Original air date: February 6, 2002
So far, these past few episodes have actually been redeeming Dawson in my eyes. Like, he's not a good character but he's no longer making me want to reach through the screen and punch his stupid face. He's been nice and rational, sweet even. Jen is clearly a good influence for him and maybe that's also the reason I've begun rooting for them as a couple. When we last left off, Dawson had agreed to make Oliver's movie and I usually can't stand him in his movie making phases because everyone treats him like he's this genius and he's usually a dick to people who thinks his shit doesn't stink but, let's see if his maturity holds over through this episode.
We open in Audrey and Joey's dorm room where Audrey is acting opposite Oliver as Dawson films and Pacey works the boom mic. As soon as they kiss, Audrey freaks out about the entire thing being amateurish and the writing being crap. Can't blame her, honestly. Dawson and Jen think it might have been easier to make the movie animated and lol no. Just no. Dawson then explains to Audrey her character motivation which is supposed to make him seem super smart or insightful or competent and I don't think it achieves any of that.
Dawson: You gotta penetrate the subtext, ok? Remember, she knows that he knows that she knows what kind of man he is. All right? So if he knows that she knows, and she knows that he knows...see what I'm getting at?
No. Absolutely not. That helped to confuse me more but, in fairness, Audrey seems to understand. I know that the writers are purposefully being vague because they don't want to worry about what this story is about beyond boy like girl or whatever but they could give us something better than this. Anyway, Dawson also tells Pacey not to swing the mic because it will dip into his shot and then Jen gets to clap the little thingy and looks adorable doing it.
 |
| She looks so happy. I kind of wish they had kept film producing as part of her story arc |
In Wilder's class, he is giving a speech about your desires and ideals coming into conflict. Joey wants to give an example and he looks guilty, as he absolutely should, before calling on her. Joey starts to give her story, prefacing it by saying it's about a guy and Wilder makes a comment about how it always seems to be. The class laughs and the bell rings, saving Wilder from Joey talking and this is the reason why it's a terrible idea to romanticize the idea of dating your professor.
Joey catches Wilder outside before he can fully escape and confronts him about how awkward he made things in the classroom. He's completely glib and indifferent to her discomfort until she brings up the kiss and he launches into an overwrought apology about how he stole her innocence, thus making Joey feel the need to make him feel better when that should not be the case here. She's trying to tell him what she feels and he keeps answering and making pithy comments to the point that she gets flustered when she finally gets a chance to talk and asks if they can talk later when she's collected her thoughts. Honestly, I'm starting to see Wilder as really freaking predatory right now. Like, he was always around to just pop up and start talking to Joey, he selected her despite being too young for a prestigious assignment, he sought out alone time with her. He doesn't get to pretend like he's as befuddled about their kiss as she is. I hate this.
Audrey comes into Civilization to find Pacey alone in the kitchen making an omelet. Apparently he's been sleeping there and Audrey asks him if that isn't a health violation. Pacey skirts the question by asking her what she's doing here and she tells him that they had plans to go over her lines for Dawson's movie. Pacey obviously forgot and is trying to get her to leave because a woman enters from the other room. Pacey has had a one night stand which honestly doesn't seem that Pacey like and also seems like way more of a health violation but whatever. He introduces her to Audrey as Gina but her name is actually Rina and she storms out. Amusingly, she purposefully calls him Stacey as she leaves. Pacey's plans are now freed up and he offers Audrey the omelet.
At the Frat house, Jack enters to find his fellow bros chatting about their plans. They say hi to him but the tension is high here and Blossom is clearly still pissed while Jack is awkward. The rest of the bros leave, while Jack and Eric remain. Eric tries to tell him that they're trying with him and Jack says he knows but he can't get over how they bailed on him that night. Eric defends the brothers saying that Jack stepped over the line, and I honestly can't disagree. I feel like a good friend might have tried to help out once they saw Jack had been seriously injured though. Still, Jack wants to apologize but feels like the window has passed.
Dawson is already working on edits of the movie or maybe he's just reviewing footage but it's definitely in Final Cut Pro. Jen comes in and he tells her that he's lost the movie somewhere and it's just not working anymore. The ending sucks and their lead actor is the worst he's ever seen. Not Audrey, she's awesome, Oliver is the issue because all Olivers are. At least in teen shows. Oliver shows up as if on cue to ask what the problem is and Dawson sits him down to talk. Oliver takes the news that he sucks very well, but wonders who they can get on such short notice to finish the film and like...I'm sorry didn't Dawson say they have 12 hours? To shoot a movie. They've already shot, let's say a day's worth of film or more with Oliver. Are they...are they just going to finish the movie with a whole new actor? A whole new LEAD actor? Is Dawson the actual Tommy Wisseau right now? He wasn't even that ballsy, he just replaced side characters mid-shoot with no explanation. This is going to be a train wreck. Oh and the topper here is that they wonder where they can get a sexy, charismatic lead with no soul and Jen jokes that she used to date him so...
