The Kiss

It's been awhile, Internet. I kind of forgot I was doing this. I've been too busy writing here and washing my hair and organizing my sock drawer and stuff to devote unending hours to Dawson's forehead. But now I'm ready. Join me, will you, as we embark on the epic journey that is the next season of Dawson's Creek.

Oh, God. Season two. Wish me luck.

We begin where we left off-- Joey and Dawson are kissing in his bedroom. They pull away with dazed looks on their faces, unsure what's supposed to happen next, as the camera stays uncomfortably close to their faces. "So..." "So..." "Now what?" "I don't know," etc. Wide-eyed, she moves to sit on his bed, and starts to say something but stops. "You were going to say we shouldn't have done that, that's what you're thinking, right?" Dawson says, sitting beside her. She says no, but apparently that's on HIS mind. He denies it, and she suggests they sleep on it-- not together! Separately. This is super awkward. She tries to escape, and he pulls her back to kiss some more.

Credits! Damn, I was wrong about the theme song change. It must be all the seasons after season two that have the Jann Arden song instead of Paula Cole's epic ballad.

After their makeout session, Dawson and Joey must've gone their separate ways, because they wake up the next morning alone in their own beds, grinning. Also at the Leery residence, Mitch wakes up beside Gail. She starts kissing him, and he makes excuses. Shower, meeting, etc. Re-jected!

Bessie is suspicious of Joey's good mood, and after a minor amount of teasing, she gets the truth out of her. We cut between the pair of them giggling over the gossip and Dawson and Pacey GETTING THEIR HAIR WASHED together at the local salon, doing the same. "Did she touch your thingamajig?" Pacey asks. Gross, Pacey. I don't want to think about Dawson's thingamajig. Dawson says no, it was sweet and romantic. He's such a lady. Bessie asks Joey about France, and she pouts. Pacey tells Dawson he thought their romantic tension would have been drawn out for at least a few more years, and says he's inspired by Dawson's proactiveness. "I can be Pacey Witter, badass stud and man about town. I can score with high quality chicks!" Yes you can, Pacey. Call me. He sets his sights on Christy Livingston, a senior cheerleader who's getting her hair done across the salon, and then makes the egregious error in judgement of asking to have his tips frosted. Dawson, being the worst friend alive, lets him do this.

Which is why the next thing we see is Pacey, almost as blonde as he was in Urban Legends, getting in the front seat of Doug's police cruiser. Stolen, I presume? He spies Christy up the street, and peels out to chase after her, only to slam his car right into another car-- one that belongs, we'll find out, to Andie McPhee. Oh good, I was wondering when this show was going to get a little more neurotic. She thinks that the 16-year-old with the frosted tips and the polo shirt is a cop, so hands over her license and registration. He takes the opportunity to lecture her-- "You could run over a cat! A child! A nun!" That's right; priorities, Pacey. No cat killers on Officer Witter's watch. Andie, for her part, looks terrified. He lets her off with a warning-- THIS time.

At Capeside High, Dawson and Joey awkwardly gaze at each other by the lockers. "I think I may have made the biggest mistake of my life," she begins, clearly holding in a smile. "France." She apparently told the faculty that she wasn't going to accept their nomination, and she and Dawson burst into huge grins. IDIOT. I can't abide this, Potter. You're dead to me again. Anyway, she asks Dawson what he thinks, and he spouts of a string of adjectives-- he's excited, ecstatic, psyched, and aroused. That's right, aroused. Well, this has taken a turn for the disgusting. She asks if he thinks they're making a mistake, and he says they'll be fine. They should go on a date, he says. Oh lord.

Their canoodling is interrupted by an abruptly short-haired Jen Lindley, who tells them about Gramps' death the previous night. What she doesn't tell them is when she found time to hack off all her hair, but whatever. She says Grams is taking it better than she is, and that she's going to go home for the day.

In another hallway, Pacey and his hair tell a group of unidentified guys about the Andie story, only to have her appear. "I have been having major anxiety attacks to the point of medication since you pulled your stupid stunt," she says. When are you not having anxiety attacks, McPhee? As they're talking, the hot girl from earlier, Christy walks by and says hello to Andie. Pacey wants to know how she knows Christy, and makes it clear that he's hot for her. Andie, out of the goodness of her heart, and probably still a little freaked that one of the other Officer Witters might get her in trouble for their little car accident, agrees to make some introductions.

Jen makes it home to find Grams boxing up Gramps' old clothes. She's in remarkably high spirits, but then, I guess she's had some time to make peace with the possibility of Gramps' death. Jen's all, "WTF, Grams?" and Grams is all, "Bitch, please. I know what I'm doing."

Next door, Mitch walks out on the porch as Gail runs up to the house with the messiest hair I've ever seen on a human. "I know what you must be thinking," she says, before launching into an explanation as to why she's late-- meetings running long, traffic, etc. Mitch acts all cool and calm, but leaves for an "appointment that's arisen suddenly," and she's clearly disappointed. Oh, Leerys. I like you better once you work your shit out.

At school, Frosted Flakes Pacey lurks by a tree as Andie talks to Christy on the quad. "Go for it Pacey. She's all ready for you. I got her primed," Andie says, and he does. He nervously asks her on a date, and she agrees.

Mitch's mystery appointment turns out to be with a divorce lawyer. Oh, snap!

Jen sits on a porch swing, looking sad. Dawson, wearing a sweatervest over a white t-shirt and khakis, approaches with a casserole from Gail. He's going to the Rialto, he tells Jen, with Joey. They're acting a little uncomfortable, but not nearly as uncomfortable as I feel like they ought to, given that she was trying to kiss him in his bed 24 hours ago. She asks him about the status of "Dawson and Jen," and he says he thinks she could use a friend. She agrees, and hugs him, but then he pulls away, saying he has to go to his date.

Bessie finds Joey sitting at the end of their dock, thinking about her first date with Dawson. "It just seems weird. Dawson and I on a date? Doesn't that seem weird to you?" Yes, Joey! Too weird. Don't do it. Joey laments that she and Dawson haven't kissed since that first night, and Bessie says no sweat, the second kiss is harder, anyhow, because you have time to think about it beforehand. Valid point, Bess. You're wiser than you look, with that terrible haircut. Which, by the way, looks much like Jen's terrible haircut. I would assume that it was just the style in 1998 or '99 or whenever this was, but I distinctly remember thinking short-haired Jen looked fug even back then. Yes, 8th graders are catty, are you shocked?

Back inside, Joey tries her hair in nineteen different styles, applies lipstick nervously, the works. Meanwhile Dawson speeds over on a speedboat. Why didn't they have a speedboat last season? Poor Joey had to do all that rowing. Anyway, he gets out of the boat at her house and picks some weeds to give her. They look like they're going to kiss, and then don't, so she's probably all freaked out. "I'm really glad we've already bypassed the end-of-the-evening will-she-kiss-me drama," he remarks. Then she says something about porn stars, but it makes me feel uncomfortable so I'm ignoring it. He says he wants to hold her hand, so they do that.

At the Rialto, they almost kiss again, before the movie starts. But then they don't. Oh, just do it already. Midway through the movie, an usher leads somebody to the row where they're sitting-- it's Jen! Dawson told her not to just sit at home and mope, and she took it to heart. "I figured afterwards, we could go over to the Icehouse and grab some food. Unless... I'm not welcome..." she says. Of course you're welcome, Jen! She does the fake, "Sorry, I interrupted, I'll go," but Dawson follows her out. Okay, I generally hate season two Jen because she's evil, but her grandpa did JUST die. It probably shouldn't even be a question that they hang out with her for a bit. Joey looks displeased, though.

"The whole time we were dating, were you really wishing you were with Joey instead?" Jen awkwardly asks Dawson in the theater lobby. She seems a little unstable at the moment. "I guess it serves me right I lost you," she says. He says he wants to be her friend. She doesn't like that one bit. "Just do me one favor. All I ask is that you don't jump Joey right away." Calm down, Jen. Ugh, I don't know, I'm torn between her right to grieve and be sad and stuff and the fact that she's gearing up to be a total bitch for a good long time. Anyway, when Dawson heads back into the theater, Joey's gone, with only her precious weed left on her seat. Not, like, pot weed. The weed Dawson picked for her. Keep up.

Outside in the town square, Pacey's been waiting for Christy for quite awhile. Finally she shows, only to tell him it's her five-week anniversary with her boyfriend. "I just had to stop by and tell you how brave I think you are," she says. Andie told her about his "condition," you see. "She told me about your heart stripe." A heart stripe, it seems, could strangle his heart at any given moment and he'd die. She understands his desire to keep it a secret, of course, because she suffers from asthma, and would hate to be treated different because of it. Oh, Andie got you good, Pacey. Though, the hot girl DID talk to you more than she ever did before, so plus sign?

