Original air date: January 16, 2002
So, spoilers but I just need to say that the Joey singing arc is now here and she is, in fact singing the song she should be singing. Praise the Gods, she hasn't had generic pop laid over her actual vocals. I guess it must be more affordable to license songs if they're sung by the actors than using the actual songs? Must be how Glee does it and Riverdale which seems to be a musical whenever the hell they feel like it. Anyway, lets get on with this episode because it starts off a story arc that I have a lot of feelings on. None of them good. Ok, I was amused about the singing arc but everything around it pisses me off. Let's go.
We open the episode with Joey back in Capeside with her sister, Bessie. Bessie is trying to get Joey to open up about how she feels about Jen and Dawson or at least go out and have some fun but Joey is determined to watch tv on the couch and avoid everything. I can relate. Pacey comes in and honestly, this is the point where I thought they were pushing them towards an eventual reunion and I got so excited, you guys. It's so nice to see him there and feels so right but he's there because he was picking up something for the restaurant. They don't explain any further than that because what's important is that he's here to see Joey and see if she wants a ride back to Boston. Joey jumps at the chance and just ditches her sister. Bye Bess, nice seeing you. Joey had her bag packed and ready too like, an extra fuck you to Bessie.
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| Pacey's face says it all, really. "Wait, were you expecting me?" |
Meanwhile, Jen and Dawson are only just driving up to Capeside to spend time with his mother. Dawson says it's the first time he's brought a girl home which is a flat out lie. Like, he brought Joey home but I guess she doesn't count because she'd met his parents before but like, he also brought Gretchen home, who while his parents met her and knew her before was older and also an employee and therefore a very big deal to bring home. And I mean, Gail has also met Jen numerous times so I don't really get this. Jen says that it's the first time she's been brought home to meet a guy's parents as the girlfriend and this, I can believe. I don't think she dated anyone long enough on the show to warrant this, even Dawson. And they expressly wrote in how nervous Henry was about involving Jen with his family and friends so, this tracks and my heart breaks at this realization. Jen is awesome and deserves all the happiness. I think that's what I like about this relationship, she seems the most happy and the most comfortable here. I know it's with Dawson and he's bound to fuck this up but for now, I'm just happy for Jen.
Their car passes right by Pacey's car and we transition to Joey talking Pacey's ear off about Jen and Dawson being together. This is another reason I thought the writers were going to get them together again, Joey was shown as not being open about her feelings on this with everyone, including Dawson and her own sister but Pacey? The floodgates are open. She can tell him anything. She's self conscious about how wild and carefree Jen is compared to her and says that guys always end up with those girls. I'm going to hold off on my rant because we're not there yet but just, remember this moment. She asks Pacey where he got his car but he changes the subject to offer her a waitressing job at Civilization, the restaurant he works at. He asks her about her grades but she says she hasn't checked and doesn't care but Pacey's not buying it because he knows her so well. Why are they not still together? #Pacephine for life.
Jen and Dawson arrive and she's freaking out about what he might have told Gail about them and how she might have reacted. He says she didn't really and she worries that things are going to be strange and that she'll know why they're so late. Gail comes out to greet them and they are not good at hiding the reason and only get more awkward when Gail points out that Dawson's shirt is inside out. So, they're getting off to a great start.
Pacey wonders what Joey will do at her dorms all by herself and she's looking forward to the quiet but oops. Audrey is also there. At this point they're supposed to be friends but honestly, as a fellow introverted person, I totally get Joey's disappointment. It's not that you don't love your friends but you crave that space to be by yourself and it's disappointing when you don't get it. Audrey complains that her parents want to cut her off and that she got fired from giving campus tours for hitting on highschoolers. This sounds bad but they never say how young they are and I assume, touring students would be 17-18 and Audrey would be 18 maybe 19 by this point. So, it doesn't seem that scandalous unless it was in front of the mother, which it sounds like it was. This show is very inconsistent on what age gaps it finds scandalous, is my main point. Dawson (17) and Gretchen (21)? Love and serious, not at all problematic. Audrey (18) hitting on a highschooler looking into college (17-18)? Ew, gross. Can you believe how scandalous she is? I'm not saying it wouldn't be weird for her to do this but I just find it weird how the show presents these scenarios to us, it honestly seems perfectly normal for her to have interest in someone around her own age? Anyway, she needs a job so Joey looks at Pacey who had just offered her one.