Cut to Jen knocking on Oliver's door because Dawson is the worst and cares more about his movie than his girlfriend's comfort. Why? He was doing so good, why did he have to start making movies again? Everyone is like, old Dawson loved making movies, we need old Dawson back forgetting that old Dawson is an asshole. Are you happy? All your progress is down the toilet now. Charlie thinks that she's here because she wants him back but she makes it clear she does not want to ever be back with him but does need him for a favour. He asks why he should do her a favour and Jen promises that he gets to kiss a hot girl so he invites her in to discuss. I can't stress how distasteful Charlie is and how they're going to expect us to forgive him in the future. Hate.
Joey is pissed about Wilder and Audrey is pissed about Pacey but neither of them know they're talking about the other until Audrey asks and then focuses on Joey's problem. Joey complains that Wilder flusters her on purpose and freaks out about becoming one of his groupies and becoming a mindless idiot. Audrey points out that she kind of is a mindless idiot around him but isn't sure it's a bad thing. I love you, Audrey, but yes, this is a bad thing. Joey even spells it out because she said she had a great mentor, a champion for her writing and now it's all messed up and, though she doesn't say this, in reality, she's forever going to wonder if she's actually good at what she does or if Wilder just wants in her pants. She wonders if she should just drop his class because she can't spend the rest of the school year angsting over some guy she can't be with because she's been there and it's excruciating. We all know she's talking about Pacey, right? Why couldn't they just be setting them up again? I'm not asking for payoff this season but give me something, anything other than a student/teacher relationship. Audrey asks when the last time she felt so alive was and we all know it's when she went away for a summer with Pacey, right? Sorry, it's Audrey who's thing is about Pacey but she doesn't say anything about it to Joey. Not yet.
 |
| Can I just say that I love that Joey has a girlfriend to confide in and while I do love Audrey, I wish they'd developed her friendship with Jen. |
Jack is in the frat house when Eric walks in. They are in the house alone as the rest of the guys have gone off to hit on the gymnastics team. Jack cracks open some alcohol and Eric asks if it isn't too early but Jack insists it's only too early if he drinks alone. He then challenges Eric to a rematch of Madden 2002. Eric enthusiastically agrees. It's actually nice to see these two become friends when it started with Eric being too uncomfortable to room with a gay guy.
Ok, so, not only did Dawson sends his girlfriend to hire her ex for the movie. The ex that lied to her, cheated on her, and chose the other girl over her, making her feel like the other girl the whole time, he is having her do line reads with Charlie. This will not stand. Jen deserves better. If I wasn't mad enough, Oliver asks if Dawson will be awkward having his girlfriend's ex act in the movie. Because Dawson would be the one having the most difficult time in this situation. Dawson. I can't with this shit. No one cared to ask how Jen would feel about any of this? No, the movie is more important and poor Dawson is running out of options so I guess he'll just have to man up and hire his girlfriend's ex even though it's so awkward for him to direct the man who broke his girlfriend's heart because he's reminded his girlfriend had sex before he came along. Ok, just breathe, you can get through this.
Dawson agrees to hire Charlie but is now worried about changing the ending. Oliver thinks his ending is brilliant because the girl breaks up with the guy, breaks his heart, and then he blows her away with a .22. He calls this poetic justice and um...judging on the snippets of dialogue we get from the movie and their description of the guy, I beg to differ. One of Audrey's lines was something about him being a womanizer and how he's been through every girl on campus, and that he's the kind of guy who would break a girl's heart and then move on to her sister. This is the guy that gets his heart broken? I can kind of get why the girl plays him, to get revenge, that would be a pretty interesting poetic justice ending. The womanizer actually falls in love but surprise, motherfucker! She was playing him the whole time and just wanted to break his heart the way he broke so many others and then she leaves him alone and broken on the floor. There, I wrote a way better ending for this movie that's still a bit dark. Instead we get a male power fantasy where he gets to be physically violent to a girl because she made him feel emotions, been there, seen that way too many times. Why do men glorify this type of trope? It's weird. Anyway, Charlie asks if he got the part and they ask him if he can learn his lines in two hours. They are not going to film a whole movie in less than half a day but I think, I hope, they only mean they have to film this one important scene before the end of the day? Then they can go back and reshoot the rest?
