Dawson's Creek - 602 - The Song Remains the Same

 Original air date: October 2, 2002

I'm not going to go into detail right now but I have to say that this episode title is so fucking apt, I love it. It's like whoever wrote and titled this episode is as little a fan of Dawson and Joey as most sane people. I don't know if it's intentional or just a fun little nod to Led Zeppelin but it validates my hatred of D/J and that's all that matters. I kid but I do like the title. The rest of this episode? Let's find out.

We open on the post-coital bliss of Dawson and Joey and I could not be less interested but I'm sure the D/J shippers are in heaven so yay for them. Happy for you. Joey wakes up and finds that she's alone but sees a note Dawson left saying he went to get breakfast. He comes in pretty much right after she finds this note with coffee and a rose that he picked from the Worthington gardens, I guess? They banter about how picking the rose will get him a fine and that it's a cheesy gesture but Dawson remains undeterred by her ribbing. Joey also wants to have a flowery talk about what this all means and I'm honestly with Dawson here. It means you had sex. It's not monumental or life changing or destroying. You had sex with someone you liked and now you can decide to date. Dawson kisses her and says they can talk later and they make out.

In the fancy hotel room Audrey is trying to call room service which Pacey stops because he has to leave and she has class in an hour. Audrey is undeterred because her father is paying for it and is also sure Pacey will get the job since her father pulled the strings. This characterization of Audrey feels really different from the one we met last season. Her home life was supposed to be troubled and unsupportive and now here's this dad with mega money, power, and caters to her every whim. Didn't she have to work as a waitress last season? Didn't she return from her break early because of a falling out with her parents? I guess this trip home fixed all that and now she's just spoiled, I guess? Anyway, Pacey is out the door and Audrey goes ahead with the room service. 

Jen and Grams are grabbing a table at a coffee shop after having shopped for text books together. Jen discovers that Grams is taking math and is skeptical about her interest in it since her boyfriend, Clifton teaches math. Grams says she's just taking an interest in his life's passion and Jen thinks it's a slippery slope until she's completely subordinate to him. Grams notices a guy watching them talk and Jen takes notice to and OH. MY. GOD! 

He is so gorgeous, I could die

Jensen with shaggy hair is doing it for me, to be honest. I didn't like his crew cut look in Supernatural even though Dean won me over in the end but damn, do I love his hair. He's so pretty. Sorry, I was supposed to be recapping and discussing this episode. Um, Jen asks him if they're bothering him and then tells him to get his own conversation. Jensen explains that he thought he knew her but now realizes that he doesn't but he did hear her on the radio. Grams confirms this while Jen shoots her a scathing look. Jen tells him she was but isn't anymore and I'm so sad. I liked Jen as the DJ. It seemed fitting for her and her interest in music. I hate that they're resetting that. Jensen asks if she got fired and Jen says they had a artistic differences. Grams gets an evil/giddy grin and asks Jensen if he wants to join them. Grams is an excellent wingman.

Pacey is in a meeting room with a bunch of other guys while this dumb ass Gecko wannabe gets up and acts all bro-ey about the stock market. Look, I hate this storyline. I hated sitting through Wolf of Wallstreet, people like this make my skin crawl. Vapid, empty vessels with no regard for anyone or anything but themselves and appearing like the richest asshole around. It's a medal of honour to these people to be the absolute shadiest, shitty person imaginable. I hate it. I hate this whole storyline and I'm so sad that my fav is going to go down this path of unlikability. I want Chef Pacey back. The Gecko guy is Rich Rinaldi and he gives the guys until Monday to think about whether they want to work this job. Pacey asks him who he is like he's in awe of the guy and I don't get it. They shake hands and Pacey says he doesn't need until Monday, he is in. Blah. Oh and to add the cherry to this shit sundae, Rich tells Pacey to rethink the suit because it "seems a little gay". It's a perfectly normal suit, what are the writers implying this guy can tell that Pacey borrowed the suit from a gay man? It's a fucking suit. ugh!

