrey calls her Charlotte and I just totally laughed. Audrey is clearly Samantha and Jen is my girl, Miranda. No one is Carrie, as it should be. This is all just a catalyst for Joey to walk by the kitchen where she spots a familiar face working there.

It's Pacey!

Jen sees what Joey sees and follows her to a bench where she has sat down from the shock. She wonders how long he's been in town and Jen drops the fact that he's been there 3 and a half weeks. Joey is crushed that she knew and didn't say anything but Jen swears she didn't know he worked at this restaurant and that he'd sworn her to secrecy. Joey wants to go but Jen urges her to go see him and talk to him. Joey doesn't want to because he's been there three weeks and told Jen not to say anything so it's clear that he doesn't want to see her. That's a very fair assumption and it's pretty crap of Pacey to do that to her. I know he's hurting about their break up too but he's inflicting unnecessary pain on Joey when she really did nothing wrong and it ended because of him. 

Meanwhile, Dawson has apparently been couch surfing on Grams' couch for a whole week and is preparing himself to go to Capeside for the weekend to finally tell his parents that he's thrown away his big opportunity because one guy was mean to him in Hollywood and a girl had the audacity to be a bit pretentious. Grams says to tell the truth but Dawson is hoping to maybe put it in a letter. Grams tells him to man up (I'm paraphrasing but that's basically what she's saying), and tell them in person.

Jack is playing video games with the frat boys and I don't know their names, I can't remember if they're said or not but when I looked them up, they are credited as Blossom and Polar Bear. WTF? I feel like this might have been explained but maybe I just missed it? Either way, those nick names are hilarious. Can you imagine a frat bro wanting to be known as Blossom? Was that his favourite 90s sitcom? Oh wait, that's probably dating me...was that your favourite Power Puff Girl? Perfect, no one will suspect a thing. This guy walks up and Blossom introduces him as Pete Willard. What? So wait, I'm still stuck on this. The frat bros are Blossom, Polar Bear and...Pete. Pete Willard. Why doesn't he have a stupid name? Is this some humiliation thing where he is king of frat bros and refers to all the others with cutesy nicknames thus making him the "alpha" by using his real name? Am I putting too much thought into this? Probably.

Moving on, Pete offers Jack the opportunity to play golf and I'm reminded that Jack actually comes from a bigger privileged life than even Dawson because of the Country Club access. They can also give him topics of pop quizzes in his classes and it's all sounding too good to be true. They even bring him some food and he wonders how they know so much about him and they say they make a point to know everything about each pledge. Yeah...that doesn't explain the HOW though? How did you guys obtain this info? Because right now I'm creeped out and worried Jack's about to be in his own version of The Skulls. It's ok, he can ask Pacey what to do.

In the kitchen, Karen is complaining about a loud blonde complaining about anchovies in her Caesar salad and I think it's supposed to be Audrey she's talking about. She bugs Pacey about not wearing the hat while Pacey complains about being the new prep cook and not being aloud to cook and he refuses to wear the hat. There are health regulations, Pacey. You need to be covering that hair no matter how unpretty you might think you look in a hat. Pacey notices that Karen is being snippy with him but she refuses to tell him why. I'm pretty certain its because she wants to be a cook and Pacey took her job while whining about needing to start with prep work and refusing to adhere to health codes. I'd be pissed too.

Jen is hanging out with Charlie post sex and now she wants to know more about him. He's not that enthused about telling her which is weird to me. Who are these people that get mad when people ask basic questions about your life like it's the biggest privacy invasion? Especially after they've just had sex with you, like you can't be just that little bit open about yourself? What are they afraid will happen? Maybe I just don't understand the casual sex life since I am but a lowly Demisexual woman but it just puzzles me that people can't just answer simple questions like these without going full defensive.

Charlie eventually gives up some miniscule bit of info, in that he grew up in Chicago, Illinois in a place called Highland Park. Jen is happy but Charlie things telling her that simple thing was torture. I think this character is where my hatred of Chad Michael Murray began because he's really frustrating and annoying.