Back at the Rialto, Jen sits alone in the theater. Grams, who'd seen the movie too, finds her there. "What are you going to do now, go get some action now that you're a single woman?" Jen asks her. Bitch. "I'm 16-years-old! Look what I've become!" WTH. This shit is annoying. I guess it was the haircut that unleashed Evil!Jen. Once Jen stops saying mean shit to Grams, she tells Jen about her first date with Gramps-- it was at the Rialto, it seems. "I didn't come here tonight to watch the movie; I came to be with him." Jen apologizes for her bitchery. That's right, Lindley. Get ready to do a lot of apologizing.

Pacey wanders the grocery store, probably hoping to get his heart stripe prescription filled, when Andie comes in to do a little shopping. Their banter is pretty cute. "If you thought for even one second that Christy Livingston was going to dump her beautiful All-State football boyfriend for you, a sophomore with heart stripe, you're massively deluded," she snarks. I did like Andie back in season two, I remember that now. She even tells him his hair looks hideous! She picks out some dye for him to correct the problem-- thanks, McPhee. Our eyes appreciate it.

Casa Leery. Gail accuses Mitch of being a liar-- which, technically he is, though she was first. She found out he was meeting with a divorce lawyer, it would seem. "I'm not sure I can stay married to a woman I love and hate in equal measure," he tells her. She tells him he can give her another chance, or make their marriage a statistic, and he remains unsure.

In town, Dawson finds Joey sitting on a bench. He has to look for her an awful lot. He tries to excuse his behavior with Jen, but she tells him it's okay. "Do you want to know why I didn't go to France, Dawson?" she asks. Yes! Enlighten us! "It just seemed like the easy way out, you know? The easiest escape from my life." That's a stupid reason. If you're 30 with a family that's falling apart and bucketloads of credit card debt, then sure, it would be running away, but you're 16 with no real ties. And you'd be coming back! Sorry, I'm pretty irritated at Joey right now. Remember, she's dead to me again. "What you and I have may never be simple," Dawson tells her, taking her hands, "but that doesn't mean we're not going to be scorching." Ew. They sit on a nearby swingset and get that second kiss. Then there's some thinly-veiled subtext about changing things that already work so they can be better, blah blah blah. I'm already tired of this relationship. Is it season three yet?

Decisions

And it's time to wind this season down to a close, with the season one finale! Is it any coincidence that "finale" sounds like "finally"? Sorry, that was pretty lame.

Joey climbs in Dawson's window as usual, and he acts all awkward about how he didn't think she was going to come so he didn't get any movies. He suggests they watch TV, and she grouses that she's tired of TV. It's too predictable, she says. He flips it on anyway, and excitedly announces that there's a really good cliffhanger on. "Cliffhanger? Come on, Dawson, you of all people should know that a cliffhanger is merely a manipulative TV standard designed to improve ratings," Joey says. Remember 1998, when this kind of meta was actually kind of clever? "The producers put the characters in some contrived situation hoping that the audience will think something's going to change, but you know what? It never does. It's back to the same way it was before your so-called cliffhanger. It's boring, Dawson." He posits that something might change in this one. Get it? Because, like, this is the finale? Okay, it was kind of clever when we were 12, anyway.

Credits! Since I'm rewatching the DVD sets, this is the last time I'll get to hear/have to endure Paula Cole's "I Don't Want To Wait" as the theme song, since Jann Arden's "Run Like Mad" replaced it in all subsequent releases. Fun fact: "Run Like Mad" was the theme song for the show when it originally aired in Canada. The more you know... Anyway, I'm going to need to savor this moment, or something.

We open at Grams', where she's telling comatose Gramps all about the church gossip. I forgot there's all that depressing stuff in this episode. Jen comes in to ask how he's doing, and just as she's leaving, he stirs, opening his eyes and saying, "Goodbye... Jen..." Only not like, "Goodbye, Jen, I'm going into the light," but rather "Goodbye, Jen, have a good day at school, and by the way you might want to bring a sweater because the weatherman said there might be a bit of a chill."

At school, Jen's on a high from Gramps' health resurgence, and asks Dawson to celebrate with her. He says he can't because of his plans with Joey, who walks up at that moment. She looks dazed, and informs them that she's been nominated to go spend a semester in France. "Dawson, isn't that amazing?" says Jen, meanwhile thinking "Mwahaha I get him all to myself!" Dawson looks crestfallen at the thought of Joey leaving. "I definitely think she should go, don't you?" Jen cajoles. Heh. I like to think this behavior is a preview of the Evil!Jen who's to come in season two.

At the Icehouse, Joey discusses the situation with Bessie. Bessie says she's proud, and that their dad will be proud when Joey tells him about it. Apparently they agreed to alternate visiting him on his birthday the whole time he's in prison, and Joey's number is up the next day. "You know what, Joey? He's still our father," Bessie snaps when Joey complains about having to go.

Pacey's riding his bike along Capeside's idyllic streets, when he gets pulled over by Deputy Doug. As it turns out, Pacey's not passing an awful lot of classes, and Papa Witter is pissed. Doug taunts him about being a failure for a bit. Aren't there crimes for you to solve, Deputy Doug? Lay off poor Pacey.

It's time for a field trip to prison! Dawson's agreed to accompany Joey, and they wait for their bus. She tells him the last time she saw her dad was two years ago, "About the same time I discovered he was trafficking marijuana while cheating on my dying mother with a bleached-blonde cocktail waitress." Dawson asks if she's decided what to do about France, and she asks what he'd do if she left. After joking that he'd probably kill himself (preferable), he says, "If Paris made you happy, then I'd be happy for you." Watch out, Joey, because that's the only selfless thing he'll likely ever say to you.

At Attica, Joey and Dawson find out they missed visiting hours. Isn't that the sort of thing you look up before taking a 4-hour bus ride to jail? In any case, they decide the best solution is to get a motel room and shack up 'til morning. Dawson makes some noise about this being the first time they've slept together in a bed other than their own. She seems fine with the idea, but he's super uncomfortable. Probably scared he'll whimper her name in his sleep now that he thinks she's hot and all that. As they're lying in bed, he pouts and tells her he'll miss her a lot if she goes to France. "I want to figure out where we are. What's going on between us," he says. She asks how, and he babbles for awhile about how he can't analyze himself. She's all "whatever" and turns over, while he lies awake and broods, presumably only to cry himself to sleep hours later.

At Capeside General Hospital, Grams tells Jen all about how prayer's what brought Gramps back to them. They argue about religion for entirely too long, and that's that.

Back to Attica. Joey insists Dawson stay while she visits with her dad. He comes out in his jumpsuit and sits across a bare table from the pair. "Joey, you're beautiful," he marvels. "No, I'm not," she grits out through her teeth. Homegirl is not enjoying this visit. She answers his questions bitterly and says she doesn't want to talk about anything. Papa Potter says he misses his family, and she spitefully tells him she's going to Europe and that their family is over before storming off. Mr. Potter begs Dawson to stay and tell him about his daughter, even as Joey goes to wander the prison yard alone. "She's smart, she's beautiful, she's funny..." he begins. Blah blah blah, Joey's awesome, blah blah blah, he needs her, blah blah blah. "She's my best friend, you know. She's more than that. Sh-- she's everything," he says, eyes glassy and unfocused. It's the epiphany we've been waiting for, I suppose.

Back in Capeside, Joey accuses Dawson of brooding as they walk along the dock. He tells her she shouldn't have left. She rants about how she can't forgive her dad, and Dawson says she should tell him that, if nothing else, because he's her father. Blah blah blah, daddy issues. Joey says she's decided to go to Paris. "Running away is not the answer, Joey," he mumbles. "Give me one non-analytical, off the top of your head reason why I should stay!" she demands, and of course, for dramatic tension, he can't and/or doesn't, so she rows off, leaving him to look constipated in her wake. You're a moron, Dawson.

Back at the hospital, we find out Gramps had another stroke. Grams tells Jen it's God's plan, and that they should pray. "How can you have so much faith in prayer? Just because you pray doesn't mean it can change God," Jen says through tears. "Prayer doesn't change God. Prayer changes me," corrects Grams. Which still won't bring Gramps back to life, but I digress.

The Icehouse! Joey's working alone and Pacey shows up, hands in pockets, sad sack look on his face. "When was it that I got designated the town loser?" he asks her. She tries to reassure him that his family doesn't hate him, but mainly changes the subject to her own disaster of a family. He tells her a story about how his dad yelled at him once after losing a baseball game, and then told Doug, "At least I have you." Joey's advice is to talk to his dad, and he points out that she ought to take her own advice. So she decides to. Since the buses aren't running, she asks Pacey to drive her to the prison.

In Gramps' hospital room, Jen talks to him tearfully. Come back, I want you to get better, I miss you, etc. Does it make me a bad person that I think this plotline is boring?

At Attica, visiting hours are obviously long over-- it's like midnight. Pacey slips the guard a bribe, however, and he lets Joey in. $20 is all it takes to see a prisoner in the middle of the night? Good to know. Would a $50 let me bring in a cake with a file baked inside?

