TheWB made news twice during 1999-2000. Dawson's Creek made headlines for its decision to portray an openly gay male teenager on primetime television. Later, Joss Whedon's Buffy, the Vampire Slayer made news when Tara and Willow kissed for the first time. I'm well aware that I most likely got the timeline wrong for Buffy. I didn't watch Dawson's Creek or Buffy until 2003. I missed the hoopla surrounding this season two two-parter. I was addicted to WWF's Attitude Era. Williamson felt it was important to introduce a homosexual male character because so much of the show was autobiographical. In the same interview with EW, he mentions that Jack's poetry experience happened to one of the writers. Williamson disclosed his sexuality shortly before this episode and so he wanted to draw on his experience in the same way he drew on his experience for all of the other characters. He recently said in a Twitter Q&A that parts of Dawson, Joey, Pacey, and Jen came from him; he felt the autobiographical nature of the show helped make it one of the most honest teenage dramas on TV.
Initially, I thought Jack's homosexuality came from nowhere. The writers introduced him as Dawson's romantic rival to Joey. The character existed to create drama. A poem is all it takes to open Jack wide for all of Capeside to see. Soon, one remembers Jack's issue on the night he could've slept with Joey. Jack's tortured sense of self begins to clarify. The boy never looked comfortable in his own skin. The McPhee family has been defined by their problems--a mentally unstable mother, a prescriptive medicated daughter, an absent father, a deceased brother who was the golden boy of the family, and Jack's secret became a secret because he didn't want to burden his family with. Jack kept the secret but it gnawed at him in small ways until he was overcome by emotion during an English assignment. The poem should've remained a secret. Mr. Peterson, the English teacher, is a classically evil antagonist, though, and decides to be a dick by forcing Jack to read the poem or fail. The poem's about a guy. By next period, Jack's sexuality is the hot topic of Capeside High.
The writers stacked the deck of cards for these two episodes. By deck of cards, I refer to an actual deck of cards. I've no idea how the writers broke stories. I assume they broke them on a whiteboard. For the purposes of the review, I'll opt to think they broke them with index cards a la Vince Gilligan. The major story of the episode is Jack's sexuality. The other major story is Pacey's fight against Mr. Peterson because Peterson makes it his mission to treat Pacey like shit. Jack's forced to read his poem because Peterson knows he can't get to Pacey, so he aims for the quiet kid. Pacey's campaign against Peterson sets him and Andie apart and also threatens his recent good academic standing. Joey's the girlfriend of Jack. Together they stand against the narrow-minded students, but their united front disintegrates. Joey blames herself if Jack's actually gay. Dawson actually stands to benefit from the whole ordeal because he can act as supportive friend to Jack and Joey. Jen is separated from this story until Ty opens his narrow-minded mouth halfway through the second part.
Jack denies and denies and denies what everyone's interpretation of the poem is and how it relates to him. No, the author is NOT dead in Capeside High. Roland Barthes would have an aneurism with this group of teens who insist the text must be related to the author. Joey follows along, always unsure though of her boyfriend's honesty. Andie doesn't help Jack as she frowns upon homosexuals. Pacey's self-righteous behavior alienates everyone around him. The solution for every story is communication. Jack needs to communicate with his father; Joey needs to communicate with Jack; Andie needs to be communicated with through Jack's communication with their father; Pacey needs to communicate why he's hell-bent on protecting Jack from Peterson regardless of what people feel about it.
Mr. McPhee arrives in Capeside after a call from the school alerted him to the situation. Mr. McPhee's been the off-screen panda bear. Andie passed off her dad's absence as normal; Jack admitted their dad abandoned them after Tim died. There are many reasons why Jack fears coming out. Capeside High reacts as the typical small town does. Slurs are hurled his way. Tolerance is as rare to find in Capeside as a Jack In The Box burger. His dad's the person he fears most. His father exudes authoritarianism. Jack won't receive love from him unless he's the person his father wants him to be. Tim was the golden boy of the family because he represented everything his father wanted. Jack was different. Both father and son knew why but never called attention to the truth. Jack kept his secret in hopes he could forget about it and earn his father's love. Jack learns he never will after a terrible dinner. The next morning, he tells his father he's gay because he can't take the pain of keeping it inside anymore, and he doesn't want to anymore. Andie finally comforts her brother and kicks their father out when the only words he can muster are "Don't cry." Once he overcomes the authority of his father, Jack's finally able to accept the person he is and always was.
