Dawson’s Creek on DVD
Kevin Williamson, creator of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer gave us this heartwarming and dramatic 6-year-long tale about growing up. The story of a group of teenagers, Dawson (Van Der Beek), Pacey (Jackson), Jen (Williams), and Joey (Holmes) took American audiences by storm. It quickly became one of – if not the biggest hit TV show for the WB network.
Dawson, an only child, a little spoiled and lacking in experience is obessed with movies. His greatest hero is Steven Spielberg. He directs his friends in his amateur productions just to be seen and heard by the film industry. Then when Jen comes to town, this young man’s dream-like perspective of life is changed forever.
In the first season, Dawson watches as his white-picket-fence picture-perfect home life crumbles to the ground. He experiences his first kiss, and falls head over heels in love with someone he never expected to mean anymore than a best friend to him. Jen, a young woman with a difficult and troubled past offers Dawson a new, real look at life where people make mistakes, and for that Dawson gets scared. Pacey, slacker, troubled son of the Capeside Sheriff, and Dawson’s long time best friend and confidant is going through his own problems. He is rapidly falling in love with his teacher, Ms. Jacobs and being 15 years old, this puts the couple in very awkward situations. Finally, Dawson’s best friend in the entire world just so happens to be the young, beautiful brunette girl from “across the creek”. Joey’s checkered past has left her dependent of her sister, and Dawson Leery. Being the daughter of a convict and the sister of a woman with “a black boyfriend”, Joey’s reputation in this small town of Capeside, Mass. is far from perfect, and she’s left feeling alone. This only gets worse when Jen comes into the picture and steals her best friend from her. Jealousy and rage spark in the young waitress, and she vows never to give Jen an inch of understanding. But, this also makes her love for Dawson grow.
For fun times, check out episodes like “Detention” which pokes fun at The Breakfast Club, “The Scare” pokes fun at scary movies in a throwback to creator Kevin Williamson’s previous work, and “Beauty Contest” which shows just how funny Pacey or Joshua Jackson can be. For real drama, put on “Discovery” where Dawson finds out about his mother and co-workers affair, and Jen’s scary past, “Hurricane” where all relationships are cornered into a small space and put to the test, and finally, “Decisions” offers a great deal of drama as Joey and Dawson finally share their feelings for each other, and Jen loses her beloved grandfather.
The second season is when relationships and personal melodramas really develop and heat up, and enter Jack (Smith). Dawson and Joey are together, and they are experiencing all of the fun and tribulations of that relationship. Pacey finds himself falling for a new girl in town, Andie (Meredith Monroe). Jen is taking a deep fall in a friendship with the class villian, Abby Morgan. Dawson and Joey’s on-and-off relationship leads to her falling for Andie’s brother, Jack, and sending Dawson spiraling into depression as he loses his friends, one at a time. Andie develops mental issues as her mother has, and Pacey’s love for her is put to the test. Jack admits to being homesexual, ending his relationship with Joey. Then Dawson and Joey get back together only to be ripped apart in the season finale.
For fun times, check out “The All-Nighter” in which the kids get together to study with the class jock/jerk. For real drama, watch “The Election” in which we first see signs that Abby may have mental issues. “Full Moon Rising” reveals Pacey’s big heart for what it is and throws Dawson in the middle of a harsh confrontation with his parents. “To Be Or Not To Be…” and “…That Is The Question” are the two episodes in which Jack is forced to deal with the issue he’s tried to deny all of his life, the fact that he’s gay. “Ch…ch…ch…changes” marks the end of Pacey and Andie’s relationship as he watches her drive away to seek help.
The third season brings about some serious changes. Dawson and Joey start to really push each other away. Pacey discovers that Andie cheated on him while she was away. Jen starts to seriously try to put her life back on track, and finds herself falling in love with Capeside High School football team’s quarterback. Jack gets accidentally thrown on Capeside High School’s football team, creating a storm of controversy. It’s only after Dawson asks Pacey to keep an eye on Joey that the changes really start to hurt the group. After a long time, Pacey starts to grow feelings for the beautiful brunette, and tries time and time again to let her know. When he finally can’t take the silence any longer, Pacey kisses Joey. Their relationship broadens from then on, and find themselves having to face a new problem; how to tell Dawson’s about them, a secret that could potentially destroy the relationship between all three lifelong friends.
