Dawson's Creek - 522 - The Abby

 Original air date: May 8, 2002

It seemed like I had so much time back in November when I said I'd finish this season off by the end of the year, now here I am with a week left of December and two episodes and a wrap up left to complete. I have no one to blame but myself, really but I am going to keep trucking along with my goal. I can do this.

We open the episode on Audrey running down the halls as she's being chased with squirt guns. I get it, college kids go wild and crazy but there is something so deeply uncomfortable to me when I see stuff like this on film where it is very specifically young women, two of the main girls from the cast, getting sprayed like this. I get it, extras are complicated but this felt less like a campus-wide fun activity and more like a few men specifically chasing Audrey down the hall, trying to get her wet and it comes across a lot more sinister than they were intending. Am I being too sensitive? Probably. But I'm also extremely jaded from years of watching teen oriented shows where the young women specifically and most often made to do shit like this and then it comes out that surprise! The director or whoever behind the scenes has a wet t-shirt fetish. See, Nickelodeon and the foot thing for an example of this. It feels very exploitative, even if it wasn't their intent. 

Joey gets hit in the cross fire while she is packing her things. Audrey then begs Joey to come to LA and Joey flat out refuses. It comes off kind of bitchy even if I get it. The summer is your month to visit home and live rent/cost free after a year of being broke. It's just Joey seems almost annoyed at Audrey wanting to spend time with her and even seems to balk at the idea that Audrey come to Capeside. Joey does relent though but makes it clear that Audrey has to be packed and ready by 9. What time are they up for this rager? Are they having a dorm party at 7am? Weird. Someone knocks on their door and they get water balloons ready to hit the boys with but surprise! It's actually Wilder.

Now he's Wet and Wild-er.
I'll see myself out.

Audrey leaves the two of them alone, of course and Joey apologizes profusely for throwing water balloons at him. Wilder reveals that he came to give her the literary review magazine from Worthington where one of her stories (the one she wrote at the beginning of the season about kissing Dawson) has been published. Joey is ecstatic and it brings me back to when I was printed in my highschool's publication. It's nice to see Joey get here though it feels a bit hollow since she just hasn't been written as a character who's into writing. Barring, I guess, her journal way back in season 2. Wilder thanks her and she thanks him and they part ways. Bye, Wilder, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Or do. Whatever.

At Civilization, Alex is in a sour mood about Pacey being late. She's being especially bitchy today so you know they want you to know how evil she is. There is no mention of the weird fucked up almost-tryst they had last episode. She announces that they're hosting a group of investors tomorrow and wants to start with goose-liver pate but Pacey points out that they're out of season. Pacey then rattles off a full meal plan that sounds very fancy but Alex is pissed. She essentially threatens to destroy Pacey and I don't understand what her end goal was here at all. Like, woman took over a successful restaurant, fired people, sexually harassed her remaining trained chef, goaded him into sleeping with her but cut it off when she was satisfied that she could have him, and is now threatening to destroy him for suggesting a menu. Who's acting like a toddler here? It sure isn't Pacey.

Dawson and Oliver are packing up their lockers at film school when Dawson gets a phone call from their agent, Andrew. Apparently, he has an opportunity for them while Oliver hovers, wondering what the call is about. They banter back and forth about not wanting to talk to each other after the New York incident but then Dawson relents and asks him what his plans are for the summer because he probably wants to change them.

Jack and Jen are in the library, trying to decide where to travel to in the summer. Jen is against backpacking through Europe because hostels are gross and as much as I love Jen, it is kind of privileged to not need to go to hostels to travel at their age but by the same token, I kind of agree? Like the idea of hostels creeped me out and because I couldn't afford anything else I just didn't travel. Oops. Jen wonders about the hotels in Cleveland and Jack jokingly hands her a brochure.

Audrey and Joey are carrying boxes out to Dawson's car. Joey offers to get the last box and looks around her dorm room fondly before leaving.

At Civilization, Alex is bossing everyone around in a really bitchy way so I guess this means she's full evil now and not just weirdly manipulative and obsessed with Pacey evil. She sees droplets on the forks and demands to know if the person handling the cutlery has allergies. Then she fires the girl. I mean, yeah she's being a bitch but I also wouldn't like it if someone sneezed on cutlery in the food service industry...which I know happens all the time and I'm just going to try and forget that so I can dine out in peace. Whenever it is I can dine out in peace again. Pacey tries to convince her not to fire the girl since she's a single mom with a four year old and Alex almost seems sympathetic but only so far as to wish her luck finding other employment because she's still super fired.

