WE SUCCESSFULLY FINISHED ANOTHER THING!!! And what a ride it was. So let's celebrate with another effing dance, because that's what Traumaland does best:
Shrine O’Spielberg. Dawson shuts off the movie because there’s too much unrequited love for him to handle. Joey thrives off love stories like that; she thinks love stories that don't end are more romantic than anything else. But Dawson calls it tragedy. He stammers that her love for sad love stories might be affecting her own life. Like by making her not have sex with you? Nice try, bro. Joey says it does affect her, but in a positive way. Because in spite of the circumstances that tear the characters apart, they never stop loving, even without a happy ending.
Shrine o' Spielberg. We're treated to like 20 seconds of Casablanca, which is clearly the best 20 seconds of this entire show, and then Dawson's moping over having to write a final essay comparing his own life to Casablanca. Um...
He starts writing about how Hollywood Sabbatical is clearly evil and his archnemesis, then deletes it all because that won't get him a good grade. He asks Joey why he still wants to please Hollywood Sabbatical, and she's all "IDEK". (D: Uh, because she's your teacher? For a class that's actually important to your hopeful career path?) She suggests he interview someone. He decides he'll present his final on camera because that way he'll get bonus points for thinking outside the box.
He starts writing about how Hollywood Sabbatical is clearly evil and his archnemesis, then deletes it all because that won't get him a good grade. He asks Joey why he still wants to please Hollywood Sabbatical, and she's all "IDEK". (D: Uh, because she's your teacher? For a class that's actually important to your hopeful career path?) She suggests he interview someone. He decides he'll present his final on camera because that way he'll get bonus points for thinking outside the box.
Shrine O'Spielberg. The whole gang is there, hanging out together, and it makes me really happy. Until Dawson says the same thing, and then I get upset that me and Dawson had a mind-meld. (K: Legit.) Anyway, Pacey calls them a clique and they're all, DUDE, NO. Jen helpfully informs the audience that she's now living at the Leerys' house, since Grams kicked her out. Pacey insists that they're one step away from the Peach Pit. Then everyone attacks Pacey with pillows until SO MANY FEATHERS start flying all over the room.
Like, that is way too many feathers for any of these pillows to still appear intact, which they do. My headcanon says the ghost of Abby Morgan is hiding in the ceiling, dumping feathers on all these idiots.
Like, that is way too many feathers for any of these pillows to still appear intact, which they do. My headcanon says the ghost of Abby Morgan is hiding in the ceiling, dumping feathers on all these idiots.
Outside Leery Manor, Joey and Dawson - still in their catering outfits - make out. There's some brief discussion that's clearly of the "we should go upstairs and boink" variety before they climb up the ladder. IS THE DOOR BROKEN?!?!?! I hate these people. (D: Cosign.) Anyway, they reach the Shrine o' Spielberg and start kissing again, but Joey stops in surprise when she sees Jen sitting on the bed, weeping. They ask her what's wrong, and she tearfully explains that Abby's dead. Joey hugs her and Jen starts to sob.
Democracy Diva: A round of applause to Michelle Williams, who was a really fucking good actress SO LONG AGO.
Democracy Diva: A round of applause to Michelle Williams, who was a really fucking good actress SO LONG AGO.
Shrine O’Spielberg. We immediately know Dawson is depressed/lonely because he’s hanging out with his mom. They're watching his movie, and we still have only seen the Rachel Leigh Cook-as-Joey rows-on-the-creek part of the film. I would not be surprised if that were the entire movie. Anyway, Gail raves about how moving and beautiful it is.
Kirsti: She insists she's not saying any of this because she's his mother, but she totally is.
Diva: For sure. Dawson says he had a clear vision, but he couldn't bring it to life on film. (I personally don't think that's his problem. I think it's his vision that probably sucked.)
Kirsti: She insists she's not saying any of this because she's his mother, but she totally is.
Diva: For sure. Dawson says he had a clear vision, but he couldn't bring it to life on film. (I personally don't think that's his problem. I think it's his vision that probably sucked.)
We open, predictably, in the Shrine o' Spielberg. Joey's crying her way through the first cut of Dawson's autobiographical shitfest. As it finishes, he asks for her opinion. "In my whole life, I've never been so unequivocally moved by words and moving images on screen!" she says before continuing that this movie will change people's lives. Dawson's thrilled. Joey says that there's no doubt that Jack McPhee will be one of the great filmmakers of our generation. Dawson's all "Skrrrrt, WHAT". He grabs the tape from the VCR and finds that it says it was directed by Jack.
He's confused. Jack climbs in the window, and he and Joey gush over each other for a minute before Jack says that he bumped into Spielberg and has been offered a job.
He's confused. Jack climbs in the window, and he and Joey gush over each other for a minute before Jack says that he bumped into Spielberg and has been offered a job.
Shrine O'Spielberg. Pacey has run right over because Dawson is in panic mode. It's mere minutes away from Dawson's sixteenth birthday, and Dawson thinks he is still as useless a human being as he was a year ago. Yup. Definitely true.
Kirsti: SO TRUE OMG.
Diva: Dawson waves around a bloody prop hand (that's not British slang - it actually has fake blood on it) as he wonders why he has gotten nowhere in the last year. Maybe it has something to do with your room looking like a murder crime scene? Dawson says that all he did in the last year was figure out his feelings for Joey, and she dumped him for a gay guy.
Kirsti: SO TRUE OMG.
Diva: Dawson waves around a bloody prop hand (that's not British slang - it actually has fake blood on it) as he wonders why he has gotten nowhere in the last year. Maybe it has something to do with your room looking like a murder crime scene? Dawson says that all he did in the last year was figure out his feelings for Joey, and she dumped him for a gay guy.
