The 2012 Summer Re-Watch: Dawson's Creek "Full Moon Rising" Review

The characters in Dawson's Creek don't like to take responsibility for their actions. Dawson never examines his conscience to assess his own part in whatever drama that's unfolded. When something bad happens, it's never Dawson's fault; it's the fault of Joey or his parents or Pacey or Jack, etc. Joey blames external circumstances for her own weaknesses. Pacey and Jen fall into this trap, but not as much. I'm not sure whether it's deliberate characterization, a way for the writers to protect the characters when they behave badly with one another. I'm referring to the show as a whole. "Full Moon Rising" is the first of the episodes to drop in some cosmic element to explain away or apologize for bad behavior from the characters. The element isn't just cosmic or lunar. Sometimes, the element, actually plot device, is as small as a tape. The devices are used, aside from its effect on characterization, to bring forth truth, for the characters to learn something they've either not noticed or worked hard to miss.

The full moon shines in the Capeside night sky during "Full Moon Rising." Dawson and Joey kiss on the rooftop just off of Dawson's room while a werewolf movie plays in his room. Werewolf movies popularized 'man becomes beast during a full moon' because of its relationship to man's idea of the full moon. The image of the werewolf communicates the idea that man is powerless against a full moon. Joey's dialogue intimates what'll happen in the course of the episode. Dawson finds the full moon 'romantic." Joey worries about the full moon because she believes it affects people in the same way it affects the tides. Dawson nearly falls off the roof seconds after he attempts calm his girlfriend about the moon. Dawson gulps and tries to laugh it off.

One should know that every act ends on a shot of the full moon. Additionally, in every act, you'll see a shot of the full moon to remind the viewers the characters might be behaving in weird ways because of it. Indeed, one could get concussed from the anvils being dropped upon one's head. Tamara spoke about subtext for a whole scene in last week's episode, and yet the writers employed nary a piece of subtextual dialogue.

The marital strife between Mitch and Gale becomes too volatile to contain their little bubble. Dawson catches on to their troubles when they decided to fight in front of him in every scene the three characters share. Gale stupidly invites a male colleague over for dinner in the hopes of landing a deal with a New York station or something. Mitch wonders aloud if this activity shouldn't happen on a Thursday. Gale repeats the business aspect of the dinner, but Mitch makes a good point, considering it's a Saturday night. Mitch lucks out when Tamara comes over to finish their deal for the warehouse. Dawson watches both parents curiously, especially when both continue drinking wine with their guests. Gale does not explain why she chose to invite the male over rather than wine and dine him on the company dime at a posh Capeside restaurant. Just assume it's the FULL MOON. They fight throughout the night. Dawson observes. Eventually Tamara and tertiary male colleague/coworker leave, though neither Mitch nor Gale seem particularly worried about blowing big opportunities for themselves in a professional sense. It's the FULL MOON.

Dawson puts the obvious pieces together after Abby suggests an open relationship for him and Joey. The light bulb comes on, and he rushes downstairs to call his parents out on their shit, which is not a byproduct of the full moon. Understandably, Mitch and Gale would prefer to handle the matter with Dawson when they aren't entertaining guests. Dawson gets the truth from his parents and urges them to sit at the table and work out their differences. Mitch venomously insults his wife, stating how he never wished for her to cheat on him. Dawson tells his father to 'just get over it and forgive her.' Mitch can't. He tells Dawson that his father never gave him advice for when one's wife sleeps with another man. Dawson promptly leaves the house to find Joey and cry. And why am I writing about the storyline I swore not to write about? THE FULL MOON.

Dawson's not the only one who cries during the episode's closing montage. The full moon induces plenty of sadness from the resident Capesiders. Pacey asks Andie out on a date, which should be happy, until Pacey goes to Andie's house to pick her up. Andie thought she'd meet her date at the movies or the Icehouse, and then she freaks when she realizes where he is. Pacey meets Mrs. McPhee and hears about the family, including celebrated oldest brother of Andie's, Tim. Andie arrives just in time to fill in the details of her family's history; specifically, her mother hasn't been the same since the car accident that killed Tim, how her father more or less abandoned the family, but she doesn't want Pacey's pity. Pacey looks at her with feeling and embraces her. Pacey's sweet throughout the story, equally so with both McPhee women. The writers have begun the transition in Pacey and Andie's relationship.