Dawson has made it back to our familiar setting of Capeside. Mitch finds him staring out at the creek. They go inside where Gail greets him excitedly and asks if he got the cookies she sent him. Dawson admits that he hasn't gotten them because he hasn't gotten his mail in a week because he hasn't been in LA. Gail is confused, Mitch is on the verge of being pissed. I'd say, it's going pretty well! Dawson explains that USC just isn't for him. You know that school that people kill to get into? Meh, not good enough for Dawson. He wants to drop out. Gail is like, you can make new friends loser and Mitch basically decides that he's not dropping out. They both leave in disgust at Dawson's plan of just crashing on Grams' couch while he looks for a new school and Dawson has the gall to act like they mistreated him in some way with his pithy "welcome home" remark. Ah, this is the Dawson hate I'm used to. Welcome back, Old Friend. Let's have some drinks and trash talk Dawson.

Audrey tries to ask Joey what's up and offers to be a sympathetic ear to her if she needs to vent about Pacey (though she doesn't know him yet). Joey is snarky and asks if she has a lacrosse team to date. Woof! I think my Joey hatred is returning to. That was unnecessarily catty and mean. WTF? Audrey ignores this and posits that Joey loves academia because of the rules and hates relationships because of the lack of them. Bingo. Audrey is still my favourite. Joey caves and finally says that she does want to see him but is worried he doesn't want to see her. Audrey argues that he does and then proceeds to flatter her by saying she doesn't know she's beautiful, that's what makes her beautiful and all that stuff. Joey is still nervous and Audrey assures her that no one is grading her on how to handle a situation like this, she just has to do it because relationships are always messy. There really is no right or wrong way to handle something like this.

Jack gets a letter of invitation to the Sigma Ep fraternity and honestly, the entire time these nutbars are talking to him about joining, I keep thinking that Jack is being recruited into a cult. Are Frats basically cults? They wield power, influence and wealth over their members, enticing them to join and then they usually treat newbies like trash. I don't know if the atmosphere of these places have changed but these guys are giving me serious cult vibes. Then I cringe when they describe themselves as "Alpha Males". Run, Jack! Do not join! Jack is worried about being gay and confesses this to them but they're stalkers so they already knew that about him. This is creepy. They want him because he's gay because they were told to diversify and they can't lose their frat. Sigma Ep for life...all hail Sigma Males. (hi, this joke will be dated in like a week).

Charlie and Jen are still in bed and Jen is still trying to get info out of him. She asks for his favourite colour and he says it's the colour of her eyes. She calls that out by covering her eyes and asking him to tell her what colour they are. He says brown which is right but why can't he just answer instead of being weird? And who's favourite colour is brown? Not dissing Jen's eye colour because I also have brown eyes that I try to make sound less boring by saying that there are flecks of green. Charlie is just coming off really cagey and maybe I'm hypersensitive to that now because I know we can't trust him because of spoilers. Jen decides that they should cut out sex in order to actually get to know each other and Charlie boasts that he could go 12 hours easy but he's not sure she could, then he tries to kiss her and get her to quit and I'm just not liking this. They decide to get out of bed to stop having sexual urges. I just want to go on record that Jen deserves better than this guy.

Pacey is still struggling with what he's doing and I don't think he understands what a prep cook is? Or maybe I don't. I'm pretty sure a prep cook does do the peeling and slicing so that the cooks then just have to quickly grab the readied ingredients to cook. But Pacey is whining that he has to slice paper thin potatoes and doesn't know why. Um...so that they can be cooked, Pacey. I know what they're trying to set up here, it just doesn't work for me because he's essentially whining about having to do his job. He's also clueless as to why Karen is so upset with him when I think she's being pretty clear, you got this job when you know nothing about it and are whining about having it. Pacey is being extremely obtuse this episode. Like, duh why are you so mad at me? Karen: you got this job based solely on your gender and not your talent or knowledge. It's pretty clear that she wanted this job and feels unappreciated by not being selected especially when a buffoon is whining about having the job and not taking it seriously. That would tick me off too, even if Pacey is still very cute. Do better, Pacey.

Mitch is finally ready to talk to Dawson but he wants to cut all the BS because he knows exactly why Dawson is choosing to leave LA and stay in Boston and that reason is Joey. Dawson flat out admits it and Mitch tries his hardest to slap some sense into him. I actually super agree with Mitch here because Dawson is unequivocally making a terrible mistake here and it's motivated by Joey which is so toxic. Dawson tries to defend his dumb decision but literally the only driving force behind the decision is that he wants to be with Joey and that's dumb given what he wants to do. Like, yes there are other film schools but getting right into USC gives you access to so many more opportunities and allows you to network directly in the industry. Let's face it, Dawson is not an auteur so he needs all the help he can get. Mitch gives him one last chance to go back by giving him a plane ticket to LA and telling him to get on the flight and forge his own path, outside of Joey. Dawson even tries to throw out an "I don't want your life" moment which makes zero sense because filmmaking has always been Dawson's dream, not Mitch's dream for him and Mitch calls immediate BS on that because he's not forging his own path, he's following Joey down hers. 