Jen crawls into Dawson's window, emotional, and tells him she misses him. "I blew it. But I'm going to stop blowing it." Well stopping is probably not the best way to win him back, Jen, if you know what I mean. Sorry. So, she asks if she can sleep there with him like Joey does. I get it, she's all sad about Gramps and all, but come on. Anyway, Sarah McLachlan starts to play on the soundtrack just in case we forgot we were watching a late-'90s WB drama, and Jen starts to cry. Dawson looks mega-uncomfortable.

Joey talks to Papa Potter through a chain link fence. She tells him that he messed up in a lot of ways, and that he doesn't know her. There's a lot of tears in this episode. "I'm going to be okay. No help from you," she tells him, before asking if he loves her. Now it's his turn to start to cry, as he tells her "Nah, not really." Just kidding. Of course he loves her. He says he thinks about her all day long, and misses her, and loves her. "And I'm not the only one. Dawson Leery, he loves you, Joey. He's never told you?" She says no. "He looks at you the same way your mother used to look at me," he says, then tells her to tell Dawson she loves him. More McLachlan plays, and Joey and her dad link hands through the fence. Okay, so I think that this scene was probably pretty emotionally powerful, if a little overwrought, but with all these years past and the entire run of the show behind me, it's hard to take anything seriously about this show. Alas.

Now we're treated to some Edwin McCain, as Joey rows her boat and runs toward Chez Leery. Jen wakes up sprawled on Dawson, and goes in for a kiss. Morning breath, Lindley! Of course, that's the moment Joey appears in the window. She's out like a light, and Dawson freaks out. "Are you in love with her, Dawson?" Jen asks accusatorily. No offense, Jen, but if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it.

Joey's rowing her boat home, and Dawson's running all over town looking for her. Then she's walking on the dock, then sitting on a bench, Keanu-style. Dawson's not having much luck, and meanwhile, Jen gets a phone call telling her Gramps has died. While Dawson frantically calls Joey's name in the town square, Jen joins Grams in an empty church. She's wearing a ridiculous high-necked floral ankle-length dress, but I'll forgive it since her grandfather just died. Grams breaks down crying after asking God to keep her husband safe for her, and dude, this episode is just depressing. How am I expected to snark about this?

Dawson finds Joey in the most obvious of places-- his bedroom closet. He tries to explain, and she says there's no need, because they're just friends. "Joey, you know that's not true," he says. They argue back and forth about whether they're growing up or staying the same, changing or not. She says she came to tell him it's time to move on. He asks if she's going to France. Okay, let me just go ahead and register my opinion that NO SHIT she should be going to France. It's just a semester. JFC, Joey, don't be an idiot. Anyway, back to the vocabulary twins. She asks why she should stay, and once again he can't answer. She says she just wants to be honest with him, and he says he does too, and then they talk about honesty for way too long. This whole conversation could have been condensed into like three sentences. "Honesty is a big word, and it changes things, and complicates things," she says, then does that weird thing Katie Holmes does where her eyes flick back and forth really fast like an alien. He can't answer, again, so she starts to leave. At the last minute, he grabs her and kisses her, and she's totally into it. And then we pan out on a shot of the Leery house illuminated, their silhouetted embrace visible in his bedroom window.

BAM. Season one, over. In retrospect, I think Dawson is kind of an indecisive moron here. He basically couldn't make up his mind for the last two episodes (before which, he had no real interest in Joey, anyway), and then only goes for her because she says she's going to leave. The characterization of Dawson much later as only wanting her because he can't have her isn't just true of season 3 Dawson (and season 5 Dawson, and season 6 Dawson, for that matter), but is true for the entire series. He's such a lameass.

Anyway. Catch ya in season two! If I can handle it.

Beauty Contest

Dawson and Joey are watching a documentary of bugs doin' it in his bedroom. For "school." I think maybe Dawson is just into some weird porn. Anyway, Joey is complaining about how, while bugs choose their mates by instinct, humans are conditioned to like whoever the media tells them is a hottie this month. He says that she can't deny that pure animal instinct has something to do with who she is attracted to, and since I know that she's supposedly attracted to Dawson, I threw up a little in my mouth.

Credits. A nice break from this nonsense.

At the Icehouse, the gang expositions the fact that the "Windjammer Days" are coming up, part of which is a beauty pageant that Dawson's mom is helping judge. Joey thinks it's an archaic, sexist ritual; Pacey hopes there's a swimsuit portion. Jen's all like, "I am sooo pretty; I used to win pageants in my sleep!" Dawson thinks she should enter, and she embraces her false modesty and says no, before leaving.

Jen and Joey convene by the bar, where Joey whines that she's poor and won't ever get out of Capeside. Jen ignores her problems and tells her they should be BFFs now that Dawson's not coming in between them. Joey reluctantly agrees. You'll come to regret this, Potter, I just know it!

At school, Pacey rifles through his locker frustratedly, then leaves it wide open as he and Dawson walk away. I hope all your valuables get stolen, Pacey. Apparently Pacey is pissy because his dad yelled at him for being a failure before school. Dawson offers to let him stay over; Pacey says he wants to become an emancipated minor. Yikes. Well, at least they go back over to the bank of lockers so Pacey can close his. If he has to get his own place, he can't afford for those undetermined valuables to go missing. Anyway, the idea is planted in Pacey's head that the Miss Windjammer winner gets prize money. Hey...

In the cafeteria, Jen hits on Joey. Awk-ward. "I know I'm not pretty," says Joey disingenuously. The girls argue-- you're prettier! No, YOU'RE prettier! Jen suggests that Joey enter the Miss Windjammer pageant. She offers to coach her. Joey balks at the idea, but Jen is persistent. She reminds Joey that the winner gets $5000. "I'd say that's a pretty respectable college nest egg, don't you think?" she says. Joey glares, but the wheels are turning.

Later at the Yacht Club, which I think is a different Yacht Club than the one Joey works at later in the series, which means this tiny town has two Yacht Clubs? Anyway, at the Yacht Club, Jen and Joey go to sign up for the pageant. Where they discover that Pacey is trying to sign up! Heh. Pacey invokes constituational law-- you know, the amendment about how dudes should be allowed to enter beauty contests. Ratified in 1998. That one.

They leave him to it, and Dawson joins them as they go to fill out their own application. Dawson cluelessly assumes that Jen is the one who's entering, and laughs maniacally when he finds out it's Joey. Well, maybe not maniacally. But it's still pretty douchey. "I see. You think I'm such a barking car-chaser that a D-student with a Julius Caesar haircut has a better shot than me? Thanks a lot." Exactly, Joey. That's exactly what he thinks. He says it's just "not you." She fills him in on her plan-- to win and use the money to GTFO of Capeside, and he laughs a little more before saying, "Joey, you're my best friend. I'd never laugh at you!" Lies, Leery.

Apparently Pacey strong-armed the ladies lunching in charge of the pageant to let him in, because he sits among the perm-haired and prissy girls. A "Hannah Von Wenning of the Bar Harbor Von Wennings" sits down behind him, and they trade barbs. She looks old. Is this pageant just for high schoolers? A woman in an ill-fitting blazer comes on stage with a clipboard in hand to lead pageant orientation or something, and Miss Hannah Von Wenning calls Pacey a buffoon, which is an insult I really haven't heard in awhile and think perhaps should be brought back.

Over at Grams', Jen's making Joey walk with a book on her head, probably just to laugh at her. Joey glowers and asks Jen why she's helping her. Jen says she never had girlfriends in New York, and thinks it looks like fun. Jen spends an awful lot of this season begging Joey to be her friend.

Pacey thinks he's going to sing for his talent, and serenades Mitch and Dawson with Sinatra. Not gonna happen. "Pacey, if you want to win this thing, you've gotta take it seriously. If you win, the Associated Press would be all over this. Not to mention CNN, I mean, it's going to be international news!" says Dawson. I doubt it. Also, you know Dawson's just brainstorming away about how he can film something to get on the aforementioned news channel. Way to think about yourself, Doucheson.

"So. What's going on with you two?" Joey asks Jen, looking out the window at his house. Subtle, Jo. Jen says they're figuring out how to be friends, and asks what's going on between Joey and Dawson. "Dawson will always see me as the gawky little girl down the creek with bandaids on her knees and one braid falling out," says Joey. Pout.

Back at Casa Leery, Dawson tells Pacey he thinks Joey's been avoiding him. "I miss her when she's not around," he whines. Pacey, aka the voice of the audience, says he's relieved that Dawson's finally coming around. Dawson says nah, he thinks of Joey as, like, a sister. "So what you're saying is you don't want her, but you don't want anybody else to have her either?" Dawson looks pensive. Or maybe constipated. I can't tell. Either way, yeah, that's totally what he's saying.