Joey worried about how she affected Jack. Dawson's lends an ear for her most internal thoughts. Joey worries about not being sexual enough. Jack must've chosen her because she's safe and non-threatening as a sexual partner. Dawson's role throughout the two-parter is interesting and quite contrary to normal Dawson. Dawson's downright likable. He offers advice without secret motive or hidden agenda. He's able to laugh at himself as evidenced in the scene in which he sits between Jen and Joey, and he comments on how pathetic it is that he's between two girls who dumped him. Dawson offers actual friendship to his best friend Pacey. Before Pacey confronts the principal, guidance counselor and Peterson, Dawson tells Pacey that he'll never be ashamed of him. One year later, friends and well-wishers, give or take some weeks, Dawson will attempt to murder Pacey via boat. Joey's stunned when Jack tells her the truth. She runs to Leery Manor and falls into Dawson's embrace and cries.
The Jack situation brings Dawson and Joey closer together. Dawson's the one to tell her she is sexual and desirable. Joey goes out with Dawson when Jack cancels their date. Dawson walks her home and advises Joey to be honest with Jack about her feelings. The most important question Dawson wants answered is why Joey chose Jack. Joey's wondering why Jack would choose her. Dawson advises her to think about herself. Will there be answer? I honestly don't remember the specifics of the next two episodes. Jack and Joey's break-up scene is sweet. Jack thanks her for her friendship and grabs her hand. Katie Holmes plays the scene well and all of Joey's worries about what this means for her.
"To Be or Not To Be..." and "...That is The Question" execute the heavy emotional beats so well. Kerr Smith's never better in the series than he is during these episodes. His second best episode is the series finale. Katie Holmes had a gift for nailing scenes centered on adolescent insecurity. Her scene about her sexuality is heart-breaking. Joshua Jackson's always great when he plays passionate and self-righteous. Meredith Monroe's really effective in her apology scene with Josh Jackson. I never enjoyed when she sort of growled at people, but the light and the reflection of through her air results in sweet inflections that paints her as a girl of angelic grace and beauty, and one sees what Pacey Witter sees in her. The McPhee siblings find peace. The last shot of them of "...That is The Question" is over dinner, which is an image DC never showed. The dinner table is symbolic of family harmony. Though Mrs. McPhee is mysteriously absent throughout the episode, the tableau communicates a newfound harmony between brother and sister.
Every character besides Jack reacts throughout the episode to the fallout of the poem. Jen and Tyson, though, are in another show. Ty wants to prove he's not super conservative drinker, so he takes her to a club where underage folk are served. The jazz singer has tremendous song selection, though. I barely paid attention to Dawson and Joey's slow dance once the singer began singing "Sunday Kind of Love." I vowed not to write about Ty and Jen, but their argument about whether homosexuality is a choice or genetics leads to an awesome Grams moment. Ty comes off as a moron when he claims a duck chooses to quack. The line's one of the dumbest utterances in the history of Dawson's Creek because ducks don't choose to quack. Ty essentially defeats himself by using such an asinine example. Grams instructs Ty to refrain from judging and instead support Jack with love and tolerance. Jen beams and then hugs her Grams. Love and tolerance represents the ideal for Jack, but Capeside's small and populated by many Ty's.
I won't promise anyone who's just watching the series that Jack will undergo a truly profound journey on TV. The exploration of a small town's reaction to homosexuals doesn't take place until the series finale. I think Williamson needed to remain with the show. Jack just sort of falls to the background now. Dawson and Joey return to the spotlight.
Other Thoughts:
-Production should've paid Monica Keena and the actress who portrays Mrs. McPhee to be in both episodes. It's odd for Abby to be absent during the drama and even more odd for the matriarch to be absent. She doesn't even go to dinner!
-I did not cover every detail of the episode. I barely mentioned Pacey's academic standing. Post-Peterson, I think Pacey escapes a bad grade. I also didn't mention the model Creekside built by Jack. Dawson then orders Jack to build more small sets.
-Greg Berlanti wrote #214. Williamson and Berlanti co-wrote #215. Sandy Smolan and Greg Prange directed #214 and #215 respectively.
UP NEXT: "Be Careful What You Wish For"--Dawson celebrates his 16th birthday by insulting everyone who cares about him. Watch it on Netflix, Streampix or YouTube.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
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