Back to Joey and Dawson, they are making awkward talk to each other because neither one of them know how to act now that they've slept together. Dawson says that he wrote four drafts of the note he left at the beginning of the episode before settling on the one telling her that he was getting breakfast. Joey says the best she could come up with was 'hi' and they both laugh a bit about their anxiousness. Dawson gets a call from Todd who yells at him because British people were yelled and were snarky in this era. It was their only setting. Dawson has to go but wants to keep talking with Joey. She urges him to go as Todd calls back to be British and snarky again. Dawson now wants to talk about things but Joey kisses him and tells him to be quiet and go before Todd calls back a third time. 

Dawson finds Todd in an alleyway talking on the phone. He asks Dawson if this is a good place to murder someone and Dawson shoots back that he'd murder him for changing a location that 18 other people have signed off on. Todd ribs him about not giving him a passionate speech about how he's too good to bring him coffe and Dawson asks where Todd's rant is about the coffee being cold. It is very clear that these two have developed a rapport which is kind of neat but I hate the Todd character so meh. Todd mentions that Dawson wasn't in his room and Dawson admits that he spent the night at a friend's. Todd is intrigued and asks for details. Dawson refuses because he's always managed to talk himself out of good things in his life so he doesn't want to talk about it. Oh Dawson, you sweet summer child.

Joey is at Hell's Kitchen, the bar they were at last episode, during the day. She looks around and Eddie enters behind her, bumping her as he does. Ok, before we continue, I have known of Oliver Hudson for a really long time but how did I just find out yesterday that duh-doy, he's Kate Hudson's brother? I don't know why I never put those pieces together before but I found out because they were on some Jimmy Fallon thing where they pretend they have to sing a song in a different style on the fly. Kate did 7 Rings in Doo-wop style and my god, it was catchy but you have got to be a fricking rube if you think that wasn't rehearsed as hell beforehand. Any-tangent, Joey is affronted that someone would dare to disrespect her so as to slightly nudge past her when just last episode she steamrolled her professor to the ground. Eddie thinks she wants an apology for class the other day and says that she should read the book before class which is honestly right. Joey tells him he bumped into her so he sarcastically apologizes and says he didn't know she was so delicate. For real, she made a big deal out of nothing. Was Eddie rude for bumping past her? Sure but like just get over it and move on. 

Excuse you? I'M the main character. You can't bump past me!!

Emma recognizes Joey and asks if she's there for the job. Joey admits that she is because she's trusting her instincts this time. I don't understand how her working at a bar is better than her getting a prestigious academic job but ok, go off Joey. Emma hands her and application and Joey asks if Eddie eats there a lot. Emma says he doesn't but admits that he works there as the bartender. 

Pacey and Audrey are cooking while Jack tells them about how his search for apartments has turned up dry. Jack says that everything in their price range is dirty or cockroach infested. Audrey is shocked that he's displaying a "gay" trait and I sigh. Fellas, is it gay to not want to live in a bug infested, dirty apartment? Audrey points out that it's perfectly valid that Emma wouldn't want to live with them but Pacey is determined because now he has a job. He dials the phone and makes Audrey talk to Emma about wanting to see the apartment. If I were Emma, I'd deny them all the moment this deceit came to light. 

Jen is still talking with Jensen, who in the show is named CJ but the show seems to be refusing to give us his name and look, I'm lazy, so I'm cheating. It's CJ. He's saying that she seems like she'd be good at giving help and Jen gets weirded out and wants to leave. CJ stops her and asks if she's heard of The Stand which weirds her out more until he explains that it's not a religion or cult but a peer counselling program. This doesn't help him because Jen assumes he thinks she needs counselling but no, CJ thinks she'd be good at giving counselling. He asks her to meet him at the centre at 7 and she agrees since he says he'll be there and girl, SAME. My god, I'd go wherever he goes and I don't usually like pretty boys. But him and Lee Pace can get it.They have a presence about them that elevates them above the usual boring status I place upon pretty boys. 