The following day at the Yacht Club. There are girls in tutus, girls tap-dancing, girls doing the splits upside down, and girls answering questions about themselves as Dawson films them. They're totally doing that thing that TV shows do where they set up all but one or two contestants as being just completely awful, so that there's no question why our heroine (or-- spoiler alert-- in this case, a frizzy-haired girl named Roberta Crump who answers all the questions really selflessly and sweetly) will win.

Meanwhile, Hannah Von Wenning is wearing another pantsuit. She and Pacey banter some more-- apparently he asked her out in 6th grade and she stood him up. Then she rubs it in that he probably doesn't have a chance of winning.

Time for Joey's interview! She's her usual bright and shining self, all narrowed eyes and sighing. When Dawson asks where she sees herself in five years, she says maybe Tunisia, Africa, Antarctica. "When you talked about getting out of Capeside, I thought you meant like, Boston University," Dawson says. "The polar icecap is pretty far away." She tells him that's the point. He asks if there are things she'll miss... family? Friends? Basically he's saying, "Joey, you can't leave! You'll miss me too much!" She tells him that everything has to change eventually, and he gets that constipated look on his face again.

Tonight's the night! Backstage at Miss Windjammer, Jen gives Joey some final pointers-- Vaseline on the teeth, etc. Pacey's stuck using the janitor's closet as a dressing room, and Dawson helps him suit up. The eveningwear competition is up first! Some of these dresses are totally fug. That many sequins should be illegal. Joey, of course, wears a subtler black gown, since they want her all set up to win. Pacey and Jen watch her from backstage, and Pacey points out that Dawson's giving Joey moon eyes from behind his camera. "Is it the possibility of losing him to somebody else that makes him so attractive?" Pacey asks. Did I miss something? I haven't seen any evidence that Jen feels anything other than blind relief to be out of Dawson's clutches. Maybe it's the Stockholm Syndrome kicking in, then.

Pacey should probably win, because he looks damn fine in that tux. Just saying.

Talent time! Cue montage of girls doing weird random shit-- twirling a baton, delivering an overwrought monologue, tap-dancing in a hideous short-sleeved red blazer. Interspersed are shots of girls answering interview questions in the most embarrassing ways possible ("If I could talk to the governer for one hour," begins one overly hairsprayed contestant in one of the most offensive get-ups, "I'd... tell him how he could lose 30 lbs. in 30 days!"). Dark horse contestant Roberta Crump plays some classy piano, and Pacey provides a little comic relief. He sneaks down to chat with Mrs. Leery, who's a judge, and she tells him that he's hilarious, although he could never win. He's shocked. "For me to be written off is just completely unfair!" I'm on your side, Pace. These chicks have nothing on you.

And now it's Miss Josephine Potter's turn. Jen and Dawson watch her from the wings, and Jen tries to tell him she misses him, but once Joey breaks into song, he's lost to the world, apparently. She's all awkward and gawky as she sings "On My Own" from Les Miserables either very sharp or very flat (hey, I'm a writer, not a singer). Can we talk about how obvious this song choice was? No, actually, even talking about how obvious this song choice was is too obvious. Anyway, Dawson's clearly feeling stirrings either in his chest or in his suit pants as he watches her perform, and Jen totally knows it.

As an aside, Joey reminds me of Kristen "Bitchface" Stewart a lot in this season, always looking awkward and put-upon and sighing and hunching over and rolling her eyes. It's making me a little uncomfortable.

Backstage, Pacey readies for his talent portion. It appears that he was going to do card tricks, because when Dawson bursts in, the cards go flying. Maybe he was going to challenge the judges to a rollicking game of Go Fish. Pacey is pissed that nobody actually believed he could win the competition, so he does a little improvisation-- a dramatic interpretation of that one scene from "Braveheart," adapted to be about Pacey Witter. He's got the blue facepaint down, but his Scottish accent weirdly verges on an Indian accent from time to time. Whatever, bold move, Pacey. I dig it.

Once again we're backstage, and this time Joey's eavesdropping on a couple of sequined bitches gossiping about her. She's a "total charity case," they say. "She lives in a trailer, with her sister who just had an illegitimate baby with her black boyfriend." Zing! Dawson sees her and hears what they're saying, and she tries to run off. He says they're only making fun of her because they think she's going to win, and they're jealous. Probably true, based on their interview question answers. Dawson tells Joey he's proud of her. Go get 'em, Tiger! She does, and answers her interview question with some decent subtext about not judging people and small minds and stuff.

Time to announce the winners! Miss Hannah Von Wenning is the second runner up, and very clearly not pleased. The first runner up, and winner of "a free day of beauty at Betty's Hair Barn" (oh joy!) is Miss Josephine Potter. Bummer, Jo, but we all knew it was coming. Frizzy Roberta Crump, who very obviously deserves it despite her less polished appearance, takes home the gold.

Joey stands pensively on the dock post-pageant. Dawson and his mom approach her, and Mrs. Leery congratulates her before peacing out. Dawson stares awkwardly at Joey who stares awkwardly at the dock. "For the first time in my life... you've left me speechless," he says. Translation: you look hot, so I think I like you now. Jen lurks in the background, watching as Dawson takes Joey's hand and leads her further down the dock. Dawson says a bunch of stuff about how pretty she looked onstage. "I've known you forever, but I feel like I'm seeing you for the first time." She looks sad at that-- "There's something that's just not right about this." He says he thought this was what she wanted. How dare she reject your advances, amiright D? Shades of late season 3 Dawson are evident here. Joey's response is pretty great, because I always love it when she kind of puts him in his place, so I'm just going to quote the whole thing here:

"I thought that this was what I wanted, for you to see me as beautiful. For you to look at me the way that you look at Jen. But the truth is, I don't want that at all, Dawson. I want you to look at me and see the person you've always known and realize what we have is so much more incredible that some passing attraction, because you know what, Dawson? It's just lipstick. It's just hairspray. Tomorrow, I'm going to wake up, and I'm going to be Joey. Just Joey. You know, the too-tall girl from the wrong side of the creek."

Then, after he says he needs time to think about these new feelings (that's puberty hitting you, D), she says, "Dawson! You've had a lifetime to process your feelings for me, and I can't spend the rest of mine hoping you might throw a general glance in my direction in between your tortured teen romances with whatever Jen Lindley enters your life next. I can't do it." This is awesome! Why can't she be strong and self-aware like this with Dawson all the time?

Pacey and Miss Hannah Von Wenning bond over being losers on the docks. She has successful siblings, you see, and his family basically hates him. Bummer.

Meanwhile at the Leerys', Dawson broods on the front porch. Jen approaches and tells him she still has feelings for him. Seriously, where is this coming from? I mean, aside from her obvious jealousy over the fact that he wants to bone Joey now. He looks taken aback at her offer. "Now's really not the best time," he answers.

Dear Jen,

Remember when you said you wanted to have girlfriends, because you thought it looked fun? Well, going after the dude your girlfriend likes the second he starts to show an interest in her is probably not the all-time number one way to go about it.

Your friend, Amy

We're back at Joey's now, and for some reason the Powers That Be decided we needed to hear Joey warble through "On My Own" again, so that's what's playing on the soundtrack as Joey brushes her hair at her vanity. She catches her own eye in the mirror, and pulls her hair back, clearly thinking, "Hey, maybe I can be pretty, after all!" Okay, fine, it's actually kind of a nice moment, and pretty realistic. I'll admit it-- Joey Potter had some pretty great moments in this episode. But we had to hear her sing not once but twice, so she's dead to me for now. Will she redeem herself to me in the finale by not singing any songs at all? Stay tuned.

Double Date

Dawson paces his room, lamenting how ever since he and Jen broke up, he and Jen have been broken up. Joey listens from the bed, somehow managing to keep from rolling her eyes. How does she put up with this kid? And even more, how does she have feelings for this kid? (Sorry-- for this 40-year-old man.) She lays it all out for him: "You can't live in the past. You have to start preparing for life after Jen." You want him to hop on the Joey train, eh, Jo? Ew.

Credits! "Open up your morning light, and say a little prayer for I." Paula Cole, what does that mean? Explain yourself.

Leery residence. Gail gets a phone call. From her lovah! It's about work, but Mitch is displeased. Gail is wearing the shortest skirt suit I've ever seen, and I watched Ally McBeal back in the day, so that's saying something.

At school, Dawson and Jen awkwardly talk in the hallway. Then they awkwardly talk about how it's awkward. Let's be friends, she says. Awkward awkward awkward.

Pacey and Dawson discuss these developments in science class. "What serves your purpose here is to let her know that you're completely over her. She's yesterday's news," says sage Pacey. He has a plan. Some girl interrupts their conversation to make small talk with Dawson, a girl we've never seen before but is apparently a friend of his, and then the teacher tells Pacey to see him after class about a failed exam. Uh oh. Get it together, Pace. You can't just be a pretty face.

After class, he meets with the teacher. He got a 32 on the midterm! How is that possible? The teacher offers to pass Pacey if he does an extracurricular assignment with another student. Aaaand in walks Joey! They are not pleased to be paired together. Joey and Pacey's level of hatred for each other changes almost every episode. Didn't they just go to a party together the other day, when Leather Jacket was in town?