Reads exactly the same to me and it's hilarious

Gail and Mitch are watching Dawson play with baby Lily and Gail confesses that a part of her wishes Dawson would stay. Mitch admits that he really misses Dawson too but that Dawson is meant for greater things (debatable but I'll try to leave my snark out because this is a pretty touching moment for Mitch). He monologues that he's good at being a family man and that he knows he'll never make a meaningful piece of creative work that will change the world but Dawson might be able to and he doesn't want to see him squander that potential. Gail kisses him because she's so moved and it's a sweet little family moment.

Jen is trying to find a non-sex related activity for her and Charlie to partake in but apparently Charlie is one of those guys who will not watch movies with subtitles. Jen is extremely put off by this and I'm on her side. There are way too many great movies that you miss out on by being that close minded. Charlie thinks this is good though because they are learning more about each other and soon the 12 hours will have flown by. Wait...why is he suddenly into the idea of finding more about each other when he's the one being cagey? He makes no sense. If you had just been open from the start, you wouldn't have had to be cut off for a paltry 12 hours, dumb-dumb. 

Jack is talking with Grams about how the Sigma males want him to join their cult. Grams is happy for him but he has reservations and we get another mention of Tobey who is vehemently against the idea. Grams asks him what he thinks and Jack admits he really likes hanging out there but doesn't want to be the token gay. Grams assures him that if they get to know him like she knows him, they'll like him for more than just being a quota. Grams is the best.

Gail now confronts Dawson about his decision to leave school and asks point blank if Joey asked him to stay. He says she didn't but she kind of did so I think he's just trying to save Joey from his parents' wrath. He admits that it's crazy but blathers on about following his heart and that he and Joey aren't even together. Shit's going to get very spicy because we know this tension is going to come to a head soon. Gail says she's not trying to tell him not to follow his heart but that he shouldn't change himself for one person or prevent himself from growing. Word. She asks him if he's absolutely sure he's willing to take a leap of faith for Joey but we don't get the answer to that question yet.

Jen is grilling Charlie to find out more about him because she has this weird idea that you have to like the same things to build a relationship which is crazy because she's already been in a relationship with Dawson and Henry whom she didn't have that much in common with either. And besides, both her and Charlie do have a thing in common, a love of music. They don't have to like the exact same music for this to be a thing that bonds them, they just have to appreciate it and respect each others' tastes. I don't get what the conflict is here. I will say that Jen's favourite album in Exile in Guyville which is a solid choice. Eventually they get to a point where they give up and agree that they have sex in common but oops, they are out of condoms. Jen wants him to find one now and Charlie takes her with him to go find some.

Joey finds Pacey at the docks and starts up a conversation with him, he looks surprised but then happy she came. I like that they are talking but it never really resolves the why he didn't want to tell her or her hurt from that and I still feel like its acting like Joey is the cause of the end of the relationship because she thinks she did wrong. I don't like that. I get that she feels that way because of the things Pacey said but it should be really important for him to spell out to her that she was not the problem, it was him and his mental health that was the issue. However, I do like the she asks him if it's possible that they could be friends and she also extends an invite to him for the Sunday dinners with Grams. Pacey asks about her roommate but Joey wants to hear about his new boat and his incredible summer. We leave them as they begin to catch up and my shipper heart swells with bittersweet joy.

They still look so adorable together

Dawson is getting ready to leave while Gail plies him with cookies so he'll eat. Mitch comes in and Dawson hands him back the plane ticket saying that he hopes he'll be able to get a refund. No, he will probably not because airlines are fucking hell to deal with. Just crooks that will take every last cent from you they can and tell you that it's impossible to refund anything because of the cost of fuel. You suck, Dawson. He asks Mitch to let him make his own mistakes and Mitch says that he's super disappointed in him but that he still loves him. He peaces out and Dawson gives a worried look to Gail but honestly, that could have gone a whole lot worse considering what's about to happen. At least he got the "I love you" to soften the "disappointed in you" imagine if all he'd said was "I'm disappointed in you" and then stormed off. Gail says she'll talk to him but tells Dawson to call him too. Mitch watches Dawson get into the cab with a sad look on his face.

