The problem everyone runs into growing up is lack of answers to a myriad number of questions from "Why doesn't Girl A like me like I like her?" to "What is the meaning of life?" Joey thought her plan to grow beyond Dawson would work, but now she regrets even saying she needed to find herself. What, exactly, did she need to find? So, she chews on her lip a great deal during "Psychic Friends" and furrows her brow and generally thinks a lot. Apparently, she's only thinking about kisses and how she misses them, but your blogger prefers to think Joey's in deep existential thought about existence, about an eternal question that will seemingly never be solved. The characters, even Joey, concern themselves with the former question rather than the latter; however, each one converses with the psychic who came into town for whatever Capeside festival happened during the episode. The psychic, you see, has the answers to the questions no one else has, not even Mitch Leery.
The Dawson's Creek psychic is a complete and total plot device just as the tertiary character Cliff Manchester is. "Psychic Friends" is a transition episode. The psychic is vital to set-up the final five episodes of the season. A little more creativity and thought could've made the psychic an unnecessary addition to the episode, but her presence ties into the second paragraph discussion. For $5, she'll tell Joey and Andie their futures. For no fee whatsoever, Dawson and Pacey get a look at their own future. What's interesting about the fortune telling is the way it contradicts with what the characters thought previously; or, rather, they misinterpret the psychic's reading. People have a bad habit of hearing only what they want to hear. Joey wants a kiss and so when she hears a tall, dark man will enter her life she believes the man represents romance and many kisses. Likewise, Andie hears her past will haunt her and becomes freaked. Pacey's told he wears a mask and is nothing more than a scared little boy. For Dawson, the reverse happens: he thinks one way and he learns the opposite is actually true.
The teens' misreadings of their readings is the most inspired part of the episode, aside from a number of visually awesome scenes. Teenagers are taught to anticipate the future, to believe in it and anticipate it, because the best is yet to come. The psychic is a representation of that thought. Andie expects the world, to hear she's going to become the first female president of the United States or a political titan. Andie's a true believer. Her friends are full of doubt. The audience is left to interpret the legitimacy of the psychic. She stumbles into a fact about Joey's life in her first scene. By the end, she seemingly disappears from where she sat, as if she traveled through time and space to read people for $5 in Capeside, Mass. Of course, if you're a romantic, she traveled through space and time to tell Dawson that 'that which is lost can be found again,' i.e. there's a future for him and Joey.
The psychic is a mostly annoying plot device. The writers, until the end of the series, regardless of show runner, never integrated psychics and magic, any type of new age thing, nor anything supernatural. The idea developed, was executed, and left for the audience to digest. Immediately, in this episode, the writers felt the need to foreshadow the final five episodes. Andie's family history hasn't been dealt with. Will it? Yes, according to the psychic. Joey's going to encounter a tall, dark man in her life. Is it Cliff Manchester or someone else? The mystery man is her father, who's at her doorstep when she comes back from across the creek. Are Joey and Dawson soul mates in not only this life but past lives, destined to be together, because they surround one another? Who knows. Is Pacey's transformation permanent or as vulnerable as mask, able to be taken off and thrown away? How much has he changed? The writers wanted to remind the viewer of arcs before the momentous final five episodes of season 2. Jen is off in the distance because I don't think
Williamson ever figured out (more on that in two weeks).
"Psychic Friends" possesses tremendous charm. I think the return of the flutes is responsible for the charming quality. The outdoor setting is part of the charm, too. The action takes place during the festival. Joey and Jack display her portraits. Dawson assists the new film teacher and successful Hollywood writer set-up a silent movie tent. Pacey portrays a loathsome safety dog. Jen and her Grams wander around and deal with a flirtatious older gentleman named Witt. The day is gray and seems windy, sort of uncomfortable to be out all day but not bad enough that a good hat and coat won't keep one warm; it's like my ideal day. The characters sit around and drink hot cocoa or stand around. Kevin Williamson must've brought the festival out from his imagination: it's the quintessential small town festival on a quintessential small town day. I would attend this kind of festival.