Cut to Civilization where Pacey is explaining the job to Audrey. She snarks at him while excitedly talking about how perfect she is for the job. Brecher is listening in on their banter and walks over to introduce himself. He hires Audrey on the spot because of how well she puts Pacey in his place and goes to get the paper work for her. That was easy. I love how shows never show how much of a pain in the ass it is to get a job. I struggled to find part time work as a student. The one thing they get right is that it definitely helps to know someone who already works where you're applying to though. My first job was at a restaurant and the manager legit threw away resumes from people who came in off the street. That was so dejecting to witness. She apparently only hired people who others who worked for her recommended. I hated it there. Mainly because she was the worst boss I would ever have in my entire working career so far (knock on wood) but also because restaurant work is grueling, pays little, and everyone around you treats you like dirt. Please be kind to service workers, they deal with so much shit in one day.
Jen and Dawson are chatting with Gail who wants to know if Jen's picked her major yet. Chill, Gail, she's in first year. Jen hasn't and is just taking it day by day. Wanting to change the subject, Jen asks about Lily who is apparently walking. Dawson comments that she hasn't put baby gates up yet when Gail gets a call. There is still a leak at the restaurant and Dawson angrily takes the phone from his mother and demands to know what's going on. I hate this but not because of Dawson, to be fair to him. He's trying to help and he's rushing out to help his mother fix her issues. I get that but I kind of hate that Gail is the owner of the restaurant but the world thinks of women so little that it takes her teenaged son yelling at them to get them to do something. What the fucking hell? Owner of the restaurant needs us to fix a leak? Meh, we'll get to it. Wait, her son, who has a penis like us, needs it fixed like now? Better get to it! I hate that so much for Gail. For every woman who isn't taken seriously unless they have a man, even a teenaged boy, backing them up. This scenario is actually depressingly realistic and I know the writers only meant it to show Dawson having to fix things for his mother but the darker reality is that Gail is fully capable but is regarded as less important because she has a uterus. I also feel terrible for Jen as she's being left alone with her significant others' mother while he rushes out to fix things. I know she's known Gail before this but it's still awkward.
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| I feel this look so hard *screaming internally* |
Back at Worthington, Joey goes to the office to find her grades. Of course, she gets A's in every class except that the grades for English Lit have not been posted yet. Wilder shows up at the exact second she can't find the grades with the sheet she's looking for. He teases her about needing to see the results and then pins them to the board, stands back and watches as she checks. I kind of hate Wilder? I know this is supposed to come off as playful banter between them but like, this feels more gross than anything. She's a freshman and he's teasing her about the grades he chooses to give her. It smacks of manipulation and I don't like it. Joey does get an A and hugs him in celebration which is super weird and not something I would ever dream of doing.
Audrey is more excited than me about this turn of events and demands to know more details as they make their way through a crowd at a club later that evening. Joey insists it's just a hug but when Audrey keeps pressing, she sarcastically says that they had full out sex on the office floor. Audrey is undeterred and thinks that they'll still get together and I don't understand why she'd want this but whatever. They're determined to celebrate and Audrey is determined that they're both going to kiss some boys. She pulls a random guy over and asks if he'll kiss Joey but Joey immediately talks herself out of it because yeah, I'd panic too. She makes up something about her tongue needing time to heal and then playfully bops Audrey for getting her into that mess.
Meanwhile, at Civilization, Brecher calls Pacey over and it seems like he's in trouble but surprise, Pacey is getting a promotion. He's now going to be a chef and will get a 20% raise which is like insane. Plus, he gets handed a bonus of a few hundred dollars. Pacey is moving on up in the world. I love it. this arc is like the best for him. I hate that they're going to demolish this soon. Brecher is glad Pacey stayed because he impressed him and Pacey looks so damn happy.
Back at the club, Audrey points out another guy as kissable but oops, it's Charlie. At first, Joey agrees but soon recognizes him as the guy that dicked over Jen. Audrey is surprised that someone so cute could be such an ass and then makes a remark about how Jen has great taste in guys. Oops. Joey understands what she meant and then Audrey excuses herself to go talk to the rest of the band since she'd sang with them before. It was kind of glossed over in that episode but yes, Audrey did sing with the band.
Pacey shows up behind Joey, scaring her in a cute way. We find out that she left him a message about the club but also to tell him about her 4.0 grades because these two are meant to be. He tells her he got a promotion at the restaurant and she gives him a cute high five. They then realize that Audrey is once again singing with the band which you think is setting up an arc for her but nah. This is Joey's show, damnit!