Joey is outside a warehouse and is confused so she calls Dawson to be like, I'm supposed to meet you here but there's no here. Dawson comes out and invites her inside the warehouse where all the action is. A big crew is bustling around a crazy big set. It's impressive and I'll admit, the film geek in me is into this. Dawson says they're working on a horror movie and he got to put insight into the set design since Todd doesn't trust his production designer. This is insane and super insulting to the set designer who is on staff to do this shit. No, let Dawson do it. But they had to have an excuse to show that he's basically recreated his old house. This is supposed to be really cool that he's recreated his house exactly but to me, it kind of shows how lazy and uninspired he is? Like, Dawson what does a typical American house look like that would speak to the characters in the movie. Dawson: uhhhhh...my house? I don't know, it seems stupid but I will say that seeing the Dawson house set is kind of cool. Feels more like a backstage sneak peak of the filming of this show than an entirely new movie though. 

We fade right back into the movie set where Joey gushes over how cool it all is. Dawson says it's pretty cool for an illusion and Joey looks confused and I kind of wonder what this implies. Like, she's seriously confused that he says this movie set isn't real, like she thought that they moved Dawson's old house here or something. Or built an entire house and not just the parts they need. He leads her inside to prove my point where doors open to nowhere. Joey...is not as smart as she paints herself out to be. I'm sorry but why is she stunned that it's not a real house? They walk upstairs to where Dawson's bedroom would be but is just an open deck above the porch and he kisses her. Todd walks in to see that Dawson has a girl and is very intrigued. Dawson makes quick introductions and then rushes Todd off but not before confirming their flight plans. Apparently they're going back to LA and then returning in two weeks to film.

Audrey, Jack, and Pacey walk into Emma's apartment. Jack is already in love with it but Audrey is skeptical because it's so nice. Emma is as unimpressed as I was by their ruse and wants them all to get out. Pacey turns on the charm and begs for a second chance but before he can get into specifics, two women come from upstairs and say they'll take the apartment. This apartment is ridiculously nice for someone like Emma to own. I don't mean to be rude but she's a foreign exchange student in music school who works at a bar. Did she come from money in England? I suppose so but this apartment is crazy nice.

I have never seen an apartment with an upstairs, even by spiral staircase
Definitely cool but unrealistic

Jen shows up at the centre but the woman who seems to be leading things is very obviously a wishy washy, new age type. Jen gets cult vibes and nopes out of there just as CJ arrives. He says they're late and urges her back in but Jen explains to him that it's not her scene. CJ is confused that she's booking it already and asks why she came. Jen asks him if it isn't obvious so CJ asks her to pretend it isn't and tell him. Instead of admitting she came because CJ is all kinds of gorgeous, she says that she made a promise to herself that she'd try new things and make friends but she doesn't want to make friends with people where she can't be herself. Jen doesn't think she's as good as he thinks she is. CJ says goodbye but asks her to do one thing, change her mind about herself. I think I may be in love. CJ is swoon worthy.

Pacey is desperately still pleading his case, in spite of the fact that she's already agreed to take on two roommates. He tells her that it would be like having her own security team. He also makes a questionable comment about how lesbians are quick to jump into commitment and then end up throwing appliances at each other while breaking up? I don't even know. Early 2000s "humour" is at it again. He ends on his final point, that he has a girlfriend so no awkwardness will ensue. With how much they are having him say how much them falling for each other in NOT a possibility, who wants to take bets on when they're definitely going to fall for each other at some point? Anyway, he gets Audrey to chime in but she says that they're probably going to break up soon which is unhelpful so Pacey pulls her for a side bar.

Jack meanwhile is in the background chatting with the couple that want the apartment and asks them if they know about the mouse problem. Jack is shady when he wants something. Meanwhile Pacey asks Audrey what's up with her saboteur act. She says that she didn't like the idea of this apartment before and she likes it less now that she sees he and Emma bantering back and forth. She worries that Emma hates him too much and doesn't trust it. You see? Even Audrey is taking bets on this. The women talking with Jack rush out of the apartment as Emma begs them to come back. Pacey asks Jack what happened and he cops to having no ethical boundaries when it comes to them getting this apartment. 