Dawson decides to put Pacey's evil plan in action-- he tells Jen at her locker that he would love to be her friend. He's wearing the creepiest, fake calm expression on his face as he reassures her that it's okay to tell him about her weekend plans. She has a date with Noel from Felicity. To the town carnival. Didn't she dump his ass last episode? Robot Dawson pauses, reboots, and tells her he also has a date for the weekend. And it is also to the carnival. Will coincidences never cease?? His robot-like serenity persists as he suggests they double date. And she, in her infinite wisdom, agrees to this absurd idea. The only thing weirder than going on a second date with a guy with your ex-boyfriend is going on a first date with a guy to your ex-boyfriend's house. Clearly Jen has suffered some sort of a stroke in this scene that causes her to respond in the affirmative to any suggestion, no matter how atrocious. There's no other explanation.

Pacey reassures Dawson at lunchtime that this all fits into the plan, Operation Get Jen Back. He has to date other women, so she can see him with other women. The problem I see with this, Pacey, is the ludicrous idea that any other women would want to date Dawson. They seem to think this won't be an issue, so Pacey shoos Dawson off to ask out Mary Beth, the girl who made small talk with him in science class. She's all, "I ain't your rebound, bitch!" And he's all, "Bitch please, I'm over that ho." So she says yes.

That night at the Leery house, Mitch awkwardly interrogates Dawson, asking if any phone calls he "should know about" have come in. Dawson is obtuse until Mitch hits him over the head with it, and then he tells him, no, he didn't call. Poor Mitch.

The next day in the science lab, Pacey and Joey arrive to find that the snails whose mating habits they were supposed to be observing are now dead. Evidently Pacey was supposed to check on them the night before. He did, he says! The snails didn't seem into each other, he tells her. "Maybe snails are just like guys," he suggests. "Maybe their ultimate fantasy is to be with two snails at the same time." So he put all the snails in the aquarium together, hoping to facilitate one big snail orgy. Only one problem. One of the snails involved was carnivorous and ate all the others. So no more snails! Hopefully they got in the orgy before the cannibalism part began.

Later, Joey criticizes Dawson for leading Mary Beth on. He's all, "I know, I'm terrible, she has a crush on me though and I'm gonna do it anyway!" Joey suggests he call it off, tell Mary Beth he has to "...stay in to... wash your hair, or something." Ha! That would take him all night! He says he knows that he should cancel, but secretly he really thinks it's a good idea. "You're taking romantic advice from a guy who spent his evening trying to get three snails to sleep with each other?" Joey asks. Touche. Joey tells him not to be a jerk, because he's "one of the good ones." They have a little moment, which is nice for them and uncomfortable for me, before Pacey comes to pick Joey up. It's snail hunting time!

But first, it's carnival time. Mary Beth meets Dawson there, and I think he should just ditch Jen and Noel and hang out with her, because the awkwardness of double dating with your ex might just be too much for me to bear. But they don't listen to me. Oh, and might I add that Mary Beth didn't KNOW this was a double date? She's smart enough to be able to tell he's still hung up on Jen, and that this is a bad idea. He denies it though, and the date continues. Besides Mary Beth, they're all idiots.

Where did the school get the snails to begin with? I doubt their science teacher rowed out to the middle of a marsh like they're doing to catch them. Oh, plot devices.

Dawson has convinced Mary Beth that the double date was Jen's idea, to make her more comfortable with Noel. All my ideas about how smart you were are out the window, MB. You're an idiot, too.

After catching some wild snails, Joey discovers Pacey didn't tie up their boat. There it goes! This is all very silly.

Back at the carnival, it's a pissing contest between Noel and Dawson. A pitching contest, actually-- they're trying to knock over milk bottles. I don't buy the idea that Dawson has even a little bit of athletic ability, and thus this scene makes little sense to me, because he wins. When the carnie hands over his prize, his first instinct is to hand it over to Jen. Awkward city. He tells Mary Beth they need to talk. Why did any of these people put themselves in this situation?

Joey and Pacey wade through the marsh to get to the boat, sniping at each other the whole time. They're soaking wet when they get to his truck, so he tells her to change into a blanket he has in the bed of the truck. They stand on either side and get naked. "No peeking," says Pacey. Once he's finished, he sits in the car and creepily watches her in the sideview mirror. I'm unsure if he can see much, but geez. Also, is getting naked under blankets really necessary? How far are they from home, and how cold is it outside? I don't think anyone's in danger of hypothermia here, but if they want an excuse to get Pacey shirtless, I won't really complain.

In the parking lot of the carnival, Dawson finds Mary Beth. She's embarrassed for some reason, even though it's totally Dawson who should feel bad. "You were right; I'm not over Jen," he admits. She tells him she never like liked him, and that at first she only agreed to the date because she felt bad for him. She's embarrassed because she likes Noel from Felicity! And is upset that he's into Jen! So it's the broken hearts' club out in the parking lot, as they gorge themselves on popcorn. Until Mary Beth gets an idea! Oh god.

Back into the carnival they go. The foursome wait in line for the ferris wheel, the pinnacle of any romantic trip to the fair. Jen has two stuffed animals to Mary Beth's one, and the one Mary Beth has is the one Dawson almost gave to Jen, so I think Jen wins. Once it's their turn, Mary Beth drags Noel from Felicity with her. "We've hardly chatted all night!" I'm sure literally yanking him away from his date will make him love you, MB. This, of course, leaves Dawson and Jen to more awkwardness ahead.

Back at the Potters', Pacey and Joey have changed out of their blankets and into dry clothes. He wants to know her midterm grade-- since his was a 32, and she has to work on the assignment with him, he assumes she bombed. She resists, then finally tells him-- she got a 98. She needs the extra credit, she says, so her grades will be as high as possible so she can get out of Capeside. I understand the sentiment, Jo, but there are schools that will take you even if your grades are only okay, and they're not all in Capeside.

Jen gives Dawson the cold shoulder on the ferris wheel, as he tries to act like everything's normal. But the ferris wheel stops! With them at the top! He asks her how her date's going. Way to make things worse, Doucheson. "You shouldn't be here! I don't know why you wanted to come; I don't know why I let you," she says. Me too! I don't know those things, either! He is all bitter about how she told him she wanted to be single when they broke up, and now she's dating Noel from Felicity. "You weren't tired of men, Jen, you were simply tired of me." She can't refute it. I can't fathom how uncomfortable this situation would be. He tells her the reason he came is because he's still hung up on her, and suggests that the reason she let him come is that she's still hung up on him. Um, no, Dawson, she had a stroke. Have some sensitivity.

Later, Dawson sulks at the carnival, alone on a bench. Pacey and Joey approach him, and he's glad to see them, since apparently even Mary Beth has ditched him. Pacey asks to talk to him in private, where he hems and haws for a few moments. He tells Dawson that while he and Joey have never liked each other, he's kind of come to like her today. "As a friend," inserts Dawson. At first, as a friend, Pacey tells him, but now he's kind of thinking otherwise. It's because he saw her semi-naked I guess. In any case, he wants to ask Dawson's permission to make a move. "You're my friend. Joey's my friend. I don't care who she kisses. And if it's you, so much the better. My two best friends, kissing. What could be better than that?" says Dawson. If I had a time machine that also could transport me into fictional worlds, I would print that statement out, then time travel a couple of season past this one and make Dawson eat his words. In any case, a moment later Dawson says he's not cool with it. But then a moment after that, he says he is.

Pacey and Joey return to the Potter residence. He's all nervous and cute and FAR superior to Dawson, so when he tries to kiss her and she leaps away, I kind of want to smack her a little bit. She shoots him down. Before he leaves, he asks her if, had she kissed him back, she would've been thinking of somebody else. We know who. She doesn't deny it. I sort of think she should go to jail for thinking of Dawson while kissing Pacey, so it's probably for the best that she didn't kiss him back. I don't think I would enjoy watching five more seasons of Joey in the state prison.

Dawson's lying on his bed, contemplating. He leaps up, and hurries to the video store, where Pacey's lounging behind the counter. "I figured you'd be here," he says. Why? Aren't they closed? Nobody is working there. Anyway, Dawson tells Pacey he thought about it and doesn't want him to kiss Joey. Get a grip, Dawson! Make up your damn mind. Pacey says they made out in the car and that she's cooking for him the following night. Dawson says he's full of it. Pacey says Dawson is, too. Thank you, Pacey! "You expend way too much time and energy on a girl you say is just a friend." Then: "Who's it gonna be? The blond, or the brunette?" The age-old question! (PS: Always the brunette.)

The answers, they're forthcoming! Only two episodes left in the season. I can't decide if season two will be harder to write about because it's kind of boring, or easier to write about because it's so, so ridiculous. Probably the latter. Let's face it.

