"The All-Nighter" revolves around another high school staple, less fun and iconic than 'the high school dance' but iconic, though laughable in hindsight: a mid-term English examination with material that ranges from old English texts to the Romantics, Elizabethans, Victorians, etc. As someone who studied English extensively for 4.5 years, the amount of material the fictional English teacher packs into a mid-term is insane. It's like the writers forgot they were writing for a high school class and instead decided to create some bizarre seminar course that encompasses the entire history of literature. Mr. Peterson, the English teacher, is worth noting for his vitriol towards the students and love for insulting their intelligence and encouraging failure for all of them. The character is a piece of work, one who'll be back with a vengeance in Jack's important two-parter. Mr. Peterson insists the students attend his study session. Dawson, Joey, Andie, Pacey, Jen, and Chris Wolf, plan on attending the session until Peterson cancels it due to a cold, which he deems more important than his students. Charming man.
The study session moves to Chris Wolf's luxurious house. TheWB's favorite actor in the late 90s, Jason Dohring, portrayed the good-looking, rich and charming Chris Wolf. Chris just wants to hook up with Jen, which is why he invited her and her friends to his house. The house is palatial. The inside is lined with wooden floors and painted an immaculate white. The wine shelf is global. The backyard includes two porches, a pool and a Jacuzzi. The satellite dish includes a Cantonese-language version of The Three Stooges. Pacey's seduced by the two hundred channels the satellite provides, and the others, besides Andie, become distracted by each other or pizza or a purity test from one of those Cosmopolitan type publications or a precocious youth named Deena.
Of course "The All-Nighter" wouldn't revolve around the characters dutifully studying their books in preparation for the examination. The house is large, yes, but no one can easily leave the property, because Chris drove everyone. The biggest house can become really small when there are conflicts, hurt feelings, and secrets revealed. Woody Allen's September is set in a house in The Hamptons on one night where a family's drama escalates and explodes. A house setting isn't new to television. (The device will probably be deployed in the upcoming season of TV.) Its effectiveness depends on the writer. This episode is dramatic and hysterical but it's not without its fun moments.
Dawson spent the nights following his breakup with Joey watching tearjerkers with his mother. Mitch and Gale decided to separate in "The Dance." Mother Leery and Son Leery are sad. Dawson opines about Shakespeare's ability to tackle every subject worth writing about and how it makes sense that his best works end with Danish folk dead on the stage. Aside from Dawson's generalization about Shakespeare's tragedies, Leery makes a rather sad and despairing point about Shakespeare's view of human existence. Of course, Shakespeare wrote his most tragic plays during the darkest period in his life. Dawson, though he may believe it, is not experiencing the darkest period of his life. Dawson might breathe in such a way that it sounds like his lungs are collapsing on the inside, and he might flare his nostrils like they'll never be flared again, but Dawson didn't lose his son. A girl broke up with him. It sucks. But in the grand scheme of the universe, it's small potatoes.
Dawson would be wise to carefully read Romeo & Juliet, a tragedy about two lovers from Verona, who love each other to a foolish end. Romeo & Juliet is an early play of Shakespeare's. He's finding his voice throughout the play. It's no coincidence that the dialogue is as flowery as an arboretum garden. Dawson's utterly lost on how to interact with Joey Potter once he realizes they'll spend the entire night together. Joey, too, feels uncomfortable, especially considering the terrible conversation the former couple had in the hall not more than four hours ago. Dawson doesn't understand Joey; Joey can't magically make Dawson understand her. They just glance at one another uncomfortably. The precocious youth doesn't help matters. The purity test is the straw that broke the plastic lid though. The 100 question test ends on a question about love, and Dawson nearly breaks a vessel when the youth informs him that Joey loved two men in her life. Joey couldn't fall in love with Jack after a kiss, right? Dawson runs his hands through his hair then yells at the precocious youth Deena. Joey watched in horror.
Dawson's just a ball of pent-up emotions: frustration, anger, disbelief, sadness, hurt feelings, etc. Joey kissing another boy was just a shot to the shin after she kneed him in the testicles, figuratively speaking. The purity test isn't a silly game to him but, rather, a window into the soul of the girl who just got away, his best friend and soul-mate, and question 100 made Dawson feel like a piece of shit. It's over-the-top dramatic, but it's absolutely Dawson's Creek. Joey tells him that she fell in love with Dawson twice, once as a friend and once as a boyfriend. Dawson calmed down and told her he'd give her her space but added he'll never stop feeling the way he does about her. And then he gives the precocious youth a kiss on the forehead to make up for his monstrous outburst (Dawson told her that kisses are great but then things turn to shit afterwards; Dawson even contemplated telling Joey he regretted their kiss; regardless, Dawson's redeemed as much as he can be redeemed).
The purity test isn't a silly game to Pacey or Andie either. The test lets out Pacey's secret about Ms. Jacobs. The revelation momentarily crushes Andie. At the docks, they had a romantic moment that defined them as a couple; now, Pacey's different from what she thought. But then she thinks about herself and her secrets and how the passage of time will reveal more about her to him and vice-versa. The house doesn't become a prison for the new couple. Anywhere else Andie would've run away from the issue. The only places to go in Wolf's house are other rooms. Pacey can locate her in a house and explain the situation and completely dedicate himself to her. Andie's first instinct is to run away because of her past, which will be explored very soon in season two.
Pacey's in the process of transformation. The teen wanted his own storyline early in the season and even changed his hair color. Transformation isn't as easy as changing the color of one’s own hair though. Pacey takes two significant steps in his arc: the reconciliation with Andie and taking the lead when the group has only four hours to study before the examination that's worth 50% of their grade. Pacey thinks he's no good, a loser, a slacker, but he needs a push and someone to believe in him. Dawson will never be that person. Andie very well could be. The Pacey-Andie relationship is still in its infancy, but the important groundwork has been laid. Their relationship is really well-done.
Jen Lindley's in a better place just two weeks after "Full Moon Rising" when she felt badly about herself. However, she's still vulnerable. Though she insists she's in control of the Chris Wolf situation to Dawson, she finds herself naked and alone in his bed the next morning. Chris is in the room, but the intimacy of the night before is gone. Jen doesn't want to be wanted as much as she wants to be loved and cared for. The girl won't find what she wants in Chris Wolf's bed.
There are fun moments in "The All-Nighter." The fun happens after the sun rises of course. The purity test ruined the night for everyone. No one studied. Feelings were hurt. The morning brings a new day as we've seen in the Dawson-Joey story and the Pacey-Andie story. The teenagers cram like 50% of their grade depends on it and then they take a dip in the pool. The test is actually post-poned once they get to school, so they go to the football field and do what they barely did the whole night: sleep, re-charge, so when they wake up they feel better.
Greg Berlanti, Everwood's creator, wrote the episode. David Semel directed it.
UP NEXT: "The Reluctant Hero"--Joey's "semi-date" with Jack prompts a resentful Dawson to join Jen at a party where he saves her from doing some things she'll regret. Pacey proves his worth when Andie's mother has a psychotic episode during their study session. Mitch fails to understand Dawson's views on their divorce.
Watch it on Xfinity Streampix or Netflix Instant Watch.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
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