Audrey, Joey, and Dawson are back in Capeside. Audrey wants to see Dawson's room and Joey points her where to go. Dawson is about to tell her about his summer opportunity when Joey interrupts to ask him a favour, watch Audrey for her so she can get something done. She clarifies that it isn't anything bad but ever since being mugged, she's been thinking about her dad and wants to visit him. That was her takeaway from being mugged at gun point? That she should visit her dad? I don't know, man. I know that sometimes people get into dire straits and fall into a life of crime but that doesn't absolve them of harming others, if they do harm others. Anyway, Dawson agrees and she heads off.

Jen and Jack return home to tell Grams the big news about their summer plans. They are going to spend two months in Costa Rico. Jen is super pumped but Grams has some news of her own. It seems that Jen's parents called and they've purchased a house in East Hampton on the beach. They want Jen to spend the summer with them. Jen is shocked.

At Civilization, Alex is seated at the head of a long table with a bunch of big wig investors. She talks up their first course and snaps her fingers but nothing happens. She claps her hands sharply but again, nothing emerges from the kitchen. So, she gets up and goes into the kitchen where there is no food prepared and everyone is standing around. She demands to know where the food is and a guy named Trevor explains that Pacey took all the food to a homeless shelter and donated it. Just then, Pacey walks in carrying a stack of pizzas. He hands some out to the staff and then walks out to the investors. Alex is pissed and the investors ask what's happening. Pacey tells him they are witnessing a coup d'état. He reads out a statement outlining how completely shit Alex is at her job and the investors are mostly just disappointed they don't get lunch. Pacey hands them some pizzas and Alex tries to tell them all that Pacey is weirdly obsessed with her and what he says doesn't indicate how the rest of the staff feels. The rest of the staff are like, nah we agree with Pacey and Pacey peaces out when she fires him. Reap the whirlwind, biatch.

The face of a woman who messed with a bull and got the horns

Joey is at the prison and asks to see her dad but oops, he was paroled four months ago. Joey is frustrated and confused that they weren't notified but it's the inmates choice to notify the family. Joey says she's his daughter in a last ditch effort and the guard seems to feel bad enough that he says he heard he was working down in Centerville but that she didn't hear it from him.

Dawson and Audrey are talking and for some reason, he tells her a story about how Pacey wanted to kiss Kristy Livingstone. Audrey thinks that she's never going to be able to move on from Pacey and is also dreading going back to LA. Dawson thinks it's funny that she wishes she could stay in Capeside and he wishes he could go to LA and then he tells her that he got an opportunity to go there. Audrey is stoked for him and she is also excited for herself because she now has someone to hang out with back in LA. She even offers him a place to stay with her and it reminds me why I like Audrey a lot. Just not with Pacey. She asks if he told Joey and we cut to commercial without an answer but we know he didn't.

This is the scene that has stood out in my head the most and if you're doing a rewatch on Netflix, you're not getting the full experience. Jen starts to blast Baba O'Riley by The Who and gets up on a chair to dance and sing along. The netflix version has her put on a generic pop song and dance to that instead, muting her singing and cutting the scene short which messes up the comedic timing of Jack walking in on the spectacle and watching for a bit before she notices. Also, they really do Jen dirty by removing her excellent taste in music. It's weird how much it said about her character and how much is lost in removing all the songs related to her story. I hate it. I notice it so much more with her because music is a big part of her character. 

Jack asks what she's doing and she says she's trying not to spiral out of control on account of her parents being a big trigger for her. Jack says he's going to cancel their trip because he doesn't want to go without her but Jen insists they don't because she wants to spend the summer with him and not her parents. Jack says that her parents are reaching out so she should see it through but Jen, rightfully in my opinion, says that her life shouldn't have to stop at their convenience. I absolutely agree with Jen and it's weird to me that everyone around her is going to make her feel bad for bailing on her parents because they're trying now. If you need a reminder, her mother let her daughter go back home from the train station, by herself in New York City, to find her father having sex with her babysitter and friend. Her father saw that she saw and she ran away for an entire weekend, spending nights on the street. Neither parent looked for her. She was 12. Fuck this shit. It's good her parents are trying but they can wait until she's ready to let them back in. Jen asks for more time to think about it and Jack agrees and leaves her to sing more Baba O'Riley or flail on a chair to generic pop music if you're watching this on Netflix. 

I don't know why I love this moment so much but I do
I wish I could watch it with the real song in place again.

Outside Civilization, Pacey is waiting for Alex to come out. She snarks that his reap the whirlwind line was a good note to end on and that he shouldn't drag it out. Pacey just wants to ask her what happened to her to make her so mean. We still don't get an answer so I'm not going to bother recapping the next bit. They say their goodbyes but Pacey's car won't start so she offers him a ride home. Let me tell you, I thought I knew where this was going and was bracing myself to groan loud about it but this did not go where I expected and I can't believe I forgot that this happened. It's probably because it comes out of nowhere and feels weirdly out of place in this show but we'll get to it when it happens.