Back with Dawson and Joey, he returns to ask her out for her birthday. Joey says that since no one else even remembered her birthday, she has no plans and wait. Wait, wait, wait. Hold the fuck up. Did Joey seriously just assume that since no one mentioned her birthday YESTERDAY, they obviously forgot it was today? Joey is high maintenance, damn. With how much she was going on about people forgetting her birthday, I assumed it was last episode and I didn't even think about how Dawson moved the clock forward to get to her birthday. She's mad they didn't acknowledge her birthday was the next day? Really? New Joey sucks. Anyway, he leads her to the porch on the Dawson house set and turns on a bunch of fairy lights. There is a little picnic set out on the table too. Joey says it's a bit hokey and is impressed with the gift basket arrangement. Apparently, they're Todd's but he won't notice they're missing because directors get a lot of gift baskets at the start of productions. They toast to her birthday and kiss.

After a non-commercial break, Dawson and Joey are arriving back at her dorm. Everything is happy so you just know something is going to go wrong. Dawson gets a phone call but wants to ignore it. Joey tells him he should answer it because he loves his job but Dawson checks the phone, hangs it up and says it isn't Todd. Joey doesn't believe him and playfully wrestles the phone from him as it starts to ring again. Her smile fades when she sees it's a girl calling. I hate how she's like "who's the girl?" when a normal person would have been like "who's Chloe" or something like that because there would be a name displayed there. Or, just a number and how the hell would Joey be able to tell that a number belongs to a man or woman? Anyway, Dawson waffles and says she's nobody but then admits she's a friend but then admits that she's someone he's been seeing in LA. Audrey pops out at this moment and urges them inside because they're trying to throw Joey a surprise party and is tired of waiting. Joey walks in, completely stunned from Dawson's news and pretends to be happy with this party. Joey is ungrateful. She complains her friends didn't remember her birthday on her not birthday but then is now going to torch this party that they put together for her because she's mad at Dawson. 

You dare speak with other women?

Joey opens some gifts but is clearly tense and everyone is getting that sense. Audrey is worried that Joey hates her gift and Joey tries to say how much she likes it but then excuses herself and drags Dawson into the bathroom. She immediately yells at him for sleeping with her when he had a girlfriends and Jen quips that it's a very unhappy birthday because this is a small dorm and of course they hear everything crystal clear. Awkward. Dawson says that she didn't mean anything to him compared with Joey and that he broke up with her the second something happened between them. Joey thinks he should have told her before so now we know why she had to get distracted by a song when she asked if he was seeing anyone last episode. Joey thinks he should have told her before and he asks her to stop to which Joey bursts out of the bathroom and asks everyone what they think. The girls agree but the guys don't which feels a bit weird. The gang quickly take their leave to get out of the middle of this mess and Dawson and Joey can fully yell it out.

Dawson says that they didn't talk at all this summer which was as much her choice as it was his and Joey does not take this well. And look, I was all set to be on Joey's side about this but either my age, my perspective, or both has changed over the years because I'm actually siding with Dawson on this. Hear me out. So, he's seeing a girl over the summer, Joey also saw a boy over the summer but she broke things off because he fell for her whereas Dawson kept it going. He came back to Boston, saw Joey, they hit it off. Everything feels right and they sleep together. Completely not ideal. Bad move on Dawson's part and I feel for the girl back in LA. But here's the thing. Sometimes love is messy and imperfect and happens at inopportune times. The minute he slept with Joey and realized he wanted more, he went out and broke things off with this other girl. He broke it off with her for Joey. Because he wants to be with Joey and has wanted to be with Joey for a long time. Joey is hung up on the cheating part but she's coming at this from the perspective of being used when that's not at all what's happening here. Dawson didn't sleep with her and go back to his girlfriend in LA. Dawson is trying to make things happen with Joey and ended things with the girl FOR Joey. Should Dawson have dumped this girl before going back to Boston? Probably to definitely since he's clearly not that into her and wanted to see where things went with Joey. That's a dick move on his part but I do get that little fear that he'd be torching a good thing for Joey again when she might have moved past him again. It's not a nice thing to do but I get it. Should Dawson have made sure to tell Joey beforehand? Yes. I don't think the dancing should have precluded him from telling her and it was selfish of him to not say anything. Joey has every right to be mad at all of that, though I think the girl back in LA has more reason to be mad. However, in this moment, he is declaring his intentions to her loud and clear and she is just not listening to him. So, when Dawson calls her a child who wants the fantasy and everything to be unrealistically perfect, I do think he's right. Joey as a character is very unsure of herself and what she wants and I don't think she's come close to finding herself yet and is super immature if she can't see past all of this to the fact that Dawson wants to be with her which is supposedly what she wants. That being said, this just reaffirms my belief that Dawson and Joey should never be end game because they are very clearly not right for each other. This should have been the moment where they realized this, even though Kevin Williamson originally wanted that ending and was going to write it like that but as far as the characters and the writers right now are concerned? Dawson and Joey are done. The song remains the same for them, dysfunctional and annoying.