Eric is complaining about how girls whine at you after having sex with them which sounds really like a him problem than a her problem. He complains about how they'd make him watch Notting Hill over and over and Jack admits that he likes that movie. I don't mind it but my rom com of choice is either While You Were Sleeping or The Sure Thing. Or if we're going romantic drama then it's Say Anything. Where was I? Oh, right, Jack and Eric talking about how women suck. Cool. So, they both actually lie back on the floor so they're staring up at the ceiling and Eric asks how Jack knew he was gay. Jack explains how he always kind of knew, like Eric might have always known he's straight but that he had to kind of stop running from it. Eric leans close to Jack and tells him he's an amazing guy and it looks like Eric might be in the closet, so to speak, because it looks like he wants to kiss Jack. Jack gets uncomfortable and sits up, asking if he wants to watch tv but Eric makes a hasty exit.
Wilder is working at his home when he sees Joey outside, pacing back and forth. Pro tip, I don't know if it's super appropriate that a student knows where you live. Yes, I know she'd been there before for the group projects, I'm saying that as a general rule, if a professor has a bunch of students over at their house all the time, that's a red flag. Super easy to lull people into a trusting frame of mind which makes it easier to get alone time with your intended target. Joey should not know where he lives and should not be showing up at his house at night. He comes outside and immediately makes a joke about her selling girl guide cookies and that's gonna get a big YIKES from me, dog. Maybe...maybe don't infantilize the girl that you inappropriately kissed? Maybe stop all of this. Joey says she's sorry he kissed her and again he immediately switches from smartass to contrite and it just does not feel genuine to me. Joey tells him to stop because she doesn't want his apology. She just wants to shake his hand and part with mutual understanding and drop his class. Wilder thinks that's no big loss (negging) which upsets Joey but then he explains that he meant that she will do fine with or without his workshop. He then tells her she's an awesome writer and has the gift which makes Joey not want to do the sensible thing anymore. No Joey, do the sensible thing, just once in your life!
Audrey is with Pacey, who is lying awkwardly on the couch but it's for a very important reason. She is running lines and it's a very steamy scene. She ends up straddling him as she delivers the lines as they both get more into the scene and then they start to kiss. Audrey jumps off suddenly and says they're not going to do this, Pacey agrees but quickly grabs a pillow and covers his crotch and I admit, I laughed at that little moment. Audrey doesn't want to do it because it's wrong and sorry, the way she said it totally made me think of this:
 |
| These three words together are forever minted in my brain in this exact tone. FOREVER |
Cut to filming. Audrey is now acting opposite Charlie and she freaks out when they kiss. Dawson says it's ok and they do another take but she freaks out again so they try another take but this time, Charlie can't remember his line. They finally get a good take, Dawson yells cut and Audrey slaps Charlie upside the head. Audrey says she's sorry but she can't work like this and it's uncomfortable kissing when Pacey is just staring at her. She storms off while a bewildered Pacey, who's holding the boom mic, shrugs at Dawson.
Wilder and Joey are now inside his house and being awkward and he says that he can't afford to lose his job. He then says that he's never done anything like this before and I'm sorry, was that not a line that Charlie himself used and was totally lying about? I know it's sometimes true when people say this but in a lot of circumstances, like say a professor trying to enter into a wholly inappropriate relationship with a student? This is a red flag. Don't tell me he's never done this before when he was constantly flirty. They did not play this character right if we were actually supposed to believe that he hadn't ever done this before because I do not buy it. Joey wants to give her example of her ideals versus her desires to him and they lean in about to kiss when her phone starts buzzing. We don't know who exactly is calling but I think it's Dawson calling for her help so she agrees to come right over. She tells Wilder she has to go and leaves but before I can cheer, she runs back in quickly and gives him a kiss.
At the frat house, Polar Bear and Blossom (were we ever supposed to take these names seriously?) come into Jack's room and say that Eric told them that Jack tried to kiss him. Jack protests but they clearly already think he did it. Jack realizes that these guys really aren't his friends and says he's going to move out of the house. They say they don't want that but Jack tells them to get out because it's clear that they are never going to truly accept him. I wish they'd developed this more instead of interrupting with the weird story about Jack neglecting his academics and the brothers rightfully not being impressed with that. It really wasn't the way to go. They needed to focus more time on this plot and it clearly got sidelined which is a shame, I think it could have been really strong.