Jen is helping Gail put up the baby gates and confesses that she's worried that Dawson loves them and the house so much that it's keeping him from moving on with his life. Gail makes a snarky comment about how he's moved on with some parts of his life just fine and Jen calls her out for hating that she is now dating Dawson. Jen clarifies that she's crazy about him and just wants him to be happy and Gail says she wants the same thing for him. Jen asks how she'd feel if Dawson moved into Grams' attic and tells her about the film school in Boston. Gail says she'd love if he went back and tells Jen to really tell Dawson to join the school because he's stubborn and needs a push.
Joey is alone and has to brush off the guy who Audrey asked to kiss her earlier once more only to be immediately hit on by Charlie afterward. It must be exhausting to be the lead girl in a teen show like this, guys are always lining up to ask you out. Man, what a disappointment it was when I went to a club and was hit on by no one and I realized that it probably barely happens like this in real life. Anyway, she snarks at him and he does the thing he did with Jen where he says she can drop the act and he's just there to meet her and blah blah blah. She asks why he chose her out of all the other girls at the club and he tells her it's the hair tuck thing she does. He waxes poetic about how it looked like she wanted to hear the band more by doing this and how he wanted to meet her. She asks him if this sort of thing works and he says he wouldn't know because he doesn't ever do this type of thing and Joey knows she has him. She asks if he used a different tact with Jen Lindley and he realizes he's made a huge mistake. He says he's humiliated but that she can't blame him for trying and she tells him she doesn't have to have a drink with him either and leaves. Oh, how I wish it ended here.
Dawson has returned from his mother's restaurant and offers make up sex to Jen. She says he looks way too worn out for that but he says he's an 18 year old who just lost his virginity and that she'd be surprised what he's up for. Normally I'd be grossed out but like, word. As someone who lost their virginity late, I wanted all the sex when I finally had it. He asks if there was strangeness between her and Gail and Jen confirms but says that they eventually bonded. She mentions that they talked about him moving to Boston and he thinks it's not the right time. Jen says that it is and that Gail agrees with her which makes Dawson defensive. And just when I've started to come around on him, he slams Jen by saying she can't possibly give good advice on parents since she doesn't even talk to hers. Bitch. Bitch, you don't even know what she went through and you talk to her like that? You are such an overprivileged asshole. She has every right and very good reason to not talk to her own parents and that doesn't exclude her from knowing what a good relationship can look like. I'd argue she knows even more what a good relationship should look like since she recognized her parents weren't good for her. But whatever. Jen walks away which is like, legit, I wouldn't want to talk to him either.
Back at the club, Pacey and Audrey are playing pool and Audrey is wiping the floor with him. If you'll remember, he was shown to be a pool shark so I guess Audrey is an even better pool shark than he is. Joey shows up and he asks her if she wants to play but Joey is well aware how good Audrey is and declines. Pacey then asks her how long it took her to check out her grades and Joey admits she's an obsessive freak and there's no hope for her. Pacey disagrees and says there is another Joey who knows how to let loose, get drunk and play strip poker or go away with a guy on a boat for the summer. He leans in to grab pool balls and can you blame me for thinking they were trying to heat these two up again?
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| Excuse me, I think my ovaries just exploded |
He also mentions singing at a beauty pageant and noooo, Pacey! You've doomed us all! Pacey is the one who gave Joey this bright idea and I may never forgive him. Ok, I forgive him but only because of the above picture. Joey excuses herself to the bar and Pacey gives her money to pay for drinks for all of them because he's the best and he's clearly trying to impress her with his promotion and money. How can I not read it this way? #Pacephine4lyfe.
At the bar, Charlie is back and trying to hit on Joey once again. He's apparently just that interested that getting rejected once wasn't enough. He tries to flatter her and when that doesn't work, he moves on to the age old Pick Up Shithole trick of negging. He calls her prudish and uptight because that manipulates her to be in the mindset of proving him wrong. You do not need to prove yourself to this asshat though. Move on and forget about him, Joey.
In Capeside, Dawson is moping on his dock when Gail comes out to chat with him. She had been worried about what might happen under her roof but is now concerned about what isn't. Dawson has already cocked things up in his relationship and not in the good way. Gail tells him that he's done, he doesn't need to help her and Lily anymore and he needs to get on with his own life. He tries to fight it but she puts her foot down and tells him he needs to move to Boston and go back to school. She says she's proud of him and knows that Mitch would be too. Somehow this makes Dawson realize that he needs to apologize to Jen and Gail tells him to tell her how he really feels and to grovel if he has to. I agree because Jen is worth it and he needs to recognize that he needs to prove himself to her and not the other way around.