The drama isn't loud or dressed in vibrant colors. Dawson doesn't insult everyone who cared about him. Nothing like that. When something happens, it's handled well, perhaps because the setting is outdoors, and people wouldn't fall into histrionics in public. Dawson's subdued throughout the episode. Subdued Dawson results in a subdued show. Whenever he's not making a scene, no scenes are made. Dawson's sad because he loves Joey, and she doesn't love him. Creek Daze finished post, so he devoted his energy to kissing the ass of the film teacher/movie writer and thinking about reaction to the film. Naturally, his dreams are dashed. Mitch, who's now subbing for a Capeside teacher, wonders when his optimistic son embraced pessimism. Dawson believes in realism now. His reality is one without Joey. Thus, he's been hardened, and it wouldn't take many viewings of Clint Eastwood movies to transform him from a Capra fanboy into a grizzled and despondent Eastwood fan.
Dawson keeps the pain inside and elects not to use the mood to ruin anyone else's day. Creek Daze misses badly with the film teacher/screenwriter. She criticizes the writing, direction, and tells him to forget about his Hollywood dreams. The woman's brutally honest and failed to recognize the age and experience of Dawson Leery. He's not a 30-something year old screenwriter in Hollywood; he's a teenager who just completed his second movie. I doubt any successful screenwriter wrote a script Hollywood couldn't pass up at age sixteen. Dawson needed to be kicked some more, though, and hurting him through his true first love, movies, was an effective choice. Dawson leaves the scene of the brutal takedown and sees his friends smiling and laughing without him. The short scene reminded me of Chekov's "Gooseberries" and a character who observes how the happy could only be happy because they're unaware of the unhappy. His eyes glisten with tears and the physical effect of watching Joey embrace Jack is expressed on his face, a mixture of pain and hopelessness. The eternal optimist wants to crawl into bed and shut off the world.
Dawson doesn't know the thoughts which flow through Joey like the Liffey, of how close she feels to Dawson, of the past and being unable to remember why she ever broke up with him. Cliff Manchester helps her figure out her feelings for Dawson because, he, the plot device, had a relationship just like Dawson and Joey and ruined it, and now wonders why he did, especially because the reasons that made him end things have all disappeared from his mind without a trace. Dawson gazes longingly at a picture of Joey on his nightstand, picks up the phone and dials her house before hanging up. Meanwhile, Joey stands below, gazing up, before turning away. Neither knows why they're apart anymore, but neither is able make the move to make them be one again. Perhaps it's the wounds from the break-up, which causes a hesitance and a desire not to feel that pain again. Joey feels afraid she'll lose him; Dawson's possibly renewed by the words of the psychic that what was lost can be found again. A reconciliation of sorts will need to happen. But, of course, the first reconciliation needs to happen between daughter and father.
Mr. Potter's back.
Other Thoughts:
-Grams is ready to date again, to live life, etc. I'm disappointed the writers chose not to focus on post-Gramps life and instead focused on Jen trying to win Dawson back. Grams small moment of reflection on her life without her husband was moving and gracefully played by Mary-Beth Piel. When the show hits bottom in season six, her and Joshua Jackson are the only ones bringing dignity to the show.
-Cliff Manchester is a photography student who photographs Joey and is interested in Jack. Joey thinks he'll bring romance to her life. The photography scene is the highlight of season 2. Holmes is equally sexy, coy, playful, innocent, and energetic. No wonder she was the darling of the late 90s. The girl was (and is) smashing. Late 90s Katie Holmes will always have a place in my heart. Track down Part 3 of "Psychic Friends" on YouTube and become drunk on the wine of Katie Holmes' loveliness (hat tip to Tolstoy for that one).
-Meredith Monroe and Josh Jackson weren't given great material this week. The McPhee family history continues to be discussed, and there are hints Andie is about to crack. Each week, Pacey's the great boyfriend who talks Andie down from the ledge. Rinse and repeat.
-The teaser features a dream sequence in which Jack's the celebrated director whom Spielberg hires and Joey confirms Dawson's worst fears: that she prefers Jack to him, and that Dawson's never been her type. Van Der Beek has one of his worst acting moments on the show when Dawson wakes up.
-Jack freaks out when he learns about Cliff's interest in him. Joey's so blasé about it that she immediately apologizes when she realizes her insensitivity. Joey and Jack are so sweet together in their last scene. Jack gives her the kiss she wants, on the forehead, and she basically snuggles with him on a step outside of the art area. Joey Potter shines in "Psychic Friends."
-Dana Baratta wrote the episode. Patrick Norris directed it.
UP NEXT: "A Perfect Wedding"--The Ice House hosts a wedding. Joey worries about her father being seen in public. Dawson worries about his mom when Mitch shows up with Miss Kennedy, the film teacher/screenwriter. Watch it on Netflix, Streampix, or YouTube.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
No comments:
Post a Comment