Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Ch...Ch...Ch...Changes
By Sars | Season 2 | Episode 21 | Aired on 05.18.1999
Capeside High. As they walk down the hall, Jen "Wee Wee Wee" Lindley asks Dawson what he wants her to say; Dawson, camcorder in hand, tells her to "talk about some of the changes [she's] gone through in the past year." Jen refers to "America's Most Hideous Video Moments" and "Candid Camera," and Dawson cajoles her some more, and Jen makes a sarcastic comment about sharing her "deepest, darkest, most intimate secrets" for Dawson's stupid little homework assignment. Dawson says she doesn't have to do it if it offends her. Jen says no, it's okay, that she "should probably talk about it," and she works up some fake tears and does a shaggy-dog routine about cutting her hair short. Dawson stares at her in weary disbelief as she tells him that "making a major hairstyle change like that is a very traumatic event in a young girl's life," a statement I agree with, especially in the case of Jen's hair's "character arc" thus far this season, which constitutes not so much an arc as an arrow pointing straight down or into the nearest toilet, and then Jen smirks all wise-assedly and takes off down the hall.
Next, Dawson attempts to lure Jack in front of the camera, but Jack politely declines, citing the "disaster" of this particular day, and when Dawson walks up to Joey with camcorder and nostrils at the ready, Joey says "no" before he can get a word out. When he asks why not, Joey tells him, "Look, stalker paparazzi is not a flattering occupation, Dawson. Give it up." To make up for the fact that that line made no sense, Joey gives him a slurpy little kiss and walks away as Dawson watches her. Waiter? Oh, waiter? Could I have an espresso, please?
Fade to Dawson approaching his next victim, Pacey "Look Upon My Works, Ye Mighty, And Despair!" Witter. Dawson explains the idea behind the interview, and Pacey says, "For just three easy payments of $29.95, you too can go from town pariah to upstanding citizen in just six months." First of all, enough with the Ron Popeil imitation. Second of all, "pariah"? No offense, Pacey, but I don't think anyone in Capeside cared enough about you to make a point of ostracizing you, so whatever. In any case, Pacey agrees to help Dawson, and they go into one of Capeside High's many empty classrooms. Dawson sets up a makeshift tripod and asks how Pacey did it, and Pacey says he didn't do anything; without Andie, he would have had to repeat his sophomore year at best, and at worst, he would have wound up "living under a highway somewhere." Dawson says, "Give me a break, Pacey. [Word.] I mean, you had some outside inspiration, but you're the one who grabbed your life by the balls and turned things around." "Balls"? Pacey corrects him, "Dawson, my only accomplishment this year was to find an inspiration like Andie, and everything else just stemmed from her." Let me get this straight -- she nags you to study a few times and then goes crazier than the Manson family, and this makes her your emotional mentor? What. Ever. Dawson says politely, "The classic hero who changes for the love of a woman," although he also is clearly thinking, "Whatever." Pacey says tensely, "Not exactly, bud. Every day I wake up, I'm holding my breath just waiting for someone to expose my fraudulent acts, lock me up for it, figure out that this whole thing was just a big lie." His eyes fill, and Dawson -- to his credit, and to my complete disbelief -- catches on that Pacey is upset and shuts the camera off, assuring him that they can "do this later" before asking Pacey what's going on with him. Pacey says that, ever since he and Andie got together, "She mistook me for someone else. She gave me someone to be, and now that she needs my help, there's not a damn thing that I can do for her. I'm failing her, Dawson. You're gonna have to find yourself another hero." Pacey gets up to go. Dawson looks saddened. Good acting by both in that scene, I must say, and a big "thank you" to the writers for giving Dawson a clue for once.
As Pacey leaves the classroom, he sees Andie flutter by and stops her, asking why she wasn't in class earlier. Andie is, believe it or not, freaking out. She fills Pacey in on her dad's coming back and making her and Jack go home with him to Providence. Pacey's reaction: "What?" Andie nods and bites her lip a lot, and Pacey makes soothing noises and leads her to -- what else? -- an empty classroom, where Andie continues to tweak out and talk about her father wanting her to get help blah blah blah "be a family again" blah blah blah "absent for over a year" blah blah blah "he just wants to wrench me away" blah blah blah fishcakes. Andie launches into her patented anal-retentive growling and hand gestures as Pacey asks if she can't get the help she needs in Capeside, and Andie says that her father has already decided and she "may as well start packing." Pacey asks what she wants to do. Andie says she wants to stay in Capeside, with Pacey, and she can't stand the thought of them not being together, and Pacey suggests that they "fight him on this, okay? This ain't over yet." Andie starts crying: "He wants to leave tomorrow, Pacey." Pacey, stunned but making a quick recovery: "Okay...that's fine. That's fine. Andie, it's fine! It's fine, because when he hears what we have to tell him, he's not taking you anywhere." Oh, really -- and why not? Because the love of two high-school students must needs conquer all? Because Mr. McPhee will surely shrink away from the wrath of him who got Mr. Peterson fired? Because Cape Cod is renowned as a mecca of psychopharmacology? How very realistic -- except for the "realistic" part.