Episode Report Card Sars: C- | 1 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Coming Home
By Sars | Season 4 | Episode 1 | Aired on 10.03.2000
Up the beach, Joey shifts from foot to foot and admits that "maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Pacey says all I-told-you-so, "Well, it wasn't my idea in the first place." Joey slips her hand out of his; as Pacey looks confusedly down at his now-empty hand, Joey stammers, "Do you think that, uh…" Pacey shortly suggests that he go get them a drink while she goes to say hello, and he goes to do just that. Joey flaps her elbows awkwardly and approaches the boat. That's Dawson's cue to bolt, which he does, claiming that he's moving to "a better seat." Jen tries to stop him; he won't hear it. Jen and Jack exchange a look and split up, Jen to go reason with Dawson, Jack to greet Joey.
Jack helps Joey into the boat and they hug warmly; Joey compliments him on his muscle tone. "So, where'd everyone go?" Joey asks brightly. Duh, Joey. You must have seen Dawson bail. "Ehhhhh," Jack says lamely.
Gretchen spots Pacey at the drink tent. He chaffs her for not only snagging his spot on the couch, but also for messing with his "social standing." She ignores him and asks gently, "Do you wanna take a walk?" "Yeah," he sighs. Off they go, Pacey bitching some more about having to give up Doug's couch, Gretchen saying that "retribution is yours" because Doug gets up at seven every morning to Dustbuster the kitchen, Pacey reminding her that she used to blast her music so loud that "small nations" complained, an argument over the terms "rock" and "soul," so on and so forth. Gretchen accuses him of becoming more obnoxious, but says that somehow he still got the girl. He smiles that yes, he did, and makes who'da-thunk-it noises, and Gretchen says anyone could have seen it coming, and she goes on to mock-insult her brother some more before calling both him and Joey "lucky." Pacey accepts the compliment, then turns the tables and asks why Gretchen "honestly" returned to Capeside. "I'm just, uh, takin' a break, that's all," she lies. Pacey doesn't press her, just wishes her a welcome home. "And, um, speaking of home," she says, slinging an arm around his back, "I have a suggestion that I think you might find appealing."
Long shot of Jen and Dawson, sitting tensely and "watching" the movie; focus pull to Joey looking over at Dawson and heaving a sigh. Then she turns abruptly to Jack and tells him to ask her a question. Jack grunts that he gets it, it's the make-small-talk-till-he-comes-over routine. Joey doesn't deny it and tells Jack again to ask her a question. "Well, actually," he grins lasciviously, "I do have a question." "Not that question!" she sputters. Jack swears he won't tell anyone.