Episode Report Card Jessica: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Hysterical Blindness
By Jessica | Season 6 | Episode 1 | Aired on 10.01.2002
Joey bralessly bounces down the street to Hell's Kitchen to meet her friends. She flashes her suddenly much whiter smile at them through the window, then heads inside. Everyone hugs. Hell's Kitchen is like Central Perk plus Cheers times a dark, dank alley divided by last season's Liberty Hell, including a little bit of the actual Hell. Squared.
Later, Joey and Pacey meet at the jukebox. She complains that it hasn't played her song yet. "Maybe the jukebox rejected it," Pacey says, "on the grounds that there's been enough whiny chick rock for one night, I think, pretty much." Personally, I simply don't believe that jukeboxes ought to contain any variation on whiny ovary music whatsoever. The jukebox is the sole domain of oldies, classic rock and Bon Jovi and that's really about it. Joey pouts. "Bite me," she whines. Pacey leans over and nips her upper arm. "Pacey, gross!" Joey squeals. He chuckles. Aw, that was a cute, if fifth-gradey, moment. Joey demands an explanation of the day's earlier dorm room shenanigans. "Do you remember our particular summer together?" he asks. Wow, I can't believe the writers remember their particular summer together. Joey indicates that she does. "Remember when we came back, we were all lovely-dovey and we didn't really want the summer to end, as such?" he asks. Joey grins. "Speak for yourself," she retorts. "But I do recall something to that effect." Pacey smiles down at her. "Let's say for the sake of argument that I am not at all unhappy that this summer is ending," he admits. Long story short: Hollywood Audrey is a little exhausting. Joey listens to this quietly, then tells Pacey that she has a bit of a conflict of interest. The part of her that is his good friend and "erstwhile paramour" thinks that "life's too short" and he needs to do what makes him happy. "Erstwhile Paramour" is the name of my Morrisey cover band. On the other hand, she says, the part of her that is Audrey's friend and roommate says, "you know what? You breaka her heart, I breaka your face." Joey pokes him in the chest. "You got it?" she asks. Pacey grimaces and rubs his left pec. He gets it. Joey grabs his hand and drags him into the corner to make out. Er, I mean, "back to the table."
"Any sign of him?" Joey asks her friends. "Godot Leery?" Audrey asks. No. And apparently it was like this all summer -- he was out of the house early and back super late. No one ever saw him. Well, such is the life of a peon in the film industry. Audrey further exposits that crazy director Todd hired Dawson as his assistant for the summer -- something I gathered from the fact that Todd was screaming at Dawson when he was leaving Joey a message. And Pander? Flipped out and left LA, leaving a note on Dawson's pillow that read "I'll see you in hell, Leery." Actually, that note was from me. "Didn't you talk to him at all?" Audrey asks. "[Pander]?" Joey asks, innocently. Audrey rolls her eyes and clarifies that she was talking about Dawson! Cut to a shot of Pacey examining his drink very carefully before darting a glance at Joey. Joey stammers that she kept meaning to call, but…everyone exchanges Meaningful Looks. Uncomfortable, Joey excuses herself to go back to the jukebox and "check on" her song.