For fun times, check out “Indian Summer” in which Dawson looks into the past of hot femme fatale, Eve. “Escape From Witch Island” is a spoof of The Blair Witch Project, and “The Valentines Day Massacre” in which Pacey gets drunk as a result of the pain he feels for Joey. For some serious drama, watch “Homecoming” in which Pacey learns of Andie’s disloyalty. “Home Movies” in which Dawson’s controversial video about Jack threatens to ruin his Dad, Capeside High School’s football coach’s chances to win his first football game. “The Longest Day” in which Dawson discovers Pacey and Joey, and threatens to end it all is the most powerful episide of the season. “The Anti-Prom” in which Dawson orchestrates a prom in order to win Joey’s heart, and finds Pacey and Joey dancing together is the one episode revealing just how strong their love for each other is.
Season four kicks off when Pacey and Joey return to Capeside. Dawson, Andie, Jen, and Jack have grown much closer over the summer. He has done everything to put the memory of Pacey and Joey behind him. When he sees them again for the first time since they left on Pacey’s boat, Dawson’s anguish returns. Over the course of the season, Dawson’s hate for Pacey and Joey is put to the test as he is forced to save them both. Jen draws closer to Jack, and Andie leaves to go overseas. Then Joey and Pacey take a step farther in their relationship, and end up compromising the strength and honesty on which their relationship was founded. While everyone is planning to go to college and move on with their lives, Pacey feels trapped and suffocated by the thought of his own bleak future which may in fact hurt Joey’s. When all is said and done between Joey and Pacey, she finds herself right back in the same place from which she made the leap and first got together with Dawson.
For fun watch “The Unusual Suspects”, while most of this season is so tense and serious in the way everyone relates to one another, this is a relief. For serious drama, almost every episode in the 4th season is good, but the ones that stand out are “The Two Gentlemen of Capeside” in which Pacey and Jen are stranded in a hurricane and Dawson takes the initiative to come to their rescue, “You Had Me at Goodbye” when Andie tries to bring everyone together again to tell them all that she’s leaving, “A Winter’s Tale” in which Pacey and Joey spend the night together on their winter break, and “Promicide” when Pacey flips out at the prom and destroys his relationship with Joey.
Seasons five and six reveal the group in their lives outside of capside. Season 5 is the season in which a death really effects everyone in their relationships. Dawson and Jen get back together. We’re introduced to another character in the form of Joey’s college roommate, Audrey whom Pacey soon falls in love with. Dawson tries to make a new movie. Jack is influenced to join a frat, and starts drowning in a sea of alcoholism.
“The Long Goodbye” is a strong episode. “Four Scary Stories” may not be the best-written episode in the season but it’s certainly fun.
Then in the beginning of the sixth season, it’s Joey’s birthday and Dawson is no where to be found. He makes a surprise entrance, and they have a good ol’ time talking. They go back to her dorm room, and finally consummate their love for each other. It’s afterward when everything starts going downhill as Dawson never got around to end his relationship with another woman before he slept with Joey. They end any chance they have to be together, and go their seperate ways. She meets a guy named Eddie. He stays around his boss, Todd, and learns the filmmaking business from the inside out. Meanwhile, Pacey ends things with Audrey, and he and Jack live freely together in an apartment. Jen has a new boyfriend, but finds herself dealing with the thought of a loss that might cripple her. Pacey finds himself the hottest thing in stockbroking. He earns quite a lot of money, but discovers that the one thing he’s wanted but hasn’t been able to have is Joey. Jack finds new love in a guy named David. Audrey gets so despressed and drunk she drives a car through Dawson’s living room. Pacey makes a play for Joey while Eddie and her are at odds, and has his heart broken worse than ever.
Season 6 episodes to note are “Living Dead Girl” in which Dawson thinks he sees a ghost running around the soundstage, “Castaways” in which Joey and Pacey are locked in a store together, “Sex and Violence” in which Joey is drafted to be Pacey’s ‘assistant’ at work and their mounting passion for each other explodes in his office, and “Love Bites” in which Joey breaks Pacey’s heart and Jen risks losing her beloved grandmother, Grams. “Lovelines” has Dr. Drew and Adam Corona exposing the people in the group and their relationship problems in front of a huge audience. Finally, the two series finales, “All Good Things…” and “Must Come To An End” are among the best episodes in the show.
For the most part, Dawson’s Creek is a fun ride. It shows us just how life could be. It fantasizes the world in a pure way that makes the show almost impossible to dislike. Some episodes arent very well written. Some of them are brilliant. But, Kevin Williamson started and ended a TV series that made most teen dramas like it look lame by comparision.
Episodes in which these characters face extreme challenges only to come away with better and more mature understanding are beautiful acted. Look out for Joshua Jackson, Kerr Smith and Michelle Williams. They may not be the most popular, but they’ve given some of the best performances in the show.
Season 1 offers such special features as audio commentary by the producer, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show, and a storm of trailers to upcoming films featuring the cast.
