Yes, the episode when Dawson and Joey finally entered into different storylines finally happened in late 1998. Joey accepted a date, or 'dat,' with Jack McPhee, wholesome boy who struggles to perform the simple duties of a busboy on a regular basis. Dawson decided to do his own thing after running into Jack outside of Joey's house, which meant he invited himself to a party full of Capeside's hippest kids. Neither character handled the change well. Dawson hates change. Joey likes change, but feels tethered to Dawson somehow. On her date with Jack, she told him a story about the time she and Dawson tried to be Benjamin Franklin with the kite and nearly electrocuted themselves. Jack sat there, trying to be polite, gritting the words 'you and Dawson, huh' through his teeth. Joey apologized, unaware of how the memory would make him feel, but Dawson's a part of her, whether as friends or more-than-friends.
Joey doesn't bring Dawson up for the rest of the evening. Their date ends on a good note, with a kiss on the lips, and an adorable smile from Katie Holmes. Aside from dating other boys, Joey's enrolled in an art class, which she'll take when she's not working after school. The interest in art continues to be a point of interest for the character, and the art classes will eventually lead to a new element in the 'Dawson's new film' storyline. Though the date went well, and Jack kissed her, and she realized she could be happy with someone who isn't Dawson Leery, Joey still crawls through Dawson's window to end the episode. She sat sadly on the bed because Dawson wasn't in his room. Joey held the stuffed shark to her, which is a symbol of their childhood friendship, that innocent time they'll never get back, because they kissed and, now, everything's different.
Dawson dove into the process of writing the screenplay for his next movie to forget about her. Joey's flat rejection of involving herself in the next project gave Dawson the inspiration he needed. The next film won't be a monster film but, rather, a romance: boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. Dawson outlined exactly this on her door step. Joey became uncomfortable and tried to say something to him about everything but she didn't have any words. Dawson stood there, proudly admitting his fondness for happy endings. The film will have to go on without Joey, but he can still win Joey in his story, if he so chooses. He is the writer, the creator, possessed with an ability to shape things the way he wants unlike in real life, where his father is moving out of the house and his best friend is now an ex-friend so to speak; and he's utterly powerless to change these two aspects of his life.
The hippest party of the year hosted by Chris Wolf and his tertiary character friend is the complete opposite of Dawson Leery. He remarks to Jen that he's witnessing the destruction of American youth. Mind you, Dawson is sixteen years old. Jen's still getting drunk and making bad choices. Three nights previously, consecutively, she drunkenly came through Dawson's window to escape punishment from her Grams. Dawson tired of the routine. The party disgusts him. Dawson accompanied Jen because he's sad about Joey and in need of distraction. The last thing he wants to see is what he sees: an inebriated Jen Lindley on the cusp of being double-teamed by Chris and the tertiary friend. He carries Jen outside where she unleashes holy hell on him for ruining her good time, and he retorts by telling her what she saw didn't seem like a good time.
The scene is relatively infamous in the series. I mean, the series finale closing montage featured the shot of Jen walking away as Dawson watched her. TWoP slammed Dawson for his self-righteous holier-than-thou behavior with Jen. Dawson doesn't spare her; he tells her exactly what he thinks of her behavior, how disgusting it is and how she's engaging in sex and alcohol to escape her unhappy reality. Jen then calls Dawson out for being unhappy too, perhaps the unhappiest person in Capeside. Dawson admits to his unhappiness and says he'd take his melancholy over THIS (this being the party, the illusion of fun, etc) any day of the week. I won't criticize the writers for the scene; in fact, it's one of my favorite scenes in the show, a scene sixteen year old Chris was influenced by. Jen essentially canonizes Dawson in the last part of the scene, which caused fan backlash, but Dawson was the show's hero until Williamson left at the end of season two. Jen doesn't bow at Dawson's feet or anything; she just admits feelings of envy about the way Dawson can sort of bounce back from heartbreaks, disappointment, feelings of loneliness, because of the infinite pool of hope that exists inside him.
It's a shame I'm writing mostly about Dawson when the scene's really about Jen. Jen needed someone to recognize her as being special, as someone who can act above how she acted in New York, and Dawson's the one who tells her if she wasn't so special she wouldn't be so miserable. This scene is rock bottom for Jen. It marks a major turn for her character from here on out. But the scene also serves to underline the important theme of the episode: heroism or, rather, reluctant heroism. Dawson 'saves' Jen by swooping in and taking her away from Chris and his friend. I mean, Jen calls him her hero later at Mitch's dope pad.
Jimmy Stewart's Mr. Smith stands as the heroic ideal. Dawson explains the Mr. Smith character to Pacey as one who's faced with his heroic nature. Dawson and Pacey both face their heroic natures. The Dawson-as-hero choice doesn't work like it should, not when his heroic scene caused so much backlash. Pacey, though, is a heroic champion. Mrs. McPhee escapes the family compound. Actually, she merely wanders off and chooses a market to stand in to tell shoppers about her family. A crazy woman spouting off stories to random strangers isn't good for business. Andie fails to convince her mom to leave, but Pacey saves the day. Pacey, earlier in the day, had a disheartening meeting with the Capeside High guidance counselor. Pacey's failing two classes, has a 1.7 GPA, and is on the fast track to a steady career in the fast-food industry. Andie helped him study, but his heroic act in the market was what Pacey needed to experience: that he could make a positive difference in someone's life. Andie's so charmed and in love with her boyfriend by the end of the night she's thinking about having sex with him with a wry smile, and Pacey's just thinking about studying and improving his grades. The kid is growing up.
Of course, they're all growing up. For Dawson and Joey, they're growing up while being apart, but that's the only way they can grow and evolve and change.
Other Thoughts:
-There's a terrific poster of Shaq in Capeside High. Shaq is sitting with a book. Above his head is: 'READ'
-Katie Holmes looks amazing during the date scenes with Jack.
-Dawson and Mitch are involved in a story about their new relationship post-separation. Mitch wants to be Dawson's friend; Dawson wants Mitch to be his father. They settle on being both: friends and child/parent.
-I still love Jack and Joey's picnic scene because of the heat lightening. The dialogue allows for the audience to learn more about Jack, like how he watches the weather channel in his spare time. I'll admit to being unable to really write much about this first incarnation of Jack, which is Jack-as-romantic-rival-to-Dawson and whatnot.
-Dawson asks Jen how it feels to be an award-winning actress. Michelle Williams now is truly an award-winning actress.
-The closing montage includes Goo Goo Dolls' "Acoustic #3." Great song. So-so montage.
-Shelley Meals & Darin Goldberg wrote the episode. Joe Napolitano directed it.
UP NEXT: "The Election"--Andie's decision to run for student council lands her on a campaign trail of tears when Abby begins advertising her family situation. Jen helps Dawson take steps to deal with his powerlessness over his parents divorce and tries to teach him how to be a teenager. Jack shuts out Joey during a family crisis.
The episode is available to watch on Streampix, Netflix, and YouTube (I think).
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
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