We cut to Hell's Kitchen, where Jen, Jack, Audrey, and Pacey have run off to escape the Dawson and Joey drama. Of course, they are talking about it. Pacey agrees with me that they are way too dependent on each other and that it's unhealthy but Audrey thinks it's romantic. Audrey also thinks that Jen broke them up the first time but nope, that was Jack. Jen was, in her words, just the road kill on the highway of Dawson and Joey. Apt. Emma delivers the gang their incredibly expensive soft drinks because they are in lame America where you can't drink legally while at college and yet it still happens so maybe they should rethink that whole age limit thing? I can't imagine being 19 and not being able to choose to drink if you want to. This coming from someone who doesn't even like drinking alcohol but like, the choice should be yours by that point. Emma tries to leave quickly but Jack chases after her to apologize about the apartment. Emma tells him he can have it. She didn't want to give Pacey the satisfaction but he's right about the security thing since her neighbours were broken into twice last year. She hands him a set of keys and says they can move in on the weekend. Jack tells her she won't regret it but she's sure that she will. Jack heads back to their table and slaps the keys down on the table, much to Pacey's astonishment and excitement. They celebrate together even though Jen is sad about being left alone with Grams and Audrey thinks it's the death knell of her relationship. Oh, sweetie, that's gonna be you and your trainwreck behaviour coming up. Just wait. Anyway, they toast to friendship instead. 

I love how happy these two are. I'm excited for more of their friendship
but the writers probably won't deliver

Back at Joey's, Dawson is sitting on the floor of her room while she cries in the bathroom so things are going great. She finally comes out to ask him when his flight leaves and then says he should allow for time, basically telling him to get the fuck out. Dawson asks why she's doing this and she admits she wants the fantasy and that she wants to be together but not like this, not screaming at the top of their lungs about things that happened four years ago. I forgot to mention that Dawson threw their season 2 break up in her face which was a very Dawson move. I still do not like him but my point was that if Dawson and Joey were meant to be and she really wanted to be with him, then she should have been able to get past him dumping a girl to be with her. Not ideal but seriously, she shouldn't be the most hurt one in that scenario. Joey thinks that their sleeping together was just a huge mistake and Dawson says if that's how she feels, he'll just go. They do a thing where he almost turns back and opens her door and she almost opens the door from her side but they both don't and let things rest like this. Joey cries on her bed as she looks at the snow globe Dawson got her and we fade out.

You know, it's so weird to be both happy that Dawson and Joey didn't happen again but also angered at how it all went down? Like I hate their relationship regardless but Joey does not come off very good here. I don't think the level of her anger matches what happened and shows she's just super immature. I do get that she's hurt because it can take you aback when you think there's this connection in one way but actually it's not how you saw it. It can take a while to adjust to that and figure it out but the fact that she just throws it all away because it wasn't perfect is annoying. Her character is annoying this season. Everything has to be on her terms. You love me when I don't want you to? Dumped. You bumped into me? Apologize immediately. You were technically seeing someone when you slept with me but want to dump her to pursue things with me? No. Dumped. I don't know, her being the main character has really made her a Dawson and I hate it. I can already feel how crazy this season is going to be going forward but we'll have to take it as it comes. Next up is The Importance of Not Being Too Earnest.