Jen and Charlie have broken into the university clinic or maybe a planned parenthood type place to grab the free condoms from the counter. Charlie reads a sign but gets it all wrong and Jen points out to him what it actually says and asks if he's nearsighted. Charlie looks embarrassed and Jen suddenly realizes that the real reason he hates subtitles is because he can't see them. He could just get contacts or reading glasses? His prescription can't be that bad if he can walk around fine most of the time. Mine are terrible and I have a huge chip on my shoulder about having to wear my glasses. Mine were hella thick and I could not function if I didn't wear them so seeing him complain about his probably very normal looking glasses just makes me feel like the lady from Game of Thrones saying "you sweet summer child" or something like that. Jen is completely relieved that his lack of interest in subtitles is merely because he can't read them and they proceed to make out and possibly have sex on the floor of a clinic. Romantic.

Jack confronts the frat guys and makes sure they know exactly what they're getting into by letting him into the cult. His boyfriend Tobey is going to come for a visit (is he? or will he remain an off camera character?) and they will have to be cool with him staying over and partying with them. They all are completely fine with it and that yes, they want a gay guy but he's the one that they want because he fits into their little cult here. No, I will not stop calling them a cult. Everything about what they are saying reminds me of one and I will not let this go. Jack is satisfied and agrees to join. Nooo, Jack! 

So, Pacey has finally managed to peel and slice 40 pounds of potatoes (did it take him two days?) and his boss Brecher is satisfied with his work but then dumps the entire thing into the trash. Pacey loses his mind especially when he's told that they don't even serve potato chips. You see, Brecher is doing a Myagi thing except in a wasteful and stupid way. I get that the truffles he wants Pacey to cut into perfectly thin slices are expensive and it's a way to practice but that's a lot of food to waste, someone could have eaten those potatoes. Cook them up and serve them free to your guests or something. Anyway, he explains the cost to Pacey and lets him taste one so he understands why truffles are such a big deal and then explains that Karen is way more disciplined and determined than Pacey but he won't give her the job because...that's not enough to be a good cook? I don't know there is something really gross about a white man telling another white man that even though he's dumb and Karen is way more qualified, she doesn't have the "heart" or whatever needed to cook. That is some bullshit and Karen has every right to be pissed as hell about this situation. Like, why can't she learn just like Pacey? Is it because she wouldn't listen and endure his little "wax on/wax off" routine? Because absolutely fair and I'm sure she would practice on the damn potatoes if it were explained to her that she needed to get the thickness right and it's practice. I don't know, this is all bull and while I love Pacey, I kind of hate that he took Karen's opportunity just because Brecher likes him better. Ugh. 

Joey welcomes Dawson back to Boston and he's bummed that he alienated his parents but they still sounded pretty supportive to me. I know Mitch said he was disappointed but he also made sure to let him know that nothing could change how much he loves him and his mother gave him cookies. He's not that bad off. Dawson wants to know if he made the right call but Joey can't tell him that. She says there's not right or wrong just the consequences of your actions. Neither of them really knows what that means though so they decide to go and get some coffee.

Now, here's where things take a tragic turn as Mitch is seen driving home from the grocery store and singing "Drift Away" by Bob Seger. He's eating an ice cream cone and the scoop falls to the car floor and he tries to get it while driving and look...am I a bad person for laughing hysterically at this? I'm so sorry, I know this is tragic and Mitch is now dead but like, he got hit by a car because he was trying to retrieve ice cream from the car floor. It's just...is it weird that from the way it's acted out I think he just really wanted to get his ice cream back to keep eating it and that's why it couldn't wait until he was stopped? Maybe I'm just really morbid. Look, it's sad and I'm probably going to cry like a baby in the next episode because I always cry like a baby in things that involve death but I can't feel anything other than funny. I think they wanted us to be off guard like this was just a silly scene and then shock us with his death but it just doesn't work for me. If you want that to work, it has to feel natural and Serenity this ain't (I literally went from laughing to instant scream and then I cried when THAT death happened. That's how you do a great lull you into false security surprise death) This one? I just can't help but keep laughing because...he died for ice cream.

The dangers of rocking out to Drift Away while eating ice cream and driving

He just really wanted that ice cream and then bam! Ok, I'm done. I'm sorry. It's a very tragic end and we're only going to go into more tragic and sad territory next episode where I'm pretty certain Dawson is going to act like his decision to stay in Boston was not his own and put all of his shit on Joey so that should be fun, right? Stay tuned for The Long Goodbye.