The Scare

Okay, I want to preface this with the fact that in 7th grade, I found this episode to be really, really scary. In fact, I remember watching it at my friend Leigh Anne's house and hiding under blankets, and her 8-year-old brother was in the room with us and was so scared he cried. I think that's what happened. In any case, watch and read at your own risk, and make sure you have some blankets handy, because they will protect you.

Joey and Dawson are watching I Know What You Did Last Summer in his bedroom (oh yeah, he has stellar taste in movies). Joey spooks and he makes fun of her, then says that the movie rules. False, Dawson. They set up Dawson's love of scaring people, which we never saw prior to this episode or after, if I recall correctly, and the news show they put on when they stop the movie sets up the fact that a serial murderer called the Lady Killer is circling the area. It's because he kills ladies, see. It's clever.

Credits time. Credits party! Let's dance.

Pacey and Dawson walk the halls at school, and Pacey grills Dawson on what his big plans are for Friday the 13th. Apparently he always does something like dress up like Michael Myers. Or Mike Myers. It's unclear. He says he doesn't do that anymore because Jen dumped him and what's the point of going on? But then Pacey opens his locker and a glowing skull pops out to scare him. Hilarious!

Noel from Felicity has his sights set on Jen now that she's on the market again. He asks her on a date, and says she needs to date someone fun after Dawson. She defends him-- "he's probably the most original and imaginative date on the planet." Really? Where did you go on your dates, Jen? The movies? In any case, she agrees to go out with him. Behind all this, Joey discovers a rubber snake in her backpack: Dawson's handiwork. These pranks he's pulling, they're just so original and imaginative! I can't fathom this.

In the cafeteria, Pacey elucidates for the girls the MO of the Lady Killer. He steals their hearts, apparently. Literally. Pacey claims to have the inside information, through Deputy Doug, that the cops think Capeside will be his next target. Uh oh, ladies! Dawson come up and suggests a seance at his house to celebrate the creepy date. Jen says no because she's got a hot date, and Pacey almost eats a fake finger Dawson planted on his plate of fries. Ew. Jen is offended that she hasn't been scared yet.

In film class, Dawson sucks up. Or just answers a question correctly, but it seems like he's sucking up anyway. After class, Noel asks Dawson for Jen advice-- where to take her on their date? "You know Jen. What does she like?" This is an incredibly awkward situation, so piss off, Noel.

At her locker, Jen finds a card inside that says "You are going to DIE! Tonight!" She looks unsettled. Really? She figures that it was Dawson. Again, look what a clever and unpredictable prank he's pulled!

After school, she's in her house alone, when she gets a phone call. Kevin Williamson wrote Scream, so he probably just copy/pasted some of this stuff over. It's all "I can see you" kind of stuff, and Jen think it's Dawson at first but is easily convinced that it's not. She grabs a big knife from the kitchen and frantically looks around her house. "Whatever you do, Jennifer, don't look under the bed," the phone voice says, and while she's checking under her grandfather's bed, his hand falls down and scares her. "Where are you??" she keeps yelling. Grams comes home, groceries in hand, and startles Jen from behind, sending the big knife flailing. Unsafe. "Soon, Jennifer. Soon," says the phone voice one last time, before hanging up.

At Chez Leery, Joey is accusing Dawson of having more scares up his sleeve. No shit, he's been doing this stuff all night. They pile into Pacey's car to go to the store. Joey stays in the car because Pacey evidently hotwired it? That's weird. In the store, a woman and a man are having a big fight by the frozen goods. Pacey and Dawson naturally eavesdrop, and once the guy leaves, the woman approaches them. "Having a party?" she asks, because apparently that's what their empty shopping basket indicated. She steals a bottle of wine for them and goes to wait outside. Her teeth are wonky.

Meanwhile in the car, Joey is approached by a creepy dude. He asks her for directions and he's obviously the serial killer, because duh, he's a middle-aged white bespectacled man who's kind of serious and strange. He asks if she lives nearby, but Dawson and Pacey return and he leaves. Didn't we learn something from the Olaf debacle, Joey? Or the Warren one? Don't talk to strangers!

When the lady gives Pacey the wine, he says, "Cay-ber-net sah-vig-non, my favorite!" which amuses me. But then the angry dude she was fighting with comes back and attacks them all. This seems sensible, guys, let's get involved with the angry man and his crazy, klepto lady friend. Dawson and company have poor decision-making skills.

Grams sees Jen and Noel from Felicity off on their date. She is drooling over Noel-- she sees him every week at Capeside Wilderness Church of Jesus, she says, which impresses her. Then she goes inside, presumably to whittle something, and Noel tells Jen that they're going on their date to Dawson's. ARE YOU SERIOUS. Noel, you are a terrible next boyfriend.

The sensible kids brought the crazy lady home. This is going to end well. Jen accuses Dawson of calling her earlier, and he swears it wasn't him. She's freaked.

Crazy Lady is looking for something to open the wine with in the kitchen. "It's not cold, so we're going to have to add some ice," she says, before opening the freezer to discover a fake bloody head in the icemaker. They're going to put ice on red wine? Crazy people put ice in beverages that are not supposed to contain ice!

Dawson has one of those multicolored strobe lights set up on the seance table. So we can have a rave later! There are also fake skulls. Where did he get those? Maybe he's the Lady Killer. Speaking of the Lady Killer, Dawson tells everybody that he likes to stalk his victims, writing them notes and calling them. Jen got a call! She still thinks it was Dawson, though. Crazy Lady tells a story about a Crazy Lady who's Crazy. I seriously think these kids are crazy for inviting her back to the house. Then: the power goes out! I'm so shocked.

The electricity is out and the phones aren't working. They all disperse to lock doors, find flashlights, et cetera. Is it Dawson? Is it the Lady Killer? Is it Crazy Lady? "Your bizarre mother complex is going to get us all killed," says Joey to Pacey of Crazy Lady. True!

Jen and Noel are looking for flashlights, and find a mirror in the closet with "You're going to die tonight!" written in "blood." He suggests that the phone calls and everything are not, in fact, Dawson, but actually "a psychopath following you around trying to kill you." Way to reassure your new girl, Noel! Seriously, you're the worst rebound of all time.

Crazy Lady tells Dawson stories about her psycho boyfriend, how he's been in "the pen" and stuff. Then she calls Dawson out on being into Joey. He denies it, but she says he's dating the wrong girl. Ooh, foreshadowingish.

Dawson goes to look for Joey, and finds her in the closet-- she falls out, made up to look dead. Behind him comes a hooded figure with a knife and a mask-- he screams really weirdly before it's revealed to be Noel. He's unamused. It was Jen's idea, because she still thinks he called her and sent the notes. He denies it even more vehemently. "Then who did?" she demands. "The Lady Killer! I don't know!" he says. Seriously? These kids are bad at reassuring each other. Of course, instead of being fearful for her safety, she changes the subject. Why didn't he try to scare her? Does she mean nothing to him? Priorities, Lindley! Then they kiss a little bit. Then stop. This is weird.

The Psycho Dude is here! Yay! I guess he followed them after the store, and waited awhile to make himself known for plot purposes. Now he's known! He's breaking windows and stuff. He gets in and tries to choke Pacey (for stealing his woman) before Joey hits him over the head with a frying pan. He's not out yet though! Crazy Lady comes over to comfort him and they peace out. "These kids are weird!" she yells on her way out. Duh.

Noel from Felicity admits to Jen that he was the culprit behind the call and the notes. "Pretty cool, right?" She shoots him down, sends him packing. Maybe he shouldn't have taken her to her ex-boyfriend's house for their first date. He kisses her goodnight anyway, and Grams opens the door, interrupting, but is all "take your time!" and goes back inside. Oh, Grams.

It's pajama party time in Dawson's room! Joey is all insecure and fishing and asks if he'd be sad if she died for real. He says he'd be inconsolable. "What about me? Would you shed any tears if I died?" I mean, I know they're 15 and all confused about relationships, but come on. They're BFFs. Of course they'd be sad. Anyway, when Joey pulls down the covers she finds a bunch of little fake bugs, which she just shakes her head at but would make me rage. BUGS DO NOT BELONG IN BEDS. They turn on the TV and discover that the Lady Killer has been arrested! In Capeside! And it's the dude that it obviously was! Shock! Fear! Well, at least he didn't steal Joey's heart.

Roadtrip

I feel like that last one was really dull. I will try to be funnier henceforth. I do not like to disappoint.

Oh my god. We open with Dawson sitting beside his window, knees hugged to his chest, plaintive look on his face, with Savage Garden's "Truly, Madly, Deeply" playing on the soundtrack. I don't know how to say anything funny about that, because that is so funny all by itself. So just picture it. "Dawson. The neighbor girl dumped you. Nobody died. Get over it," says Joey from the bed. Heh. No, he has pouting he wants to do. He's a lady. "She rejected romance, honesty and respect," he laments. He flops down on the bed and Joey goes to put on the movie they were going to watch, only to discover that the video of Jen in her yellow sundress is in the VCR. Cue eyeroll, and credits.

