Episode Report Card Sars: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Chemical sisters
By Sars | Season 4 | Episode 6 | Aired on 11.07.2000
Reconciliation Ranch. Dawson walks in on a candlelit table, smooth jazz, and Mitch "The Flash" Leery and Gale "Mama Don't Preach" Leery slow-dancing. Noticing balloons as the table's centerpiece, Dawson reads aloud from one of them: "'Congratulations'?" His parents turn to face him; Gale stammers that she thought he had to work at the IHOF that night, and Dawson expositions that "it was slow," so they sent him home. The Flash says he's glad Dawson's home, because they have something to tell him, and Gale pipes up that they've "spent a lot of time thinking about this," and, despite all the logical reasons not to, they've knuckled under to his emotional blackmail and elected to have the baby. God and sonny Jesus…see last week's recap for my feelings on this turn of events. Dawson, elated that his manipulation has once again allowed him to prevail, showers his parents with hugs and congratulations. The Flash asks if "this is really how [Dawson feels]," because Dawson is their sun and moon and the arbiter of their every decision. Dawson says, "Yes, absolutely, completely." Gale offers to fix Dawson a plate, but Dawson says he already ate, so he's going to change and head out for the evening. The Flash muses, "You know what I love about that kid?" Gale, mistily: "Everything." ["Ah, then it really is Opposite Day." -- Wing Chun] Oy. Shut up, Gale. The Flash says yes, that and the fact that Dawson "can totally take a hint." I wonder how many takes it required for John Wesley Shipp to deliver that line with a straight face.
Witterschloss. Gretchen, still sporting the ironed hair and now clad also in a retina-searing hot pink sleeveless v-neck top with a matching necktie doodad and about a pound of Wet 'n' Wild purple eye-shadow, brags that she's attended "at least a dozen raves, and they've all been great." Joey primps in the mirror and snarks about sweaty people packed together and "potentially ear-damaging decibels," and Gretchen sticks a fake crown on Joey's head and chides her to give it a chance. In the kitchen area, Pacey product-places a Nantucket Nectar and shakes his head at the crown, although a headpiece like that would probably fit right in at the average rave. Joey says she's "actually kind of excited to check out this new revolution." Oh, for God's sake. It's neither new nor a revolution. Please, spare us the master's-thesis blatherskite on the higher meaning of raves. Pacey and Gretchen do the sibling-banter thing on the subject of Gretchen's former-Homecoming-Queen love of high-school dances, and Gretchen tells Pacey that, if he doesn't want to go, she and Joey "are totally fine leaving [him] here." Pacey says he's into going. Gretchen answers the door and finds Dawson; he's "cashing in [his] rain check." Gretchen invites him in. Awkwardness ensues. The foursome heads to the car.