Episode Report Card Jessica: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Clean And Sober
By Jessica | Season 6 | Episode 14 | Aired on 02.04.2003
Party town. Jen and Blandy come down the hallway, a large bag of crushed ice in tow. Blandy's washed his hair, and he looks infinitely more dreamy. In fact, he looks, dare I say it? Hot. His face is still a little blank-looking to me, but I wouldn't kick him out my bed for eating crackers. Or, frankly, anything. But perhaps I've already said too much. "Whose party did you say this was?" he asks. "I didn't. Funny, that. Let's go in," Jen rattles off quickly, making a move for the door. Blandy stops her. "Okay, it's my friend Pacey's party," Jen finally admits. Blandy twists his mouth up and tells her he has a better idea: drop off the ice and go to a movie. Jen grins and fingers her horrid haircut and tells him that these people are her friends, and if they're going to "do this," then everyone's going to have to get along. "Please?" she asks. He smiles, and they go inside.
The party is packed. "Nice television," Blandy says, mesmerized by the magic of spectacular electronics. Meanwhile, Joey and Pacey are making time near the makeshift bar. "Nice party, Pacey," she drawls. "I'm impressed." Pacey admits that he owes it "all to Bertha." Joey rolls her eyes. "Please tell me you didn't name the television," she says. "Oh, but I did," Pacey tells her, reaching around to grab a plastic cup. He offers her a drink, and Joey orders "something fruity and mind-numbing," which she says she needs after the past few weeks -- "Oliver and running off and all." Pacey raises his brows quizzically. "Don't give me that look," Joey says. "Like you're going to ask me who I am and what I've done to Joey Potter." Pacey swears that he was going to do no such thing. "And may I say, you look wonderful tonight?" he offers. Joey grins. "Thank you," she chirps. "I thought it was time for a shower." Pacey snorts and tells her she'll get through this tough time -- she always does. Joey mopes that she's always expected to be the responsible one. The one who picks up after everyone else's drunken antics. "Maybe tomorrow I won't do it and someone else will," she says. Pacey smiles down at her and reminds her that she can feel free to get wasted. She's safe in his apartment, and she can crash there if she likes. "Enjoy yourself," he says. Joey grins up at him. "That's a plan," she says. "All bets are off." With this, she pours an ample slug of vodka into her glass. Yay, Drunk Joey is funny! As far as I can remember, anyway.
Later. Joey looks a wee bit buzzed as she sits on the sofa and talks to TGED. She wonders dreamily when Jack will "go back to his art." TGED is interested to learn that Jack is even into art. The audience is interested to learn that the writers remember that Jack used to be into art. Actually, this entire episode benefits from a lengthy, practically hour-long visit from our old, little-seen friend Continuity. That, plus the reintroduction of the Joey and Pacey relationship, the improvement in Blandy's hair, and the simple fact that this episode revolves around the core cast members actually speaking to one another makes me think that, perhaps, someone has been reading the boards. Anyway, Joey nods conspiratorially and tells TGED that Jack's "really quite talented," and that it was his art which brought them together. "You know. Before." She then leans in and tells TGED that Jack actually used to be "shy and kinda dorky." She never would have known he liked her, she says, "except that one time I was sketching him for class. He got…excited." She makes an hilarious "how do you like them apples?" face. "No!" TGED gasps. "Waaaaaah!" Joey yells in agreement. The two of them burst into laughter. Hee.
Back to rehab, where Dawson basically harasses this poor producer. It's really very inappropriate behavior, although I have to give James Van Der Beek credit -- however grudging -- for pulling off this scene without looking like a complete twat. Basically, it goes like this: she hits on him, he calls her a genius, she gets all uncomfortable and bitter and tries to have sex with him again, and then he starts asking her for work. "Listen, baby bird, it's bad enough teasing a drying-out broad with your naughty bits, but it's worse trying to talk about the business with somebody who's out of it," she finally tells him. Oh, ew. Naughty bits? I think mine just shriveled up and fell off, thanks to that mental image. And with that, Dawson and the Washed-Up Producer part ways. In the background, Audrey laughs hysterically at The Head's Folly.