I was correct in assuming we'd not seen the last of Billy, and not just because I've seen this before. He steals the ladder from the Leerys' house and climbs into Jen's flowery bedroom. He's lounging on her bed when Grams comes in. She doesn't react as crazily as I would have expected. I'm disappointed. Nothing about heathens at all.

Billy says he heard that she dumped Dawson and decided to stick around. How did he hear this? Is he hanging out with local high school kids now while he's in town? Does he subscribe to some sort of newsletter? Is he a part of a phone tree? She shoots him down and he climbs back out the window.

...only to be found lounging on the hood of his car, eating an apple with a pocketknife (eating an apple with a pocketknife), when Dawson walks up. I do want to point out that he's changed into yet another garish, brightly colored, collared shirt. He tells Dawson they have an awful lot in common, and then plays on all his insecurities to manipulate Dawson into hanging out with him. Is New York so boring that he a) can't find another girl, and b) wants to hang out with Dawson? They decide to skip school to go to a bar in Providence where Billy "knows the bouncer."

Joey is walking, presumably to school, when the dude who played the redhead's boyfriend in the first season of Six Feet Under pulls up in a Jeep and offers her a ride to school. Don't get into cars with strangers, Joey. She's apparently impressed that he knows who Ted Bundy is, and acquiesces. Seriously, Joey. He immediately makes a joke about her nipples, and suggests they "get down in the sand together." Do people talk like this? He asks her what she and her boyfriend, Dawson, do. I'm kind of surprised all these popular guys, like Olaf in the last episode, know who Dawson is and know the ins and outs of his romance life. "I may be a virgin, but believe me, it's by choice," says Joey. Also, because you're fifteen.

Billy and Dawson make a stop at school before skipping, because Dawson wants to turn in some homework first. Really? Pacey gets all excited and wants to join them. While Dawson is being a huge dork, Jen and Joey run into Pacey and Billy. Jen's displeased at the corruption about to befall Dawson's precious virtue. Billy, for his part, tells her that he's taking the boys to a whorehouse in Providence.

The boys leave, and Jen asks Joey if she had sex with Warren (aka the jock who drove her to school). Apparently he's spreading that rumor after one five minute car ride. Told you not to get into cars with strangers, Jo.

Pacey coaches Dawson about being rebellious while on a ferryboat. "You're a regular Richie Cunningham. And Billy, he's the Fonz," he says. Dawson points out that that would make Pacey Potsie, which amuses me. Also-- is that how you spell Potsie? Potsy? What a strange name. I'm glad I'm not blogging my way through Happy Days. That would give me trouble.

Joey approaches Warren in the cafeteria and confronts him about the sex rumor. He tells her that it'll help them both-- improve her reputation and maintain his. What a nice favor he's done for her. "I never said I'd be your boyfriend!" he announces loudly, so everyone can hear. Uh oh.

In the hallway, Jen assures Joey that she didn't actually believe the rumor. She always saw Joey with somebody more like-- well, we know who she's getting at. Gross. Let's not put thoughts of sex and thoughts of Dawson in the same brain, shall we? Jen suggests they get revenge on Warren, and they conspire.

Pacey tells Dawson that he's the angel on Pacey's shoulder. Dawson doesn't want to be a goody goody anymore, apparently. He's ready to be reckless. In the meantime, Billy notices some dudes on the boat harrassing people, pushing on their car, yelling, drinking, etc. What to do? Dawson has an idea.

Back at school, Abby Morgan approaches Joey about the Warren rumor, and Joey puts the plan in motion. "He told me he loved me," she says, pretending to cry. She tells Abby that they didn't use protection, and whoops! Pregnant. And in this version of the story, he's telling all his friends it's not his problem. Abby's eating it up, of course, and runs off, presumably to spread this new information around school.

On the boat, Dawson puts his own plan in motion: the one he stole from American Graffiti. I don't know how Dawson knows how to do any of this, but he chains the back bumper of the douchebags' car to the boat. Where did they find chains? Don't people work on the ferry to prevent things like this from happening? It happens though-- when the time comes to drive off, Billy moons the douchebags and they slam on the brakes, separating car from bumper. Success!

Onto the club in Providence. It's a good thing Dawson looks forty, so I'm sure he had no trouble getting in. They discuss which girls they're going to inflict Dawson on.

It's the College Fair at Capeside High. The librarian pulls Joey aside and tells her she heard about the pregnancy, and wants to enroll her in the Family Planning class. Heh. Did Joey not think things like this would happen? Warren approaches his locker and finds baby shoes and bottles and stuff decorating it. Apparently word does get around.

Back at the club, Dawson picks a girl. Oh man. This one is better than Olaf from the last episode. He picks her out of the crowd though he only sees her from the back, because her t-shirt says "Film Threat" on the back. That's right. She's got a mess of curly hair and looks like a fifty-three year old smoker. See: this episode's picture up top. "My name is Dawson," he tells her awkwardly after tapping her on the shoulder. She is disinterested. He taps again. She's still disinterested, though she keeps talking to him. Pacey and Billy spot Dawson and his conquest, and pretend that she's actually attractive.

The girl, Nina, asks Dawson why he approached her. "Actually, it was your shirt," he says. Weird. "So what are you, Dawson, some kind of film buff?" Oh god, Nina. Why did you just do that?

Joey comes over to Jen's to suggest they call off the dogs. She's uncomfortable with the attention, and feels kind of bad about what people are doing to and saying about Warren. Joey lashes out at Jen for hurting Dawson. They fight about Dawson a lot. He's not worth it, girls. Like, seriously.

Apparently Nina thinks he might be worth it, though, because she's debating directors with him at the bar. She rightfully makes fun of him for loving Spielberg so much. Billy comes over and tries to hit on Nina, apparently unable to tell that she's really fifty-eight years old. She bristles, and suggests she and Dawson get out of there. Oh god. They walk to the parking lot and Dawson rambles awkwardly about the weather and Billy and film school. He's totally wondering if he's going to get some tonight. She gently shoots him down-- she can tell he's trying to prove something, she says. He admits that he just got dumped, and is looking to feel better. "Would it impress your friends if you didn't reappear 'til morning?" she asks. She suggests he come over and they just watch TV. Um, this is a terrible idea, Nina. You don't know this guy and also, he's a child. Do you want to be on the sex offender list forever, Nina? You know you can't live within a certain distance of a church or school if you're a sex offender, and that would make apartment hunting even more of a hassle than it already is for you. Care to rethink that decision? Well, it's moot, because Dawson turns her down because he's too hung up on Jen. They do kiss, though, before she gets into her a car and drives off.

Back at the College Fair-- and as an aside, so, did Joey go to the College Fair, leave the Fair to go yell at Jen, and then come back?-- Abby runs into Jen. The Warren rumor can't be true, Abby says. Her friend Elise is Warren's ex, and tells Jen that Warren can't get it up. Heh. Jen passes along the information to Joey and they cackle about it in the corner.

Aaaand back at the club. Dawson comes back in and joins the boys, who are disappointed he's not off getting busy with the sixty-year-old. Billy's all, "No wonder you couldn't score with Jen." Ooooh. Harsh. Dawson says he knows Billy just wanted Dawson to hook up with somebody so he could tell Jen and get her back. Seriously, are there no other cute girls in New York? Billy gets pissy and leaves. Dawson and Pacey are stranded! Oh, no!

At school (is the College Fair still going on? Why do these kids keep going to their lockers at night?), Warren suggests that he and Joey do it, since everybody already thinks they have. She tells him she hears he's not very good in bed, and could spread that around, instead. He angrily agrees to deny that they ever did anything. And then he asks her out on a date! Ha. I think she should have said yes. Anybody is a better candidate than Dawson. But alas, she turns him down.

Dawson and Pacey sit in the rain at a bus stop in Providence. Pacey accuses Dawson of kissing Nina, because, "are you just wearing that lipstick as a fashion statement?" Ew. He's had lipstick on his lips all this time?

Joey brings ice cream over to Jen's, where Jen is reading by candlelight under a blanket on the porch like she's turning into Grams. It's a peace offering, and they make up. I much prefer later seasons when they aren't constantly discussing Dawson. Jen indicates that Dawson's in love with Joey, while she herself is just the object of his infatuation. But at this point, they still think that he's at a whorehouse, so they speculate on that. Gross.

In the morning, Joey waits for Dawson in his room. Weird. Do his parents not care that he was out all night? And why did it take them all night to take the bus home from Providence? Joey wants to hear about Dawson's night, but he's sleepy, so to bed he goes. Is he just gonna sleep there while she watches? She just sits there. Seriously, Joey, that's creepy. Go home. Also, I want to note that Savage Garden is playing again as we fade out. Just saying.

Boyfriend

I remember this episode being boring. But then I feel like I say that about every episode. Why am I even subjecting myself to this?? Oh yeah, because I have excess snark. I need a snark outlet.