At the club, Pacey wants another round of pool with Audrey but they both wonder where Joey went off to. They go look for her when they hear a sound. Hark! Is that the sound of Joey Potter gracing the club with her mediocre singing? IT IS! She's singing I Want You to Want Me by Cheap Trick and she's ok. She's like anyone at a karaoke bar and this song is a crowd pleaser so it makes sense she'd do well and that people are having fun. Pacey introduces her to Audrey as Other Joey. It's a cute scene and I don't think I'd have minded this so much as a one off but oh man. It doesn't end here. For now, the crowd cheers and Joey rushes off the stage to hide her joyous freak out over performing to a crowd who enjoyed her. Charlie runs back stage and congratulates her for doing so well. He didn't think she had it in her and she says he probably didn't think she had this in her either and pulls him in for a kiss. She tells him not to call her uptight and then runs back onstage. My eyes narrowed hard here. Hard. But I'm saving my rage for later.
Dawson goes up to his room where Jen is waiting for him in button up pjs and says that she is so beautiful. She accepts his apology full stop and I just sigh. Jen, you deserve better than this. I mean, Dawson isn't wrong, she's gorgeous but he still owes her an apology. But instead, we get Jen saying that he's right and that she doesn't know what he's going through. And ugh, he just gets away with how he spoke to her and I hate it. He just says he's going to move into the attic with her and she's all happy about it. Boo. But goddamn it, I do like seeing Jen happy. I just wish Dawson had to acknowledge that he said some crappy shit and I'm not even sure this show understands how shitty what he said was.
Audrey and Pacey are looking for Joey but Audrey makes up an excuse for them to leave when she sees Charlie approaching Joey. I don't understand why. She knows that Charlie is a scumbag so why would she want Joey to hook up with him? In what universe did she think that Joey would want that? And then they just ditch her there with that guy. Irresponsible of Audrey. Sorry, Audrey, love you but this is a shitty move.
I think Jen and Dawson are implied to have broken into Grams' old house next door because they were talking about how crazy it was that they had to move away to get together when they spent so many years living so close to each other. Dawson thought it would have been fun to get together there and now here they are, post coitus in Grams' old house which is now owned by a couple who only use it as a summer home. Illegal whoopie. They talk about how they're finally in a healthy relationship and wonder how long it will be until they stop having fun. Dawson can't wait to find out with her. Bah, they're still kind of cute but I hate that he got off so light.
Pacey drops Audrey off at the dorm and she says she has lots of fun. Pacey picks up on the fact that Audrey is super tight with the security guards and she opens up about how she has actually spent the entire break here because the fight with her parents was bigger and happened earlier than she let on. Pacey open up and says that the car was in the police impound lot for three months and his father just gave it to him because he was proud of him. It's the first time he's heard those words. She kisses Pacey on the cheek because she wants to uphold the pact she made with Joey about kissing someone tonight and hopes he doesn't mind. Pacey says he rarely minds getting kissed by a beautiful girl and then they say goodnight to each other. And my little shipper heart starts to break as I realize they had not been setting up Pacey and Joey to get back together and it breaks further with the last scene.
Charlie is still following Joey and insisting on giving her a ride home on his motorcycle. Joey refuses the ride and he's like begging her to go somewhere with him and wonders what the kiss was about. Joey admits that there is a small part of her that likes to let loose from time to time but that if he mentions that part or what they did tonight, she will end him. Charlie says goodnight to her in the same way that the stupid guy in season three does. Not exactly the same but that obnoxious over long descriptor rather than just saying her name like a normal person way. "Good night, Joey. The smart girl from Worthington." Like, ugh, no thank you. However, Joey says good night back and seems to smile in a way that says she's interested and...
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| Further rant to come on exactly why |
I'm already seething but it's not as blatantly bad as it gets so I'll reserve my full rage for the episode it gets really bad and I get so, so mad at the implications. Right now, I'm just mad that Joey could go for someone that hurt her friend so badly and like I know Jen went for Dawson but that feels different than this. this almost feels like Joey getting back at Jen and I don't like it. We got so close to having these two as close friends and the writers seem to just want to tear them apart at all costs and I just don't like it. Yeah, this is my mini rant because oh man do I get more pissed off later and it's more on the writers than on the characters and their actions, that's how pissed off I am. You'll have to wait for that because I don't remember when it comes up. It might be next episode, it might be the one after but you'll get it, I promise you. Next up is Sleeping Arrangements.
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