Jen stupidly decided to entertain Vincent the Boatman at her house whilst Grams attended bible study. The plan backfires. Vincent would've forced himself on her had Grams not burst through the door. Jen is ashamed, especially when Grams makes it clear she won't allow her to return to her New York behavior, which was reprehensible, according to Grams. The Vincent date is another instance of Jen's desire to be wanted. She feels as badly after her date as she felt after coming onto Dawson in "Alternative Lifestyles." Perhaps Grams' words were what she needed to hear. Jen realizes she went too far in her 'act' when Vincent won't get off of her; and, perhaps, she realized that being bad ultimately means feeling badly.

The full moon motif is most prominent in the Icehouse storyline with Joey and Jack. A solitary old man drinks cup after cup of coffee at a table as Joey becomes more frustrated with each minute the tip jar is empty. No one is eating at the Icehouse. Jack figures it's because of the FULL MOON (wow that makes a whole lot of sense, writers). Their whole night is weird: the lobster tank breaks, the coffee man helps fix it and then leaves poetry and a $100 dollar bill. The night concludes with a kiss by a window in which Joey and Jack are silhouetted by the full moon. Joey's the vocal believer in the full moon causing people to act strangely. She doesn't know how to react to the kiss or the old man who dropped way too much money on Icehouse coffee. Dawson walks with her from the Icehouse to his house. The truth about her night is on the tip of tongue, but she decides against telling him. Instead, she reiterates her comments about the full moon. Dawson opened up about his parents and needed to blame something else other than his own parents for the decline in their marriage: ah there it is.

I've had my fun with the full moon motif, but the device connects the four storylines of "Full Moon Rising." People attached significance to the full moon for centuries. The significance and meaning attached to the full moon grew through the years. These characters are all sad and confused in the present moment. Dawson tries to blame his terrible night of discovery to the moon, but it doesn't work, and he cries in Joey's arms. Jen wants to think she's better than who she was in NYC. What if she's not? Jen gazes at the full moon, perhaps wondering if this phase is just part of a phase she'll get over. Andie wanted to hide her family from the world. If no one knew about it then maybe it isn't real could be the impetus behind Andie's actions. Now, the secret need not be painful or shameful, because of Pacey; and, perhaps, life will get better for her, and Pacey will bring some peace to her and her mother. Joey experienced conflicted feelings about Dawson in "Tamara's Return" which were unresolved. She, too, feels like the moon had a part to play in kissing Jack; that surely her feelings for Dawson haven't waned that much; but she's just stumbling onto the foundation of her relationship with Dawson: her feelings will wax and wane.

So, I like "Full Moon Rising" because of its portrayal of the teens in situations they're not familiar or comfortable with. Teenagers don't know what the hell is going on. Teenagers now will realize they were clueless when they see teenagers as a twentysomething year old. Teens don't know how to deal with serious, life-altering events. Dawson and his friends don't know how to deal with things in this episode. This aspect of teenage life is portrayed extremely well. So, things came to the surface this week, and two of these things will be dealt with in "The Dance." Stay tuned.

Other Thoughts:

-Don't expect two paragraphs on Mitch and Gale ever again.

-Every director loved extreme close-ups of Van Der Beek and Holmes making out. Whoever decreed such close-ups made a huge mistake.

-Abby continues to be written as the girl who sees and understands way more than the Capeside core do.

-Dana Baratta wrote the episode. David Semel directed it.

-Netflix Instant Watch is streaming the series now. Join the re-watch!

UP NEXT: "The All-Nighter"--I wrote about "The Dance" last summer (Read it here!). Here's the tease for #207: Facing the scariest English test of their lives, the gang has an all night study session at wealthy, horny Chris Wolfe's house. During the night, secrets are revealed and friendships are altered. Watch it on Xfinity! Streampix or Netflix or buy the DVD.

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