Pacey approaches Dawson and admits that he actually might know what's wrong with Audrey and that he's probably responsible because he kissed her. Dawson is pissed because apparently, you never get involved with an actress. Charlie, meanwhile is pissing Jen off by offering his own little suggestions for his part and she's not having it. Joey shows up in the chaos and Dawson, relieved, tells her to take Pacey to get Audrey to come out. He then tells Oliver to listen and nod vaguely to Charlie's ideas, and he tells Jen to go home. Jen looks disappointed and even a little hurt because her boyfriend is putting his movie over her own feelings which are framed as a comedic joke that is interrupting Dawson's genius and I hate it. Jen wonders who will do the clappy thing and Dawson says they'll manage but like, she looked so happy to be doing it, remember the picture? Do you? Does Dawson? No, he doesn't because he's an ass and honestly, how very dare? He made me like him and then he pulled this shit?
 |
| Never, in a million years, did I ever think I would use this gif for Dawson fucking Leery |
Pacey is rambling about what maybe happened without saying what happened but Joey figures it out and calls him an idiot. She would rather he hook up with someone amazing like Audrey than with some ditz who's name he can't even remember. Why do girls always get slagged off in these scenarios? Why is she a ditz just because a guy used her? How is she the problem and not Pacey? I love Pacey but I question his behaviour more than I question Rina's. Anyway, she hauls him by the ear into the girl's bathroom and they talk to Audrey. She doesn't think she deserves to speak to Joey because she feels like she betrayed her but Joey is all, why because you kissed Pacey? Audrey gets upset that he told Joey but she says she intuited it and that she has no problem with it and look, this is the point where in the first watch through, I checked out. I thought they were teasing Pacey and Joey getting back together but then Wilder and now they pair off Pacey with Audrey? I couldn't take it. On second watch, I'm still not a huge fan but I'm ok with it. This relationship was always more comedic to me than anything serious. It doesn't have a place in my heart the way Pacephine or even Pandie does. It's just, ok. Audrey asks if she's giving them permission but Joey insists it's not permission because they don't need that from her, she's giving her blessing for whatever it's worth. I like that. Joey is way better than Dawson.
I spoke too soon because in this next scene, Joey and Dawson are talking. He's worried about his ending and Joey asks if it's happy or not so much. Dawson admits it's not so much since he kills her and Joey remarks how that's not the usual Dawson ending. He thinks he's in his dark period but Joey isn't so sure because he's obviously reluctant to film it for a reason. Joey thinks he's waiting for a sign and Dawson says he's been waiting but he's freezing his ass off. Joey asks if he ever considered that SHE was the sign he was waiting for and I don't know why but this is the point I really started to dislike Joey again. I think something about that line rubbed me the wrong way, like it was really smug. It wasn't meant like that, I'm pretty sure but I hated it. It's a me issue, is what I'm saying. Or maybe not, maybe others feel like I do but I can't verbally or write exactly why I hate it. It doesn't help that the next episode is centered entirely around Joey.
Jen is walking home when she spots Jack, sitting alone at a bus stop. She goes over to him and asks what happened and he doesn't really know. He says that they were sitting at a coffee shop at the beginning of the year when a frat bro approached them and everything after is a blur. He then asks her a question, if she likes Notting Hill. Jen says she loves it and they both smile and laugh and I'm sitting here just a little happier knowing that the show's soulmates might be repaired.
 |
| Will our favourite platonic soulmates get back together? |
Dawson has suddenly gotten an idea and calls Audrey over. He giddily tells her that they are changing things up. He tells her that she's going to say some stuff but cut a bunch of stuff in the script out. She is confused but he tells her they shoot first and ask questions later. He tells Charlie nothing and I find that a little funny but a little unprofessional. Hopefully he's good at improv? I mean, he is, because this is tv so of course everything works out. Charlie storms up with the gun but Audrey apologizes (in character obviously but I don't know the parts they're playing. I think the guy was Gabe?) Charlie is about to continue with the lines he learned but Audrey shushes him, then it starts to snow and everyone is super entranced because this is a magical filmmaking moment or something. They walk off together and I don't know, I think I liked my ending better. She's really gonna end up with a guy that got so mad he brought a gun with him to talk to her? Yikes.
Pacey is walking Audrey from the set and they talk about their kiss. Audrey is a bit reluctant but is clearly into Pacey. They kiss and he offers her a ride and she gives in, kissing more. Pacey says that when she smiles, she makes the whole world light up and this man is just too charming. It should be a crime to be this charming, how could anyone not want to kiss him?
We end the episode with Joey walking down the street. She's clearly happy and feels on top of the world. She gathers some snow and after some baseball game announcing, she throws it, nails a sign and says the crowd goes wild. She walks down the street as the episode fades out to an ominous, TO BE CONTINUED...
 |
| This is the closing shot. How is this TO BE CONTINUED worthy? |
First viewing me was like, wtf? Why to be continued? The episode seemed wrapped up? What's going on?? Second viewing me is like, I know what is coming but I'm still confused why they did any of this. I need to do some digging on why the next episode exists because it's honestly baffling to me. Maybe I'll feel different on my second and more refreshed viewing. Maybe I'm less jaded but I remember being mad about it and being sick of Joey. I guess we'll find out when I return to the Creek with Downtown Crossing.
Comments
Post a Comment