Shrine o' Spielberg. Pacey's watching Jerry Maguire as Dawson walks in carrying homework. It seems that Pacey's been hanging out at Leery Manor every day so that his douchey father doesn't know he got suspended. Um. Do they not inform your parents of suspensions in America, or is this a TV Land thing??
Democracy Diva: Oh, I thought he was just avoiding his douchey father's rage, but that Douchey Father did know about the suspension. If not, then yeah, that's definitely just a TV Land thing.
K: CONFUSION.
Democracy Diva: Oh, I thought he was just avoiding his douchey father's rage, but that Douchey Father did know about the suspension. If not, then yeah, that's definitely just a TV Land thing.
K: CONFUSION.
Shrine O'Spielberg. Jack has made a perfect scaled exact replica of Capeside for Dawson to use in his movie. It looks like something that would take months to do, but sure, let's pretend he just did this over the weekend!
Kirsti: Come on, Diva. We've already established that time moves differently in Capeside. Given that Dawson and Joey's first kiss seemed to last for like six months when the seasons are taken into consideration, Jack's probably had tons of time!
Kirsti: Come on, Diva. We've already established that time moves differently in Capeside. Given that Dawson and Joey's first kiss seemed to last for like six months when the seasons are taken into consideration, Jack's probably had tons of time!
Shrine o' Spielberg. Dawson flails over the fact that he and Joey have made it through their first post-break up movie night while Joey drinks Diet Coke because sponsorship is important. She makes noises about leaving, but he wants her to help him pick the actress who'll play Sammy (read: loosely disguised Joey) in his new shitty movie. Joey suggests finding someone who can make the role less like her, but Dawson's all "LOL NOPE". She's surprised by how okay he is about everything between them, and he says that as she's dating Jack and has clearly moved on, he can let go. This makes her sad panda and I headdesk. She leaves.
I DON'T WANNA WAIT.
I DON'T WANNA WAIT.
hrine O'Spielberg. Pacey is playing Dawson while Dawson tries to add something anyone but him gives a shit about character details to his script. Dawson explains that The Great Santini is about father-son angst, which Pacey knows a bit about. Dawson proves he understands nothing about his best friend by saying dumb things, like this:
The boys establish that they have a father-son fishing trip coming up this weekend with both their fathers. Pacey wants to know if Dawson respects his dad; he replies, "I'd hate to live in a world where I didn't." Ugh. What a drama queen. Just say yes. Anyway, Pacey insists that this isn't a real answer, but he gives a similar non-answer when Dawson turns the question on him. (K: FEELS)
The boys establish that they have a father-son fishing trip coming up this weekend with both their fathers. Pacey wants to know if Dawson respects his dad; he replies, "I'd hate to live in a world where I didn't." Ugh. What a drama queen. Just say yes. Anyway, Pacey insists that this isn't a real answer, but he gives a similar non-answer when Dawson turns the question on him. (K: FEELS)
We pick up with the aftermath of where we left off last time, with the three couples at their respective locations. Joey thanks Jack a little awkwardly for posing for her. A pantsless Jen tells Dawson that his arrival was "an unexpected encounter." Pacey and Andie kiss sweetly by the Witter Mobile. Jack asks Joey if she has any regrets, and she shakes her head. They kiss. Dawson tells Jen he'll see her tomorrow and kisses her on the forehead before leaving. Pacey and Andie continue to be adorable before she heads inside. Jack leaves. The zoomy cameraman shows us Joey's "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THIS" face. Then Pacey's. Then Jen's.
I DON"T WANNA WAIT. (D: FOR THIS EPISODE TO BE OVER, OH I WANT TO KNOW RIGHT NOW - WHO GOT LAAAAAIIIIID!)
I DON"T WANNA WAIT. (D: FOR THIS EPISODE TO BE OVER, OH I WANT TO KNOW RIGHT NOW - WHO GOT LAAAAAIIIIID!)
The episode begins, of course, with Dawson confessing his undying love for Pacey. In the greatest fan-service scene since Pacey's Braveheart monologue, we watch our least favorite leading man and our favorite leading man be totally gay together.
Kirsti: My notes specifically say "...does this count as queerbaiting???"
Diva: Dawson leans in like he's going to kiss Pacey, but then grabs his script and points out that Pacey missed a line. Because they're doing a dramatic reading of Dawson's script, with Pacey playing the girl. For rehearsal, even though neither of them plan on acting in this film. Okay, sure, show.
Kirsti: My notes specifically say "...does this count as queerbaiting???"
Diva: Dawson leans in like he's going to kiss Pacey, but then grabs his script and points out that Pacey missed a line. Because they're doing a dramatic reading of Dawson's script, with Pacey playing the girl. For rehearsal, even though neither of them plan on acting in this film. Okay, sure, show.
Shrine o' Spielberg. Jen's reading Dawson's movie script while he freaks out in the background. When she finishes, he asks what she thinks, and she says "The truth truth or the what-Dawson-wants-to-hear truth?", which is totally legit. He assumes this means she hates it. She assures him that she doesn't hate it, but that it's fluff. I laugh hysterically because let's be perfectly honest here - Dawson is writing real person fan fic about him and Joey, and it is 10,000% fluff. Dawson gets offended, which only gets worse when Jen says that the script felt naive.
He rambles about "the age of innocence," and this officially sounds like the worst fan fic on the face of the earth, except maybe ones that are written in the second person.
Democracy Diva: And, you know, Fifty Shades of Grey.
He rambles about "the age of innocence," and this officially sounds like the worst fan fic on the face of the earth, except maybe ones that are written in the second person.
Democracy Diva: And, you know, Fifty Shades of Grey.