Back in Capeside, Joey is stressing to Bessie over how their father has disappeared and didn't want them to know where he is. Both Bessie and Audrey think her dad is just trying to rebuild his life so he's ready to come back to them but Joey is scared he hates her. She's the one who put him away, after all. Audrey assures Joey that he doesn't hate her and if anything, he's ashamed to face her. Joey thanks Audrey for being there for her and apologizes for ditching her for the day. Audrey says it's no big since she had fun with Dawson and she says he would do anything for Joey. Joey smiles and reminisces about the time that he went with her to see her father completely forgetting that Pacey drove her to see her father first and it was way better. Sorry, I'm biased. Audrey says that nothing's changed since he drove from New York to Florida to see her in a very "Crystal Duck" moment that exposes Ross's true feelings to Rachel...I mean Dawson's true feelings to Joey. The Friends moment was funnier though.

Back with Pacey and Alex, he asks her about what she's going to do and she starts to spiral. She blabbers about how she's going to end up fat, homeless, and alone, surrounded by cats and I really wish guys would stop with this stereotype being the ultimate nightmare for women. Cats are awesome and I will not hear them be slandered like this. They are a pet for cool introverts, not losers. Anyway, the point is as she's ranting about how her life sucks and is over, she's stepping down on the gas and driving fast and recklessly. Pacey is nervous and asks her to slow down but she keeps going, narrowly missing an oncoming car. You see what I mean? I feel like I stepped into a made for tv thriller right now. She seems to like his panicked pleas to stop the car as she takes a turn at 70mph so Pacey changes course. He starts agreeing with her that his life is also over so fuck it, she should go faster and he should kiss her until she gets uncomfortable enough to slam on the breaks to avoid hitting another car. Pacey gets out of the car immediately and then opens her door to let her out before sitting down on the sidewalk.

Joey finds Dawson and he asks her how things went with her father. She tells him not so good but doesn't want to talk about it right now because Audrey said he had something to tell her but oops, Dawson thinks it's the thing about his movie deal. Joey is stunned and Dawson is confused because he assumed Audrey let it slip about this and Joey quickly agrees and says she's absolutely ecstatic for him. She's worried she'll say all the wrong things but Dawson assures her that she's already said all the right things. 

Back with Alex and Pacey she's now thankful that he made her stop because she could have killed someone in an instant and her life would be over. Yeah, so would the other person's life, permanently. She also doesn't know why she is the way she is but Pacey thinks she has the ability to change if she really wants to. Alex thinks the saddest part is that she really does like Pacey. You got a bizarre way of showing that, lady. I refuse to feel sorry for her, as much as Sherilyn Fenn is awesome, I hate Alex Pearl. She can go away forever now, please.

At Grams's house, Jack asks Jen how her conversation with her parents went. Jen says she turned down their offer. They asked her to reconsider and she said no and that they sounded relieved after that. Jack thinks she made the wrong decision but if they actually sounded relieved, I don't think she did. The gesture sounds hollow. Grams comes in and asks what's going on so Jack fills her in and asks what she thinks, after saying he thinks Jen made the wrong decision. Grams lays down the hard facts and truths about the situation, saying that her parents haven't been generous with her but have been very cheap and that this gesture doesn't absolve them of that. Jack tries to protest but Grams is not done and will not be interrupted. She says that the only person who knows whether or not something is worth saving in the relationship is Jen and they should respect that. She also says that if her parents truly want to make amends, this won't be their last opportunity. They all hug and I love them. I wish we had more Grams on the show. She rocks in every scene she's in. To think we start out the show hating her.

Moments like these are the heart of this show

Dawson visits his father's grave and tells him about his big opportunity and then about Joey and how he wants there to be something more with her. He loves her but I just...I guess I'm a heartless bitch because I don't care. I don't feel the connection between Joey and Dawson that the show wants us desperately to. It's nice seeing Dawson visit his father to tell him the exciting news about his movie deal though. I thought that was sweet.

We end the episode with Joey pulling up outside of the five and dime in Centerville. She hesitates a moment and then reaches in her truck to pull out the literary magazine and looks back at the store again. We fade to black. Do we find out how this went? Probably not and if we do, it's a throw away line because I don't have a memory of seeing her father again.

We are getting so close. One episode to go! Hope you guys had a great Christmas and if I can't get the last one out, have yourselves a Happy New Year. Swan Song is next.