Episode Report Card Sars: C- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Dear old golden rule days
By Sars | Season 4 | Episode 17 | Aired on 04.10.2001
Joey is inside, crying, because she is a martyr with no class whatsoever. Dawson comes in, frowns, and asks if she's okay. Her back to him, she wipes her eyes and manages a flat "congratulations," and when he asks again what's wrong and says she can talk to him about it, Joey informs him that "[they're] here to celebrate -- you got into USC," it's what he's always wanted. And therefore Joey's "celebration" takes a backseat to Dawson. As always. Dawson, to my surprise, tells her in turn that Worthington is what she always wanted, so what's the deal -- did she get wait-listed or something? Joey's face buckles, but she recovers quickly and recaps the "problem." Dawson says that surely there's something she can do, that it's "just money" and she can't let that stop her from going. Yeah, spoken like a kid who's never had to worry about money. Joey sighs all tragically, "You make it sound like there's some easy answer." Yes, he does. Because there IS. TAKE a FUCKing LOAN, you IDIOT! Joey goes on to say that she did "hours of research" before applying, and getting the financial aid was as important as getting accepted; then she shrugs elaborately that it "didn't happen." If she's done so much research, didn't it occur to her that she might not get the grants she needed and would have to make other arrangements for her tuition? Did nobody suggest that she might have no choice but to take loans? Oy vey, I despise this plot. I will say that Katie Holmes is acting the hell out of it, though. She's going gangbusters with the crying. Dawson sighs impotently, and the camera zooms in on the lightbulb going on above his leonine head: "Worthington is what you want, right?" Joey delivers a meta-statement about her character arc by claiming that "it doesn't matter what I want, Dawson." "Yes or no?" Dawson says intensely. After a long pause, Joey sighs, "Yes." Dawson sits down and intones, "Then I want you to have Mr. Brooks's money." Joey rolls her eyes -- yeah, get in line, honey -- and asks if he's "insane," and Dawson says she should at least take enough of the money so that she can go to school, and he knows it sounds crazy, and Joey interrupts that it's beyond crazy; she appreciates it, but Mr. Brooks gave the money to Dawson "for a reason." Yes, Dawson says, to do something great, and giving the money to Joey "would be exactly that." Joey just stares at him helplessly as he goes on that he knows she'll say no, but she should think it over first: "This is your entire future we're talking about." Joey, near tears again, looks at him, but she doesn't say no. Dawson quiet-heroes on out of there, looking exceedingly pleased with himself; Joey looks down and sighs all "what am I gonna do with him?"
A quick note: while the gesture is creepy, delusional, and really wrong on a lot of levels, I think Dawson intends it generously and honestly. In other words, he's not approaching it the way he did the yacht race from last season; I think he genuinely wants to fix the situation, and doesn't see why it's a horrible idea. So, yes, the entire thing is icky and desperately contrived, and its object is completely undeserving, but it's not as offensive as I'd feared. But it's still gross.