Dawson is talking to himself in his room as he's flipping channels. He comes across some scrambled porn, looks baffled momentarily, then switches over to AMC, because he's Dawson. Just in time, D, because in through the window comes a sleepy Joey, kept up all night by the new baby. She falls asleep almost instantly, which makes sense, because Dawson has commenced his usual whining about how in classic movies, the geeky guys get the girls and why can't life be like the movies? I'd fall asleep, too.

Credits, etc.

The Leery parents awkwardly make breakfast. They're apparently in marriage counseling. There's nothing amusing me in this scene, because it's actually pretty tense, so moving on.

Pacey is sitting next to what appears to be a hobo on a park bench and complaining about how boring Capeside is when a guy in an old convertible drives up. We know he's supposed to be a badass because he's wearing a garish, brightly colored collared shirt under a black leather jacket. He reminds me of the marginally attractive school bully in Boy Meets World, which is not a very badass thing for him to remind me of. In any case, Pacey gives him directions to Capeside High.

At the Potters', Joey complains to Bessie about the baby. Get rid of that baby, she commands, it's too noisy. No, she really doesn't say that. She just whines about being sleepy, then goes to school, where she studies Spanish with Dawson before asking him how things are going with Jen. Wasn't it just the last episode where she had an emotional breakdown about how she'd met The One? Did they forget about that?

Anyway, the aforementioned badass shows up at school and Jen gets all flustered. His name is Billy, and she's not happy to see him. He convinces her to skip school with him though, which Dawson sees from his stalker-like position just around the corner. Then Noel from Felicity approaches Dawson to ask where Jen is. There's nobody else in the halls-- shouldn't these people be in class? Noel wants to know if Jen has a boyfriend and Dawson says she does-- him. Noel somehow keeps his laughter inside.

Billy looks to have taken Jen to her house. Won't Grams wonder why she isn't in school? Maybe she's at her Capeside Wilderness Church Knitting and Judging Club meeting. Jen tells Billy he has to leave, and he says he can't right now because he's too tired. It's daytime, dude, and it's not THAT far back to New York. In any case, he's asking her to find him a place to stay for the night, when Dawson walks up and interrupts them. WHY AREN'T THESE PEOPLE IN SCHOOL?? Or, oh wait-- maybe Jen and Leather Jacket skipped school, spent the whole day together, and he's dropping her off at home, and it's after school. That makes more sense. But what did they do all day?? I have to know.

Jen asks Dawson if Billy can stay at his house for the night. Dawson freaks out about how he doesn't even know the guy, he could be anyone, etc. When Jen's like, "Okay, what do you wanna know?" the first thing he asks is if Billy's a friend or a "friend." Yeah, that's relevant to whether or not he's going to steal your movie posters and murder your parents. She for some reason admits to him that Billy is the one who she was caught with, biblically, in her parents' bed before getting shipped off to Capeside. But he's just a friend now! Dawson agrees to let Billy stay the night, because apparently not only was "is he just a friend" the most important question, but it was the only thing Dawson needed to know.

That night in Dawson's room, Billy mocks Dawson's ET doll. Heh. Then he tells him that his nefarious plan is to win Jen back. Just kidding! Instead, he wants to offer up any information about Jen that Dawson wants to know. Classy.

Dawson flees to Joey's house to complain about how his "life is rapidly becoming a punchline in some seriously disturbed joke." Right. Joey tells him his problems aren't that big of a deal and to shut the hell up, in nicer words, and he runs off, cheered.

The next day, Jen and Dawson discuss Billy's presence. He's all, "Billy wants you back and I think you want him too, you ho!" She says they never got a chance to say goodbye, he treated her with respect, etc, and Dawson's like, "GTFO Billy." She's being pretty reasonable but Dawson's so black and white. He storms off.

Joey heads to the video store where Pacey's working, hoping to rent The English Patient. Apparently it's the only thing that will keep the baby asleep. The discussion turns to Dawson and Jen's issues, and Pacey can totally tell that she wants them to break up over this ex drama. She denies it, but not well. Also, she's wearing mom jeans. I take umbrage to this.

At Casa Leery, Ma and Pa Leery are fighting again. Poor Dawson, future Child of Divorce, sighs loudly upstairs in his room.

Later on at the Icehouse, Joey's apparently running a billion table section. But really, it looks like maybe five tables, so she should probably calm the hell down. In any case, Pacey comes to invite her to a party, though it's unclear why. "I didn't have a date and I thought of you," he says, and bribes her with the fact that Dawson will be there sans Jen. If Pacey was asking me to go to a party, it would be "Dawson who?" This girl is cracked.

Dawson is trying on oversized striped sweater after oversized striped sweater in front of a mirror in his room. Maybe he's having a fat day. Mitch comes up and somehow manages to hide his surprise that Dawson is actually a girl as Dawson whines about Jen hanging out with Billy. Then Mitch gives Dawson advice about compromise in relationships, and it's sort of adorable, but just because I love Mitch.

Billy and Jen are hanging out by the river. He's wearing a different garish, brightly colored collared shirt underneath his leather jacket today. "You are leaving me for a guy who's got an ET doll on his bed," he says indignantly. Jen pipes up that it's a collector's item. Dawson's got you brainwashed, Lindley! Billy asks for one last kiss before leaving, and she pecks him on the lips and peaces out. Somehow I don't think we've seen the last of Leather Jacket.

Party! Red Solo cups! Guy with dreadlocks dancing! Pacey spots girls to hit on, and Joey looks dour on the porch until Dawson shows up. "What do you say, one quick drink and we hit the video store?" he suggests. You guys are lame. Dawson is pouring their drinks (there's a keg, but he opts for the two-liter of Pepsi) when Jen shows up. She's there to apologize to him, and pulls him away to talk about things. He follows instantly, forgetting all about poor Joey.

Now for some fun. Joey's left all alone, so naturally she gets approached by the most ridiculous looking guy I've ever seen. I'm pretty sure they meant for him to be the attractive jock upperclassman type, but dude has straight, platinum blonde hair down past his shoulders, earrings and a goatee. They missed the mark, I'd say. I tried to find a good picture of him so you could revel in this gloriousness, but the picture at the top of the post is the best I could find. So anyway, he points out to her that Dawson ditched her to walk on the beach with Jen, and offers her a drink. Well, maybe at least she'll have a little fun.

On the beach, Billy crashes Dawson and Jen's little party. Dawson is disgruntled to find out that they had shared a kiss, and Billy insists that the kiss was more hello than goodbye.

Joey is dancing on the porch by herself, drink in hand. Pacey snatches the cup out of her hand and tells her to pace herself, and she starts slurring her words. Is this supposed to be like hours later, or is this one of the "one sip of alcohol will impair your judgment forever!" kind of afterschool specials? Olaf the blond dude comes up and asks "Chloe" if Pacey is bothering her, and tells him to scram.

"Jen, tell him that kiss meant nothing!" Dawson demands back down on the beach. Jen is all, "I'm confused! Who do I want?" Billy says he has claim to Jen because he's known her for longer, like he's been grandfathered in or something, and Dawson basically calls her a slut. She's offended (what? really?). "I just want to know where I stand. Who's it gonna be, him or me?" he asks. Uh, neither. She chooses herself and runs off.

Elsewhere on the dunes, Olaf is trying to mack on Joey. Pacey comes to save the day-- "Alright, Jo, say goodbye to the nice serial rapist man." Heh. Olaf takes a swing, but Pacey ducks, then decks him. Down for the count. Dawson spots them, runs over and takes all the saving-Joey credit.

The boys sneak Joey back into her house, since apparently she managed to get so drunk she can't walk. Pacey tries to keep the baby quiet while Dawson puts her to bed on the couch. She's mostly asleep, so he takes the opportunity to talk to her about their relationship. "If you ever need me, I'll always be here for you." Blah blah blah. She wakes up, puts her hand on his cheek and kisses him on the lips before falling back asleep. Awwwk-warrrrd.

Mitch and Gail talk about their problems more civilly. She's been trying to get them to try new things to work out their relationship, but he suggests they focus on the old stuff and asks her to dance. It's pretty cute. Seriously, Mitch is the best.

Dawson and Pacey are rowing away from the Potters', and Dawson tells Pacey that Joey kissed him. "It meant nothing, she was completely wasted and obviously mistook me for Brad Pitt." Riiight. Pacey, the voice of reason more often than not, tells him he's an idiot and that Joey's hung up on him. Dawson laughs it off, but is clearly a little unsettled.

Billy leaves. Apparently Jen told him she wants to be with Dawson, so he packs his stuff and leaves only a threat that he'll be back if Dawson doesn't treat her well. Jen and Dawson meet on the dock, where he apologizes for calling her a ho earlier. She says this has all made her realize she's never been alone, so she breaks it off with Dawson, too. She says a lot of stuff, and he says a lot of stuff, but I don't like breakups, so let's move on. There's a depressing Ben Folds Five song playing, too. Anyway. The end.