Episode Report Card Sars: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Breaking the waves
By Sars | Season 4 | Episode 20 | Aired on 05.01.2001
Tuxes 'R' Us. Jack PSAs for Dawson to "be careful, man" if he decides to "do it" on prom night. Yeah. "Careful." Careful not to get puked on by the unfortunate recipient of that special brand of chipmunky love. Dawson thanks Jack for his "concern," then says all hard-ass that he's got his "emotional bases covered." Jack cracks on him. Dawson smirks, "I admit to nothing."
Dresse shoppe. Joey sighs, "So why don't I feel perfect?" And again I ask, have you got a week? Jen comes out of the dressing room wearing a cute lacy strappy number and quotes Tom Frost in saying, "Why don't you tell me?" Joey helps fasten Jen up while saying that she's "terrified of the future, for one thing" and mentioning the pregnancy scare -- and first of all, college-bound students do not spend nearly this much time stressing about The Future, but second of all, why didn't Joey talk to Jen about the "scare" when it happened? I mean, they went to New York together; that would imply a certain level of closeness, right? Oh, forget it. Joey goes over to a dress rack and fiddles with the dresses for a minute before remarking that maybe it's Pacey, and saying that lately, he doesn't seem "too eager to…to touch me." Jen smiles that maybe he's just waiting for Joey to initiate things. Not a bad argument, given that Joey is always reacting instead of acting, but on the other hand, he's a teenage boy. Teenage boys don't "wait for" jack. Joey says that maybe Jen's right, but then frowns, "Jen, what if he's not waiting for me?"
Street. Dawson walks along, tux over shoulder, and runs into Gretchen. They smooch, and he smarms at her, but she cuts him off by telling him tearfully that she didn't get the Boston job because she doesn't have a college degree "or the necessary experience." At last, a hint of realism. Dawson says sincerely that "that suuuucks," and gives her a hug. Gretchen trembles that she thought she "had it," and she doesn't know what she's going to do. Dawson offers to bag the "whole prom thing," but Gretchen says no, it's his "milestone" to enjoy, not hers. "Are you sure?" "Yes. Yes! It's fine. It's more than fine -- it's gonna kick ass, I promise." She hugs him, but over his shoulder, she's doing The Patented Joey Potter Brooding And Staring Into The Middle Distance Thing. In other words, "fine" it ain't.
House of Tobey. On the front steps, Jen gives Tobey a song-and-dance about how Jack totally wants to ask Tobey to the prom, but he's insecure and worried about Tobey saying no. Tobey's not buying it, saying that it didn't seem like Jack wanted to ask him, but Jen's all, "Would I lie?" and, in a meta-statement about certain homosexually panicking actors on this show cough KERR cough, calls Jack "a seething quagmire of neuroses." Tobey thinks it over and starts smiling all "awww yeah" to himself -- god, he's cute -- as Jen rambles on that Jack practically begged her to come over and sound Tobey out about it, she assures him that Jack wants to go to the prom with him, blah blah blah.